Feature

Khazaria: A Forgotten Jewish Empire

Nicholas Soteri reflects on the often-overlooked Jewish kingdom of Khazaria, and the vital role they played in balancing Christian and Muslim power in the early medieval period.

Senators Thomas J. Walsh (Montana) and Pat Harrison (Mississippi) on the podium at the Democratic National Convention, New York, 25 June 1924. Library of Congress. Public Domain.

‘Snarling Roughhouse’: The 1924 Democratic Convention

A 17-day political dogfight at the 1924 Democratic National Convention revealed the faultlines in American society, from prohibition to Protestantism to the shadow of the Ku Klux Klan.

Dickens and the Construction of Christmas

The best-loved of Britain's novelists penned a tale that struck a potent chord in the popular revival of the season of goodwill. Geoffrey Rowell explains its appeal and its powerful religious and social overtones.

The Fall of the Mighty

Douglas Johnson compares and contrasts the downfalls of Neville Chamberlain and Margaret Thatcher.

Soldiers of the National Liberation Army during the Algerian War of Independence.

French Resistance and the Algerian War

During the 1950s the Algerian struggle against France and its white settlers for independence inflamed passions and hatreds in both countries – while a small number of French men and women helped the Algerian liberation movement in defiance of their government and the sentiments of the majority. What made them do it?

Returned French prisoners of war are greeted at Roanne station by Marshal Pétain, August 1941. Nationaal Archief. Public Domain.

Vichy: Pétain’s Hollow Crown

In 1940, Marshal Philippe Pétain took the helm of a humiliated France. While Vichy endured, many took his silence as evidence of grand strategy – a view bolstered by the client press.

King John's Maundy

England's royal black sheep may well turn out to be the instigator of the ancient ceremony linking Church and Crown. Arnold Kellett explains how this came about.

Selling the Seaside

Sun, sea, sand and ... salesmanship. Nigel Yates describes the mixture served up by English coastal resorts to lure the visitor to a cornucopia of attractions before the days of the package holiday abroad.