Few things are more evocative of Victorian Britain than its criminals; they are vital ingredients in any Victorian melodrama. The truth, however, was often stranger, more thrilling and more horrifying
In 1939 and 1940, the Nazi blitzkrieg crushed Poland and the Low Countries and France. This was a new type of warfare, with air and ground forces sweeping away all resistance. In the air its symbol wa
Henry III became King of England within days of his ninth birthday, inheriting a country embroiled in a bitter, entrenched war with itself. As he grew into adulthood, Henry had to manage the transitio
Science has a reputation as the most logical and rational of human pastimes—but this has not always been the case. From the inventor Nikola Tesla, who fell in love with his favorite pigeon and t
The Wars of the Roses were a tumultuous period in English history, with family fighting family over the greatest prize in the kingdom—the throne of England. But what gave the eventual victor of
The grand seaside hotel dominates the seaside resort landscapes of Britain, with bold, large scale buildings, often magnificent examples of the most fashionable architectural style of the time. From t
Diana Rowden was a woman of the finest character. As an agent with the Special Operations Executive (SOE), she was dropped into France alongside Noor Inayat Khan and worked in the Resistance stronghol
A sunlit lawn, blossom-laden trees, rustic chairs grouped around tables laden with teapots, and burdened with scones, the tinkle of teacups, and the murmur of conversation, what could be more English
When the tall, athletic Edward of York seized the English throne in 1461, he could have chosen any bride he wanted. With his dazzling good looks, few were able to resist his charm and promises. For th
Although the Seymours arrived with the Normans, it is with Jane, Henry VIII’s third queen, and her brothers – Edward, Duke of Somerset, and Thomas, Lord Seymour of Sudeley – that they became prominent
Ancient Greece was never just one nation: it was a disparate collection of independent city states, often embroiled in war, with separate governments, their own armies and distinct politics, economi
Like his crusading father before him, Simon de Montfort’s combination of charisma, determination and fearlessness, reinforced by a wife with similar qualities, made him one of the greatest men of his
Despite—or perhaps because of—the privations of war, the 1940s was one of the greatest decades for fashion in Britain. The mantra of ‘make-do and mend’ spawned a decade of crea
Duncan Menzies flew with the RAF in the Middle East, the Aeroplane and Armament Evaluation Establishment, and finally Fairey Aviation in a flying career that lasted from the late 1920s to the 1950s. I
The Morris Minor was a much-loved car while it was in production and has remained popular as a classic car, with many clubs devoted to keeping it on the road. Though retrospectively it has gained a ra
The overthrow and execution of Tsar Nicholas II and the Russian Imperial family is a cause celebre of 20th-century history. Andrew Cook's re-investigation of the story finally solves one of the greate
Nechama Baruchson, a native of Kovno, was a company commander of the underground movement of the ABZ in the Kovno ghetto. After the destruction of the ghetto, she was taken to the Stutthof Concentrati
Calling to mind a time when butchers and executioners knew more about anatomy than university-trained physicians, the phrase ‘Medieval Medicine’ conjures up horrors for us with our modern ideas on hyg
William Shakespeare is the world’s best-loved playwright. His work is performed all over the globe and his life still tantalises us with its mysteries. The man who created classics such as Romeo and J
The Viking Conquest of England in 1016 saw two great warriors, the Danish prince Cnut and his equally ruthless English opponent King Edmund Ironside, fight an epic campaign that scarred much of Englan
This book looks at the lives of the women who broke the mold: those who defied social norms and made their own future, consequently changing lives, society and even the course of history. Some of the
Immortalized for a new generation in the graphic opening sequences of Saving Private Ryan, "Bloody" Omaha Beach was almost an epic failure. Among the five beaches stormed as part of the June
In modern-day media, depictions of ancient Egyptian society are of a highly sexualized, lustful culture, but how accurate are these depictions of a people so shrouded in mystery and legend that it is
Of Charles’s mistresses, everybody’s favorite was the perky Cockney actress, Nell Gwyn. Nell and the French aristocrat (and not-so-very secret agent) Louise de Keroualle were the two women
Marcial Echenique, a Cambridge professor, recently became curious when he found wiring concealed under the floorboards of his country mansion, Farm Hall. In April 1945, Farm Hall housed 10 of Germany&
James Sadler was an extraordinary English pioneer who overcame many obstacles to achieve his dream of flying. Born the son of an Oxford pastry cook in 1753, he defied his lowly upbringing to become th
Pirates have long fascinated people, yet it was a harsh life for those who went "on the account," constantly overshadowed by the threat of death—through violence, illness, shipwreck, o
It is hard to imagine a more male-dominated field in the nineteenth century than sea navigation. This was the high-point of the British Empire and sea navigation drove it. Yet in the midst of this dom
Though images of women were ubiquitous in the Roman world, these were seldom intended to be taken simply at face value. The importance of marriage, motherhood and political stability was often conveye
The rise and fall and subsequent rise again of brutalist architecture in Britain is a fascinating story of an architectural style that strove to unify but in reality divided public opinion, and contin
Yolande Duvernay was born in poverty in Paris in 1812. Under the control of a formidable stage mother, she became a celebrated ballerina the favourite dancer of Princess Victoria renowne
In his time, Isambard Kingdom Brunel was the world's greatest engineer. His list of achievements is truly breathtaking: the Thames Tunnel, the first underwater tunnel in the world; the SS Great Br
From the moment it became public news, the validity of Edward’s marriage to Elizabeth Widville, the beautiful widow of a Lancastrian knight, was called into question. This alarmed Elizabeth and
This is the story of Britain’s model villages: miniature worlds that have captivated garden guests and paying public since the early twentieth century. This history of these small-scale utopias
The Landscape Garden: the quiet but startling national revolution that overthrew the parterres, avenues and canals of formal French-inspired gardens littering Britain by the 1720s. Then the drive took
A strict code of conduct governed courtship and marriage in Regency England during the period in which Jane Austen's novels were set, broadly 1796 to 1816. At a time when womens' only real amb
Harold Godwinson, King of England, was unable to defend his realm from William the Conqueror's invading Norman army in 1066. The Normans wreaked havoc across the country and changed the history of
The Wars of the Roses were quarrels within the Plantagenet family, of which Richard’s dynasty, the House of York, was one branch. They were about family trees—the capacity of family relati
During the early 16th century, England would have been ruled by King Arthur Tudor, not Henry VIII, had the first-born son of Henry VII lived into adulthood. The history of England would have been very
