‘The Wild Men’, ‘The Men of 1924’ and ‘A Century of Labour’ review
On the centenary of Britain’s first Labour government, three recent histories cast a sympathetic eye over Ramsay MacDonald’s nine months in Number 10.
Political
Convents as a Refuge in Early Modern Lisbon
Lisbon’s convents were not just religious houses, but safe havens for the noblewomen of Portugal offering refuge from abusive husbands, unhappy marriages and a city swarming with ‘dogs and devils’.
How ASEAN Lost its Way
ASEAN was founded to promote peace between the nations of Southeast Asia. Incapable of moving with the times, what is the point of it?
Sand War: The Cold War in North Africa
In 1963 a border dispute between Morocco and Algeria escalated into the Sand War. What began as an ideological difference between two newly independent nations soon became personal.
The True Knights Templar
The Knights Templar’s modern reputation is a myth that disguises their role as state-builders and diplomats.
The Scandalous Success of the Daily Mail
In January 1944 the Daily Mail became the first transoceanic newspaper, having transformed the relationship between politics, the press and the people. How powerful is it really?
‘The Life & Death of States’ and ‘Vienna’ reviews
New books by Natasha Wheatley and Richard Cockett explain how for all its apparent anachronism the Hapsburg empire, and its capital, shaped the modern world.
Byzantine Bishops at War with Women
Early Christianity brought new opportunities for Roman and Byzantine women – it also brought new reasons to vilify them.
‘The End of Enlightenment’ by Richard Whatmore review
Richard Whatmore’s The End of Enlightenment: Empire, Commerce, Crisis takes the ideals of the 18th century on their terms.
How the British Council Made a Soft Power Superpower
The British Council was founded to help the world better understand Britain and to fight fascism. As times changed, so did its remit.