The Golden Ages
Successful cities, by the very nature of mercantile and intellectual exchange, must be multicultural and tolerant of diversity.
Volume 69 Issue 10 October 2019
Building Borders
The Aliens Act of 1905 created a new type of immigrant to the UK and a new way of dealing with them.
On The Spot: Justin Marozzi
What’s the most important lesson history has taught me? That we learn nothing from it.
Good Time Charlie
A new book presents an account of Charlemagne, year by year, without hindsight.
The Black Legend Written in Silver
Potosí’s fame came not only from its wealth, but also its notoriety for appalling working conditions.
A History of Chop Suey
Chop suey arrived with the Gold Rush, spread with the railway and endured prohibition. Although Chinese by origin, it was claimed by America.
Latin America: The Land of Frustrated Revolutions?
Latin America conjures up images of constant political turmoil, powered by endless revolutions. But this is misleading.
Static Versus Active
History tells us that, in order to prosper, civilisations must embrace change.
‘The Brothel of Pompeii’ by Sarah Levin-Richardson review
The Brothel of Pompeii: Sex, Class, and Gender at the Margins of Roman Society by Sarah Levin-Richardson lays bare the largest of Pompeii's legalised Lupanars.
The Arrow Incident
On 8 October 1856, a British flagged Chinese vessel was seized and the Second Opium War began.