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

THREE THINGS I’VE LEARNED THIS MONTH

THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS

THIS MONTH IN HISTORY • NEWS BEHIND THE NEWS ANNIVERSARIES COMMENT

Foundational stories • One historian’s trip from the UK to the US sparked much Twitter debate about why the two nations’ histories are each dominated by a single story. ANNA WHITELOCK reviewed the exchanges

Liverpool stripped of World Heritage status

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

BEHIND THE NEWS Prejudice on the pitch • The racist abuse experienced by some of England’s black footballers after the team’s defeat in the Euro 2020 championship final in July thrust the issue of racism in the sport back into the spotlight. MATTHEW TAYLOR charts the causes and consequences of more than a century of discrimination

MICHAEL WOOD ON… • THE TAMILS’ GLITTERING CULTURAL UNIVERSE

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

WHY WE SHOULD REMEMBER... • The day Walt Disney World Resort in Florida welcomed its first guests

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

LETTER OF THE MONTH

BBC History magazine

The (surprisingly) modern Middle Ages • From devastating climate change to deadly pandemics, the challenges that kept our medieval ancestors awake at night weren’t so different from those preoccupying us today, says Dan Jones

INTERVIEW / HELEN CARR & SUZANNAH LIPSCOMB • A new book edited by Helen Carr and Suzannah Lipscomb marks the 60th anniversary of EH Carr’s What Is History? by asking that question anew for the 21st century

How George V won the war • The First World War ushered many European monarchies to extinction. But not in Britain. Heather Jones reveals how – through canny PR and genuine compassion for the troops – the royal family emerged from the conflict stronger than ever

The brotherhood illusion • George V promised racial equality among imperial troops. Yet, writes Heather Jones, his armies failed to deliver

THE RADICAL father of English pottery • Josiah Wedgwood is renowned for his iconic and innovative ceramics. But, as Tristram Hunt explains, the designer also had an activist streak that he embedded in his earthenware

POLITICAL POTTERY • Tristram Hunt chooses five of Wedgwood’s artworks that showcase his activism

The Kings and Queens of Hearts • Sarah Gristwood reveals how the Tudor monarchs exploited the medieval obsession with courtly love – a romantic creed inspired by the idea of valiant knights risking their lives to woo fair ladies – to further their own agendas

THE VICTORIAN REVIVAL • Courtly love enjoyed a later resurgence, impacting everything from Boy Scouts to the Titanic

Q&A • A selection of historical conundrums answered by experts

In the shadow of 9/11 • Twenty years ago, two planes were flown into the Twin Towers in New York, prompting worldwide horror and defining the American political agenda for the rest of the decade. But, asks David Reynolds, were the events of 9/11 really a turning point in global history?

What’s the future of studying the past? • The...