Richard Bates: “When is a pile of stones not just a pile of stones?”
The geophysicist and archaeologist on uncovering Petra’s secrets.
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History
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The spectre of Winston Churchill
The great wartime leader continues to haunt British politics and identity.
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Zionism’s long 20th century
With the Middle East in flames, Britain’s relationship with Israel will transform again.
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The history of English rioting repeats itself
Periods of unrest in England are nothing new – and it’s unlikely they will end in 2024.
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Stuart Weir: The editor who shaped a country
In 1988, the New Statesman’s campaigning leader devised Charter 88 – a call to arms that radically transformed Britain’s political…
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Marc Bloch: a warning from Europe’s past
According to Emmanuel Macron, the best analysis of the dangers facing the continent today comes from a French historian who…
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The lure of political killing
From the Roman empire to Bolshevik Russia, the past shows how assassination fails to halt a society’s drift towards authoritarianism.
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Why we get the wrong leaders
History reveals what drives the ambitions of would-be Caesars – and how we can counter them.
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