History Today

The most distinguished of the three thousand foreign volunteers who fought against Britain during the Boer War, writes Roy Macnab, was a brilliantly gifted French soldier.

Czeslaw Jesman describes the revival of the African Empire and the British expedition of 1868.

After 1807, writes A.J.H. Latham, a Liverpool merchant and a Nigerian chieftain both profited from the palm-oil trade.

Franz Xaver Winterhalter's romantic representations of royal and noble personages, writes Joanna Richardson, have an unquestionable charm for those who live in a more pedestrian age.

In 1773, writes A. Lentin, the radical philosophe paid a difficult visit to his patroness in St Petersburg.

Rosamond Harcourt-Smith follows an eastern route to India during the early years of viceregal rule.

After the last great victory of the English longbow at Flodden, writes Charles Chenevix Trench, three centuries of experiment passed before an accurate long-ranged firearm was devised.

During the War of the Spanish Succession the Austrian commander marched westward from the Alps across Italy to win a remarkable battle.

John Lehmann presents the grim but fascinating impressions of post-Commune France, by an English schoolboy.

After early service in Poland, writes Adam Zamoyski, Sulkowski joined the French Army of Italy and in 1798 met a gallant death in Egypt.