History
Episode 130
The Mysterious Death of Joseph Stalin
The disturbing tale behind the death of Uncle Joe.
The Mysterious Death of Joseph Stalin Stalin was feeling weak on account of his unusually high blood pressure. He was also complaining of dizziness. Yet his temper was as fiery as ever on the evening of 28 February 1953. He had invited a few of his closest comrades to...
Kush: The End of the World
In his recent novel Bellatrix, the bestselling author has taken the Romans south of Egypt to the wondrous kingdom of Kush.
In the Legion XXII books (Capsarius and Bellatrix) our intrepid Romans come up against the warrior queen of Kush, but who was she, who were her people, and why did this conflict occur? Well, without wanting to drop a plethora of spoilers for the books, here’s a...
The Foremost Man of the Kingdom, by James Ross
An excellent sourcebook, packed full of everything one could possibly want to know about John de Vere.
This is an excellent sourcebook, packed full of everything one could possibly want to know about John de Vere, 13th earl of Oxford and his family. And, perhaps, everything one might not want to know. The book is split into two parts. The first is a study of Oxford's...
Templars, by Steve Tibble
A coherent analysis of an historical phenomenon which rose to enormous influence.
The historic role and place of the Templars in European history is interwoven with legend and indeed, as Steve Tibble has demonstrated in this very closely argued work, it has attracted any number of misrepresentations and false trails. This book offers us discussion...
Review: Legion at the British Museum
Our editor visited the new exhibition and came away impressed.
Legion at the British Museum When one imagines the Roman Empire, as so many do as we recently learnt, the sheer scale implies some kind of chaotic organisation. With the boundaries stretching from Scotland to Libya, and from Portugal to the Caspian Sea, the...
Tamerlane & the Reawakening of Mongol Asia
The author of a new history of the Mongols profiles Tamerlane, the great 14th century conqueror.
Tamerlane (Timur ‘the Lame’, c. 1327-1405) was the last major conqueror to emerge from Inner Asia. He was not himself a nomad – except insofar as he spent several decades in incessant campaigning. But the kernel of his army was made up of nomadic cavalry. Although a...
Nicholas Orme on The History of England’s Cathedrals
The acclaimed historian gives the lowdown on cathedrals and their importance in England.
Nicholas Orme, many congratulations on your new book, The History of England's Cathedrals. How does one define a cathedral? A cathedral is the church of a bishop and is the chief church of the area that he rules: the diocese. Important ceremonies are held in it, like...
