Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2017 i History Extra

“Ever since medieval times, the Knights Templar have been associated with all manner of mysteries and legends, often involving the Holy Grail, the Turin Shroud or the Ark of the Covenant. This view of the Templars persists strongly in our own times, given added impetus by the Dan Brown novel The Da Vinci Code . Yet as Dan Jones’s cover feature this month reveals, the Templars’ story is fascinating enough without having to delve into pseudohistory. Starting on page 22, he shows how this Christian military order went on to become the medieval world’s ultimate warriors, and played a crucial role in the development of the crusades. A warrior of even more elevated status is also under the spotlight this month: Prince Edward, the future Edward VIII. While he is…

When planning birthday celebrations, a ride in a barrel over Niagara Falls is probably furthest from most people’s minds. But that was precisely how Annie Edson Taylor spent her 63rd birthday, which fell on 24 October 1901. Broke, and facing life in the poorhouse, Annie made a last desperate gamble. She would become the first person to travel over North America’s most celebrated waterfalls in a barrel. On the morning of the big day, thousands gathered to watch her feat. Most doubted she would survive, even though an experiment two days earlier – which involved a cat rather than a human – had proved a success. Annie duly got into her barrel, clutching a heart-shaped pillow. An anvil was placed inside the barrel to weight it, the lid was screwed…

“The carnage at Lepanto was staggering. In just four hours 40,000 men were killed – a rate of slaughter not surpassed until the battle of Loos in 1915. For Europe it was a triumph equivalent to Trafalgar, and was a total victory that restored Christian morale after two centuries of defeat by the Ottoman empire. Yet after the annihilation of their fleet the Ottomans quickly recovered. The following year they were able to put out an armada of identical size and the material gains of Christian victory seemed to vanish. Modern historians are divided over Lepanto’s true significance to the extent that it has sometimes been labelled “the victory that led nowhere”. In reality this battle demonstrated that an imperial contest for the Mediterranean was unwinnable: even a shattering defeat…

1 Big Ben is not a tower The tower in which the great bell is housed was known as the Clock Tower until 2012 when it was renamed Elizabeth Tower in honour of the Queen’s diamond jubilee. It is the great bell within the tower that is known as Big Ben, probably named after Sir Benjamin Hall, first commissioner for works, whose name is inscribed on it. 2 The bell didn’t get off to a great start After the first bell cracked, a second was cast, which rang out on 11 July 1859. But a crack in this bell in September the same year caused it to fall silent for four years while it was repaired. The bell has rung out through the reigns of six monarchs. As for the…

“The DUP embraced an uncompromising unionism that claimed to speak for the ordinary Protestant man and woman”COLIN REID Unionism in Northern Ireland combines unconditional support for the British connection with a mistrust of the Westminster establishment. While unionists of all hues in Ireland have historically claimed British citizenship and identity, this has at times been invoked while in open rebellion against the British government. When Gladstone’s Liberal administration introduced the first (failed) home rule bill in 1886, which would have created a parliament in Dublin, unionists were outraged; it would, they feared, have diluted the link with Britain. In 1913, with home rule again on the agenda, an Ulster militia was formed to defend the status quo through force. The historical narrative within unionism is one of self-reliance. Unionists did…

“Metal detecting was once frowned upon. Now it is a valuable tool” “I can remember exactly where I was in July 2009 when I heard of the discovery of the Staffordshire hoard. We were filming in a field in Kibworth when a friend phoned with the news. Though the exact location was still under wraps, the site was near Hammerwich by the A5 near Lichfield; the date maybe late seventh century. Did the findspot have any significance, I wondered? (It did: Hammerwich had been Mercian royal land.) Then came the details: among the gold and silver treasures were 86 sword pommels and more than 200 hilt plates. This was clearly not loot from a church, but rather military plunder – or a ransom? The excitement didn’t let up. Once the…

A museum celebrating the Cornish pasty has opened in St Austell. Which historical food would you like to see celebrated and why? Susan Fox Sausages, I think, for a whole museum. Demystify the haggis, which can be very nice as long as you cook it right, with plenty of onions, pepper and salt. Rob Maddison British food in general – it gets an undeserved bad rap. With a section on scouse, a food that gave its name to an accent, a culture and an attitude centred in a single city, Liverpool. Matthew Smith Do a museum about British food anyway. Galleries about Mrs Beeton, foreign influences in our food, and homemade produce. Lincolnshire sausages are the best in the world. Even a gallery for Scotch whisky and real ale, with…

In 1936, the United Kingdom was stunned by the abdication of its king, Edward VIII, who said he was unable to continue “without the help and support of the woman I love”. He had fallen for a divorced American, Wallis Simpson, considered unacceptable as queen. Yet love was not the only issue at stake in this crisis for the interwar British public. Just as significant was duty, a concept deeply linked to the experience of the First World War. For the many war-bereaved of the 1930s, their loved ones had made the ultimate sacrifice for King and Country. Edward, representative of the monarchy they died for, failed to live up to their example of putting national duty before love. His mother, Queen Mary, castigated him for not being able to…

English Heritage cares for over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. Through these, we bring the story of England to life for over 10 million visitors each year. Discover the best of English Heritage this autumn. We have plenty of historic places to explore. For more information please visit: www.english-heritage.org.uk/autumn. FEAST FOR THE MIND Stonehenge A fascinating exhibition opening on Friday 20th October, reveals the diet and lifestyle of the mysterious Neolithic people who built this enigmatic ancient monument, one of the great wonders of the world. A NEW PERSPECTIVE Rievaulx Abbey The new visitor centre at the peaceful and impressive ruins of one of England’s most powerful Cistercian monasteries hosts a one-off exhibition of photographs and documents charting the Abbey’s journey from the 1870s to the 1930s. A GREAT…

At the advent of the Second World War the RAF was neglected and under-funded, and had few aircraft Air Force Blue: The RAF in World War Two – Spearhead of Victory by Patrick Bishop William Collins, 432 pages, £20 When Winston Churchill eulogised the young men of RAF Fighter Command who won the Battle of Britain as “the Few” who had saved the many, he spoke truer words than even he knew. For, as Patrick Bishop’s all-embracing history of the RAF’s role in the Second World War makes thrillingly clear, the free people of the world owe an unrepayable debt to the boys in sky blue – not only for saving Britain’s bacon in 1940 when all seemed lost, but for going on to play a crucial role in winning…

In Our Time RADIO BBC Radio 4 Scheduled for Thursday 21 September Ever assuming he has an intelligent audience and ever likely to interrupt even the most esteemed expert should he or she threaten to wander off subject, Melvyn Bragg’s discussion show is all too easy to take for granted. Forthcoming subjects include Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, both the impact of the novel and its relationship to her life and ideas; Constantine the Great, who chose Christianity for his people; and the work, life and ideas of Aphra Behn (1640–89), one of the first-ever English women to make her living from writing – and a spy too.…

The Crown DVD (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, £29.99) To understand why The Crown says so much about how television is changing, just look at the numbers. Here’s an account of the life of Queen Elizabeth II where the first 10 episodes were made available to stream on the same day via Netflix, in November 2016, and which reputedly cost £100m to bring to the screen. So was it worth all that outlay? To judge by the first series, covering the years 1947–55, certainly. Written by Peter Morgan, this isn’t just a lavish historical drama, it’s a series that animates the peculiar, Ruritanian world of Britain’s royals in the wake of the Second World War. The central performances, from Claire Foy as the young Elizabeth and Matt Smith as Philip, humanise…

1 Framlingham Castle FRAMLINGHAM, SUFFOLK Where Mary rallied her troops After Edward VI’s death in 1553, Mary evaded capture by Protestants wishing to secure Lady Jane Grey’s accession as queen. She made for Framlingham Castle, where she gathered supporters and troops before marching in triumph to London to claim the throne. english-heritage.org.uk 2 Winchester Cathedral WINCHESTER, HAMPSHIRE Where Mary married her prince Mary married Prince Philip of Spain in Winchester’s grand cathedral on 25 July 1554. Her choice of husband did not sit well with the country, though, and sparked a rebellion led by Thomas Wyatt. The cathedral still holds a wooden and leather chair she is said to have used. winchester-cathedral.org.uk 3 Guildhall LONDON Where the queen defied a rebel In 1554 Mary was faced with Wyatt’s uprising. Instead…

BEST TIME TO GO Cody is frequently snowbound in the winter. The best time to visit is from June to September. The Buffalo Bill Center has special events on daily through the summer. GETTING THERE Fly into Yellowstone Regional Airport in Cody. Alternatively, fly into Billings, Montana, and then enjoy a road trip by driving the scenic 104 miles south to Cody. WHAT TO PACK You need light clothing in the summer, but do bring along a sweater or windbreaker if you plan to go up into the Bighorn Mountains. Expect clear skies: Cody averages an enviable 300 days of sunshine annually. WHAT TO BRING BACK Custom-made Western jewellery or fine art from the Buffalo Bill Center gift shop. READERS’ VIEWS The must see in Cody is the Buffalo Bill…

Q Were ducking stools ever used as punishment for crimes other than witchcraft during the Middle Ages? John Ellis, by email A The story of the ducking stool is complex and confusing, and subject to various local usages from Anglo-Saxon times right up to the early 19th century. The confusion is partly over the use of the ‘cucking stool’, a chair to which people – men and women – were tied and put on public display as a form of humiliation for various offences against the peace of the community (drunkenness, gossip), sexual offences or dishonest trading. Its use was common in the Middle Ages but its victims were not generally immersed into water; it was more like the pillory or the stocks. While in some places women (and some…

Richard III Chris Skidmore explains the real reasons why Richard usurped the throne from his young nephew Russian Revolution Four experts offer their perspectives on the momentous events of 1917 and their legacy for the rest of the 20th century The battle of El Alamein James Holland assesses the impact of the Allied victory on the outcome of the Second World War David Starkey on Martin Luther The celebrated historian discusses the architect of the Reformation and his impact on Europe…

Æthelstan’s reign was a turning point in British history, which has always fascinated me. But mystery still surrounds the location of the climactic battle of Brunanburh in 937, in which he emerged triumphant. So what are the key clues? • Michael attempts to solve the riddle of the battle of Brunanburh on page 62 The Victorian era was the high tide of British imperialism, when India was Britain’s most valuable colony. Indian influences pervaded Victorian society and culture – from parliamentary politics to sport, popular culture, fashion and diet. • Shompa explores the British passion for India in the 19th century on page 36 I’ve been working on a book about the Templars for the last three years – unpeeling the layers of legend that have built up around them.…

An expert in medieval documents thinks he may have shed light on the mystery of who authored the Voynich manuscript – a 15th-century illustrated book written in an undeciphered language. Dr Stephen Skinner believes that images within the book of nude women bathing depict the communal Jewish baths ( mikvah) used to clean women after childbirth or menstruation. This suggests, says Skinner, that the book’s authors may themselves have been Jewish, an argument supported by the fact that the manuscript lacks any Christian symbolism.…

Aberdeen Press and Journal 12 September 1907 At the time that Suffragettes were on the march, and Lenin and Stalin were visiting London, at Queen’s Park Police Court in Glasgow two men were brought before the Sheriff in connection with one of the most useless burglaries ever to hit the district of Pollockshields. The police report stated that a house had been shut up while the family were residing on the coast. On Sunday morning, when Constable Alexander Sutherland was examining the property to make sure all was well, he discovered a pane of glass had been broken in the scullery window at the back of the house. Suspecting that entrance had been gained, the Constable had summoned the assistance of a Sergeant Dickson. The officers entered the house, and…

Distorting the past As a history teacher, I agree with the comments of Janina Ramirez and Peter Frankopan (History Hot 100, September). Public/popular interest in history and historical debate is vital but the entertainment, commercial and political uses of history can tend to overshadow and distort its social and educational value. This feeds back into teaching and academic work, reinforcing the tendency to focus on a relatively limited number of personalities, periods and places at the expense of broadening our understanding of the past and wider social awareness. Perhaps BBC History Magazine could introduce a regular feature highlighting the research of historians from other countries into events, developments and issues relating to their part of the world. Duncan Toms, Machynlleth Keep the statues standing At home here in the UK…

She proved a strong queen, feisty and indefatigable in her support of her husband, Stephen In the spring of 1141, as England suffered in the midst of a bitter civil war, Queen Matilda of Boulogne was in Kent, busily raising an army. Galvanised by the news that her husband, King Stephen, had been imprisoned by his vengeful rival and cousin, the Empress Maud (also known as Empress Matilda), the queen was utterly determined to march on London and ensure that the empress would never wear the crown she so fiercely coveted. It was rare in the 12th century for a woman to bear arms. Although the Norman queens of England had wielded considerable power as sharers in the royal dominion, it was now being eroded thanks to the centralisation of…

February 1965 Malcolm X visits the UK to meet black activists, including Michael de Freitas. De Freitas converts to Islam, adopts the name Michael Abdul Malik or ‘Michael X’, and forms the Racial Adjustment Action Society. June 1966 Newly elected leader of Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Stokely Carmichael, coins the phrase ‘black power’ during a speech in Greenwood, Mississippi. July 1967 Riots erupt in Newark, New Jersey and Detroit. Stokely Carmichael addresses Dialectics of Liberation congress at the Camden Roundhouse on the subject of Black Power. September 1967 The Universal Coloured People’s Association, having been the first UK organisation to adopt the ideology of black power after Carmichael’s visit, publishes Black Power in Britain, written by founding member Obi B Egbuna. June 1968 The British Black Panther movement is formed,…

Bread for All: The Origins of the Welfare State by Chris Renwick Allen Lane, 336 pages, £20 The story of the British welfare state is regularly revised in light of new evidence or insights. Unfortunately, there is little sign of either in this sometimes ponderously written tome. Indeed, it is disappointingly out of touch with much recent (and less recent) research. Renwick is at his best surveying the intellectual history of state welfare intervention, from Ricardo in the 18th century to Beveridge and Keynes. We learn a lot about these men – sometimes too much: that philosopher TH Green “dressed in black and grey clothes” (surely not unusual for a middle-class man in the mid-19th century), and that William Beveridge parted his hair on the left. Few women are mentioned.…

Lost Girls: The Invention of the Flapper by Linda Simon Reaktion, 298 pages, £14.99 Colleen Moore was the doyenne of flappers. From 1917 until the early 1930s, this American actor wowed audiences with her bold, carefree mannerisms, boyish body, pudding-bowl hairstyle and brightly painted lips. As she told a journalist in 1922, a flapper is a woman who “likes her freedom, and she likes to be a bit daring, and snap her cunning, little manicured fingers in the face of the world”. She added: “I am proud to ‘flap’!” As one critic observed: “Whenever a director has had a flapper picture to do, he has turned to Miss Moore, as if F Scott Fitzgerald himself wrote her!” Linda Simon’s new book on flappers seeks to understand their history. She shows…

Where Dead Men Meet Mark Mills (2016) Mills’s intriguing novel opens in Paris in 1937. When Luke Hamilton, a minor British Embassy official, is targeted by an assassin, he is saved by an enigmatic agent named Borodin, who seems to know things about him of which he is himself ignorant. As Europe drifts towards another war, Luke travels from country to country in search of the truth about who he really is and why so many people wish to kill him. Corpus Rory Clements (2017) The year is 1936. In Britain, the topic on everybody’s lips is the abdication crisis; in Europe, communists and fascists vie for political power. A young Englishwoman, recently returned from Berlin, is found dead. Cambridge academic Tom Wilde looks into her possible murder and is…

Tusa goes back six decades later to the same cities to see operas by the same composers Sunday Feature: John Tusa’s Opera Journey RADIO BBC Radio 3 Scheduled for Sunday 8 October In the middle of the 1950s, John Tusa, a young artillery officer doing his national service, was sent to West Germany. Here, Tusa – who would go on to a hugely successful career as the anchor of Newsnight and a senior arts administrator – got his “introduction to and love of opera”. But as Tusa reflects for a travelogue that sees him returning to Germany, this was an introduction undertaken not in Berlin but in provincial cities such as Hanover, Kiel and Essen, where he vividly remembers seeing operas by Verdi, Mozart and Wagner. “All of them had…

Visions of futures in which we’re constantly watched are often rooted in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four. But what if it’s not Big Brother we should be worried about but each other. What if it’s social media that’s driving surveillance? And how will the data we create via social media affect the work of historians in the future? For Archive On Four: Who’s Looking at You? (Radio 4, Saturday 7 October), these are issues considered by writer Nick Harkaway. Antiques Roadshow turns 40 this year and there will be an anniversary episode when the show returns to BBC One this September. Expect to hear stories of such discoveries as a 1932 Leica Luxus II camera brought before the experts which subsequently raised £480,000 at auction. Over on BBC Two, Upstart Crow,…

Britain’s black sailors EXHIBITION / FREE ENTRY Black Salt Merseyside Maritime Museum, Liverpool 29 September–August 2018 - 0151 478 4499 • liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime The Merseyside Maritime Museum will be sailing through a 500-year history of the black seafarers who navigated the dangers of life on the oceans, facing – and challenging – inequality on board and on dry land. Based on Ray Costello’s 2012 book Black Salt: Seafarers of African Descent on British Ships, the exhibition will explore personal stories, historic data, memorabilia and objects belonging to black sailors through history, including the sailors of African descent known to have fought at the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Many of the stories feature black sailors from Liverpool, such as Joseph Gibson who served in the merchant navy and fought in the…

1. What was Eugene Cernan (above) the last person to do? 2. What did Hertfordshire-born Charles Deville Wells break in July 1891? 3. Why did Phyllis Pearsall (right) walk 3,000 miles in 1935›36? 4. What links hearths, windows and bachelors? 5. Who was the Noble Imp? 6. Which British military hero lived here? QUIZ ANSWERS 1. Walk on the moon, which he did in 1972. 2. The Bank at Monte Carlo. 3. To research the first London A-Z Street Atlas . 4. They were all once subject to taxation in England: hearths 1662–89, windows 1696–1851, bachelors 1695–1706. 5. Robert Dudley, the only legitimate son of Elizabeth’s favourite the Earl of Leicester. He died in 1584 aged three. 6. The Duke of Wellington (it’s Stratfield Saye House in Hampshire). GOT A…

“He was an inspirational figure – one who changed the perception of the black man in the western world and beyond” Bob Marley was a Jamaican singer-songwriter who became the first reggae superstar, notching up a string of hits with songs like ‘Jamming’ and ‘One Love’. Diagnosed with skin cancer in 1977, the committed Rastafari died four years later, aged just 36. His posthumous greatest hits compilation, Legend (1984), is still the world’s biggest-selling reggae album. When did you first hear about Bob Marley? My friends introduced me to his music while I was growing up. Everything seemed to be happening in America at the time – black history wasn’t taught in British schools back then – and then suddenly Bob, a Rastafari reggae singer, burst onto the scene and…

The role A GCSE/GCE History Examiner will mark candidates’ responses in accordance with the pre-defined mark scheme, whilst adhering to Code of Practice and examination procedures. The Benefits It’s an opportunity to earn extra money in a part-time role and enhance your CV. Most papers can be marked onscreen using ePEN, from home. It’s intellectually rewarding and a great way of enhancing your understanding of assessment and your subject.The team has a defined structure, meaning you can easily progress from Examiner to Team Leader and a range of senior examiner positions. WHO EDEXCEL IS LOOKING FOR Edexcel is keen to recruit people across the UK who are currently teaching or recently retired. You will hold a degree, be a qualified teacher and have a minimum of one academic year’s full…

Building a new role “Having previously been stuck in an admin job, returning to university to study for an MA in history enabled me to embark on a career in the conservation sector, as a church buildings adviser. It was the best decision I ever made.” Charlotte Vickers MA History University of Bristol Starting again “When I was made redundant aged 61, I knew I wasn’t ready for retirement so I embarked on a two-year part-time MA course. Despite an inevitably steep learning curve with a challenging reading list and eight assignments, I’ve enjoyed every minute. Now it’s research assistance and speaking locally: a whole new career.” Elaine Johnson MA Social and Cultural History Bishop Grosseteste University, Lincoln “Studying keeps my brain active and a distance learning degree means that…

What do we know about Greenwich Palace? We know that it was one of Henry VIII’s favourite royal residences, and that in the early 16th century it was the most important royal palace in England. When Henry VII came to the throne, he enlarged the existing Placentia Palace considerably. The building – later known as Greenwich Palace – featured an extensive range fronting the Thames, which contained the most important royal apartments. Other ranges and buildings extended southwards towards what became Greenwich Park. Henry VIII, who was born and baptised here, further extended the palace, adding an armoury and a tilt yard. But the building fell into disrepair during the 17th century and was levelled completely during the construction of the Royal Hospital for Seamen between 1694 and 1751. It…

Jack the Ripper ‘confession’ authenticated? Researchers examining a 9,000-word diary containing a supposed confession by 19th-century serial killer Jack the Ripper believe they can now trace the work back to Liverpool cotton merchant James Maybrick. The work first appeared in 1992, when it was widely dismissed as a forgery, but experts now claim they have definitive evidence that it was discovered under the floorboards of a room that had been Maybrick’s bedroom in 1889. Did Vikings ship frozen fish to Germany? Was the pan-European trade in frozen, dried Norwegian cod – known as stockfish – operating 1,000 years ago? That’s the question that scientists are asking after DNA analysis of cod bones – dating to between 800 and 1066 AD, and found at a heritage centre in Germany – revealed…

Michael Wood’s comment in the August 2017 issue of the magazine (Opinion) is a refreshing reminder of the new wave washing over history. Wood asserts that “we should not accept a dominant narrative prescribed by a small minority”. It is indeed refreshing to see different voices from the past taking their place in the narrative of the now. From historian Oswald Masebo highlighting the plight of east Africans, to David Olusoga’s BBC TV series The World’s War, we are hearing about history from a fresh, important perspective. However, I’d also add to this new wave the rise of the podcast. Individuals such as Dan Carlin (Hardcore History) and Tracy Wilson and Holly Frey (Stuff You Missed in History Class) are representative of the current re-definition of history. Podcasts, YouTube videos,…

Hugh of Payns and eight other knights band together in Jerusalem, agreeing to protect Christian pilgrims outside the city. They are officially recognised in 1120. Their base is the al-Aqsa mosque, which they call the Temple of Solomon. Alfonso I ‘the Battler’, king of Aragon, dies and leaves one third of his kingdom to the Templars, drawing the order into the Reconquista. During the Second Crusade to liberate the city of Edessa, the Templars repel Turkish attacks and shepherd a French army all the way to the Holy Land. Richard the Lionheart conquers Cyprus and sells it to the Templars. But the order cannot hold it peacefully and quickly sell it on to Guy of Lusignan, the former king of Jerusalem. German author Wolfram von Eschenbach casts Templar-like figures as…

Indians were visible everywhere from Britain’s docks and buses to Inns of Court and medical schools They cooked up Indian curries, played Indian sports, draped themselves in Indian textiles and even voted for Indian politicians. The Victorian era saw Britons falling in love with the culture of the subcontinent, and it seems that the people took their prompt from the very top. Queen Victoria herself declared a great interest in the empire’s largest possession and greatest trading partner, so helping to popularise Indian delicacies, fashion, jewellery and architecture. The genesis of this passion for India can be traced back to the 16th century, when British merchant adventurers began to import spices, dyes and, most importantly, textiles from India via newly discovered sea routes. From 1600, the East India Company controlled…

NAME • Matilda of Boulogne WHO WAS SHE? • She became queen consort when her husband, Stephen, seized the throne of England in December 1135 • She was crowned queen on 22 March 1136 in Westminster Abbey WHEN WAS SHE BORN? • c1103 WHO WERE HER PARENTS? • Eustace III, Count of Boulogne, and Mary of Scotland WHO DID SHE MARRY? • Stephen of Blois, Count of Mortain (c1097–1154) WHO WERE HER CHILDREN? • Marie, nun, Abbess of Romsey • Eustace, Count of Boulogne • Baldwin • Matilda • William, Earl of Surrey WHEN DID SHE DIE? • 3 May 1152 at Hedingham Castle, Essex WHERE IS SHE BURIED? • Faversham Abbey, Kent NAME • The Empress Maud (or Matilda) WHO WAS SHE? • She was the sole legitimate heir…

PROFILE ANNE APPLEBAUM Anne Applebaum is a journalist, historian and author who specialises in the history of the Soviet Union and eastern Europe. Among her previous books are Gulag: A History of the Soviet Camps (Allen Lane, 2003) and Iron Curtain: The Crushing of Eastern Europe 1944›56 (Allen Lane, 2012) “The famine had no natural causes. It was caused by a series of deliberate decisions taken by Stalin” IN CONTEXT From late 1932 until mid-1933 the Soviet Union, under Josef Stalin, experienced a major famine largely caused by the disastrous policy of forcing peasants to work in collective farms. In Soviet Ukraine, the situation was deliberately exacerbated by teams of activists who removed food from peasant homes. The policy, designed to quash Ukrainian separatism, led to several million extra deaths.…

The author brilliantly conveys the drama of the Jacobean age The King’s Assassin: The Fatal Affair of George Villiers and James I by Benjamin Woolley Macmillan, 368 pages, £20 “You may be sure that I love the Earl of Buckingham more than anyone else, and more than you who are here assembled,” James VI and I told his privy council upon appointing George Villiers to that inner sanctum in 1617. “Christ had his John, and I have my George.” Born the younger son of a minor gentleman, Villiers had experienced a meteoric rise to power. The Stuart king had been instantly captivated when introduced to him in 1614. Villiers was then 22 years old – less than half the king’s age. From that time onwards, Villiers became a regular fixture…

Mr Lear: A Life of Art and Nonsense by Jenny Uglow Faber & Faber, 608 pages, £25 Edward Lear is best known for his nonsense rhymes, written largely for children but with an appeal across all ages. He was also a brilliant artist whose works ranged from meticulous botanical drawings and grand landscapes to quirky illustrations for his verse. In a book suitably embellished with lavish illustrations and quotations, biographer and historian Jenny Uglow tries to reconcile these two vocations. Lear was essentially a classic Victorian seeker and taxonomist, observing and recording plants and foreign vistas as he travelled widely and fearlessly across Europe, the Middle East and India. Lear suffered from asthma, bronchitis and epilepsy, which he tried to conceal – a cause of considerable psychological conflict. Though he…

Tunes for Tyrants: Music and Power with Suzy Klein TV BBC Four Scheduled for October Music plays on and heightens our emotions. In itself, this goes a long way to explaining why it was so often used for political ends during the 20th century, as Suzy Klein explores in a new series. The first of three episodes looks at the years between the two world wars, an era when people believed music could be used to change society. In Moscow, for instance, avant-garde composers tried to create music suitable for a Soviet utopia. The series also considers such subjects as music in Nazi Germany.…

“The majestic countryside that surrounds Cody is a fascinating taste of the American West” Cody rests in the scenic Bighorn Basin at an altitude of 5,000 feet above sea level. Surrounding the basin on three sides are the magnificent Owl Creek, Absaroka and Bighorn mountain ranges, with Yellowstone, widely held to be the world’s first national park, a little over 50 miles away. The town is named after the American icon William F Cody – more commonly known as Buffalo Bill – who first passed through the Big Horn Basin in the 1870s. Struck by the area’s development opportunities, spectacular scenery and abundance of fish and game, Cody returned some years later and the town of Cody – named so at his insistence – was incorporated in 1901. Many people…

1. CALKE ABBEY Uncover the astonishingly diverse collection at Calke Abbey, where an eclectic mix of ceramics, portraits, personal memorabilia and natural history specimens reveal a family of avid collectors who threw little away. nationaltrust.org.uk/calke-abbey 2. DERBY MUSEUM Joseph Wright was one of the most important painters of the late 18th century. Comprising paintings, drawings, archives and objects, the Joseph Wright collection at Derby Museums was designated as being of National Importance by Arts Council in 2011. derbymuseums.org | 01332 641901 3. POLESDEN LACEY Beer to Champagne: the rise of a sparkling socialite. This autumn, discover the story of Maggie Greville’s rise from illegitimacy to become one of the most well-loved socialites of the Edwardian era, and the men who made it possible. polesdenlacey@nationaltrust.org.uk 4. ISLE OF WIGHT STEAM RAILWAY Join…

Quince paste (Membrillo) The quince originated in the Caucasus, at the border of eastern Europe and western Asia, where it still grows wild today. Quince trees were first recorded in Britain in 1275, when Edward I planted four at the Tower of London. They must have been popular, as many 13th-century English recipes include piecrusts filled with whole quinces coated in honey and sprinkled with ginger. Making quince pastes and jellies is a bit like culinary alchemy. You start off with a very gnarly pale, pear-like fruit (which shouldn’t be eaten raw) and end up with a pan of beautiful dark red bubbling liquid that fills the house with the most amazing smells. INGREDIENTS 1.5kg quinces 1 vanilla pod Caster sugar 1 large lemon METHOD Scrub, core, peel and slice…

“ You’ve just started a degree in history, or perhaps you’re already studying and your thoughts are beginning to turn to life after university. Over these 16 pages we offer a series of articles designed to help you get the most out of your studies, and find out how a degree in history can lay the groundwork for the career of your dreams. We’ve got information and advice on making the most out of your first year at university, as well details on the skills and qualities that history graduates can bring to the workplace. We’ve also spoken to a selection of mature students to discover why they made the decision to return to the classroom. We hope you’ll ›ind this a useful guide to help you plan a ful›illing…