NOVEMBER 2018

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In the early hours of the morning on 11 November 1918, an agreement was signed that would bring to an end four and a half years of bloodshed across the globe. The First World War was over, but the battle for its legacy was only just beginning. We have now reached the centenary of the armistice, and in this month’s issue we are marking the occasion with a supplement exploring many facets of the con ict.

Our cover feature is a debate between Professors Gary She eld and Richard J Evans over whether the outcome of the war justi ed the tremendous cost in lives. Elsewhere, a panel of experts assess the longer-term impact of the con ict, from the psychological scars to the environmental devastation. But the end of the war brought joy as well as trauma, and, as Guy Cuthbertson reveals in his article, news of the armistice prompted celebrations across Britain. Finally, Maggie Andrews considers whether, over the past four years, the goals of the First World War commemorative activities have been met.

It’s not all about the First World War this month, though. In the regular magazine you’ll get to read Lucy Worsley on Abraham Lincoln, Michael Wood on the Anglo-Saxons, Andrew Roberts on Churchill, Diarmaid MacCulloch on Thomas Cromwell, and a whole lot more besides.

All four of these historians will also be appearing at our History Weekends this month, and there is still time to book tickets at historyweekend.com. I look forward to seeing many of you there.

Rob Attar Editor

THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS

Kwasi Kwarteng As an MP, I see a number of ne Victorian buildings in my Spelthorne constituency. Local architecture and the story of the British empire appeal to my interest in history and politics. P Kwasi reveals how Britain’s empire shaped its great cities on page 58

Lucy Worsley I travelled all over America in the hot summer just past, investigating how the country’s history gets used and abused by politicians and people alike in the process of building a nation. P Lucy considers the American Civil War’s contested legacy on page 22

Michael Palin The mid-19th century was a great time for polar exploration. These weren’t military or commercial expeditions, they were simply intended to gather as much information as possible about parts of the world as yet unknown. P Michael discusses his new book on the sensational voyages of HMS Erebus on page 65

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