Germany and Britain Declare War: August 1914
‘I have the honour, on the instructions of my Government, to inform your Excellency as follows: His Majesty…
Extracts
Death of Venice? An alternative history
To coincide with the historical festa del redentore in Venice on July 19th-20th, we’ve prepared a blog that…
Gavrilo Princip and the Great War for Peace
On the morning of 28 June, one hundred years ago, Archduke Franz Ferdinand disembarked from his train at…
The Battle of Bannockburn: a decisive moment for Scottish independence
Today marks the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn, a decisive moment for Scottish national identity, and…
Summer Solstice, Stonehenge and Pagan Britain
June 21st is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. It is also the one day…
The Zong: two paintings and the end of slavery
Did Dido Elizabeth Belle – the illegitimate child of John Lindsay, a Royal Navy captain, and an African…
Brazil by Michael Reid – an extract for World Cup 2014
The FIFA World Cup begins today, with host country Brazil playing an opening match against Croatia. To coincide with…
Monty’s Men: Commemorating the D-Day Landings
Written by Professor of Military History John Buckley, Monty’s Men offers a radical reappraisal of the role played…
Becoming Freud by Adam Phillips
From one of the world’s foremost authorities on Sigmund Freud comes a strikingly original biography of the father…
Aristotle, Aquinas and Austerity.
The Reality of Economic Cuts.
Tightening one’s belt, battening down the hatches or, simply, austerity. Whatever euphemism is used, this is a process…
Nazis, Islamists, and the Making
of the Modern Middle East
During the 1930s and 1940s, a unique and lasting political alliance was forged among Third Reich leaders, Arab…
Translating Marcel Proust
One hundred years have passed since Marcel Proust published the first volume of what was to become a…
Stay: A History of Suicide and the Philosophies Against It
Any discussion of suicide is incredibly emotionally charged. The sudden departure of an individual, as well as the…
Primo Levi and the War
Midway through the Second World War Primo Levi had just embarked upon a career in chemistry. Despite the…
Visiting Pagan Britain
Britain’s pagan past, with its astonishing number and variety of mysterious monuments, atmospheric sites, enigmatic artefacts, bloodthirsty legends…