‘The Happy Traitor’ by Simon Kuper review
The Happy Traitor: Spies, Lies and Exile in Russia. The Extraordinary Story of George Blake unpicks the motives and damage inflicted by the double agent.
Volume 71 Issue 5 May 2021
Polling in a Pandemic
The general election of 1918 was a ‘cynical muddle’ held as influenza killed thousands across a country emerging from the First World War.
The Lives of Napoleon
The erstwhile emperor continues to attract biographers and readers alike. Laura O’Brien assesses recent work on his life and legacy.
Breaking Time’s Arrow
A meditative, intensive and sweeping critique of the discipline of history.
Out of Time, But Not Out of Tune
We should listen to the voices of the past, for they may surprise us with their relevance.
400 Years of Melancholising
Robert Burton’s encyclopedic curiosity The Anatomy of Melancholy continues to offer remarkable insights into mental health.
Britannia’s ‘Huns’
The moral authority Britain gained during the First World War was undermined by the behaviour of the Crown Forces during the Irish War of Independence.
The Man who Haunts America
John Brown, the abolitionist firebrand, remains a potent figure in the United States’ febrile politics of race.
Raise Your Words
A classic work of history, now 20 years old, reminds us of the power of continuing education for all.
Book of Remembrance
A signature in a collection of autographs reveals a story of Indigenous service that extends from Australia to Canada and Trinidad.