History Today

Italy: A Tale of Two Police Forces

Richard O. Collin tells the story of Italy’s parallel police forces, and how they have contended with Mussolini, the Red Brigades – and the Mafia.

Dreyfus Pardoned

The wrongly-convicted French officer was pardoned on September 19th, 1899.

Berthe's Prison Diary

Hanna Diamond discovers the journal of an alleged woman collaborator in Toulouse that throws light on the fate of prisoners in a vengeful post-war France.

Christ and the Art of Agony

Nigel Spivey considers the roots of Christian art and iconography, discovering its roots in the cruelty of the Roman arena and the shame of crucifixion.

Jabez Spencer Balfour: A Fraud Abroad

David Rock tells the story of the rise and fall of a late Victorian businessman and politician and the insights his career throws on nineteenth century Argentina.

Mee and My Heroes

Malcolm Brown describes how his work in the Imperial War Museum shows the experience of Great War soldiers transcends and challenges standard attitudes towards the conflict.