Censoring Samuel Pepys, Victorian creationism, Nasser and the Muslim Brotherhood, early modern espionage in the Black Chamber, and early medieval queens.
Plus: reviews, opinion, crossword and much more!
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When Samuel Pepys’ diary was first published 200 years ago it was an instant hit, but rumours soon spread about what had been cut and why.
The Earth was created in seven days. On which day were the dinosaurs made? Discoveries in geology and palaeontology forced Victorian creationists to be especially creative.
The medieval era did not wallow in savage, ignorant darkness, despite what some would have us believe.
As Nasser moved to nationalise the Suez Canal in 1956, Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood was forced to choose between faith and freedom.
In the febrile political climate of early modern Europe, letters – and the information they contained – were dangerous. Notorious ‘black chambers’ turned postmasters into spies.
Canada and the US have often been uneasy neighbours; the roots of the latest political flare up can be found in their tangled history.
Queenship was transformed in the early Middle Ages, as power came to be derived not just from marriage, but from God.
In The World of the Cold War: 1945-1991 Vladislav Zubok argues that circumstance rather than ideology shaped the clash between communism and capitalism.
In 19th-century America abortion was weaponised as part of a culture war.
The Sun Rising: James I and the Dawn of a Global Britain by Anna Whitelock offers a panoramic view of Jacobean foreign policy.
When it comes to the end of the Roman Empire three things are certain: death, taxes, and Goths. Were reports of its demise exaggerated?
America, América: A New History of the New World by Greg Grandin finds a place for Latin America and its ideals in the story of the United States.
Margaret Thatcher struggled to write her own speeches. Who put the words in her mouth?
The Illegals: Russia’s Most Audacious Spies and the Plot to Infiltrate the West by Shaun Walker sheds light on the Soviet Union’s undercover intelligence gathering.
Reports from the First Crusade brought tales of victorious Christian soldiers eating dead bodies.
The Alienation Effect: How Central European Émigrés Transformed the British Twentieth Century by Owen Hatherley follows in the footsteps of those who fled fascism.
The controversial outcome of a sculpture competition between Filippo Brunelleschi and Lorenzo Ghiberti changed the urban fabric of Renaissance Florence – or so the story goes.
Miracles and Wonder: The Historical Mystery of Jesus by Elaine Pagels finds that the son of God is more than the sum of his parts.
Were the lost bones of medieval King Ethelbert hidden in Sherborne Abbey? A convenient discovery suggested they were.
‘Who is the most underrated person in history? Mary Prince, an enslaved woman who played a critical role in the abolition of slavery.’
