Greek Myths
Two heroes of the 1821 Greek Revolution found themselves cast out of the national pantheon because of their gender. In the centuries that followed, their legends would be used to justify a range of nationalist causes.
History Today
The New Tourists
The visitors’ books of 19th-century hotels, pubs and inns show Victorians on holiday, revealing them to be irreverent pleasure seekers, capable of highfalutin pomposity and touristic wrath.
Rebels in Rubber Soles
The denizens of an Asian underground who waged a clandestine struggle against European colonial powers.
Dolphins of the Belfiore
Does the intelligent sea mammal, long associated with Venus, the goddess of love, offer a clue to a lost jewel of the Renaissance?
War is Hell
A visceral history of of American soldiers in Belgium, France and Italy, 1943-45.
Non-essential Freedoms
The mild anarchy of piles of second-hand books reminds us of the simple, contingent encounters we have all missed during lockdown.
China’s First International Students
Realising the world was changing around them, the Qing government began sending students abroad.
Just a Book?
The story of Thomas Jefferson’s bible, his own version of the Gospels.
On the Spot: Srinath Raghavan
‘History doesn’t teach any lessons – only historians do.’
Ulysses and the Sirens
A Greek hero sees off the challenge of temptation with the help of his ship’s crew.