In a Nutshell

Power to the people

An estimated 107 billion people have ever lived, and yet

Snapshots

During a routine drill, a fireman in Lambeth casually steps

I Read the News Today

Weird and wonderful, it all happened in July

Yesterday’s Papers

On 26 July 1945, the Labour Party secures a landslide win in the General Election

The Extraordinary Tale of…

Magician, scientist, spy… The man who inspired Ian Fleming’s James Bond certainly cast a spell on Queen Bess

Graphic History

After centuries of persecution and prosecution, homosexuality is partially decriminalised, but there was still a long way to go before full equality could be achieved

What Happened Next…

In an effort to overthrow Cuba’s dictator, a young Fidel Castro attacks the Moncada Barracks, igniting the spark of rebellion

Napoleon

A soldier who made himself an emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte towered over Europe. Jonny Wilkes charts the ups and downs of the great conqueror

This is Sparta!

Ancient Greece’s most brutal city-state may seem legendary, but the harsh way of life depicted in the movies was very real

The History Makers: Jane Austen

Her novels have come to define Regency England, and she is now remembered as one of history’s wittiest writers. But Jane Austen hasn’t always known success. On the bicentenary of her death, Sandra Lawrence tells her story

In Pictures: The Troubles

In the midst of devastating conflict and violence, the people of Northern Ireland still carried on – even as rubble, fire and bullets rained down around them

Great Adventures: The Northern Passage

During a desperate attempt to discover the Northwest Passage, an entire Royal Navy crew of 129 officers and men mysteriously disappeared. Amid claims of poisoning and cannibalism, Pat Kinsella separates fact from fiction

Top 10: Greatest Partnerships

Sometimes, when two individuals collide, magic happens

Battlefield: Sedgemoor

The defeat of the Duke of Monmouth’s rebel army at Sedgemoor in Somerset was the last major battle on English soil. Julian Humphrys tells more

Pioneers of Discovery

Not every advance in the Wild West was fashioned by a six-shooter. Some of its most colourful characters were actually pushing the frontiers of discovery rather than holding up stagecoaches. Jamie Flook saddles up and heads for the real Old West

Ask the Experts

Born in AD 76, Hadrian became Roman emperor in AD

How Did They Do That?

The Royal Navy’s ‘all-big-gun’ battleship set a new standard for naval technology, and triggered a global arms race

On our Radar

What’s caught our attention this month…

Britain’s Treasures

From Roman garrison to Norman stronghold and finally a Victorian Gothic fantasy, this structure in the heart of Cardi holds the secrets of the Welsh capital’s past

Book

This month’s best historical books

Letters

Get in touch – share your opinions on history and our magazine

Photo Finish

PATH TO FREEDOM During the attempt to desegregate American society,