The Wolfson 2020 History Prize Winners: A Review
Mary Taylor Lewis walks us through speeches made by the winner and shortlist of the 2020 Wolfson History prize, from the York Festival of Ideas
AUTHOR: MARY TAYLOR LEWIS
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Holy Men as a Window into Late Antique Religion
An exploration into how the holy man is they key to understanding late antique religion
AUTHOR: HOLLY PALMER
2020 in History
As we enter into the new year of 2021, we take a look at some of the historical anniversaries we saw in 2020, from literature to international legislation
AUTHOR: VARIOUS
Blanke History: The untold story of the Black Tudors
Charlotte Small explores the often overlooked story of the Black Tudors through an analysis of John Blanke, a Black Tudor Musician.
AUTHOR: CHARLOTTE SMALL
War of the Worlds – BBC TV’s adaptation under the lens
Destruction! Dystopia! Deplorable? These are some of the many phrases we could choose to describe Peter Harness’ The War of the Worlds – a three-episode BBC adaptation of H.G. Wells’ 1898 novel. With… Continue reading
The Soldier’s Experience in The Face of Battle (1976)
Military history has traditionally, and continues to, have something of a poor reputation in academic circles. It seems beyond dispute that the field is the subject of much sneering at the intellectually lightweight… Continue reading
“Female Lords”: Women’s representation and restriction in the House of Lords.
Image Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sLZBWcPklk @ 01:06, UK Parliament Today, out of the 92 hereditary peers currently sitting in the House of Lords, none are women. The House of Lords is a pivotal institution of… Continue reading
The Undeserved Legacy of Charles XII: Historiographical Failings in Military History
‘Battle of Poltava’, Pierre-Denis Martin, 1726, oil on canvas (size unknown) Charles XII of Sweden, who pulled the country into the disastrous Great Northern War at the age of only eighteen, is the… Continue reading
Netflix’s Cable Girls: A Turning Point in Spain’s National Historical Memory?
In a thrilling review, Sophie Turbutt explores changes in Spain’s historical memory through analysis of Netflix’s Cable Girls
AUTHOR: SOPHIE TURBUTT
From Technonationalism to Superficial Environmentalism: Japan’s Olympics as a Political Tool
In anticipation for the upcoming 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Stephanie Wilson analyses how Japan utilises the Olympic Games for political means
AUTHOR: STEPHANIE WILSON
An Introduction to the History of Emotions
A brief introduction to the History of Emotions
AUTHOR: LIAM GREENACRE
Histories and Stories: Narration in Historiography
An insightful examination of the multifaceted role of narration in history.
AUTHOR: VERA RATNIKOVA
Visiting Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms: Art, Word, War at The British Library
A review of the recent British Library exhibition: Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms: Art, Word, War. AUTHOR: LIAM GREENACRE
Art as Protest and Commemoration during the AIDS Crisis of the 1980s.
To mark LGBT History Month, Alice Van-Cliff explores the symbolism of art produced in response to the AIDS crisis in the 1980s.
AUTHOR: ALICE VAN-CLIFF
The Watergate Crisis: A Re-examination of the Past in the Age of Donald Trump
An insightful discussion on the Watergate Crisis in light of the on-going investigation surrounding the Trump administration.
AUTHOR: JAN SZTANKA-TOTH
Orwell and “Northernness”: The Road to Wigan Pier
Our latest article investigates George Orwell’s ‘The Road to Wigan Pier’ and what it can tell historians about perceptions of the North in 1930s Britain.
AUTHOR: GEORGIA OWEN
Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin, by Timothy Snyder.
A review of Timothy Snyder’s ‘Bloodlands’.
AUTHOR: MÅNS AHLSTEDT ÅBERG
11th of November: The story of a re-emerging nation
On the 100th anniversary of Polish independence, Jan Sztanka-Toth explores the nation’s past, and how it is commemorated in contemporary society.
AUTHOR: JAN SZTANKA-TOTH
The Vietnam War: A Moment of Change in American Foreign Policy?
This article deals with the changing state of American foreign policy and Cold War politics during the Vietnam War.
AUTHOR: KATE MESHER
The Afterlife of St Edmund: Hagiography, Cults, Multimedia and Tourism
Very little is known about St Edmund’s life. Our latest article explores his legacy, and how his image has been shaped and changed to serve different purposes throughout history.
AUTHOR: LIAM GREENACRE
Ideology and Identity in sixth-century Ravenna
In our latest article, Liam Greenacre explores King Theodoric’s attempts to manage and shape Gothic and Roman identities in sixth-century Italy. AUTHOR: LIAM GREENACRE
Charlottesville, Statues, Free Speech and History
A thought-provoking evaluation of the historian’s role in contemporary debates around statue destruction.
AUTHOR: JACK HARVEY
The ‘Popish Plot’: Titus Oates and ‘Alternative Facts’ in Seventeenth-Century Britain
In 1681, a fictional Popish Plot went too far. Perhaps ‘alternative facts’ are not unique to the twenty-first century…
AUTHOR: SOPHIE TURBUTT
The development of America: identity and the language of revolution
How far an American Identity had developed by 1776 is widely debated among historians. This article considers some of the facets of identity and assesses how far a uniquely American one had developed by the outbreak of the War of Independence.
AUTHOR: VICTORIA BETTNEY
Anti-Irish Sentiment in Modern Britain
This article considers the development of anti-Irish sentiment in modern Britain, using a range of evidence to show the changes and continuities in the depiction of the Irish.
AUTHOR: ENYA HOLLAND
A Million Years in a Day, by Greg Jenner (2015)
A review of A Million Years in a Day: A Curious History of Daily Life from the Stone Age to the Phone Age (2015), by Greg Jenner.
AUTHOR: VICTORIA BETTNEY
Why Has Anglo Saxon York Been Forgotten?
Usually when we think of York, we think of the Vikings. Why has York’s Anglo Saxon history been overlooked?
AUTHOR: ELSA ROBINSON
The Smithsonian Institute: a Review
In our latest article, Victoria Bettney reviews the Smithsonian Institute, an institute which aims to share knowledge with the anyone interested in its contents.
AUTHOR: VICTORIA BETTNEY
Hayden White: An Introduction
What is the purpose of history? The works of divisive theorist Hayden White tackle this most controversial dilemma.
AUTHOR: LIAM GREENACRE
“Their Name Liveth For Evermore”: Memorialisation of the First World War in York
The meanings expressed in, and drawn from, memorials are contested by historians. What can York’s First World War memorials offer to the debate?
AUTHOR: SOPHIE TURBUTT
Propaganda during the Hundred Years’ War
The use of propaganda was integral to the Hundred Years’ War. Was Christine de Pizan involved in its production?
AUTHOR: ELSA ROBINSON
Chocolate and Feminism: Exploring the Changing Role of Women in Rowntree’s Chocolate and Cocoa Advertisements, 1930-1960
Our latest article considers the changing status of women in Rowntree’s chocolate and cocoa advertisements between 1930 and 1960.
AUTHOR: ELEANOR OLIVER
The York Historian Meets: Oleg Benesch
The York Historian meets University of York lecturer, Oleg Benesch
Reagan: a Critical Analysis
This article offers a critical exploration of the Ronald Reagan years by focusing on his economic, foreign and social policies.
AUTHOR: JAMES BASTIN
1666: Plague, War and Hellfire, by Rebecca Rideal (2016)
A Review of 1666: Plague, War and Hellfire, by Rebecca Rideal (2016).
AUTHOR: JESS AYRES
‘The Norman Yoke’: Uses of the Past During the English Civil War
In this article, Liam Greenacre considers the use of the Norman Conquest of 1066 during the 17th century English Civil War, contrasting the perceived utopian age with the realities of living under foreign rule.
AUTHOR: LIAM GREENACRE
“Be the Heroine of your Life”: Five Inspirational Women From History Assessed
This article looks five women from across history from vastly different backgrounds. The background of each woman is assessed, and a judgement made on their lasting contributions to society.
AUTHOR: VICTORIA BETTNEY AND OTHERS
Life, Death and Contamination in Classical Athens (5th Century BC)
This article explores how contamination was perceived in everyday life in Athens.
AUTHOR: VANIA BUSO
Erasing The Holocaust
This article explores the origins of Holocaust denial, and considers the role of the historian in overcoming it.
AUTHOR: CATHERINE METCALFE
Hull: a History
Kingston-Upon-Hull’s history has been very varied, from establishing the largest travelling fair in Europe to it being one of the worst bombed British cities in the Second World War. This article considers some of Hull’s history, and how this history ties in with its future.
AUTHOR: VICTORIA BETTNEY
The Life of St. Gerald of Aurillac and Secular Sanctity in the Carolingian Empire
How did Gerald of Aurillac reconcile his roles as both a secular aristocrat and a cleric? This article explores that dilemma by analysing Odo of Cluny’s ‘Vita Geraldi’.
AUTHOR: LIAM GREENACRE
Friendships, Lesbianism and Identity in Victorian Britain
At first it appears that Victorian Britain controlled the expression of female sexuality. This article explores female friendships and societal understanding of female sexuality and identity, exploring their relationship to a ‘lesbian identity’.
AUTHOR: LAUREN MILLER
Anti-Irish Sentiment in Early Modern Britain
Modern attitudes towards the Irish have a complex history, beginning in the Early Modern period. This article explores the evolution of Anti-Irish sentiment in this period, charting its changes and various forms.
AUTHOR: ENYA HOLLAND
Essaying the Past: How to Read, Write and Think about History, by Jim Cullen (2017)
A review of the third edition of Jim Cullen’s Essaying the Past: How to Read, Write, and Think about History.
AUTHOR: Victoria Bettney and others.
The York Historian Meets: Michael Walkden
“The university historian doesn’t have to be the only gatekeeper of the truth of the past.”
The York Historian’s Paul Kerr meets PhD student, Michael Walkden.
“High Ruler of the Storm-Tents”: The Christianization of Iceland
The Christianization of Iceland was not straightforward. It was distinctly Icelandic, as this article explores.
AUTHOR: VANIA BUSO
“And Our Enemies We’ll Scatter”: The Glorious Revolution and the Battle of the Boyne Considered
The Glorious Revolution marked one of the greatest periods of political change within early modern Britain and Ireland. This article assesses the decisive Battle of the Boyne in securing the new dynasty, as well as its lasting historical significance.
AUTHOR: VICTORIA BETTNEY
Martin McGuinness: A turbulent life
From Chief of Staff of the IRA to shaking hands with the Queen of England, Martin McGuinness embodies the changes within Northern Irish Republicanism in the late twentieth century. This article looks at key periods in McGuinness’s life, 1950-2017.
AUTHOR: VICTORIA BETTNEY
The European Witch Hunts: A Mass Murder of Women?
The witch trials have been described as a ‘mass murder of women’. This article considers why the gender element to witch hunts has been surprisingly neglected, and what theories are most compelling as to why women were accused of witchcraft than men.
AUTHOR: ENYA HOLLAND
The Devonshire MS: Women and Literature
The Devonshire MS is a collection of poetry; its significance lies in its authorship – historical women of import in the Henrician period. This article outlines how the folio changed hands and how it came to be.
AUTHOR: JESSICA AYRES