Articles

Though Catherine of Braganza (1638-1705) wed Charles II of England (reign 1660-1685) in a union of great political consequence, her life and impact in Restoration England remain largely overlooked in the English-speaking world. In her latest...

The armistice that ended the First World War (1914-18) on the Western Front was signed between Germany and the Allies on 11 November 1918. The guns fell silent at 11:00 a.m. that day. The Allies, who included Britain, France, and the United...

Bodo was a early 9th-century Frankish farmer. He and his family hailed from a manor owned by the monastery of St.-Germain-des-Prés near Paris and worked as its tenants. He ploughed the farmlands while his wife, Ermentrude, took care of their...

The First World War (1914-18) was the first truly global conflict and the first to be fully mechanised. Armies clashed across continents on land, in the air, and at sea. Civilians were caught up in the destruction as never before. In this...

Smasher of Napoleon's invasion dream, veteran of three major wars, and scene of the death of the Royal Navy's greatest hero, HMS Victory is one of Britain's most famous warships. Curiously, and despite being on permanent display as a tourist...

The Battle of Ashdown, fought on 8th January 871 in southern England, saw the Kingdom of Wessex defeat the Great Heathen (Viking) Army. This was the first major defeat of the Viking army, which had arrived in England in 865 and had conquered...

The letters of William Barret Travis from the Alamo between 23 February and 3 March 1836 provide a first-hand account of the famous siege of the Alamo. Travis became the sole commander of the garrison after James 'Jim' Bowie fell ill on 24...

Halloween is the most popular holiday in the world, after Christmas (based on level-of-celebration and consumer spending) and, increasingly, the most lucrative. According to the National Retail Federation, Americans are expected to spend...

Set on the North African coast, Tunisia is home to some of the finest Roman ruins in the Mediterranean. After the fall of Carthage, Rome transformed the region into the prosperous province of Africa, enriched by its fertile plains and bustling...

Toward the end of The Ballad of the Alamo (1960), recording artist Marty Robbins sings: Now the bugles are silent And there's rust on each sword And the small band of soldiers Lie asleep in the arms of the Lord. When we visited the Alamo...