On the Spot: Anne Applebaum
‘What will future generations judge us most harshly for? That we allowed Donald Trump to violate the US constitution.’
History Today
The Bikini
The two-piece swimsuit was unveiled on 5 July 1946.
Rewriting the Classics
A translator alters more than a text’s language, turning the process into a political statement.
How Original Was Shakespeare?
Two fascinating, in-depth studies look, respectively, at representations of the Bard as a historical character and perceptions of his originality and reputation.
The Grapes of Roth
The late, great American novelist performed an important, but little-known, cultural role during the Cold War.
Who Were The Phoenicians?
Josephine Quinn’s authoritative and engaging new study questions whether the Phoenicians had a homogeneous language or cultural heritage.
You Say Ragner, I Say Ragnar
The unlikely links between an obscure English saint and a Viking warrior.
Making a Monster
The worst monsters to the Anglo-Saxon mind were those who thought like humans but chose to act differently.
A History of Pizza
The world’s most popular fast food has ancient roots, but it was a royal seal of approval in 1889 that set pizza on the path to global domination.
Homophobia in Russia
Despite the difficulties in accessing official archival sources, the history of homophobic persecution in Russia is covered convincingly in this study.