‘The Price of Victory’ by N.A.M. Rodger review
The Price of Victory: A Naval History of Britain: 1815-1945 by N.A.M. Rodger looks above decks for the story of the modern Royal Navy.
First World War
‘Disputing Disaster’ by Perry Anderson review
Disputing Disaster: A Sextet on the Great War by Perry Anderson relitigates the causes of the conflict through some of their key proponents.
The Failure of the Leipzig War Crimes Trials
An attempt to prosecute German war criminals in 1921 failed to such an extent that the entire enterprise is largely forgotten. What went wrong?
On the Spot: Lucy Noakes
‘What is the most common misconception about my field? That the history of war is the same as military history.’
Arthur Cravan: The Disappearing Dadaist
Unconventional and provocative, did the Dada artist sometimes known as Arthur Cravan save his boldest work for last?
Brushing for Britain
The First World War revealed the bad state of Britain’s teeth. Intervention was required to keep the nation biting fit.
How Did the First World War Change the Arts?
Surrealism – as formulated in André Breton’s manifesto a century ago in October 1924 – is regarded as one of the First World War’s artistic legacies. What are the others?
Japan, the West and the Treaty of Versailles
At the outset of the 1919 Paris Peace Conference Japan enjoyed a seat at the top table, but the vexed issue of racial equality set it and its notional Western allies on different paths.
Deeds Not Words: Slashing the Rokeby Venus
From the suffragettes to Just Stop Oil, Britain’s National Gallery – specifically Diego Velásquez’s Rokeby Venus – has been a magnet for attack by activists. Why?
The Scandalous Success of the Daily Mail
In January 1944 the Daily Mail became the first transoceanic newspaper, having transformed the relationship between politics, the press and the people. How powerful is it really?