WELCOME

OCTOBER 2021

A window on the past

NEWS BEHIND THE NEWS ANNIVERSARIES COMMENT ALAMY This

Foundational stories

One historian’s trip from the UK to the US sparked much Twitter debate about why the two nations’ histories are each dominated by a single story. ANNA WHITELOCK reviewed the exchanges

Liverpool stripped of World Heritage status

The Royal Liver Building at Liverpool’s Pier Head.

HISTORY IN THE NEWS

A selection of the stories hitting the history headlines

Prejudice on the pitch

The racist abuse experienced by some of England’s black footballers after the team’s defeat in the Euro 2020 championship final in July thrust the issue of racism in the sport back into the spotlight. MATTHEW TAYLOR charts the causes and consequences of more than a century of discrimination

" Let’s cherish this shining light of the great Bronze Age civilisations "

THE TAMILS’ GLIT TERING CULTURAL UNIVERSE

ANNIVERSARIES

DOMINIC SANDBROOK highlights events that took place in October in history

WHY WE SHOULD REMEMBER…

The day Walt Disney World Resort in Florida welcomed its first guests

" Merriman-Labor’s searing satire of the British was not well received "

EMMA DABIRI explores lesser-known stories from our past

LETTERS

LETTER OF THE MONTH William Cuffay, whose story

Q & A

A selection of historical conundrums answered by experts

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The (surprisingly) modern Middle Ages

From devastating climate change to deadly pandemics, the challenges that kept our medieval ancestors awake at night weren’t so different from those preoccupying us today

Hell and high water

Medieval climate change sparked crises ranging from plague to population collapse

Foreign bodies

In an era of mass migration, native populations feared for their livelihoods

Outbreaks of unrest

Lethal pandemics triggered mass protests and the rise of populism

When the world grew smaller

Globalisation dawned as explorers sought out new trade routes

A steep learning curve

An IT revolution produced everything from renewable energy to a “medieval iPhone”

" I hope we can make people feel that history is more generous and expansive than they had realised "

A new book edited by Helen Carr and Suzannah Lipscomb marks the 60th anniversary of EH Carr’s What Is History? by asking that question anew for the 21st century

How George V won the war

The First World War ushered many European monarchies to extinction. But not in Britain. Heather Jones reveals how – through canny PR and genuine compassion for the troops – the royal family emerged from the conflict stronger than ever

The brotherhood illusion

George V promised racial equality among imperial troops. Yet, writes Heather Jones, his armies failed to deliver

The RADICAL father of English pottery

Josiah Wedgwood is renowned for his iconic and innovative ceramics. But, as Tristram Hunt explains, the designer also had an activist streak that he embedded in his earthenware

POLITICAL POTTERY

Tristram Hunt chooses five of Wedgwood’s artworks that showcase his activism

The Kings and Queens of Hearts

Sarah Gristwood reveals how the Tudor monarchs exploited the medieval obsession with cour tly love –a romantic creed inspired by the idea of valiant knights risking their lives to woo fair ladies – to further their own agendas

THE VICTORIAN REVIVAL

Courtly love enjoyed a later resurgence, impacting everything from Boy Scouts to the Titanic

Twenty years ago, two planes were flown into the Twin Towers in New York, prompting worldwide horror and defining the American political agenda for the rest of the decade. But, asks David Reynolds, were the events of 9/11 really a turning point in global history?

Complements the BBC One documentary 9/11: Inside the

What’s the future of studying the past?

The teaching of history at universities is facing huge challenges: courses are being cut, debates rage about decolonising curricula, and the Covid-19 crisis is only adding to the pressure. Historians Sophie Ambler, Richard Partington, Jason Todd and Anna Whitelock discuss the big issues confronting the academic discipline of history

BOOKS

ALAMY/BRIDGEMAN/JENI NOTT CULTURAL “ This detailed history

“It was astonishing bravery – and cold-blooded bravery, too”

SAUL DAVID speaks to Rob Attar about his new authorised history of the Special Boat Service in the Second World War, explaining how the secretive maritime operations unit played a pivotal role in Allied victory

War between friends

CORMAC Ó GRÁDA commends an ambitious attempt to objectively examine the conflict that pitted Irish people against each other in the wake of the bloody War of Independence

Golden girls

SIÂN EVANS recommends an entertaining introduction to the adventures of independently wealthy women in Britain over the past four centuries

The oldest profession

FERN RIDDELL enjoys an introduction to the history of sex work – and, crucially, to the stories of the women and men who have undertaken it since ancient times

The end of empires

RICHARD J EVANS lauds an innovative work that re-examines the Second World War in the context of global imperial ambitions

Arctic adventure

88 DIARY: LISTEN / WATCH / VISIT

Hilarious history

As part of his mission to bring an

Protest pioneers

In September 1981, the Greenham Common Women’s Peace

Beautiful books

A bedroom in Emery Walker’s House bedecked in

Uneasy neighbours

While England and Scotland have shared a monarch

HISTORY ON THE AIRWAVES

“If you’re locked in your house, the question

Mock apple pie

TASTE

In the eye of the storm

WATCH

Shoots of knowledge

VISIT

Movie magic

VISIT

Long fight for justice

WATCH

If walls could talk

Gloucester’s rich past lives on in its architecture, from a picturesque Victorian shopfront that once inspired the pen of Beatrix Potter to a medieval stained-glass window that’s the size of a tennis court. JANINA RAMIREZ selects five of its historical highlights

PRIZE CROSSWORD

Across 7 Marcus ____, Roman emperor noted

MORE FROM US

A selection of the exciting content on our website historyextra.com

NEXT MONTH

November issue on sale 30 September 2021

MY HISTORY HERO

BBC journalist and broadcaster Reeta Chakrabarti chooses