History Today

We ask leading historians 20 questions on why their research matters, one book everyone should read and their views on the Tudors ...

Both history and historical fiction depend on a combination of imagination and rigorous research. The difference is found in the balance of these ingredients. 

It is not just the Christian musical tradition that has struggled to differentiate between the sacred and the profane. 

The UDBA is probably the least known major espionage agency of the Cold War. It remains influential, despite the break-up of the country it was formed to defend. 

From Elizabethan laws to modern food campaigns: the long history of Britain's patriotic consumers.

The key to Germany’s imperial ambition, the North Sea island of Heligoland was transformed into a fortress. By the end of the Second World War, the dream lay in ruins.

A chart drawn on seal skin challenges our ideas of what constitutes a map.

Dig deeper into Canada’s history and one encounters a more challenging past than its modern image suggests.

While Montaigne: A Life by Philippe Desan review Montaigne might include debatable interpretations of his Essays, it is an essential study of the writer's life.

A compelling narrative on the machinations of a Borgia pope and his offspring, with the added spice of Machiavelli’s cool observations.