Letters

Letter from the Editor

Many of us know the story of William the Conqueror

Snapshots

Female workers at the Douglas Aircraft factory in Long Beach,

I Read the News Today

Weird and wonderful, it all happened in October

Yesterday’s Papers

On 16 October 1968, two black American athletes court controversy at the Olympics

Graphic History

The barrier-breaking plane in facts and figures

What Happened Next...

Henry Ford embarks on revolutionising the methods of production – and delivers huge social change at the same time

The Extraordinary Tale of...

When ten-year-old Lúcia dos Santos prophesised that the Virgin Mary would visit Earth, she could never have imagined the crowds who would flock to see

The Bayern Tapestry and The Norman Conquest

The world’s most famous tapestry was probably originally commissioned by William’s half-brother, Bishop Odo, and was made in England — not Bayeux — in the 1070s. It tells the story (from a largely Norman point of view) of the Battle of Hastings and the events that led up to that bloody day

Battlefield: Little Bighorn

Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse’s defeat of the flamboyant Colonel George Custer at the Little Bighorn has become one of the most famous and controversial episodes in American military victory. Julian Humphrys tells the story…

Top 10: Bears

Far from being average bears, these ten cuddly critters have found fame on screen, in literature and even in battle

Enigma

One of the toughest missions of World War II took place in the British countryside, as the codebreakers of Bletchley Park fought to end the Battle of the Atlantic. Jonny Wilkes reveals their secrets

Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

As the pinnacle of antiquity’s ability in engineering, architecture and artistic beauty, they still cast their shadow over human endeavour today. Jonny Wilkes explores

In Pictures: Silent movies

The early decades of cinema, known as the silent era, set the stage for a golden age of movie magic and created iconic stars who are still revered today

Great Adventures: Guillaume Le Gentil

Pat Kinsella meets the unfortunate French planet hunter, for whom the stars refused to align during a decade-long misadventure chasing Venus around the world

History Makers: Catherine II

Was its most renowned female ruler an astute military leader and spearhead of human rights, or a deceitful harlot who only served the privileged?

William the Conqueror

Julian Humphrys looks at how the illegitimate son of a tanner’s daughter defied the odds to become a leading contender for the crown of England

Ask the Experts

IN A NUTSHELL p83 • HOW DID THEY DO THAT?

In a Nutshell

An oil shortage brought the US to its knees and caused shockwaves around the world

How Did They do That?

THe British secret weapon that revolutionised ground warfare

When did people start wearing jeans?

Today they’re among the world’s most popular items of clothing,

On our Radar

What’s caught our attention this month…

Britain’s Treasures

An Iron Age hillfort, a Roman then Saxon stronghold, a Norman powerbase and a corrupt parliamentary constituency, Old Sarum has enjoyed a sprawling history

Books

This month’s best historical books

A-Z of History

Nige Tassell knows what’s what, and with wondrous wordmanship, writes up on the weird and the wonderful