The Problem with Britain’s Pensions
How to finance old age has been a problem since the inception of Britain’s welfare state. Why is pension reform so difficult?
Britain
Hortense Mancini’s English Affairs
In exile, Hortense Mancini captivated 17th-century Europe – and king Charles II – with her beauty and charm. But her path to freedom was mired in scandal.
Ploughing Up Postwar Britain
Postwar state support for agriculture in the UK has been hailed a great success, but it had unexpected consequences.
The Worlds at the Earth’s Core
What sits beneath the planet’s crust? Scientists, writers, and conspiracy theorists have all had a guess, with Hollow-Earth Theory providing surprisingly resilient.
The Smog of War: The Battle for Britain’s Clean Air
The wartime government’s programme of deliberate smoke production was an attempt to protect Britain from the Luftwaffe; for the National Smoke Abatement Society, the decision was a disaster.
The Publication of ‘1066 and All That’
On 16 October 1930 Britain’s sense of its historical greatness was skewered with the release of 1066 and All That.
‘The Indefatigable Asa Briggs’ by Adam Sisman review
The Indefatigable Asa Briggs: A Biography by Adam Sisman is a detailed portrait of that voluminous chronicler of Victorian things.
Wimpy vs McDonald’s: The Battle of the Burgers
In the 1970s and 1980s Wimpy faced off with McDonald’s in a battle over what it meant to eat British.
When Summer Meant Sea Serpents
For the Victorians and Edwardians, the late British summer was a time of sun, sand – and sea serpents.
Charles de Gaulle is Sentenced to Death
Court-martialled in absentia on 2 August 1940, the Vichy regime confiscated de Gaulle’s property and condemned him to death.