History Today

Happy Families

Stella Tillyard explains how she came to write multiple biographies of 18th-century families, most recently that of George III whose brothers and sisters were enmeshed in webs of intrigue, something that affected the King’s wider relations with his subjects.

Great Minds Think Alike

Cartoon historian Mark Bryant looks at two humorous takes on the same subject – the Siegfried Line, as the German defensive Westwall was known by the Allies, by cartoonists from both sides of the divide during the Second World War.

The Audit of War

What was the British empire’s contribution to the victory in the Second World War? What was the impact of war upon the empire?  A.J. Stockwell explores the interlocking questions of the costs of war and empire.

Commemorating a Myth

Eliane Glaser reveals a flaw behind the celebrations planned this year to mark the 350th anniversary of Cromwell's readmission of Jews to England – it never happened.

The Kings’ Mother

Joanna Laynesmith examines claims that Edward IV was a bastard and tells the dramatic story of his mother, Cecily Neville, Duchess of York.