Was Richard III a Bad King?
Child-murderer, arch villain, failed monarch, ‘northern’. Have efforts to redeem Richard III succeeded or is he still one of history’s worst kings?
Military
Korea the Kingmaker
The Korean peninsula was a chessboard on which the fates of great powers were decided. China, Japan and Russia learned this to their cost in the 'Other Great Game’.
The Year of the Four, Five, Six Emperors
For citizens of Ancient Rome, the recurrence of brutal civil war was par for the course. For writers, it was an opportunity.
February 1933 by Uwe Wittstock review
Germany in February 1933 as it unfolded day-by-day.
Anarchy in the Waste Land
Following the death of Henry I, England was plunged into a civil war that reduced the country to a charred ruin. With the barons split between rival claimants, the people suffered.
What is a ‘Just War’?
On the 20th anniversary of the worldwide protest against the Iraq War in February 2003, we ask: is there such a thing as ‘just war’ or is there just war?
Stalingrad: The Unbreakable City
The Battle of Stalingrad began in August 1942, subjecting its residents to months of living hell. But few doubted that the city was worth defending.
The Falklands under Fire
In 1982 Britain’s armed forces were focused on the possibility of confrontation with the Soviet Union. They were unprepared for war in the South Atlantic, against an opponent with weapons supplied by NATO allies.
Strength and Guile
A history of the Special Boat Service, founded in the dark days of July 1940.
Treacherous Waters
Modern naval intelligence, from the 19th century to the Cold War.