History Today

One World Archaeology

Peter J. Ucko looks at the strengths and weaknesses of archaeological methods and interpretations.

Uncivil War: The Military Struggle

On the 50th anniversary of the end of Spanish Civil War, Michael Alpert chronicles the ebb and flow of battle between Republican and Nationalists.

Flora Sandes - Military Maid

'Sweet' Polly Oliver went to war to be with her lover, but there were many women for whom military life was an end in itself. Julie Wheelwright uncovers the career of one woman whose ambition was amply fulfilled.

Drawing the Line at Safety

Alan Thomas takes a look Samuel Plimsoll, the nineteenth century reformer who left his mark on ships all over the world.

Sleeping Beauty

Tony Aldous examines the restoration of Morecambe’s winter gardens.

An Exercise in Terror: The Paris Commune, 1871

There is nothing new in the practice of terrorism through hostage taking. Gregor Dallas traces its roots to the events in Paris during the Spring of 1871 when the city was riven by civil strife.

Filling in the Blank Spots in Soviet History

Yuri Afanasyev, one of the leading popular advocates of the revaluation of domestic and world history in the Soviet Union, takes his argument further, in an interview for History Today with Albert Sirotkin of Novosti.