How to Make a Devil
The legend of Ravachol, the terrorist ‘mastermind’ of the fin de siècle.
History Today
An Edict of Toleration
On 14 June 1632, the Ethiopian Emperor Susenyos abdicated in favour of his son.
Forging Ties
A Shanghai bookshop played a pivotal role in promoting Sino-Japanese friendship.
The Penguin History of Modern Spain by Nigel Townson review
An up-to-date history of modern Spain, from 1898 to the present.
Does History Have an Expiry Date?
We welcome our new columnist George Garnett. Don’t tell him that history’s history.
A Cure for Wellness
Eminent doctors and notorious charlatans vied for sick patients to treat in the cut-throat medical marketplace of Georgian England.
Many Happy Returns
James Stuart, Jacobite pretender to the throne, campaigned for the Jacobite cause with dancing and parties.
The Madman in the White House by Patrick Weil review
Delusions of grandeur: a ‘psychobiography’ of Woodrow Wilson.
Birth of a Pastry Chef
Born into poverty on 8 June 1783, Antonin Carême’s spectacular confectionary constructions made him patissier to royalty.
Never Again by Andrew I. Port review
‘Real world’ German responses to postwar genocide.