Europe

Daniel Bertaux presents an oral history of a traditional French industry.

The 'terrible majesty' of the Matterhorn was finally conquered in 1865 by Edward Whymper and his party, but tragedy followed on the descent, as Gordon T Stewart explains.

Jolyon Howorth on a compelling study of a political movement in France in the latter 19th century.

Ivan Roots reviews two books on familial and social history

Keith McCulloch samples a magisterial historiography

For wealthy young men in the eighteenth century, the 'Grand Tour' was the climax of their education, explains Hugh Belsey in this article. And as a souvenir of their travels, a portrait painted by Pompeo Batoni became almost de rigeur.

Geoffrey Parker examines the historiography of the Thirty Years' War.

John Cohen muses on the significance of death in literature and politics throughout history.

Polymnia Athanassiadi-Fowden

Catherine the Great wrote of Sophia Alekseevna, the first woman to effectively rule Russia, '... we cannot but own, that she was very capable of governing.'An article by Lindsey A.J. Hughes