History
Being the grandson of Genghis Khan must have made family expectations rather uncomfortable. Build a successful career, conquer a few kingdoms, perhaps found a…
7 min read
Britain
Watch the election of a new Speaker of the House of Commons and something rather odd happens. After MPs vote, the successful candidate does…
7 min read
History
The University of Oxford has inspired many things: awe, envy, wildly dramatic novels, and probably more than one academic meltdown in a coffee shop.…
7 min read
History
From a distance, Claydon House appears unusually restrained. Its weathered stone front looks symmetrical, dignified and almost modest by stately-home standards. There are no…
6 min read
Food
Porter did not begin in a peaceful country brewhouse surrounded by barley fields and rosy-cheeked villagers. It emerged in early eighteenth-century London, a crowded,…
7 min read
History
Napoleon Bonaparte conquered much of Europe, reorganised France, crowned himself emperor and inspired several coalitions of nervous monarchs to unite against him. Yet popular…
5 min read
History
London has endured fires, plagues, riots, bombings and weather that seems personally offended by anyone carrying an umbrella. Yet few disasters sound quite as…
6 min read
History
The Napoleonic Wars often appear in paintings as a magnificent parade of polished boots, fluttering standards and generals pointing confidently towards somewhere dangerous. Napoleon…
6 min read
History
American copyright law began with a noble idea and quickly developed the personality of an overcomplicated filing cabinet. It promised to encourage learning, reward…
8 min read
History
Venice has always looked as though it knows something you do not. The palaces lean over dark canals, alleyways end without warning, and even…
7 min read
