Recently published

What is the soul, where does it come from and where does it go when we die? Such questions have continued to fascinate since the early modern period, and have resulted in surprisingly creative answers. 

Angered by his native country’s rush towards western-style modernisation, the acclaimed Japanese author committed a shocking act of protest.

The maxim ‘show don’t tell’ is often forgotten when film-makers confront historical horrors, argues Suzannah Lipscomb, as two recent cinema releases demonstrate.

As Britain got hooked on tobacco in the 17th century, smoking paraphernalia became ubiquitous. These items provide an insight into the anxieties and aspirations of the early modern psyche.

The ideas set out by Martin Luther sparked a reformation in the idea of authority itself. 

Despite its popularity in France, the political memoir took a while to get going in Britain. It was Lord Clarendon’s epic attempt to make sense of the turbulent 17th century that slowly set the ball rolling.

In the absence of a European democratic model, the Founding Fathers turned to the apparently perfect state of the Iroquois Five Nations as a template for a federal United States, combining the best of both worlds.

Kate Wiles on Auldjo’s artistic map of Vesuvius across 200 year of major eruptions.