Contents

JANUARY 2013

FEATURES

20 The Black Prince: hero or villain? Barbara Gribling on Prince Edward, the chivalrous victor at Poitiers whose later deeds tarnished his reputation

28 A rail revolution Dan Snow discusses the railways, the ground-breaking form of transport that reshaped British society

36 Medieval money tricks Financial irregularity has been big news lately, but is nothing new: in the Middle Ages such tactics were commonplace

42 Georgian banking blunders Anne Murphy explores a 1783 inquiry into the Bank of England that uncovered corruption and ineptitude

45 The history of western music in 10 milestones From Monteverdi to The X Factor, Tim Blanning chooses key moments that have struck a chord with music fans

52 The Tudor guide to colonising the world Claire Jowitt hails one of history’s greatest travel books, an epic account of English voyages of discovery

4

58 Malta: BritainÕs island weapon James Holland on the strategically significant Mediterranean island that became a thorn in Hitler’s side

EVERY MONTH

6 Letters

8 The big picture

10 Milestones: It happened in January

News 12 Breaking news

14 News from the journals

17 News roundup

18 BBC History Magazine events

33 Big days in history by Dominic Sandbrook

51 Changing times by Chris Bowlby

63 Book reviews 11 new history books reviewed

73 TV&Radio What’s on in January

Out&About 78 Where history happened: Jane Austen 84 Ten things to do in January 86 Ye olde travel guide: Aksum AD 537

Miscellany 93 Q&A: Your historical questions answered 96 Prize crossword and quiz: Win a signed copy of

Destiny in the Desert 98 My history hero by Michael Mosley

21 GREAT TRAVEL IDEAS as recommended by leading historians PLUS EXPERT ADVICE FROM LONELY PLANET

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USPS Identification Statement BBC HISTORY (ISSN 1469-8552) (USPS 024-177) January 2013 is published 13 times a year under license from BBC Worldwide by Immediate Media Company Bristol, 9th Floor, Tower House, Fairfax Street, Bristol BS1 3BN, UK. Distributed in the US by Evergreen Marketing, 116 Ram Cat Alley, Suite 201, Seneca, SC 29678-3263. Periodicals postage paid at Seneca, SC and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to BBC HISTORY, PO Box 669, Selmer, TN 38375-0669.

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