History Today

The latest in Rob Murray's series of Alternative History cartoons.

A selection of the best writing from History Today’s last 12 issues, offering historical perspectives on 2023.

‘Which moment would I most like to go back to? I would prefer to stay in the present, thank you.’

In Theoderic the Great: King of Goths, Ruler of Romans, Hans-Ulrich Wiemer fully reinforces his vision of Theoderic as a man grappling with challenges which still confront us today.

New books by Natasha Wheatley and Richard Cockett explain how for all its apparent anachronism the Hapsburg empire, and its capital, shaped the modern world.

Early Christianity brought new opportunities for Roman and Byzantine women – it also brought new reasons to vilify them.

In the Icelandic sagas communal feasting served as cornerstone of celebration. A thousand years on, these cautionary tales still offer sage advice for the Yule festivities.

How did Uyghur chieftain Yolbars Khan come to be buried in a Chinese Nationalist grave in Taipei? The answer reveals much about China’s violent relationship with its most western province.

In 1960, the arrival of a ship carrying Caribbean stowaways in Preston caused a political and diplomatic furore.

In late 16th-century France, a powerful noblewoman stood up to soldiers’ violence during the Wars of Religion. Using her wealth and connections she was able to defend her interests in court.