History Today

Villainous Heroes

Heroes or villains? Stewart Russell looks at the Indian after-life of American Civil War generals.

Distorted Mirrors

David Lowenthal considers how self-image affects nations' history-writing and identities.

The City and the Democratic Ideal

François Hartog on how urban living has coincided with the advocacy of popular rule from Plato through to Machiavelli, Rousseau and 20th-century sociologists.

A Sympathetic Ear: Napoleon, Elba and the British

Was Napoleon's escape from his first exile unwittingly aided by his erstwhile opponents from Albion? Katharine MacDonogh weighs up the enigmatic response that certain British citizens showed towards their imperial prisoner.

Women and the Early Church

Brent Shaw offers a reassessment of the women martyrs and heroines whose activities on behalf of the faith provoked unsettled admiration from the church fathers.