Today’s featured articles
Founded as the British Broadcasting Company in October 1922, the BBC has sought to ‘inform, educate and entertain’ for a century. Facing an uncertain future, what impact has it had on the past?
The kings of medieval France were fascinated by the Mongols, who they saw as great empire builders. Eager to learn more, they amassed a huge archive of knowledge about them
The period epics of Hollywood’s golden age were born of the popularity of swords and sandals on the Victorian stage.
Most recent
Pilgrims and Poverty in Renaissance Rome
Rome welcomed and tended to the vast numbers of pilgrims who arrived in the 16th century, but its attitude to its own poor could be very different.
The Longest-Running Newspaper
The ancestor of the London Gazette was launched on 16 November 1665, surviving its bitter rival to become the oldest newspaper in the English-speaking world still in print.
Ploughing Up Postwar Britain
Postwar state support for agriculture in the UK has been hailed a great success, but it had unexpected consequences.
The Birth of Spiritualism
On 14 November 1848 the Fox sisters conjured up a movement when they made contact with the dead – or so they claimed.
How Medieval Scribes Balanced the Books
As the medieval book trade declined, Oxford scribes had to turn their hands to other crafts to get by.
‘The Heretic of Cacheu’ and ‘Worlds of Unfreedom’ review
The Heretic of Cacheu by Toby Green and Worlds of Unfreedom by Roquinaldo Ferreira, painstakingly recreate the worlds at the beginning and end of Portugal’s slave trade.
The Practical Mysticism of Evelyn Underhill
The past is full of unfamiliar ideas and beliefs, but – as Evelyn Underhill has proven – some things are timeless.
‘Chernobyl Children’ by Melanie Arndt review
Chernobyl Children: A Transnational History of Nuclear Disaster by Melanie Arndt discovers how Soviet civil society flourished – and then faltered – in the fallout.
Current issue
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In the November issue:
The Mongol khans of medieval Europe, the battle for Britain’s clean air, how states get recognised, the Tudor touring theatre, educated slaves in ancient Rome, and more.
Plus: reviews, opinion, crossword and much more!
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