From History Extra by Marc Morris author of William I: England’s Conqueror (Penguin Books, 2016) 1. No one at the time called William ‘the Conqueror’ The earliest recorded use of that nickname occurs in the 1120s, and it didn’t really… Read More ›
British History
How did the defeat of the Spanish Armada (1588) change England?
The defeat and destruction of the Spanish Armada in 1588 is seen by many as the high point of Elizabeth I’s of England’s reign. If the Armada had been successful, it could have changed the course of English and world… Read More ›
What is the Bayeux Tapestry and what story does it tell?
From History Extra by David Musgrove: The Bayeux Tapestry tells one of the most famous stories in British history – that of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, particularly the battle of Hastings, which took place on 14 October… Read More ›
How Did Spy Services Develop in England?
Spying has existed since early historical societies in the Middle East, China, and southeast Europe. However, spy services are generally a later development, where groups of government individuals and ultimately agencies within government became responsible for external and internal spying…. Read More ›
By the 18th century castles were more likely to be invaded by tourists than soldiers
From History Today by David C. Weinczok: Until quite recently, if you were making your way to a castle it almost certainly was not with a smile on your face. Combining the roles of courthouse, prison, lordly home and stronghold,… Read More ›
Arthur, Catherine and Henry: a story of early Tudor triumph and tragedy
From History Extra by Dr. Sean Cunningham author of Prince Arthur: The Tudor King Who Never Was: When the teenage Arthur, first prince of the Tudor royal family, married Spanish princess Catherine of Aragon in a spectacular wedding ceremony, it sparked… Read More ›
Imperial History Wars
From History Workshop by Charlotte Lydia Riley: The history of the British empire has never been free from controversy. Historiographical battles have addressed motivations for imperial expansion, reasons for decolonisation, and the extent to which ordinary British people participated in… Read More ›
Why was Napoleon defeated at Waterloo?
The Battle of Waterloo is one of the most famous battles in history. The battle was between, France on side and Great Britain, Prussia and their allies on the other. The battle was a great victory for the British and… Read More ›
Falklands War was ‘nearly a disaster’
From The Scotsman: BRITAIN only narrowly avoided a military disaster on a par with the “Charge of the Light Brigade” during the Falklands conflict, reveals a new book by a field commander who took part in the campaign. In the… Read More ›
The odd objects looted from Washington DC in 1814
From BBC: Other than an off-colour tweet and subsequent apology by the British Embassy, the bicentennial of the punitive mission of 1814 that left the US capital in flames has received little attention this week. The burning was one of the final… Read More ›
The Great British Empire Debate
From The New York Review of Books by Kenan Malik the author of The Quest for a Moral Compass: A Global History of Ethics: The sun may have long ago set on the British Empire (or on all but a few… Read More ›
The Third Reich’s nuclear programme: Churchill’s greatest wartime fear
From History Extra from Damien Lewis author of Hunting Hitler’s Nukes: The Secret Race to Stop the Nazi Bomb: That Hitler’s Germany might win the race to build the world’s first atom bomb was arguably one of Winston Churchill’s greatest wartime concerns,… Read More ›
Mary Seacole: Disease and Care of the Wounded, from Jamaica to the Crimea
From Nursing Clio by Peter Sleeth: While Florence Nightingale is legendary in the history of nursing because of her foundational role in the creation of Western healthcare systems, she was not the only important woman in this history. It is perhaps… Read More ›
September 28, 1781: The Beginning of the End of the American Revolution
From American Heritage by Christine Gibson: For six years, the specter of defeat had dogged Gen. George Washington’s every thought. As advantage after advantage slipped away, the American coffers dried up, and the most promising general betrayed the Revolution, it… Read More ›
Empire by Imitation?
From Imperial & Global Forum by Marc-William Palen: Historians have been busy chipping away at the myth of the exceptional American Empire, usually with an eye towards the British Empire. Most comparative studies of the two empires, however, focus on… Read More ›
“We Danced While They Bombed”: Dancing in Britain during the Second World War
From Reflections on War & Society by Allison Abra, Ph.D. author of Dancing in the English Style (Manchester, 2017): In the fall of 1939, during the first months of the Second World War, famed American war correspondent Edward R. Murrow undertook what… Read More ›
Pocahontas: The Real Story
From the U.S. History Scene by Sarah Moazeni: A young and statuesque Native American woman risks her life and the anger of her powerful father for a handsome and daring Englishman who sounds strangely like Mel Gibson. They are parted… Read More ›
The Medieval English University Monopoly
From History Today by William Whyte: In June 1686, a small family – a clergyman, his wife, and their daughter – disembarked from a ship at the docks of Boston, Massachusetts. They had just finished a long journey of a… Read More ›
How did Americans preserve British English?
From BBC by Christine Ro: It makes for a great story: when settlers moved from England to the Americas from the 17th Century, their speech patterns stuck in place. That was particularly true in more isolated parts of the US,… Read More ›
Did Squanto meet Pocahontas, and What Might they have Discussed?
From the Junto by Dr. E. M. Rose: Two of the most famous Native Americans in early colonial history may well have met in London. Matoaka, nicknamed Pocahontas, who lived near the Jamestown settlement in Virginia and Tisquantum, better known… Read More ›
