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Phoney War - England, Summer 1642

'Tis to be feared this threatening storm will not be allayed without some showers... of blood' – Chris Durston chronicles the rumours and fears of an England on the brink of fratricidal conflict.

On the Turn: Japan, 1900

From isolation to Great Power status: Richard Perren explains how a mania for Westernisation led to Japan's transformation at the turn of the century.

If Columbus Had Not Called

What would have happened if the native Americans had been left to their own devices? Brian Fagan probes the rise and fall of Aztec and Mayan society and proffers some intriguing observations.

Marxism and Modern India

Dipesh Chakrabarty looks at the dialogue between nationalism and the inspiration of Marx in the formation of the world's largest democracy.

Gender, Class and Nation

Leonore Davidoff on how women's history has been interwoven with debates on society and identity and its prospects for durability.