Historical films and TV shows are embracing diversity – but real historical voices are still overlooked: In the Disney+ television series, A Thousand Blows, Malachi Kirby plays Hezekiah Moscow, a Jamaican immigrant in London who is part of an underground boxing ring in the 1880s. The character, like many in the show, is based on …
Egypt’s fears about Ethiopia’s mega-dam haven’t come to pass: moving on from historical concerns would benefit the whole region: A new round of angry exchanges has broken out between Egypt and Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). On September 1, Cairo wrote to the UN security council to protest against Ethiopia’s continued filling …
Four historical figures who you may not know had a disability: When we look back over years past, whose achievements make it into the history books? There are important stories and contributions that have long been overlooked because the people responsible were part of a marginalised group. But even well-known figures’ stories are sometimes incomplete …
Napoleon: ignore the griping over historical details, Ridley Scott’s film is a meditation on the madness of power: While Ridley Scott’s Napoleon has been causing consternation among some historians, they are overlooking the fact that the historical record does actually support the film’s narrative in terms of one man taking power and shaping a new …
Destruction of Ukrainian heritage: why losing historical icons can leave a long shadow: Destruction of Ukrainian heritage is happening on a scale not seen there since World War II, a report published by the journal, Antiquity, has claimed. The report lists damage to a number of historic sites, including the Unesco-listed Vasyl Tarnovsky Museum of …
Israel-Palestine conflict divides South African politicians – what their responses reveal about historical alliances: Hamas’ brazen and deadly attack on Israel on October 7 elicited varied responses within the South African political scene. These diverse reactions reflect the long history, since before democracy in 1994, of South African engagement with the Israel-Palestinian conflict. The conflict …
Why a Southampton FC fan took their town to a historical ‘leet’ court over the colour of a bridge’s lights: I recently started following a Facebook page entitled “Angry People in Local Papers”. One story recently highlighted was reported in the Southampton Echo. Perry McMillan, a taxi driver and long-term Southampton FC fan, has made …
Painted messages in Angola’s abandoned liberation army camps offer a rare historical record: Lilian Ngoyi, one of the leaders of the 1956 women’s march against apartheid, is immortalised on an abandoned building. Justin Pearce In Angola’s Malanje province, the buildings of Camalundu stand abandoned amid open fields. On one of them, the fragmented words “IAN …
How King Charles III’s coronation robes — and other historical garments — are conserved: Ahead of King Charles III’s coronation on May 6 2023, textile conservators based at Historic Royal Palaces are hard at work. For the occasion, the sovereign is set to don historic ceremonial robes, heavy with history and symbolism. The first piece …
King Charles III coronation: what the controversy over an ancient stone tells us about historical symbols in the modern age: The coronation of King Charles III will see history play out in the modern age. From the venue of Westminster Abbey to the coronation oath, the symbolism is steeped in centuries of tradition. One symbol, …
Slavery’s historical link to marriage is still at play in some African societies: Women in parts of the world are victims of slavery Wikimedia Commons/Flickr Governments and religious institutions regulate marriage. Such regulations are heavily laden with specific moral ideas and cultural taboos. There are heated debates around what counts as “proper” marriage: should polygamy …
South Africans have starkly unequal access to a healthy diet – the solution requires tackling deep-seated historical injustice: shutterstock South Africa has a food crisis. The food system – made up of all of the activities and actors involved in the production, processing, transportation, selling, consumption and disposal of food – produces starkly unequal access …
Five historical hot cocktails that are perfect for cold weather: An illustration from Charles Dickens's Bleak House of men drink hot toddys. It is cold outside and there’s nothing quite like a hot drink to warm the cockles. In the history of British mixed concoctions, there are arguably more hot drinks than cold for one …
Trust in UK politics has taken a hit after recent chaos – and historical data suggests only a change of government can fix it: A YouGov poll conducted in October this year asked respondents if they trusted the Conservative party. Some 68% said that the party could not be trusted and only 14% said that …
Hilary Mantel was one of the great voices of historical fiction – and so much more: PA Images / Alamy Dame Hilary Mantel was a writer of immense skill and originality, and her death represents an incalculable loss to British literature. She will be chiefly remembered for her trilogy on the life of the Tudor politician …
Five historical summer drinks to keep you cool: Li Ding / Alamy We all have our favourite summer cold drinks, from fruity British favourites like a cup of thirst-quenching Pimms or a refreshing goblet of Italian Aperol spritz to non-alcoholic favourites such as a tall glass of lemonade or squash. But this summer, why not …
Good historical fiction is not just about factual accuracy, but the details of human experience too: Malta's capital Valletta. Kavalenkava Volha/Alamy How do you begin the process of researching a novel? In the case of my latest book, Man at Sea, the task seemed straightforward if a little daunting. The novel is partly set during …
Vigilantism in South Africa carries historical imprints of past violence against black people: Family members wash away blood at the scene of a shooting in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, where seven people were shot dead in May. Brenton Geach/Gallo Images South Africa’s history of discrimination, racial segregation and extralegal violence has influenced patterns of violence today. …