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NOVEMBER 2019

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On 14 October 1066 William of Normandy defeated King Harold in what is surely the most famous battle in English history. Yet the Norman conquest did not end at Hastings, as resistance continued across the country for several years to come. In 1069, the darkest chapter of this story began as William initiated a brutal policy of suppression in the north of England, leading to tens of thousands of deaths. On the 950th anniversary of the Harrying of the North, Marc Morris revisits this horrific episode and considers whether it constitutes an act of genocide. You’ll find his piece on page 22.

This issue is being published at a crucial time in the Brexit process and although it seems foolhardy to predict what will happen next, it is clear that Britain is now deeply polarised. Of course this is not the first time the country has faced serious divisions and so we thought it would be an interesting moment to explore the events of 1660 when Charles II sought to reunite his realm following the fissures of the Civil War. Kate Loveman takes up that story on page 43.

In a few weeks’ time our History Weekend events will be taking place in Chester and Winchester. There are still tickets available for some talks; if you’ve not yet booked yours, go to page 80 for more details. The magazine’s editorial team will be attending in force and, as always, we look forward to seeing many of you there.

Rob Attar Editor

THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS

Helena Merriman Thirty years ago the Berlin Wall came down. I’ve been uncovering one of its greatest escape stories: interviewing people in Berlin, crawling through tunnels and burrowing into the Stasi archives. Helena chronicles a remarkable bid to escape East Berlin on page 28

Kate Loveman The events leading up to the Restoration struck observers as scarcely believable. Diarists of the time were alarmed and excited by the political chaos they witnessed. Kate chronicles Charles II’s attempts to reunite his realm after the Civil War on page 43

William Dalrymple Here, for the first time in world history, you see something that we’re familiar with today: corporations’ potential for sheer heartlessness. William talks about his new book on the East India Company on page 68

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