History Today

The Angevin Empire may have come about by a mixture of luck and calculation, but skill and respect for local custom were required for Henry II to preserve it intact.

'Politics didn't matter': the ordinary Germany often insulated himself from the tensions of the Third Reich by concentrating on its work and leisure benefits.

How an all-American celebration evolved from the pre-Lent carnivals of the Old World.

'More like sovereign heads of state than servants of the same British Crown' - the rivalry and 'diplomacy' of imperial proconsuls hampered the creation of Nigeria between 1900 and 1914.

John Palmer explores the new development of computerising the Domesday day book and what the effects will be.

David Cannadine raises questions about the transition from student life into the working world

Domesday Book nudges Magna Carta for the title of best-known official document in English history. Yet apart from its extraordinary scope and speed of compilation, much about the book has remained obscure or unnown. 

Elizabeth Hallam reflects on the usage and abusage of William the Conqueror's Domesday book.

Michael Lee questions the use of using political historical sources.