Today’s featured articles
Rightly revered in her adopted France, did Josephine Baker’s fame help launder a poisonous colonial legacy?
In the early 1900s the small but influential Zoroastrian community in India contemplated establishing a colony in Iran. Could the Parsis rely on British support?
Madagascar was among the prizes of Europe’s ruthless African land grab. When a US diplomat made plans for his own colonial enterprise, he found that the French had other ideas.
Most recent
Noah’s Ark and the Slave Trade
After the Flood, Noah’s sons were repurposed to support a new worldview justifying racial hierarchy and slavery.
‘The Indefatigable Asa Briggs’ by Adam Sisman review
The Indefatigable Asa Briggs: A Biography by Adam Sisman is a detailed portrait of that voluminous chronicler of Victorian things.
The Race to Write a History of Naples
The lifelong rivalry of two early modern Neapolitan printers was a battle of books, power, and, ultimately, fire.
‘Fenwomen’ by Mary Chamberlain review
Mary Chamberlain’s groundbreaking oral history turns 50. This new edition of Fenwomen: A Portrait of Women in an English Village invites reflection on half a century of change.
Lost in the Kennedy Files
The release of government documents related to the Kennedy assassination will keep scholars busy for years, but will we learn anything new?
The Heroic Remains of Homer’s Odyssey
For those living on the Greek island of Ithaka, The Odyssey is written all around.
‘The Medieval Moon’ by Ayoush Lazikani review
More than science waiting to be understood, The Medieval Moon: A History of Haunting and Blessing by Ayoush Lazikani illuminates the enchanted orb of poets.
The Battle of Stamford Bridge
On 25 September 1066 the ‘Viking Age’ came to a close when Harold Hardrada was slain at the Battle of Stamford Bridge.
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In the October issue:
Zoroastrians in the Great Game, Chinese astronomy, slavery after abolition, the North African roots of Saint Augustine, the Chamberlen family forceps, and more.
Plus: reviews, opinion, crossword and much more!
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