Richard II: King of the White Hart
When Richard II succeeded his grandfather, Edward III, he turned to alchemy to create a more pious ideal of kingship. His reign left us one of medieval England’s most enduring and complex images.
History Today
Speaking Volumes
Geoffrey Best reflects on a lifetime collecting books and the difficulties – emotional and financial – of parting with them.
Maurice Ravel dies in Paris
The great composer died on December 28th, 1937.
The Russian Mrs Beeton
Helen Szamuely explores the unprecedented success of a household manual and cookery book produced by a Russian housewife, Yelena Molokhovets, following the Emancipation of the Serfs in 1861.
The Derryard Attack
Chris Darnell examines the political and military background to the IRA’s last major action against the British army.
The Publication of Grimm’s Fairy Tales
A landmark in folklore was published on December 20th, 1812.
Profits of Madness
Sarah Wise admires an assessment of lunacy in 19th-century London.
Past Imperfect
Disabled people were prominent at the court of the Spanish Habsburgs. Janet Ravenscroft examines the roles they played and draws comparisons with modern attitudes towards physical imperfection.
Thomas Cromwell: Brewer’s Boy Made Good
Derek Wilson welcomes the emergence from the shadows of Thomas Cromwell, thanks to Hilary Mantel’s prize-winning historical novels.
Dickens' London: Further Twists
Gillian Tindall reflects on a recent discovery by a Dickens scholar, which offers new insights into the great writer’s early years.