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

THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS

History news

Attention to detail • A new Beatles documentary prompted Twitter users to ask whether other histories could benefit from adopting its focus on small human details. ANNA WHITELOCK followed the debate

HISTORY IN THE NEWS • A selection of the stories hitting the history headlines

MICHAEL WOOD ON... • THE FUTURE OF THE PARTHENON SCULPTURES

ANNIVERSARIES • DOMINIC SANDBROOK highlights events that took place in January in history

“Bloody Sunday was a defining moment in the Troubles. As well as generating huge emotion, it also screamed a political challenge” • As we approach the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, DIARMAID FERRITER speaks to Rhiannon Davies about the destructive legacy of the events of 30 January 1972

A tragic end

LETTERS

BBC History Magazine

Queen of spies • Victoria controlled an extensive network of intelligence sources that fed explosive revelations to the British government – or direct to her. Rory Cormac and Richard J Aldrich investigate her adventures in espionage

THE DOWNFALL OF THE QUEEN’S 007 • How Vicky’s battle of wits with Bismarck ended in failure for the British agent

A KING OF FIRE AND LIGHT • French ruler Louis IX was a Catholic hero and a vicious anti-Semite, a patron of exquisite art and a fervent burner of books. Matthew Gabriele and David M Perry consider the tangled legacy of a man who embodies both the horrors and beauty of medieval Europe

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

1921 A BRAVE NEW WORLD? • Could a nation traumatised by war truly let its hair down and embrace the possibilities of peace? With the 1921 census of England and Wales due to be released this month, SARAH HELLAWELL takes Britain’s temperature at the dawn of the “roaring” twenties

The birth control pioneer

The political leader

The radical reformer

The BBC begins • A century ago, a group of idealistic radio pioneers launched one of Britain’s most famous institutions: the BBC. In the first instalment of our new 13-part series charting how the corporation shaped the nation, DAVID HENDY looks back at its earliest days

IN FOCUS • The microphone that struck fear into the hearts of seasoned performers

Enemies of the state • From William Wallace to Lord Haw-Haw, over the past seven centuries the authorities have repeatedly sought to secure treason convictions against people accused of betraying the nation. Mark Cornwall examines what 10 high-profile treason cases can tell us about the evolving relationship between individual rights and the power of the state

The Cultural Revolution

Emily Soldene Actress, writer, rebel • As the darling of London’s opera scene, and then as a journalist printing scandalous revelations about the cream of society, Emily Soldene thrived in the limelight. HELEN BATTEN explains why this trendsetting, rule-breaking, genre-hopping Victorian celebrity deserves to take centre stage once more

“The suppression of the Demerara uprising is a stain on British history” • THOMAS HARDING speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about his new account of a rebellion of enslaved people in 1823,...