Lessons from Attlee
A British general election rarely results in radical changes, no matter the colour of the rosettes. One exception was Labour’s landslide victory in 1945.
Recently published
Italy’s Cult of Fascist Martyrs
Under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, public ceremonies honouring the eternal life of Italy’s far-right dead have grown larger.
A Brief History of English Numeracy
The people of late medieval and early modern England were almost universally numerate. Is our ability to count the thing that makes us human?
‘Who Owns This Sentence?’ review
Who Owns This Sentence? A History of Copyrights and Wrongs by David Bellos and Alexandre Montagu has plenty of copy but is it right?
‘Broken Archangel’ by Roland Philipps review
Broken Archangel: The Tempestuous Lives of Roger Casement by Roland Philipps unearths the complexities and contradictions of the Irish rebel.
How the Lisbon Earthquake Shook the Enlightenment
The earthquake that hit Lisbon in 1755 toppled buildings and shook the foundations of the Enlightenment. Was God punishing humanity, or was the disaster man-made?
Babylon’s Mystery Goddess
The Queen of the Night, rendered in clay in ancient Babylon, was evidently an important goddess who enjoyed considerable status – but who is she?
Cecil Rhodes and the Election That Caused the Boer War
Cecil Rhodes was once described as the single biggest threat to peace in southern Africa. In 1898 a bitter election campaign did little to suggest otherwise.
‘Habsburgs on the Rio Grande’ by Raymond Jonas review
Habsburgs on the Rio Grande: The Rise and Fall of the Second Mexican Empire by Raymond Jonas reveals the cynicism and hubris behind Napoleon III’s Mexican misadventure.
Highwaymen: The Road to Infamy
Highwaymen’s reputations plummeted in the 17th century. Once praised as heroes in the manner of Robin Hood, the media now lauded the brave bystanders who resisted them.