Volume 51 Issue 4 April 2001

Douglas Johnson, historian of France and HT academic board member, explains how a youthful attraction to libraries opened doors for him.

Roland Quinault looks at the state of the islands immediately following the Second World War.

 Lucy Marten-Holden, winner of the first Royal Historical Society / History Today award for the undergraduate dissertation of the year, explores the thinking behind the siting of the Norman castles of Suffolk.

Daniel Snowman introduces our new anthology, published later this month by Sutton Publishers.

Peter Burke describes how the study of visual sources has extended the range of historical enquiry.

Tony Aldous looks at the genesis and reception of the Royal Festival Hall, like us celebrating its 50th anniversary this spring.

John MacKenzie reviews the impact of Queen Victoria in shaping a new national identity and institutions, as the V&A opens its new exhibition on the Victorian Vision.

David Lowenthal introduces our new series on History and the Environment with an overview of the subject and of human interaction with the world we inhabit.

Richard Cavendish marks the anniversary of an important Scandinavian battle, which took place on April 2nd, 1801.