On the Spot: Richard J. Blackett
‘I’d like to go back to midnight on 1 January 1863, when the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect.’
Interview
On the Spot: Rodric Braithwaite
‘Great leaders are much less in control of events than people imagine.’
On the Spot: Soe Tjen Marching
‘The more I read, the more I change my mind.’
On the Spot: Paul Cartledge
What’s the most exciting field in history today? The history of political thought.
On the Spot: Jessey J.C. Choo
‘History is an illusion, as with everything that changes.’
On the Spot: Amanda H. Podany
‘I’d like to have met Baranamtara, the Queen of Lagash in the early 24th century BC.’
On the Spot: Hakim Adi
‘It is not the rich and seemingly powerful that make history, but the majority of humans.’
On the Spot: Malgorzata Fidelis
‘Looking at my native country from outside opened completely new ways of thinking.’
On the Spot: Gene A. Jarrett
‘Being a careful analyst of history can help anticipate trends in the present and future.’
On the Spot: Caroline Elkins
We ask 20 questions of leading historians on why their research matters, one book everyone should read and their views on historical drama …