Social

Gordon Daniels on the sustained bombardement of the Japanese mainland, prior to the use of the Atomic bombs.

November 5th had traditionally provided an outlet for the expression of popular attitudes towards religion in the city of Exeter. In this article Roger Swift examines the particular fervour of the celebrations during the Victorian period despite efforts by the authorities to control them.

Keith Robbins considers the plurality of the Edwardian church, its relations with the state, and its responses to social change.

A.A. Powell on a new exhibition and publication from the British Library.

Maggie Black continues her seasonal history of food and popular culture with a look at this period of autumnal celebration at Harvest End.

Taking the waters became a Victorian passion and spa towns flourished. In this article the first prize winner in History Today's Essay Competition Pamela Steen, a student at the Open University, describes the pleasure and the pains of this fashion.

Ian Bradley shows that the characters and plots of Gilbert and Sullivan's operas reveal much that is of interest to the historian about certain individuals and institutions of the Victorian era.

William Hogarth's representations of black people in the 18th century.

Barbara Bush looks at the experience of black people in 1930s Britain.

London must be transformed into a place 'safe from fire and beautiful and magnificent' decreed James I – and Patrick Youngblood finds it was only the wealthy who were to be entrusted with the privilege of building such a city.