Paul Lay

Projects for a peaceful Europe go back centuries. Occasionally, they succeed – for a while at least.

The British public are obsessed with the First World War, but know little about how it was brought to an end.

An enchanting series revealed the strangeness of the past to generations of children.  

The late, great American novelist performed an important, but little-known, cultural role during the Cold War.  

Literature and the visual arts have long sought to depict the nature of conflict. But what about music?

In an age of renewed faction, a reminder of the power of friendship over politics. 

We will find it ever harder to navigate the past if we lose touch with the myths, legends and religions that helped shape it.  

A lack of historical knowledge is easily exploited in the fractious world of social media.

Though much of the West has withdrawn from empire, one of the world’s rising powers offers the latest twist on imperialism.  

Attempts to unify a diverse continent require subtlety and respect.