Today’s featured articles
The consequences of Felice Orsini’s assassination attempt on Napoleon III were momentous and paradoxical.
Was the call for the ‘unconditional surrender’ of Germany, Italy, and Japan the most ruinous Allied policy of the Second World War?
A bloody massacre in Stockholm’s city square set Sweden on a course for independence under the leadership of Gustav I Vasa. A master of the ethos of 16th-century monarchy, his legacy is complicated.
Most recent
‘Naples 1343’ by Amedeo Feniello review
Naples 1343: The Unexpected Origins of the Mafia by Amedeo Feniello grapples with sources as dubious as the Camorra themselves.
Archdruid William Price Challenges Funerary Rites
There was no law permitting cremation, but there was no law against it either. On 13 January 1884, a Welsh druid took the matter to trial.
Hopes, Fears, and Early Modern Astrology
The concerns of daily life prompted early modern people to seek reassurance in fate, stars, and astrologers.
The Rebecca Riots: Why Did Wales Rise Up?
Rebecca’s radical rural protests consumed South Wales in the 19th century. Who – or what – was she?
‘The Tree Hunters’ by Thomas Pakenham review
In The Tree Hunters: How the Cult of the Arboretum Transformed Our Landscape, Thomas Pakenham reveals the discoveries of Britain’s buccaneering botanists.
‘Ocean’ and ‘Tracks on the Ocean’ review
Ocean: A History of the Atlantic Before Columbus by John Haywood and Tracks on the Ocean: A History of Trailblazing, Maps and Maritime Travels by Sara Caputo search beyond the swell.
What is Modernity?
Modernity is a ubiquitous phenomenon which defines the age in which we are living, heralding progress and enlightenment – does it even exist?
On the Spot: Nicholas Radburn
‘Who is the most underrated person in history? Olaudah Equiano. His resilience in the face of adversity was phenomenal.’
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In the January issue:
Kashmir between India and Pakistan, the First World War’s failed war crimes trials, reform and punishment on Norfolk Island, Renaissance Prague, women’s lives before contraception, and more.
Plus: reviews, opinion, crossword and much more!
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