Thirsty work: alcohol is poured into a New York sewer, c1920
The Great Wall of China is widely considered one of the wonders of the modern world, attracting more than 10 million visitors every year. But despite its lure, there is still a multitude of myths that surround its creation. In this month’s cover feature, we examine the truths of the wall’s history. How long is it? Why was it built? And can it really be seen from space? Find out on page 26. Also this month, as the world marks 75 years since the liberation of Auschwitz, we’ll be looking at 300 child survivors of the Holocaust who were brought to the Lake District in August 1945 to recover from their horrific experiences and begin new lives (p48). Elsewhere in the issue, we’ll be exploring the stories of the men, women and children who left the West Indies for a new chapter in Britain in the late 1940s, many on board HMT Empire Windrush (p58), and we’ll be marking the return of BBC One favourite Call the Midwife with an A-Z of midwifery through history (p43).
Finally, by the time you read this, many of you will have already made your New Year’s Resolutions and will have perhaps vowed to shed some excess Christmas pounds. With this in mind, we’ve worked with BBC’s Dr Michael Mosley to unearth ten of history’s strangest diets - from a nip of arsenic to a dollop of tapeworms. Find out more on page 37.