Head to Head

Four historians evaluate perceptions of Rome’s eastern successor beyond the piety, icons, bureaucracy and gold of Byzantium.

The Norman Conquest brought French kings, language and culture across the Channel. What did that mean for medieval England?

Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on 30 January 1948. As India has changed, so has his place in its history.

By 380, a small cult originating near the periphery of the Roman Empire had grown to become its official religion: Christianity. Things would change – but in what ways?

The question asked by Werner Sombart in 1906 grew in relevance as the 20th century progressed. Why are leftist politics anathema to Washington – both at home and abroad?

There are ghosts in the archives. Floating nuns, joy-riding cyclists and things that go bump in the night. Four historical ghost stories and their meanings.

From Elizabeth I’s intimate attire to fabrics that threatened social hierarchies, clothes tell us about more than just their wearers.

Thriving in troubled times, the allure of a good conspiracy theory has proved irresistible whenever and wherever authorities are not trusted. What’s the damage? 

Child-murderer, arch villain, failed monarch, ‘northern’. Have efforts to redeem Richard III succeeded or is he still one of history’s worst kings?

It’s the most tired of historical clichés, but is it so for a reason? Who writes history? Four would-be winners debate.