Rome’s clash with Henry VIII, the secret history of Tibet, Russia’s Decembrist Revolt, the affairs of Hortense Mancini, drinking politics in colonial Australia, and more.
Plus: reviews, opinion, crossword and much more!
You can buy this issue from our website, from newsstands across the UK, or read it as a digital edition via the History Today App.
Henry VIII’s break with Rome was a watershed moment for England and for Christendom. Did the papacy have itself to blame?
The colony of New South Wales did not have its own parliament until 1856, but it did have a tradition of public dinners and politically charged toasts.
How can historians of Tibet – a region whose history is tightly controlled by the Chinese authorities – gain access to its recent past? Comparing newspapers from either side of the Himalayas might offer a way in.
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.
How to finance old age has been a problem since the inception of Britain’s welfare state. Why is pension reform so difficult?
The Decembrist revolt of 1825 saw Russia’s nobility attempt to depose tsar Nicholas I. Dismissed as romantic idealists, they were driven by a bold vision for the future of the country.
