The Chain Tower, the Siege of Damietta and the Fifth Crusade
Thomas Smith revisits a dramatic moment from the Fifth Crusade when the Christians besieged the port of Damietta.
Excerpts
Here you can find excerpts from upcoming history books by world class writers and historians.
Napoleon III and the Disastrous Battle of Sedan in 1870
Edward Shawcross traces the course of the Battle of Sedan in September 1870, a defeat that would spell the end for the Second Empire.
'Strange Shaped Beasts & Glorious Feathered Birds': The Tudor and Stuart Craze for American Animals
From Anne Boleyn's South American monkey to jaguar claws and parrots, Lauren Working explains how the Early Modern England sought to import the treasures of America.
Teddy Boys and Teenage Dreams: The 1950s Youth Club
Emma Warren explains how the British youth club became an exciting and revolutionary place in the years after the Second World War.
The Lady of the Land: The Pioneering Life of Eve Balfour
Robert Ashton outlines the experimental researches of the English aristocrat, farmer, educator and organic farming pioneer Lady Eve Balfour
Frederick Banting and the Discovery of Insulin
Dr Saira Hameed tells the story of Frederick Banting's transformative research on insulin – work that would save the lives of tens of millions of diabetics
Simon Gronowski And An Escape From Auschwitz
Monisha Rajesh recounts one of the most poignant 'untold railway stories'
What Was The Maginot Line?
Kevin Passmore examines one of the great defensive fortifications in modern history
The Leprosarium at Robben Island
Oliver Basciano recounts a lesser known part of Robben Island's complex history
Folk Cookery from the English Countryside
Lally Macbeth on the binding importance of the English Cake
Alexander Pushkin and the City of Death and Beauty
Sinclair McKay explores the significance of one of Russia's great poet's death to the people of Saint Petersburg
The Photography of Dora Maar
In this excerpt from her book, Hidden Portraits, Sue Roe introduces us to the pioneering photographer Dora Maar