‘Reading It Wrong’ by Abigail Williams review
Reading It Wrong: An Alternative History of Early Eighteenth-Century Literature by Abigail Williams argues that misunderstanding popular literature was a sign of its success.
History Today
The End of Britain’s Weeks-Long General Elections
General elections in Britain were once weeks-long affairs of corruption and chaos. The shift to one-day polling was slow.
Bad Omens: When the Astrologers Got it Wrong
Europe panicked when astrologers predicted a huge flood in 1524. When it failed to appear, astrology had to defend itself.
The Original Bonfire of the Vanities
On 7 February 1497, the Piagnoni of Florence set sin ablaze in the original ‘bonfire of the vanities’
‘As Gods Among Men’ by Guido Alfani review
Guido Alfani’s As Gods Among Men: A History of the Rich in the West explores how history’s wealthiest men made their fortunes, but says little about why they did so.
On the Spot: Levi Roach
‘I used to doubt that the changes undergone in western Europe’s “feudal revolution” were substantial; now, I’m inclined to accept that they were.’
Jackie Coogan and the Fall of Hollywood’s Child Stars
Hollywood adored child stars like Jackie Coogan and Diana Serra Cary, but failed to protect them
Arguing with the Dead
Medieval historians are a small band. Departed greats such as James Campbell remain with us as long as we seek their opinions.
‘The Wild Men’, ‘The Men of 1924’ and ‘A Century of Labour’ review
On the centenary of Britain’s first Labour government, three recent histories cast a sympathetic eye over Ramsay MacDonald’s nine months in Number 10.
Pasternak and Stalin: What Was Said?
A short telephone call between Joseph Stalin and Boris Pasternak sealed the fate of a fellow writer. What exactly transpired during that fateful discussion remains subject to debate.