A sea voyage in the 12th century was a perilous undertaking, as a Spanish Muslim courtier’s account of his crossing of the Mediterranean demonstrates. Yet, explains David Abulafia, it was also a test of one’s religious devotion, whether Muslim or Christian.
A series of archaeological discoveries off the coast of Sicily reveal how Rome turned a piece of lethal naval technology pioneered by its enemy, Carthage, to its own advantage, explains Ann Natanson.
David Kynaston seeks answers to questions about the fragile future of an institution beloved by historical researchers.
History tells us that the West’s embrace of liberal values was not inevitable and is unlikely to last, says Tim Stanley.
Robin Bayley tells how his great grandfather, a Mancunian businessman, became caught up in the tumultuous period of worker unrest that paved the way for the Mexican Revolution.
Thomas Ruys Smith looks at the impact of Hurricane Katrina in the light of the city’s historic troubles.
Syria was among the most unstable states in the Middle East until Hafez al-Assad came to power in 1970. Can his son, Bashar, maintain the regime’s iron rule?
The poor economic record of Greece goes back a very long way, says Matthew Lynn.
The story of a country that has long punched above its weight is told in Scotland’s refurbished National Museum, says David Forsyth.
Courtly love, celebrated in numerous songs and poems, was the romantic ideal of western Europe in the Middle Ages. Yet, human nature being what it is, the realities of sexual desire and the complications it brings were never far away, says Julie Peakman.
