The Future of the Past
In the 70 years since History Today was launched, the way we engage with the past has changed, often for the better. But challenges remain.
With this issue, History Today reaches its biblical three score years and ten, vigorous and sprightly. Anyone looking back over a sample of the 840 issues of History Today published since its founding in 1951 will notice some striking changes over time. There has been a considerable increase in female contributors, for example, and the range of subject matter is more diverse. The big beasts of political, constitutional and diplomatic history no longer dominate as they once did, though given the state of political discourse over the last few years, at least in the anglophone world, this may not be quite the advance once thought. Nevertheless, that history now seeks to incorporate a greater range of people, places and perspectives is a positive, one of which the discipline can be proud without resting on its laurels. For there remain issues of deep concern to address if history is to maintain its importance, especially in the English-speaking world.
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