History Today

A view of Matavie Bay in the island of Tahiti, by William Hodges, 1776. Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection. Public Domain.

On the Spot: Patricia Fara

‘Who is the most underrated person in history? Tupaia, the Tahitian navigator and translator who enabled James Cook to reach Australia and New Zealand’

St Rose of Lima, anonymous painting from the Cusco School, c.1690. Lima Art Museum. Public Domain.

Catherine of Siena’s American Daughters

As Christianity spread, it carried Catherine of Siena’s legacy to the Americas. Her asceticism inspired Rose of Lima, Kateri Tekakwitha, and others.

George Villiers, first duke of Buckingham and lover of James I, after Renold Elstack, c.1700-20. Yale Center for British Art, Gift of George A. Douglass. Public Domain.

‘Queen James’ by Gareth Russell review

Queen James: The Life and Loves of Britain’s First King by Gareth Russell illuminates the inner life and passions of James VI and I.

‘The Sorrowful Complaint of Conscience and Plain-Dealing Against Millers, Userers, Taylors, and Hostesses...’, ballad broadsheet, 1671-85. Pepys Library, Magdalene College, Cambridge University. Public Domain.

Early Modern Millers’ Tales

Thieves, cheats, and scoundrels. How did early modern millers get their bad reputations?

‘The Church Militant’, by John Collet, 1779. Prints, Drawings and Watercolors from the Anne S.K. Brown Military Collection. Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library. Public Domain.

‘The Crisis of Colonial Anglicanism’ by Martyn Percy review

The Crisis of Colonial Anglicanism: Empire, Slavery and Revolt in the Church of England by Martyn Percy takes the British Empire’s church militant to task. Is there a case to answer?

A stud merino ram, Boonoke, New South Wales, 1930s. State Library of New South Wales. Public Domain.

Wool Aliens of the British Empire

From imported plant species to water pollution, Britain’s 19th century wool trade transformed the world.

Seated Amitabha Buddha, Ming dynasty China, c.1600. The Cleveland Museum of Art. Public Domain.

‘Buddhism’ by Donald S. Lopez Jr. review

Buddhism: A Journey Through History by Donald S. Lopez Jr. swiftly soon loses sight of the Buddha himself. Is that a bad thing, and was he ever there?

A portrait of Charles I, anonymous artist, c.1650. Rijksmuseum. Public Domain.

Did Charles I Have to Die?

King Charles I’s execution in 1649 turned the world upside down – were other outcomes possible?

‘Scientific Researches! New Discoveries in Pneumaticks! [sic] or an Experimental Lecture on the Powers of Air, May 23, 1802’, by James Gillray. Minneapolis Institute of Art. Public Domain.

Have We Forgotten How to Listen to Lectures?

Unlike books and podcasts, lectures hold their audience captive – in person, at least.

Bertrand Russell at press conference in New York, 1950. Rijksmuseum. Public Domain.

‘Vietdamned’ by Clive Webb review

Can Vietdamned: How the World’s Greatest Minds Put America on Trial by Clive Webb rescue Bertrand Russell and Jean-Paul Sartre’s activism from irrelevance?