Paul Lay

Oliver Cromwell’s desire to bring about the readmission of Jews to England was met with prejudice and opposition. But he succeeded, with help from powerful friends.

Those who kept a diary in 2020 have provided a service to posterity.  

If Covid-19 has taught us anything it is that the West – and that includes its historians – must expand its horizons. 

In the 70 years since History Today was launched, the way we engage with the past has changed, often for the better. But challenges remain. 

A walk through the City of London provides chance encounters with its deep history.

The Roman poet Ovid remains our contemporary despite a gap of two millennia.

The West Indies’ past is a key to our present.

Lockdown has reacquainted us with boredom.

The opening of hairdressers and pubs has a strange historical resonance.

The English came late to gardening, but they have more than made up for it.