Why Egypt Went to War in 1973
In 1973, Egyptian soldiers hoisted their flag over Sinai, smashing the myth of Israeli invincibility. Fifty years on from the October War, who claims the victory: the president or the people?
Political
‘Backbone of the Nation’ by Robert Gildea review
Backbone of the Nation: Mining Communities and the Great Strike of 1984-85 by Robert Gildea is shaped more by heartbreak than heroism.
Turkey and the End of the Ottoman Empire
The Republic of Turkey is 100 years old. Built on the ashes of an old empire, what place is there for the Ottoman past in the secular state?
‘Bismarck’s War’ by Rachel Chrastil review
Bismarck’s War: The Franco-Prussian War and the Making of Modern Europe by Rachel Chrastil argues that German victory was a catastrophe for Germany and the world.
Lee Kuan Yew’s Singapore Story
One man more than any other is associated with Singapore’s remarkable success. On his centenary: who was Lee Kuan Yew and how did he do it?
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?
Good for Nothing
As the 19th century wore on, social reformers campaigned for charitable modernisation. Their target: England’s most useless foundations.
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.
‘The Madman in the White House’ by Patrick Weil review
Delusions of grandeur: a ‘psychobiography’ of Woodrow Wilson.
‘February 1933’ by Uwe Wittstock review
Germany in February 1933 as it unfolded day-by-day.