Volume 52 Issue 12 December 2002

Roland Quinault discusses Gladstone’s view of the Second Afghan War both in opposition and during his premiership.

Devra Davis looks at the London Smog disaster of 1952-53.

John M.D. Pohl reviews recent scholarship about the empire swept away by Cortes.

Pamela Pilbeam celebrates the bicentenary of the arrival of Madame Tussaud's waxworks in Britain.

George Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen, became Prime Minister on December 19th, 1852.

David Welch looks at the dramatisation of Führerprinzip in the Nazi cinema, and how history films were used to propagate themes of anti-parliamentarianism and the concept of an individual leader of genius.