History Today

The young men who surrounded the French king have been wrongly dismissed by some historians as effeminate, inconsequential sycophants. 

Richard Dale investigates the mysterious death of Richard Hunne in Lollards Tower at Old St Paul’s, one of the most notorious episodes of the English Reformation.

Undoubtedly our greatest naval administrator since Pepys, at the height of his career, Lord Barham had just entered his eightieth year. Bernard Pool documents his unique achievements.

A distinguished soldier and a capable administrator, Adam had the misfortune to fall foul of the Napier Brothers, a close-knit fraternity who had a strong taste for controversial warfare. By Robert Cecil.

Architect and landscape-gardener to the sixth Duke of Devonshire, Paxton reached his highest fame in 1851 with the creation of the Crystal Palace, writes Tudor Edwards.

William Gardener assesses the handiwork of Sir William Jackson Hooker and John Lindley.

In the year 1765 Dr. Johnson’s future biographer set out on his journey to Corsica.

By challenging and destroying the system of General Warrants, John Wilkes struck an important blow for civil liberty in England, writes George Rudé.

C. Northcote Parkinson traces the development of the tin mining and plating processes, from Chinese joss-sticks, to the modern tin can.

All the Nazi leaders had a talent for self-dramatisation. None was more enamoured of the role he had chosen than Heinrich Himmler.