Political

Why the 1815 Corn Laws were necessary, and why circumstances conspired to force the repeal of 1846.

John Hardman, a biographer of Louis XVI, argues that the king at the time of the French Revolution fails to live down to his abysmal reputation.

John Rohl reveals monarchical mentalities and structures in Imperial Germany.

Bernard Porter argues that the 'End of Empire' unravelled British domestic politics as well as her international outlook.

Philip Mansel looks at interchange and intrigue in the cross-currents of 18th-century culture between East and West.

What did ordinary people in Nazi-controlled Austria really think about their native-born Führer, Adolf Hitler? Tim Kirk opens a window on a unique record of public opinion – a Gestapo equivalent of 'Mass Observation' in 30s Britain.

Steven Gunn explores the surprising similarities between the impetuous Valois duke and the cautious Tudor pragmatist.

Graham Darby spins a thread to guide you through the labyrinth of The Causes of the Thirty Years War.

Harry Hearder argues that Metternich got it wrong - Italy's sense of unity is the oldest and most deeply rooted in Europe.