History Matters

There is value in a leader who lies – but only if it is done for the greater good.

The elixir of life, a mythical substance from ancient Chinese literature, underpins an enormous industry in modern China. 

In the 19th century, servants at Oxford and Cambridge held a biennial boat race that was easily the equal of the students’.

Rightly revered in her adopted France, did Josephine Baker’s fame help launder a poisonous colonial legacy?

Early modern parish libraries, frequently established for the benefit of the general public, were often deliberately inaccessible.

The introduction of chocolate to the Catholic world caused a dilemma: could it be eaten? Should it be given up for Lent?

Sherlock Holmes is the 19th century’s most famous cocaine user, but why did he take it? 

Letters discovered in 2015 get us closer to understanding the tragic truth of the royal murder-suicide of Crown Prince Rudolf and Baroness Mary Vetsera at Mayerling.

The first Native American troops to enlist for Federal service were fighting to return to their own lands.