Guernica: Black and White and Red All Over
One of the 20th-century’s most enduring artworks warns us against the danger of ‘alternative facts’.
History Matters
Thoughts, opinions and commentary on all things historical.
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Predicting the Fall of Anne Boleyn
In his pursuit of Anne Boleyn, Thomas Cromwell was guided by a prophecy foretelling treason.
Revolt in Madagascar
In 1947, fraught Anglo-French relations came to a head in the crucible of the Indian Ocean with the outbreak of Madagascar’s Malagasy Uprising.
The Spanish Flu Pandemic
Perhaps the greatest disaster to ever befall humanity, the pandemic of 1918 is strangely overlooked.
The Cheapest Bookstore in the World
How did bookselling develop from the preserve of the elite to the Amazon marketplace? It is due, in large part, to the actions of one man.
What is Confucianism?
A short introduction to the Chinese ethical system.
A General State of Mourning
The 18th century saw many royal deaths, all of which had to be mourned. The effect was felt in every part of life.
Celebrity, Politics and Francis Drake
Francis Drake’s exploits in the New World made him perfect material for the English gutter press and a figurehead for rising Hispanophobia.
‘To Think is to Compare’: Walther Rathenau, Trump and Hitler
No historians are seriously suggesting that the Third Reich and the Trump administration are similar phenomena, but that does not mean comparative study of the two cannot shed light on two contrasting periods.
A Brief History of Facts
The rise of ‘the fact’ during the 17th century came at the expense of the power of authority. Could the digital age reverse how we decide what is true and what is not?