Recently published
No Laughing Matter
Aristotle’s lost treatise on laughter is a serious business. Could laughter lead to the downfall of society?
Demanding Surrender
The exchange of wanted persons between the UK and the US is a contentious issue and has been for more than 200 years.
Filthy Food
Efforts by the German scientist Friedrich Accum brought about widespread awareness of the dangers of food adulteration, paving the way for legislation that protects what we eat today.
No More Windfalls
Uprisings, strikes, protests and massacres in South Africa, from the Boer War to the present day.
Creating Iraq’s Military State
Foreign armies acted with impunity in Iraq from the first decade of independence. In response, the Iraqi military became a tool of internal repression.
England’s Monasteries: Gone But Not Forgotten
The Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII is a well-worn tale. Are we getting the whole story?
The Great Alpaca Heist
A Victorian wool merchant set out on an audacious, decade-long quest to smuggle alpacas out of Peru. But transporting his flock to Australia was only half the struggle.