Political

Peter Clark celebrates some of the ‘awkward squad’ associated with eastern England.

The United States’ participation in military conflict has had unexpected results, and often has produced very different political outcomes to those originally intended.

Marie Rowlands charts the changing fortunes of a religious minority.

Robert Pearce sees remarkable continuity in Churchill’s outlook, despite the transformation of his fortunes, in the 1930s.

 Roger Moorhouse reviews a title on the Holocaust.

Mark Bryant looks at the first political cartoon – and one of the most influential ever – to be published in America.

The story of the British anti-slavery and abolitionist movements has been dominated by the figures of Clarkson and Wilberforce. Yet, the success of the Slave Trade Act of 1807 and the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 benefited from the votes of Irish MPs.

In the late 18th century, a French invasion force marched into Portugal. Napoleon was insisting that Portugal must close its ports to British shipping. When it failed to comply, the invading army was given orders to march on Lisbon and seize the royal family. The Queen and her family fled to Brazil, and by this time, Maria I of Portugal had been insane for more than fifteen years. 

A century ago international anarchists were causing public outrage and panic with their terror tactics. Matt Carr considers the parallels with al-Qaeda today.

Clive Foss introduces the Kharijites, a radical sect from the first century of Islam based in southern Iraq and Iran, who adopted an extreme interpretation of the Koran, ruthless tactics and opposed hereditary political leadership. After causing centuries of problems to the caliphate, they survive in a quietist form in East Africa and Oman.