The Beer Hall Putsch: What Hitler Learnt
In the aftermath of the Munich Beer Hall Putsch of November 1923, Hitler was in prison and the Nazi Party banned. But its failure taught him valuable lessons.
History Today
Four Historians Tell Us a Ghost Story
There are ghosts in the archives. Floating nuns, joy-riding cyclists and things that go bump in the night. Four historical ghost stories and their meanings.
The Rise and Fall of Mein Kampf
Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf was an unexpected bestseller, whose success rose and fell with its author.
On the Spot: Erik Linstrum
‘In the US, people often think of British history as quaint or niche, instead of a central force in the making of global modernity.’
Europe and the Roma by Klaus-Michael Bogdal review
Klaus-Michael Bogdal’s Europe and the Roma: A History of Fascination and Fear is a history of a people’s battle to tell their own story on their own terms.
Fool by Peter K. Andersson review
Fool: In Search of Henry VIII’s Closest Man by Peter K. Andersson is the first full length study of William Somer’s life and posthumous mythos.
On the Spot: Janina Ramirez
What will future generations judge us most harshly for? Failure to write on vellum.
Empires of the Steppes by Kenneth W. Harl review
Empires of the Steppes: The Nomadic Tribes Who Shaped Civilisation by Kenneth W. Harl is a rollercoaster of historical narration.
Why Egypt Went to War in 1973
In 1973, Egyptian soldiers hoisted their flag over Sinai, smashing the myth of Israeli invincibility. Fifty years on from the October War, who claims the victory: the president or the people?
The Death of St Francis of Assisi
St Francis of Assisi died on 4 October 1226, leaving behind the question of how we venerate a saint who resisted veneration.