History
Historical Heroes: Ninette de Valois
British ballet has this Irish born diva to be thankful for since she established dance in the inter-war period and gave choreography in the country its distinctive flavour.
Dame Ninette de Valois was an ever-present figure throughout my years training at the Royal Ballet School, her name repeated in ballet studios, her influence permeating every rehearsal room. I saw her only once, at a celebration of her 100th birthday at the Royal...
Books of 2025 from Aspects of History
Our authors and contributors recommend the titles they've enjoyed this year
Books of 2025 from Aspects of HistoryZeb Baker-Smith Editor of Aspects of HistorySeven Rivers by Vanessa Taylor explores how humanity and waterways have shaped one another across millennia, offering vivid historical portraits of the Nile, Danube, Ganges, Thames,...
Networks behind German Lines
Intelligence gathering in German-occupied Belgium during both wars has been disregarded in the main, but the impact of such efforts were highly significant.
In the history of the British Secret Service, SIS/MI6, two of its intelligence networks have been given high acclaim and both were in Belgium. They were La Dame Blanche (the White Lady) in the First World War and the Clarence Service in the Second World War. La Dame...
“War is War, Alas!”: The Story of The Laconia
A sinking of a POW carrier by a U-boat in the South Atlantic exhibits in equal measure the brutality and humanity of Germany’s submarine strategy in the Second World War.
On the morning of 12 September 1942, off the West African coast, the watch officer aboard U-156 spotted a plume of smoke on the horizon. Already three weeks out of Lorient, U-156 – a Type IX submarine, on its fourth war patrol – was due to join a wolfpack in the...
Episode 251
Episode 250
The Aspects of History Book of the Year 2025 – Tunisgrad: Victory in Africa, by Saul David
Tunisgrad shows how the Allied campaign after Alamein pushed the Axis out of Africa, draining Germany of men and materiel at a critical moment. David skilfully blends grand strategy with the human stories of the soldiers who fought it.
The Aspects of History Book of the Year 2025. Saul David has often been the bridesmaid, but never the bride, when it comes to the Aspects of History Book of the Year. He has gained notable mentions for past awards for titles such as Devil Dogs and Sky Warriors - yet...
A Very Tudor Christmas
From fasting and feasting to masked revelry and the singing of carols, the festive season was one of devotion and indulgence alike – a glimpse into how the early Tudors “kept their Christmas full honourably.”
A Very Tudor Christmas Have you ever wondered how the early Tudors marked Christmas? Well, I hope you have because that is exactly what this article will explore! Now, Christmas traditions in the UK (and indeed, the rest of the world) may appear set in stone – for...
Nathen Amin
The author and historian considers the 15th century and the rise of the Tudor dynasty.
Nathen Amin, what first attracted you to the period or periods you work in? I was raised in West Wales, where history and the past is very vivid in the form of mythology, legends and, of course, castles. So an appreciation of the magic of the world that once was has...