The Contrarian

The academic training that historians undergo qualifies them to speak out on issues beyond their remit, argues Tim Stanley.

There is nothing new or exceptional about the recent English riots and they will have little long-term impact, argues Tim Stanley.

The American Civil War was not a simple struggle between slaveholders and abolitionists, argues Tim Stanley.

History tells us that the West’s embrace of liberal values was not inevitable and is unlikely to last, says Tim Stanley.

It is a deeply unfashionable thing to ask, says Tim Stanley, but might a nation's history be affected by the character of its people?

The desire of western governments, most notably those of Britain, to apologise for the actions of their predecessors threatens to simplify the complexities of history, argues Tim Stanley.

The Victorian era was an age of faith – which is why it was also a golden period of progress, argues Tim Stanley.

Much western commentary on the turmoil in the Arab world demonstrates historical ignorance, argues Tim Stanley.

The death-obsessed and inward-looking Aztec civilisation sowed the seeds of its own destruction, argues Tim Stanley.

As we soak up television dramas that revel in the scandalous personal lives of popes and kings, we are in danger of losing sight of these figures’ real historical importance, argues Tim Stanley.