BBC History Magazine

BBC History Magazine aims to shed new light on the past to help you make more sense of the world today. Fascinating stories from contributors are the leading experts in their fields, so whether they're exploring Ancient Egypt, Tudor England or the Second World War, you'll be reading the latest, most thought-provoking historical research. BBC History Magazine brings history to life with informative, lively and entertaining features written by the world's leading historians and journalists and is a captivating read for anyone who's interested in the past.

WELCOME CHRISTMAS 2025

THREE THINGS I'VE LEARNED THIS MONTH

THIS ISSUE'S CONTRIBUTORS

ANNIVERSARIES • DANNY BIRD highlights events that took place around Christmas in history

"Protests are political theatre, and public squares are their grand stages" • With the police about to be given broader powers to tackle disruptive events, the right to protest is in the spotlight. TIMOTHY GARTON ASH and KATRINA NAVICKAS join Danny Bird to discuss the history of popular demonstrations

MICHAEL WOOD ON… THE PLIGHT OF THE LAST UNCONTACTED PEOPLES

HIDDEN HISTORIES KAVITA PURI on the first event commemorating the 1943 Bengal Famine

LETTER OF THE MONTH

BBC History Magazine

Jane Austen was a brilliant observer of Georgian Britain But she couldn't speak for everyone • The author’s books depict an evocative slice of early 19th-century life, but many aspects of the Regency era are only hinted at in her novels, as Lizzie Rogers reveals

Murder most female • Women accused of violent murders have often faced assumptions about their motives and disbelief that the ‘gentle sex’ could commit such bloody crimes. Rosalind Crone investigates four cases from the 19th century

Santa Claus v Father Christmas • The true identity of the white-bearded, red-robed figure who fills children’s stockings at Christmas has long been debated. Thomas Ruys Smith sizes up the merry contenders

Q&A • A selection of historical conundrums answered by experts

DID YOU KNOW…?

What lies beneath • Sea monsters have haunted human imaginations for millennia. From the kraken to killer serpents, Prema Arasu explores what five mythical creatures reveal about our deepest fears

THIS MONTH'S TOP PODCAST PICKS

AIR RAIDS AND ARIAS • As the conflict with Nazi Germany raged on, Br itish tram drivers tuned in to Tchaikovsky and waitresses revelled in Wagner. But why? Alexandra Wilson explores the surprising Second World War obsession with opera

Elizabeth Marsh The corsair's captive • Taken hostage by a Barbary ship’s captain in the 18th century, a young Englishwoman found herself fighting for her freedom in Marrakech. ADAM NICHOLS introduces a brave captive who later wrote a book about her dramatic experiences

2025 BOOKS OF THE YEAR • In the roster of laudable history books published this year, authors tackled topics as diverse as Gaza, Indian partition, extinction, medieval and Stuart monarchs – even historians themselves. Here, a panel of experts recommend the titles they most enjoyed

ENCOUNTERS

EXHIBITIONS

Personal stories

GAMES / Rule like a Roman • JAMES OSBORNE meets the makers of a new game that offers you the chance to govern a conquered settlement at the height of Rome’s power

RECIPE Medieval gingerbread • ELEANOR BARNETT recreates a spicy treat originally cooked up for special occasions during the Middle Ages

If walls could talk • Several major moments in English history played out at the Midlands’ mightiest castle. SPENCER MIZEN explores the story-soaked stone walls, soaring towers and gloomy dungeons of the Kingmaker’s lair

Bath in five places • In the Georgian era, Bath became...