Discover the true story of the Scottish ‘Red King’ who inspired Shakespeare’s murderous tragedy
People & Politics
Blackbeard: King of the Pirates
Blackbeard was a pirate feared all over, but how much truth to his legend was there?
People & Politics
Victorian Summer Holidays: Sun, Sea and Segregated Beaches
The rise of the railway brought seaside resorts in reach of the masses — and fresh challenges to maintain Victorian morality
People & Politics
‘Every Major City is At Risk’: Dr Lucy Jones on How Natural Disasters Shake Up History
From Pompeii to Hurricane Katrina, the world-renowned seismologist discusses the earthquakes, floods and volcanic eruptions that have changed the world in her new book
People & Politics
Tamerlane’s Reign of Terror
The ‘Scourge of Allah’ wrought death and destruction across the Islamic world, but did he totally deserve his bloodthirsty reputation?
People & Politics
Why ‘Hamilton’ Doesn’t Live Up to the Hype
The American Revolution musical Hamilton is praised everywhere you look, but does it deserve such universal acclaim?
People & Politics
Scream Queens: The Women Who Pioneered Gothic Literature
As it’s 200 years since Frankenstein was first published, we count down the female writers who broke the 18th and 19th century glass ceiling
People & Politics
The Witchfinder General: Q&A with Professor Malcolm Gaskill
With over 300 victims and counting, we spoke to Professor Malcolm Gaskill to uncover the truth about Matthew Hopkins – England’s self-appointed Witchfinder General
People & Politics
“An Experience You Would Never Ever Forget”: Inside England’s 1966 World Cup Victory
The England team’s medic reveals Sir Alf Ramsay’s backroom battles with the FA, the secret to the squad’s World Cup success, and celebrations in the streets
People & Politics
Frida Kahlo: Making Her Self Up exhibition wows at the V&A
The V&A’s blockbuster exhibition on the controversial Mexican artist Frida Kahlo opens on 16 June. The All About History team got an exclusive preview of the exciting event
People & Politics
The Debauched Demise of the Medici Dynasty
Explore the depraved world of the Grand Duke Gian Gastone de’Medici and discover how the most powerful house in Italy came to an end
People & Politics
Terror on the Ice: How Obsession Doomed Franklin’s Arctic Expedition
Inside the hunt for the Northwest Passage that killed Franklin and his 128 men
People & Politics
The Art of TASS, the Soviet Union’s Stencil-Powered Propaganda Powerhouse
Discover how the Soviet Union’s news agency TASS produced hand-printed propaganda “windows” during World War 2
People & Politics
If the South Had Won the Civil War, Slavery Could Have Lasted Until the 20th Century
Historian Aaron Sheehan-Dean explores the repercussions of Confederate victory on slavery, democracy and the British Empire
People & Politics
The Birth of the Victorian Police: Drunks, Riots and a Steady Income
Victorian Policing author Gaynor Haliday on life of a constable in the West Riding of Yorkshire
People & Politics
Murder, Money and a Town Under Siege
Curator of the British Museum’s Citi Money Gallery Ben Alsop explores the ingenuity and significance of siege money during the English Civil War. On 5 June 1650 the Commonwealth Ambassador to Spain, Anthony Ascham, arrived in Madrid. The following day, accompanied by … Continued
People & Politics
10 Seemingly Insignificant Historical Events that Transformed Britain
From sparing Hitler’s life to the pragmatic progenitor of Marmalade, discover 10 small events that shaped British history
People & Politics
Innovation & Desperation: 8 1940s Fashion Secrets From World War 2
The Red Ribbon author and dress historian Lucy Adlington reveals 8 fashion secrets from the dark days of the Second World War
People & Politics
The Elusive Offspring: Who Were the Four Children of Calamity Jane?
Much of Martha “Calamity Jane” Canary’s life is a mystery, Jan MacKell Collins untangles the truth behind her elusive offspring
People & Politics
The View From Viceroy’s House: How Britain Lost Control of India’s Violent Partition
Dr Robert Johnson on the bloody reality of Viceroy’s House and the 1947 Partition of India and Pakistan
People & Politics
10 Bizarre Assassination Attempts From History
Infected with the plague, stabbed in the bum and attacked by a bear, discover history’s 10 weirdest assassination attempts
People & Politics
Death in the Ice: The Shocking Story of Franklin’s Final Expedition
In 1845, Sir John Franklin set sail for the Arctic with 128 men. They never returned.
People & Politics
Arthur Conan Doyle & Spiritualism: How Sherlock’s Creator Embraced the Occult
How could a man who believed in seances and fairies possibly have created Sherlock Holmes?
People & Politics
Mark Ellis: Does Historical Fiction Ruin Our Historical Understanding?
DCI Frank Merlin author Mark Ellis on the delicate balance between fact and fantasy in historical fiction