The History of Britain Magazine
Welcome to the History of Britain! The home nations share a varied and shared history unlike anywhere else, so we thought it only right to create a section dedicated to our mutual heritage.
The Female Spies of the SOE
After France signed an armistice with Germany in June 1940, Great Britain feared the shadow of Nazism would continue to fall over Europe. Dedicated to…
Mungo Park
Mungo Park was a Scottish physician and explorer, who in the 18th century travelled thousands of miles within deepest Africa, surviving native attacks, fever and imprisonment – he was even mistakenly presumed dead…
The Marvellous Life of Roald Dahl
Born in Wales in 1916, the life story of Roald Dahl reads like a film script…
The Moustache to Rule Them All
Is it more than a coincidence that the rise and fall of Empire coincides with the rise and fall in popularity of the moustache? Between 1860 and 1916, Kings Regulations decreed that every soldier in the British Army was forbidden to shave his upper lip…
Decimalisation in Britain
Whilst there are many Britons who would struggle to recall a ten shilling note and its value today (for the record, it is 50p in today’s money!), in comparison to the rest of the world, Britain lagged behind in the decimalisation stakes.
The Great Gateshead Fire
In the early hours of October 6th 1854 an explosion occurred which shook the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and its neighbour Gateshead to their very foundations. The people of Tyneside believed that the end of the world was upon them…
Votes for Women
One hundred years ago, on the 10th January 1918 the House of Lords gave approval for women over the age of thirty to have the right to vote…
Britain’s Retreat from Kabul 1842
The inhospitable terrain, the unforgiving and unpredictable weather, fractured tribal politics, turbulent relations with the local population and armed civilians: these are just some of the issues that led to Britain’s downfall in Afghanistan. This refers not to the most recent war in Afghanistan but Britain’s humiliation in Kabul almost 200 years ago…