CHRISTMAS 2013

CONTENTS

Features

Every month

7 HISTORY NOW 7 The latest history news

10 Backgrounder: populist parties 12 Lessons from history 13 Past notes

Britain’s 400-year relationship with Japan has seen plenty of highs and lows, as we discover on page 58

18 The genius of the Celts Graham Robb argues that Europe’s ‘savages’ were far more sophisticated than Roman propaganda suggests

24 A pagan riddle we will never solve Ronald Hutton claims that all attempts to establish what our ancient ancestors truly believed will prove to be in vain

31 Stonehenge: a prehistoric tourist trap Mike Pitts tells the stories of the sightseers who have been drawn to Wiltshire’s famous stones over the past 4,000 years

39 The ‘Black Terror’ Greg Jenner pro les Bill Richmond, the American slave who went on to become Britain’s rst black sports star

43 Deadly beasts of Tudor England Working with animals in the 16th century was a seriously hazardous activity, say Steven Gunn and Tomasz Gromelski

50 “The worst journey in the world” What impact did the Arctic convoys have on the outcome of the Second World War? GH Bennett investigates

58 The lion and the rising sun Antony Best picks out eight landmark moments in Britain’s roller-coaster relationship with Japan

14 ANNIVERSARIES 16 LETTERS 49 MICHAEL WOOD’S VIEW 65 BOOKS OF THE YEAR Historians select their favourite historical reads of 2013

75 TV & RADIO 7 5 The pick of the festive season’s history programmes 78 History on lm: ladies’ gun club

80 OUT & ABOUT 80 History explorer: John Hatcher on the catastrophe of the Black Death 85 Seven things to do at Christmas 86 Ye olde travel guide: Prague, 1600

91 MISCELLANY 91 Q&A

9 3 Prize crossword 94 Christmas quiz

BUMPER QUIZAND CROSS WORD

98 MY HISTORY HERO BaronessWarsionKhudadadKhan

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18 Why the Celts’ culture was the envy of the ancient world

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