Short Histories

Edward Montague, 1st Earl of Sandwich, was an English admiral who was influential in the restoration of the Stuart monarchy. In researching his new book, guest poster John Hawkins ...  more  

This week in 1914, Britain entered the First World War. The reasons for doing so have been debated for over a century, but did the Home Rule crisis in Ireland mean that Britain was...  more  

In 1667 the Dutch Republic launched an audacious attack on Chatham, destroying the English navy and capturing King Charles' flagship  more  

A fascinating insight into the complex world of pre-war European royalty and the minds of three of its most prominent members  more  

An affair between two French princesses and two Norman knights caused one of medieval Europe's biggest scandals  more  

One of Victorian Britain's most dangerous jobs was performed by women who received little respect...or pay. Danielle Burton (@PrincessBurton) discusses how a group of these working...  more  

One of the most famous faces in Britain was found dead outside his Soho nightclub this week in 1965. The official verdict was suicide, but that is disputed to this day  more  

A riot that began at an Opera house quickly spread across the local region. Within days, a revolution was in full swing. Within months, a whole new country was born  more  

Labelling the current US-China relationship as a 'new cold war' is tempting, but is there not a better historical analogy we can draw?  more  

Even if you don't manage to get abroad this year, you can still get your history fix on these interesting and ancient islands.  more