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 AUGUST 2025

THREE THINGS I'VE LEARNED THIS MONTH

THIS ISSUE'S CONTRIBUTORS

ANNIVERSARIES • DANNY BIRD highlights events that took place in August in history

"There's little understanding of the shared history of Britain and the subcontinent" • As Britain celebrates South Asian Heritage Month, SHALINA PATEL, SUMITA MUKHERJEE and SHRABANI BASU talk to Matt Elton about how histories of the subcontinent can be better shared and explored

MICHAEL WOOD ON… • LESSONS ON GOOD GOVERNMENT FROM MEDIEVAL SIENA

HIDDEN HISTORIES • KAVITA PURI on explorations of the migrant experience

LETTER OF THE MONTH

BBC History Magazine

"The Age of Spectacle starts here" • When Bob Geldof exhorted audiences to fill Wembley Stadium and empty their pockets for famine relief in Ethiopia, he changed the face of charity fundraising – and of live music. On its 40th anniversary, David Hepworth – one of the BBC presenters on the day -explores the legacy of Live Aid

WHEN BOB TURNED THE AIRWAVES BLUE • Live Aid co-presenter David Hepworth shares personal behind-the-scenes memories

The queen in the eye of a storm • She was an Italian Catholic in a ferociously anti-papist English court. An aspiring nun in a hotbed of hedonism. Breeze Barrington follows the extraordinary trials and tribulations of James II & VII’s second wife, Maria of Modena

MARIA'S MOMENTS • The times and travails of a Catholic queen

VICTORIAN BOXING SENSATIONS! • Sarah Elizabeth Cox introduces the pugilists who punched their way into Britons’ affections during the dying days of bare-knuckle prize-fighting

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

DID YOU KNOW…?

The Srebrenica massacre

Horror in Bosnia: How the Srebrenica massacre unfolded

Designs for life • In the interwar era, artists and designers embraced a sleek modern style that embodied the optimism and elegance of the age. On the centenary of the Paris expo that launched Art Deco on the international stage, Emma Bastin explores its origins and lasting impacts

THIS MONTH'S TOP PODCAST PICKS

WARHORSE • From William the Conqueror’s battle-winning cavalry to Richard III’s fatal final charge, Oliver H Creighton and Robert Liddiard explore five moments when horsepower changed the course of medieval history

BOOKS

"A connection was made between the rarefied world of the royal court and the politics of the street" • JONATHAN HEALEY tells Ellie Cawthorne about the dramatic moments that sparked the breakdown of Charles I’s relationship with parliament and the outbreak of the Civil War

The opening salvo • NICK LLOYD enjoys a rich account of the outbreak of the First World War and the early weeks of the conflict

Fighting talk • Content producer Danny Bird picks three episodes of the HistoryExtra podcast exploring the First World War

India's Iron Lady • GYAN PRAKASH examines an innovative study of the political transformations experienced in India under the rule of its only female prime minister

What lies beneath • PENELOPE M ALLISON is impressed by a study of the famous...