Mourning the White Ship
The sinking of the White Ship was a disaster for England’s King Henry I, but it was also felt deeply by his subjects.
Recently published
‘The Edge of Revolution’, ‘Britain’s Revolutionary Summer’, and ‘Nine Days in May’ review
What can three recent books – The Edge of Revolution by David Torrance, Britain’s Revolutionary Summer by Edd Mustill, and Nine Days in May by Jonathan Schneer – tell us about the General Strike of 1926?
Iceland’s English Century
In the 15th century Iceland was caught in a trade war between the Kalmar Union, the Hanseatic League, and England. Which power defined the island’s fate?
Why Did Britain Abolish the Slave Trade?
The Slavery Abolition Act was passed by Parliament in 1833. What was really behind Britain’s moment of moral enlightenment?
Britain’s Private Investigators on Trial
In the 1970s private investigators in the UK came under attack for their distasteful methods and dubious legality. What did it mean to have a right to privacy?
The Pazzi Conspiracy
On 26 April 1478 the attempted coup against Florentine tyrant Lorenzo de’ Medici ended in disaster.
The Rif War
As Spain and France moved into Morocco, the people of the Rif Mountains united to form a new state. For five years they fought one of the most successful wars of resistance in imperial history.
‘Weimar’ by Katja Hoyer review
Weimar: Life on the Edge of Catastrophe by Katja Hoyer explores the city – and citizens – at the heart of Germany’s ill-fated republic, and the Reich that replaced it.
Exclusion Crisis: Challenging James II’s Right to Rule
The Exclusion Crisis of the late 17th century posed a question of national importance: should the Catholic duke of York be allowed to succeed to the throne? And should he be subject to the same law as everyone else?
‘A Defence of Pretence’ by Indira Ghose review
If all the world’s a stage, argues Indira Ghose in A Defence of Pretence: Civility and the Theatre in Early Modern England, then on the stage is where we see change most vividly.