An island nation with few resources, Japan was in a precarious enough position when it declared war on the United States in December 1941. That its powerful navy failed to learn the lessons of previous conflicts made matters even worse.
In the popular imagination, the archetypal British imperialist is the kind of daring young adventurer portrayed in the stories of Rider Haggard and Rudyard Kipling. But, reveals Will Jackson, those who settled the Empire were far more diverse than stereotypes allow.
European power in the New World was established with the help of aggressive and intimidating dogs, specially bred for the purpose. And, as Tyler D. Parry reveals, the long history of canine violence against minority groups is still being written.
The earth's surface as it might have looked when the ‘Atlantean race’ was at its height.
In the 18th century, the Muslim warlord Tipu Sultan terrorised Hindu southern India and clashed repeatedly with the British. Today, his legacy is contested, but he was far from the nationalist that some have claimed, writes Zareer Masani.
Victor Silvester brought ballroom dancing to the masses and his enormous influence persists to this day in the TV show Strictly Come Dancing. Much less well known is his extraordinary career as a boy soldier in the Great War. Richard Hughes sets the record straight.
As new material becomes available to researchers, our picture of Ronald Reagan continues to evolve. Iwan Morgan shows how opinions of the 40th President of the United States have changed.
It was during the Tudor age that the first British antiquarians emerged, detailing the nation’s history and geography – or so the traditional story goes. But, as Nicholas Orme explains, William Worcester had laid the groundwork for their advances and anticipated their interests a century before.
The son of a country whose history had been written by outsiders, Chinua Achebe recognised the need for African literature with a Nigerian voice.
Under the command of Josef Radetzky, the Habsburg army held its grip on Italy during a period of revolutionary unrest across Europe. Yet today his achievements are rarely celebrated.
