BBC History Magazine

BBC History Magazine aims to shed new light on the past to help you make more sense of the world today. Fascinating stories from contributors are the leading experts in their fields, so whether they're exploring Ancient Egypt, Tudor England or the Second World War, you'll be reading the latest, most thought-provoking historical research. BBC History Magazine brings history to life with informative, lively and entertaining features written by the world's leading historians and journalists and is a captivating read for anyone who's interested in the past.

WELCOME • AUGUST 2021

THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS

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THIS MONTH IN HISTORY

TALKING POINTS Set in stone? • News that an Oxford college intends to keep on display its statue of Cecil Rhodes reignited the debate over effigies of controversial figures. ANNA WHITELOCK charted Twitter’s response

Haitian history wins major literary award

HISTORY IN THE NEWS • A selection of the stories hitting the history headlines

The memorials’ missing men • The failure to properly commemorate black and Asian troops who served the British empire in the First World War made headlines in April, with the UK government issuing an official apology. MICHÈLE BARRETT explains how her research was key to breaking the story

“Our task now is to put right what we can” • The CWGC’s official historian George Hay on the commission’s next steps

“In China, the fear of chaos and the desire for order come first”

ANNIVERSARIES • DOMINIC SANDBROOK highlights events that took place in August in history

WHY WE SHOULD REMEMBER… • Large-scale violence on Direct Action Day puts India firmly on the path to partition

HIDDEN HISTORIES • EMMA DABIRI explores lesser-known stories from our past

LETTER OF THE MONTH

BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE

Liberty equality death • The French Revolution was motivated by the ideals of freedom, equality and brotherhood, but would ultimately fall under the shadow of the guillotine. Marisa Linton traces the descent into terror

A timeline of Terror

The progressive revolution • The events of 1789-94 shouldn’t be defined solely by Terror, writes Marisa Linton. Here are 10 ways in which the revolution advanced the causes of liberty, fraternity and equality

SHOCKWAVES OF REVOLUTION • Ian Mortimer outlines 11 ways that the French Revolution influenced Britain, from decades of intense warfare to becoming a sanctuary for chess fanatics

Queen of slime moulds • At a time when scientific discovery was seen primarily as a male pursuit, Gulielma Lister became the world’s leading expert on the otherworldly creatures nicknamed “living creepies” – which are today at the forefront of AI technology. PATRICIA FARA reveals how the pioneering scientist made her name

The dark truth about Oliver Cromwell • The victor of the Civil Wars described himself as pious, honest and selfless. But, as all too many victims of his lies and malice would have attested, the reality was often more sinister

THE GAMES THAT REDEFINED JAPAN • As Tokyo prepares to host the delayed Summer Olympics, Christopher Harding reveals how Japan used the 1964 Games to restore its global status from postwar pariah to high-tech go-getter

COMPETING IDEOLOGIES • Three other nations whose experience of the 1964 Olympics was shaped by politics

DID YOU KNOW…?

What’s the history of low-alcohol beer? • A selection of historical conundrums answered by experts

The gender pain gap • For much of medical history women’s health has been interpreted through the lens of misogyny and myths about “female nature”. But, Elinor Cleghorn argues, women have long been determined to reclaim their bodies

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