THE MISSION TO FEED THE NATION

WELCOME CHRISTMAS 2020

When Britain went to war with Germany in 1939, millions

EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT THE HOME FRONT

Daniel Todman answers key questions about life in Britain q during World War II

10 TIPS FOR SURVIVING ON THE HOME FRONT

With food on ration, resources in high demand and the minutiae of everyday life under threat, what did Britons do to stay healthy and sane?

WOMEN AT WAR

With many of Britain’s men away fighting, women on the home front had to take charge

EVACUATION

As the clouds of war gathered over Britain, parents faced an agonising choice

MAKE DO AND MEND

Rationing affected clothing as well as food – but the British public soon came up with nifty ideas to stay stylish

CHRISTMAS ON THE HOME FRONT

As the bombs rained down on Britain, the season of goodwill still went on, albeit very differently

CRIME ON THE HOME FRONT

From blackouts to blitzed homes, WWII presented a host of opportunities for the criminally inclined. Here are ten examples of dodgy dealings and violent deeds that flourished on the home front

THE BLITZ

One of the most feared sounds on the home front was the wail of an air raid siren

KING ARTHUR: TRUTH AND LEGEND

King Arthur cuts a romantic figure as the quintessential monarch who defended Britain against the Anglo-Saxons and sought the Holy Grail. Nige Tassell explores his story

POSTERS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD

They say a picture is worth a thousand words and when it comes to posters designed to convey a specific message, that’s probably a good thing. Over the next four pages, we’ve pulled together some of history’s most iconic posters and the stories behind them – taken from a recently published book, 100 Posters That Changed the World

A BRIEF HISTORY OF MEDIEVAL MAGIC

Was it all witches, broomsticks and potions brewing in cauldrons? Or was magical belief in the Middle Ages more enlightened than the Renaissance? Dr Hetta Howes casts her spell

WHAT IF... RICHARD III WON AT BOSWORTH?

Jonny Wilkes talks to Professor Emeritus Michael Hicks about how Richard III might have recovered his reputation, to some extent, and consigned the Tudors to historical obscurity

SNAPSHOTS

All the Santa Clauses helping out the big guy –

THINGS WE LEARNED THIS MONTH....

RECENT HISTORY HEADLINES THAT CAUGHT OUR EYE

Greeter at the Jane Austen Centre, Bath

I began working at the Jane Austen Centre after the

French Huguenots rebel against their king

At a General Assembly in December 1620, after decades of

The Peloponnesian War

During the fifth century BC, battles raged on land and

Q&A YOU ASK, WE ANSWER

HISTORY’S GREATEST CONUNDRUMS AND MYSTERIES SOLVED

TV, FILM & RADIO

THE LATEST DOCUMENTARIES, BLOCKBUSTERS AND PERIOD DRAMAS

EVENTS & EXHIBITIONS

WHAT TO SEE AND WHERE TO VISIT IN THE WIDER WORLD OF HISTORY

BOOKS & PODCASTS

The people included in this look at the lives of

HISTORICAL FICTION....

The second in the Fairmile series, Dark Tides follows the

LETTERS

I read with interest your alternative history article on what

JOHN SMITH, THE 137-YEAR-OLD MAN C1920

To look at his weathered, leathery skin, it is obvious