The Affair of the Diamond Necklace
On 31 May 1786 Paris relished the humiliation of Marie Antoinette as the Affaire du collier de la reine concluded in court.
Volume 76 Issue 5 May 2026
On the Spot: Christopher de Hamel
‘Which moment would I most like to go back to? The Resurrection. Whatever happened, there has been no more consequential moment for Western civilisation.’
‘Huguenot Networks’ by Penny Roberts review
Huguenot Networks: Truth and Secrecy in Sixteenth-Century Europe by Penny Roberts reveals the clandestine cross-border contacts of Huguenot spies, diplomats, and scholars.
Following 16th-Century Seabirds
European mariners in the Atlantic in the 16th century used a reliable navigational aid: seabirds.
Isaac Newton on Laputa
Irked by both his character and his tendency towards corruption, Jonathan Swift spent years ruthlessly satirising Isaac Newton.
The Persecution of Finland’s Russian Peddlers
In the 19th century Russian peddlers became a scapegoat in Finland’s resistance against the tsar’s empire.
‘The Log Books’ by Tash Walker and Adam Zmith review
The Log Books: Voices of Queer Britain and the Helpline That Listened by Tash Walker and Adam Zmith reveals unsung – but not unheard – LGBTQ+ heroes of Switchboard.
The Rise and Fall of Snake Oil
Over the course of the 19th century snake oil transformed from folk remedy, to industrial medicine, to notorious fake.
Beating the Bounds
May is a month for praying for a good harvest, enjoying the natural world – and reaffirming ancient boundaries.