Volume 73 Issue 12 December 2023

‘In postwar Britain I was prejudiced against Germany. Then I studied German history, met German people and changed my mind.’

Caspar Hauser died on 17 December 1833, but was it murder or a self-inflicted wound? Hauser’s mysterious death raised as many questions as his mysterious life.

The proper pastime for a young lady in the 19th century was the pursuit of marriage – the magical rituals and folk charms she used might be less proper.

The Oracle at Delphi influenced Greek politics for a millennium. She continues to speak to us today.

Jane Austen’s Wardrobe by Hilary Davidson seeks to provide the context that more than two centuries of changes in fashion have obscured.

The British Council was founded to help the world better understand Britain and to fight fascism. As times changed, so did its remit.

By 380, a small cult originating near the periphery of the Roman Empire had grown to become its official religion: Christianity. Things would change – but in what ways?

On 6 December 343, Saint Nicholas died but his miracles continued. Eventually, the man was replaced by the myth of Santa Claus – if he even existed at all.

One Fine Day: Britain’s Empire on the Brink by Matthew Parker and Imperial Island: A History of Empire in Modern Britain by Charlotte Lydia Riley are filled with ambition.

In 1926 an American university went to sea and caused an international scandal. Could it still be considered a success?