Edith Cavell Reburied in Norwich
Following her execution by firing squad in Belgium in 1915, Edith Cavell's body was eventually brought back from Brussels to England on May 15th, 1919.
History Today
Philip I Crowned King of France
Richard Cavendish looks back at the Capetian monarch, crowned aged seven, on 23 May 1059.
Richard Cromwell Resigns as Lord Protector
The Lord Protector stood down on May 25th, 1659.
Tools for healing and harming: A history of medicine
Wendy Moore catches a rare glimpse of a medical collection that includes tonsil guillotines and implements for trepanning.
1979: The Real Year of Revolution
Despite the seemingly endless celebrations of the events of 1968, it is the legacy of 1979 that lingers on, argues Jeremy Black.
Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of Baritsu
Bartitsu – rather than Baritsu – was a hybrid martial art that flourished in fin de siècle London. As an amateur boxer, Arthur Conan Doyle was fascinated.
The Fall of the Roman Empire
As the Roman Empire declined its leaders became interested more in personal survival than good governance. Adrian Goldsworthy draws comparisons with current crises.
John Evelyn and London Air
The air of London in the seventeenth century was polluted by clouds of sea-coal smoke against which Evelyn proposed some drastic remedies. By Steven R. Smith
South Africa’s Forgotten War
White South Africans who fought in the long ‘Border War’ to maintain apartheid now find themselves in a country run by their former enemies. Gary Baines examines their continuing struggle to come to terms with the conflict and their efforts to have their voices heard.
Silence, Exile and Cunning: Culture and Politics in the 1930s
As Europe polarised between Right and Left in the 1930s, many artists and authors nailed their reputations to either extreme. Others, says Nigel Jones, took refuge in the ‘inner emigration’ of silence. Even in stable Britain, writers felt compelled to take a stand – often in the service of the secret state.