The Politics of Pancakes
In England, Shrove Tuesday has not just symbolised feasting, fasting and family, but riot and rebellion, too.
History Matters
Thoughts, opinions and commentary on all things historical.
Get Miscellanies, our free weekly long read, in your inbox every week
The Romantic Reputation of John Keats
On his death, John Keats and his work looked sure to be forgotten. Why is his poetry now so well-loved?
The Story of Peru’s Cloud Warriors
What can be known about Peru’s pre-Incan civilisation, the Chachapoya people or ‘Warriors of the Clouds’?
Medieval Minims
The hidden meaning of a medieval pen-twister.
Harold Moody’s Fight for Racial Equality
The pioneer of the British civil rights movement is no less significant than his American counterparts.
Celibacy, Misogyny, and Sodomy
The medieval insistence on clerical celibacy had dangerous and long-lasting consequences.
‘Did You Hear the One …’
What to do when a good joke becomes bad taste.
The Original Anti-Vaxxers
When widespread vaccination was introduced there were objections – some justified, some not.
An Outbreak of Heartbreak
‘Crazy Jane’ was ubiquitous in the late 18th century, the archetypal figure of those driven mad by heartbreak. Was the plight of the love sick a performance or a pandemic?
When They Get to the Border
The Aliens Act of 1905 was the culmination of decades of anxiety about migrants – some of whom attempted to reach Britain by clandestine means.