BBC History Magazine

BBC History Magazine aims to shed new light on the past to help you make more sense of the world today. Fascinating stories from contributors are the leading experts in their fields, so whether they're exploring Ancient Egypt, Tudor England or the Second World War, you'll be reading the latest, most thought-provoking historical research. BBC History Magazine brings history to life with informative, lively and entertaining features written by the world's leading historians and journalists and is a captivating read for anyone who's interested in the past.

WELCOME DECEMBER 2023

THREE THINGS I'VE LEARNED THIS MONTH

THIS ISSUE'S CONTRIBUTORS

ANNIVERSARIES • HELEN CARR highlights events that took place in December in history

The long history of Chinese intelligence-gathering • Following the arrest of a British parliamentary researcher on suspicion of spying for China, RANA MITTER spoke to Matt Elton about how surveillance culture has shaped Chinese society

Ninety years of horror: nine films that reflect society's changing anxieties • As Halloween approaches, ROGER LUCKHURST explores how a selection of groundbreaking horror films reflected cultural trends in successive eras – and what ghouls, vampires, zombies and other nightmarish beings tell us about society's real fears

MICHAEL WOOD ON… • A WOMAN WHO HELPED DEFINE THE 10TH CENTURY

HIDDEN HISTORIES • KAVITA PURI on a remarkable African archaeological find

Hidden assets

BBC History Magazine

“To many, Hitler was no longer the buffoon who had botched a coup, but a true patriot who could deliver Germany from chaos” • A century on from the Munich beer hall putsch, Frank McDonough explains how Adolf Hitler turned a bloody fiasco into a political triumph

NAZISM'S SACRED TEXT • How Hitler used his time in prison to produce a chilling political manifesto, Mein Kampf

REVIVING ROMAN VOICES • The remarkable story of one Roman woman, pieced together from fragments over many centuries, reveals insights into family life more than 2,000 years ago. Mary Beard gives voice to the long-silent Turia

The A to B of medieval travel • Anthony Bale offers eight sage pieces of advice for those planning to pack their bags and embark on a journey to a foreign land in the Middle Ages

Reading, writing and retribution • Many Victorian gaols provided schooling for their inmates, decades before it was mandated in wider society. So what, asks Rosalind Crone, drove this great educational crusade?

The crusade against the odds • Chronic starvation, hostile landscapes, powerful foes – the First Crusade overcame seemingly insurmountable challenges. Emily Briffett speaks to expert historians to reveal how zeal, strategy and sheer luck secured military success for this ambitious campaign

HOLY WAR A timeline of the First Crusade

A HOLLOW VICTORY? • The First Crusade was a major military feat, but its legacy over the following two centuries proved problematic

Q&A • A selection of historical conundrums answered by experts

CARTOON CENTURY • As the Walt Disney Company celebrates its centenary, John Wills traces the story of the ‘House of Mouse’ from early animations to global blockbusters – and political controversies

10 DISNEY MILESTONES

THE DARKER SIDE OF DISNEY • Questions linger about the beliefs, culture and impacts of the company and its founder, says John Wills

“Kingship was often portrayed as ancient and natural but, in reality, it started with thieving thuggery” • DAVID MITCHELL talks to Matt Elton about his debut history book, chronicling centuries of England's monarchy – and offering a wry look at how it has forged the nation's identity

Cone rangers • EMILY BRAND is exhilarated...