The Original Anti-Vaxxers
When widespread vaccination was introduced there were objections – some justified, some not.
History Matters
Thoughts, opinions and commentary on all things historical.
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An Outbreak of Heartbreak
‘Crazy Jane’ was ubiquitous in the late 18th century, the archetypal figure of those driven mad by heartbreak. Was the plight of the love sick a performance or a pandemic?
When They Get to the Border
The Aliens Act of 1905 was the culmination of decades of anxiety about migrants – some of whom attempted to reach Britain by clandestine means.
After Me, Conquest
Edward the Confessor, a model of medieval piety, was a surprisingly effective ruler.
Illuminating Conspiracy
Demonology is a long-established if little known political tradition in the United States.
A Lost City in the North Caucasus
The identification of Magas, capital of the medieval Kingdom of Alania, reveals a civilisation forged by global interconnections.
William Cecil’s Perilous Year
Cecil feared the Tower, until his kinswoman Anne Bacon stepped in.
Rejecting the New Normal
Rhodesia’s ill-fated independence, 55 years on.
What’s in a Name?
Erasing women writers in the name of uplifting them.
Angels Ever Bright and Fair
The ‘Angels of Mons’, a short story written in the earliest days of the First World War, became an enduring symbol of British providence.