Paris’ Problem with the Dead
Catacombs, cemeteries and the dead as a revolutionary force.
History Today
Oedipus the King
A pitiless, profound and influential Greek myth.
History in Ruins
The changing fates of one of France’s grandest castles are a microcosm for its history.
Enemies of the Habsburgs
An alliance between Louis XIV and a Transylvanian prince was just one aspect of the Sun King’s ambition to dominate Europe.
Devil’s Brew
Two new biographies advance our understanding of the Ultima Thule in evil.
The Beard Maketh the Man
During the Renaissance, the beard was the defining feature of a man.
Himmler's Witch Hunt
The Third Reich’s obsession with a pure Germanic past led to a renewed interest in the witch hunts of early modern Germany.
Life on the Mississippi
Mark Twain painted an evocative vision of the Mississippi River, but he didn’t tell the whole story.
Matthew Webb swims the English Channel
The first successful unaided swim of the English Channel began on 24 August 1875.
Keeping India Cool
Sweltering British imperialists relied on an army of fan bearers, whose stories are as invisible as the air they circulated.