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 MARCH 2025

THREE THINGS I'VE LEARNED THIS MONTH

THIS ISSUE'S CONTRIBUTORS

ANNIVERSARIES • DANNY BIRD highlights events that took place in March in history

BIG QUESTIONS “In times of political volatility, it's more vital than ever that we tell women's stories” • What impact has recent instability around the world had on the study of women's history? Does our desire for strong female role models risk erasing complexity? And whose lives are still overlooked? Ahead of Women's History Month, ELLIE CAWTHORNE spoke to three historians about the state of the discipline

THIS MONTH'S TOP PODCAST PICKS • Listen ad-free at historyextra.com/podcast or with ads wherever you get your podcasts

“We are witnessing the biggest gathering of people in world history”

“There are only a handful of survivors left who can say what happened”

LETTERS

BBC History Magazine

THE LOST KINGDOM • Battered by the Vikings, outshone by King Alfred, Merica has long been painted as the also-ran of the Anglo-Saxon world. Yet, writes Max Adams, this mighty Midlands kingdom was at the very heart of the emergence of England

TIMELINE The rise and fall of Mercia

MARVELS OF MERCIA • Five must-see sites from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom

“You could say that Suetonius is the godfather of the murderous dynastic drama” • Suetonius's Lives of the Caesars, a key source for the early Roman emperors, has just been translated anew by historian Tom Holland. He reveals what insights it yields into these titans of ancient history

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

Reagan's American dream • Donald Trump has retaken the US presidency, repeating his vow to ‘Make America Great Again'. But he's not the first to wield such a slogan. Back in the 1980s, Ronald Reagan stood for election with the same promise. Did he deliver?

Why, the villagers wondered, were they completely green? • The story of the otherworldly children of Woolpit has long been treated as folklore – but, as John Clark explains, the tale may not be as fanciful as it seems

Five shocking tales from Britain's royal palaces • Royal residences have been a hotbed of drama, violence and intrigue down the centuries, as Kate Williams reveals

How Britain found its frequency • When radios first appeared in British homes in the early 20th century, one thing soon became clear: domestic life would never be the same again. Beaty Rubens tracks Britons' reaction to this extraordinary new technology via seven cartoons

The Victorians' cocaine habit • In the 19th century, a magic new drug took the medical community by storm, riding a wave of scientific endeavour. But, writes Douglas Small, it wasn't long before the dark side of this miraculous substance began to emerge

Sherlock Holmes' dubious solution • The fictional detective's cocaine usage identified him as a man at the cutting edge of science

BOOKS

INTERVIEW / HELEN RAPPAPORT • HELEN RAPPAPORT speaks to Danny Bird about the tumultuous life of the German princess Juliane of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, who escaped her abusive marriage to the tsar's brother

Friends in high places...