Table of contents for No. 38 in All About History

The Spanish Inquisition is remembered for being one of the most brutal episodes in European history. Established by Queen Isabella of Castile to rid her kingdom of heretics, its gory details continue to provoke morbid curiosity, from the terrifying torture devices to the slow deaths suffered by those burned at the stake. Yet Isabella is considered one of Spain’s greatest rulers, having introduced reforms that drastically reduced the crime rate and put the country’s finances back on track. On page 28, we put the inquisitor queen on trial to find out if she was as much of a tyrant as we first thought. For those of you who haven’t yet got your hands on our new sister magazine History Of Royals yet, you can still take advantage of our three…

01 He thought he was a god Caligula knew how to push people’s buttons, but in the last year of his reign, he arguably went too far. He appeared in public dressed as one of the Roman deities and ordered his subjects to address him as such. He was even referred to as ‘Jupiter’ on official documents. When he announced that he was leaving Rome for Egypt to be worshipped as a god, the senate had him killed. 02 At first, they loved him Perhaps he was simply settling in or positioning his political pieces, but for the first six months of his reign, Caligula eased the punitive imperial tax system, gave the Roman military bonuses and put on gladiatorial games for the people, endearing himself to all. Then he…

Even after the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, some felt Japan should still not give in to the Allies. The Ky›j› Incident was a coup attempt undertaken by military officers trying to prevent an unconditional surrender. It was led by Major Kenji Hatanaka on the night of 14 August 1945, and the plan was to put Emperor Hirohito under house arrest and prevent the acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration. While the emperor was confined, the officers’ plan was to assassinate any officials who favoured submission. The group justified their actions through ‘Gekokuj›’, which is the idea of overthrowing superiors for the good of the people. After killing the commander of the Imperial Guard, Hatanaka and his men hurriedly searched for copies of the surrender announcement before the army…

Isabella had been born for this moment. If the 23-year-old princess felt anything other than serenity and conviction, it did not show on her face, her expression betraying nothing as she processed into the church of San Miguel, Segovia, Spain. At last the day had come, and she was to take her place as the queen of Castile and Leon, the largest of the Iberian Peninsula’s fragmented kingdoms. The whole city had come forth to witness her triumph. Only hours before, they had buried the old king and now, his successor, bestride a white horse and adorned with jewels and riches to display her power, came to deliver them from the chaos and disorder that had plagued the people for so long. Surrounded by her new subjects, Isabella proclaimed her…

TROOPS 154 LIEUTENANT JOHN CHARD LEADER Only arriving three days before the battle, Chard was the highest ranking officer entrusted with defending Rorke’s Drift. Strengths Prior experience of war in Bermuda and Malta. Weakness Little time or supplies to prepare strong defences. BRITISH SOLDIER UNIT Experienced and loyal to the queen, the English and Welsh defenders would fight on to the bitter end. Strengths Disciplined and immaculately trained. Weakness Disheartened by extremely high Zulu numbers. MARTINI-HENRY BREECH-LOADING RIFLE KEY WEAPON The weapon of choice for the majority of the British Army was a staple of colonial warfare. Strengths Superior to any weapon wielded by the Zulus. Weakness Tendency for cartridges to stick in the firing mechanism.…

Step 1 Rasputin is lured to Prince Yusupov’s palace, where an array of wine and delicacies laced with cyanide await him. Step 2 Reluctant to eat the cakes on offer, the plan looks set to fail until the monk finally begins to sip at the poisoned wine. Step 3 With the poison having no effect, a panicked Yusupov shoots Rasputin, apparently killing him. Yusupov summons the other conspirators from elsewhere in the palace. Step 4 Miraculously surviving the poison and bullets, Rasputin gets to his feet and attacks Yusupov before dashing from the palace and into the night. Step 5 Co-conspirator Vladimir Purishkevich shoots Rasputin multiple times. Apparently definitely dead, the monk is returned to the palace and beaten by Yusupov. Step 6 Wrapped in heavy cloth and with hands…

Craziest reaction to an assassination attempt: Theodore Roosevelt When Theodore Roosevelt was shot in the chest during a visit to Milwaukee, he put off hospital treatment in favour of delivering his 90-minute speech to an astonished crowd. His life was saved when the bullet was slowed by a spectacles case and thick wad of speech papers in his pocket, preventing it from reaching his heart. Most persistent assassin: French OAS In Paris on 22 August 1962, the OAS (Secret Army Organisation) made an attempt on the life of Charles De Gaulle and his wife. A dozen gunmen blasted his Citroen DS with 140 bullets, killing two outriders and puncturing the tyres. Amazingly, De Gaulle’s driver got his passengers to safety. The episode was later fictionalised in The Day Of The…

Marksmanship Late-19th-century guns in the Old West are often unreliable so, at the very least, you should know how to maintain and handle a rifle and revolver. Construction Frontier settlers usually make their own shelter, so at the end of your journey, if you can’t build your own house, you should at least be able to patch it up yourself when the roof leaks. Orienteering Nothing is going to get you killed quicker than getting lost. Having a good sense of direction will help avoid this – map-reading skills even more so.…

From the rumour mills of Medieval courts to modern-day gossip magazines, humanity has throughout its history been fixated with rumour and hearsay, and many historians would argue there are few leaders in Chinese history who have fallen prey to such intense speculation as Empress Dowager Cixi. Born in the winter of 1835 when the Chinese empire was still strong, Cixi was the daughter of an ordinary official from the Manchu Yehenara clan. She was well educated and able to read and write – an unusual skill for Manchu women of the time – and in 1851, she participated in the selection of consorts for the Xianfeng Emperor alongside 60 other candidates. Contrary to modern-day interpretations of the Chinese concubine tradition, being chosen as a royal consort was a huge honour,…

sually fighting without armour, clad in blue woad war paint and tattoos, and occasionally completely naked, a Celt was a force of nature on the ancient battlefield. Wielding swords, daggers or javelins with a shield, Celtic iron crushed the helmets of the Roman legionaries as war cries rang out and musical instruments were blown. After victory, the Celts set about collecting the heads of both fallen comrades and foes as the headhunting began. For the Celts, falling on the field of battle wasn’t the end. Celtic society had a peculiar obsession with human heads, and after an enemy was defeated, severed heads would be hung by their hair over a horse’s neck and taken to be nailed to the entrance of a fort or sanctuary. The suggested notion behind this…

he spiritual gesture of headhunting was only one part of the cult of death. Once the skulls had been removed from the battlefield, it was over to the druids to perform elaborate rituals, including sacrificial offerings. The Celts believed sacrifice encouraged the supernatural world to link with the natural, and this is what kept them performing these rituals. While there is some debate about whether human sacrifice actually took place, it is referenced by the Roman writers of the era and druidic practice was banned under Emperor Claudius after the successful invasion of Britain. It was written that in one form of human sacrifice, the victim’s head would be severed from the body and then the skull completely shattered. This was done to prevent the ghost from wandering free after…

From genuine illnesses to made-up maladies, the asylum was a one-stop shop for anyone that society didn’t know how to deal with. The majority of inmates were women and they were often committed by their husbands or fathers. They would have no right to appeal, even if the ‘incident’ that put them there was refusing a life of domesticity. In the asylum, they would be subjected to more male dominance by the doctors that presided there. It was considered therapeutic at the time, but the reality couldn’t have been more disturbing. Forced to live in cramped conditions, patients were kept spoiled, unclean and starved into submission. Their relatives may have believed they were receiving the best care, but inmates were treated as unwilling guinea pigs for the latest medical tests,…

Why are you here at Chatham? We are filming a new series called Virtually Inside The Warship on HMS Cavalier, a C Class Destroyer launched in 1944 and saw service in the war’s Arctic campaigns. How important is it to Wargaming to be realistic and authentic? I think it’s something that permeates the entire culture of the company. We take history seriously and it’s part of our DNA. When we’re building a tank or ship in the game, our team goes to great pains to make it look exactly like it’s supposed to look. We want to capture the look and feel so we look at blueprints, operating manuals, historical photographs and other documents to make it as accurate as possible. If there’s an existing version of the tank or…

Author Neil R A Bell Publisher Amberley Price £9.99 Released Out now The Victorian serial killer has always been a hot topic of discussion for historians. With over 100 years since his last murders, hints and clues as to who he was are still being found. His popularity has led to themed tours of the capital, several television shows and a host of films starring Hollywood’s biggest names. The intrigue remains. Written by Jack the Ripper expert Neil R A Bell – who has acted as a Ripperologist on several projects including Ripper Street – Capturing Jack The Ripper details each of the cases linked to the world’s most famous, historical serial killer. Taking the reader through each of the cases step by step, the book offers a thorough, and…

Author Richard van Emden Publisher Pen and Sword Price £25 Released Out now The Somme is a subject that has been covered in film, television and literature time and time again, so you’d be forgiven for wondering what new can be brought to the table. But in the latest non-fiction book on World War I’s most infamous battle, released to commemorate its 100th anniversary, Richard Van Emden offers up stories that have never been told before. In this personal account of the oft-dehumanised battle, the soldiers’ own letters and diary excerpts are used to tell the tragic tale, accompanied by never-before-published photographs taken on their own illegally possessed cameras. As van Emben rightly notes in his introduction, official photography of the war is used so often that their impact is…

Authors Paul H Robinson and Sarah M Robinson Publisher Potomac Books Inc Price £19.99 Released Out now History is defined by its rebels and outcasts. At least, that is the message of Pirates, Prisoners, And Lepers. In this incredible exploration of humanity pushed to its limits, Paul H Robinson and Sarah M Robinson discuss the importance of social order through the survival of individuals completely separated from law and civilisation. Would we still retain our morals and cooperate to survive if we are left to our own devices, or would we fight for our own gain to come out on top? In this book, the two Robinsons (one a top criminal law scholar, the other a former sergeant in the US Army and social worker) provide a closer look at…

Jordan Vickers The story of this ring begins back on my great-grandfather Herbert Vickers’s 18th birthday in 1914. He received it as a present from his parents, and little did he know that it would remain with him through the darkest years of his life. He signed up to fight at the very beginning of World War I while on a Scout meeting. This came as a shock to his mother, who fainted as he walked up the drive in his new uniform. He was placed in the Army Service Corps and soon began training as he was taught how to ride a horse and drive a gun carriage. One day he was taking part in an exercise in Seaton Carew when he witnessed two men get into difficulty while…

Inside the Führerbunker Take a detailed look around Hitler’s hidden underground lair, which was the site of his and his new wife’s suicide as the Red Army closed in and Berlin fell. The Wild West Our time traveller’s handbook will tell you who to befriend and avoid, as well as all the survival skills you’ll need to thrive during this perilous period. Good vibrations Find out how an outbreak of female hysteria – a widespread disease that never actually existed – triggered the invention of the vibrator.…

POL POT CAMBODIAN 1925-98 Having led the Khmer Rouge through its bloody coup and overthrow of the Cambodian government, Pol Pot (aka Saloth Sar) served as general secretary of the Communist Party of Kampuchea. He instigated policies aimed at turning Cambodia into their vision of a rural communist society, with all citizens expelled from their homes and sent to agricultural communes. The calendar was set to Year Zero, and property, money and religion were all abolished. His brutal enactment of these policies led to many deaths, and despite the Khmer Rouge’s overthrow in 1979, it continued to be recognised as the legitimate government of Cambodia. JOSIP TITO YUGOSLAVIAN 1892-1980 Born in to a peasant family, Josip Tito rose to become one of Europe’s most prominent Cold War-era leaders, effectively ruling…

Every dictator needs a propaganda machine to keep their regime popular. Political propaganda arguably reached its zenith during the troubled years of World War II, and one of the frontrunners of this ministry of misinformation was the Soviet Union. Unlike the printed posters of Nazi Germany, Great Britain and Fascist Italy, the USSR made use of a dizzying array of craftsmen, technicians, artists and writers to produce striking and sophisticated glorifications of Stalin, denunciations of Hitler and appeals to socialist values. And they did most of it by hand in a specialist studio run by TASS, the Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union. CATCH UP WITH THE NEWS When the artists arrived at their desks at TASS’s in-house art studio, the first thing on their agenda was to read through…

AYATOLLAH RUHOLLAH KHOMEINI 1978-79, IRAN The Iranian Revolution was led by Supreme Leader Khomeini, who overthrew the government of Shah Mohammad Reza. KLEMENT GOTTWALD 1948, CZECHOSLOVAKIA Gottwald became president of his homeland after a communist coup, which purged all anti-communist members of the Czech military. NAPOLEON 1799, FRANCE This coup enabled Napoleon to topple the current institution and rule by decree. The First French Empire was born shortly after. MARCUS JUNIUS BRUTUS 44 BCE, ROME Fearing Julius Caesar’s ever growing power, Brutus, along with Cassius and a host of other senators, stabbed the dictator to death.…

1457 FERDINAND OF ARAGON Reason: A negotiation between Henry of Castile and John II of Navarre to show their united front. Outcome: The arrangement was as fickle as the friendship, and was broken off four years later. 1461 CHARLES OF VIANA Reason: The Castilian king turned to Ferdinand’s 40-year-old brother to cement an alliance. Outcome: John II had his son imprisoned, and the betrothal became moot as Charles died that year. 1464 EDWARD IV OF ENGLAND Reason: Another alliance attempt; with the added benefit of removing Isabella from Castile. Outcome: Edward IV had already fallen in love with, and secretly married, Elizabeth Woodville. 1465 AFONSO V OF PORTUGAL Reason: Another strategic attempt to remove Isabella from the line of succession. Outcome: Diplomatic relations broke down, much to the relief of…

4 OCTOBER 1957 Sputnik 1 becomes the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth. A Soviet launch, it is shortly followed by another USSR craft, Sputnik 2, and then NASA’s Explorer I. 12 APRIL 1961 The first human in space, Yuri Gagarin, makes a successful 108-minute-long flight around the Earth, becoming an international icon when he lands. 20 JULY 1969 The Apollo Lunar Module touches down on the Moon as NASA completes arguably the most important mission of the entire Space Race. 23 APRIL 1971 The Soviet craft Salyut 1 becomes the first human-crewed space station. The seventh and last Salyut station was replaced by Mir. 14 NOVEMBER, 1971 Mariner 9 achieves the feat of becoming the first spacecraft to orbit another planet as it narrowly beats the Soviet efforts…

TROOPS 4,500 DABULAMANZI KAMPANDE LEADER The half brother of the Zulu King, he defied direct orders for the opportunity to defeat the British at Rorke’s Drift. Strengths Headstrong desire to drive the British from his homeland. Weakness ‘Bull horn’ formation ineffectual against British bullets. ZULU WARRIOR UNIT A citizen army called up at times of war. They received their training from the legendary Zulu warrior and king, Shaka. Strengths Unrivalled skill with an assegai spear. Weakness Minimal training in wielding firearms. ASSEGAI KEY WEAPON A light spear made of wood with an iron tip that was thrust into an enemy’s abdomen. Strengths Easy to wield. Could be thrown or held. Weakness Shorter than a bayonet so difficult to get in close.…

Queen Victoria Assassination attempts: 7 Whether fame hungry, tired of life or just plain insane, six gunmen and one cane-wielding assailant failed to kill the hardy and popular queen. Charles de Gaulle Assassination attempts: 31 With an assortment of snipers, explosives and gunfire, shadowy political groups tried and failed to remove the French president permanently from office. Adolf Hitler Assassination attempts: 42 From political rivals to the resistance, Hitler had enemies all over the place yet still managed to dodge bombs, gunmen and even poison. Zog of Albania Assassination attempts: 55+ Despite hundreds of blood feuds placing a price on his head, the Albanian president proved absurdly hard to kill and even returned fire on one assassin. Fidel Castro Assassination attempts: 638 During the Cold War, the USA desperately wanted…

GALLOWS FRAME TRANSMITTER 1875 Alexander Graham Bell’s earliest telephone transmitters combined an electromagnet, reed relays and a taut diaphragm that caused an iron strip to vibrate and generate an electric current when agitated by sound waves. He incorporated this design into the Gallows Frame Transmitter. However, it didn’t unequivocally transmit speech. Nonetheless, Bell was convinced his ideas should work and incorporated them into later inventions and a patent application. He filed that patent in 1876 and it would secure his place in history. GOWER-BELL TELEPHONE 1878 Although Bell secured the most widely remembered telephone patent, other entrepreneurs were developing their own devices. Among them was Frederic Allen Gower. Together with Cornelius Roosevelt, Gower filed patents for mechanisms that would lead to the Gower-Bell telephone. These instruments were wall-mounted with a…

1 Battersea Shield Constructed from bronze sheets and 27 red glass studs, the Battersea Shield was made in Britain between 350-50 BCE. Although it is believed to be from the La Tène›period, it is difficult to date exactly as its decorative style is not related to any other Celtic object. 2 Waterloo Helmet This helmet dates from around 250-50 BCE and its bronze material means it was far too fragile to have been used in warfare. Instead it is believed that it was used as a ceremonial headdress. It is the only Iron Age helm of its type to have ever been found in Europe. 3 Montefortino helmet The classic choices of the Roman legionaries, both the Montefortino and Coolus helmets were originally Celtic designs. The conical-shaped headgear was the…

There is no reason to doubt Caesar’s claim that the druids carried out human sacrifice. Life was offered to the gods in return for life. So someone afflicted with a serious disease or a warrior fighting a battle would offer a human sacrifice in return for their life, and the druids would carry it out. An animal was no substitute and criminals were pleasing to the gods, but if they were in short supply, the innocent would do. However, we don’t know what the Celtic gods wanted the spirits of the sacrificed for. Caesar also tells us about that most gruesome of sacrifice the Wicker Man, where an immense statue of twigs was filled with victims and set alight. He also remarks that druidism originated in Britain, so it’s no…

1600 BCE EGYPTIAN RECIPES Uterus, come down from there! An Egyptian papyrus includes recipes for medicines that coax the pesky organ back into position. 5TH CENTURY BCE THE DISEASE GETS A NAME Hippocrates is the first to use the term hysteria, from the Greek meaning ‘uterus’. He tries to encourage the uterus back into position with fragrant concoctions. 4TH CENTURY BCE WANDERING WOMB Famous philosopher Plato also believes the uterus moves freely about the body and causes all kinds of symptoms such as anxiety and tremors. 1ST CENTURY BCE SYMPTOMS IDENTIFIED Roman medical writer Aulus Cornelius Celsus provides a clinical description of hysteria – “a violent disease”. He says it destroys the senses. 2ND CENTURY MARRIAGE IS THE CURE Greek physician Claudius Galen’s treatments include purges, getting married or staying…

Making history appealing to a worldwide audience is a constant battle. Hollywood and the gaming industry help bring history to life for all generations but what’s available for those who want to see the past exactly as it was without paying for the cinema, investing in a games console or visiting a distant historical site armed with a vivid imagination? Enter broadcaster and historian Dan Snow and his new 360-degree VR video series. History is all around us, but for the sites that are too far out of reach, this is an innovative way of reaching out to the past. Snow has advocated virtual reality as a new yet simple way of bringing history to the fore. His mission is to bring incredible objects to the widest possible audience and…

Author Various Publisher Abaddon Price £7.99 Released Out now “The book is careful not to tread in the waters of the tragedies, keeping its tone light-hearted throughout” The worlds of William Shakespeare are rich with characters, from the magical faeries of A Midsummer’s Night Dream, to the historical figures depicted through the major events of their lives. Monstrous Little Voices takes this plethora of famous muses and uses them to its own devices. Six authors – including Jonathan Barnes, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Emma Newman, Kate Heartfield and Foz Meadows with an afterword from Dr John Lavagnino, from the Shakespeare Centre at King’s College – have shaped the worlds to create their own stories, from following characters from The Tempest, As You Like It, Julius Caesar and Twelfth Night among others. Each…

RECOMMENDS… The Rising: Ireland: 1916 Author: Fearghal McGarry Price: £20 Publisher: Oxford University Press The Easter Rising of 1916 is the seminal moment of modern Irish history. Although the rebellion itself was a military failure, it led to a heavy-handed British response, which in turn helped to spark the chain of events that would lead to the creation of an Irish Free State in 1922 and the partition of the states that exist to this day. This is an excellent introduction for anyone who seeks to understand the beginning of the modern Irish Republic and its enduring legacy in the complicated political history between Ireland and Britain.…

Author Neil Faulkner Publisher Yale University Press Price £25 Released Out now The story of T E Lawrence and his precise role during the Arab Revolt is one of the most famous of World War I. Lawrence became a legendary figure in his own lifetime and remains so today. There have been many books that have focused on his remarkable career, but few that have combined both Lawrence and the Middle Eastern conflict as a whole in equal measure. Neil Faulkner’s new study is fair to both Lawrence and the war in the desert itself. Lawrence’s celebrated memoir, Seven Pillars Of Wisdom, is now confirmed, not just as a fascinating work of literature but also as a reliable source for the Arab Revolt. Additionally, Faulkner provides in-depth chapters on the…

1881 Billy The Kid escapes Imprisoned and sentenced to hang for the murder of Lincoln County sheriff William Brady, outlaw Billy The Kid manages to escape jail. A few months later, the new sheriff will find him and shoot him dead. 1945 Benito Mussolini executed While attempting to escape Switzerland, the Italian dictator and his mistress Clara Petacci are captured and shot by Italian partisans. Their bodies are hung in a Milan plaza and residents spit on their corpses. 1952 US ends occupation of Japan Occupied by the United States-led Allied powers since the end of World War II, Japan finally becomes an independent state again when the San Francisco Peace Treaty comes into force. 1967 Muhammad Ali refuses army induction With the USA at war in Vietnam, the boxing…

Photos Scans of snaps that offer insight to the past Antiques and objects Show off your family heirlooms, mementos and retro curios Letters from the past Old correspondence can hold a wealth of historical info and fascinating stories News clippings Articles reporting on iconic events Amazing stories Interesting or insightful tales passed down from your ancestors Eyewitness accounts Did you witness a historic event in person? Share it today Family trees A chance to boast about famous or significant ancestors…

BLACK SHIRT IT’S THE NEW PINK, Y’KNOW Il Duce’s volunteer militia, the paramilitary wing of his national fascist party, wore black uniforms, or at least a black shirt. This was inspired by the uniform of Italy’s elite World War I storm troopers, the Arditi – or ‘the daring ones’. RIDING BREECHES BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE IN EUROPE WEARS THEM The choice of uniform was as much down to Mussolini seeking individuality as anything else. Riding breeches were comfortable, practical and original at the time. He set a trend, too: not only was Hitler inspired by the Blackshirt march on Rome to form the Munich Putsch, but he fancied those pants for his own militia – the SS. SWAGGER STICK IT WASN’T ALWAYS FOR SHOW While the Blackshirts were beating and…

Law: La Santa Hermandad, or The Holy Brotherhood, was revived, an old system of armed local militias that acted as a citizen police force. Accountable to the queen, they tracked and captured criminals, as well as helping to establish and maintain order. The Hermandad were highly efficient, with a close to 100 per cent success rate. Isabella also personally oversaw the appointment of judges, and the entire judicial system grew more efficient due to regular checks and officials being held to account. Finance: Currency throughout the kingdom was in a poor state, with coinage debased and inflation driving the population to financial ruin. Isabella reduced the number of royal mints to combat this problem and took control of currency production, restoring the value of Castilian coin. The previous reigns had…

Despite the reputation the Spanish Inquisition would later gain, initially it was not entirely unpopular. On the contrary, at a time when the kingdom had been almost torn apart by the instability of civil war, to some it was a relief to see the proof of firm control being established by the new reign of Isabella. This relief, however, proved premature: the people of the kingdom of Castile would live to regret the day the Inquisition was established within their cities. The Inquisitors, with their distinctive white robes and black hoods, struck first at that well-known hotbed of converso laxity: Seville. At their arrival, mass panic ensued among the converso community, with about 4,000 people fleeing the city. They were right to be afraid. Retribution was swift. Moves were taken…

20 JULY 1944 10am • Stauffenberg arrives at the Wolf’s Lair Wrongly believing that the Gestapo have discovered the plot to kill Hitler, Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg decides to put Operation Valkyrie into action, suspecting that this might be his one and only chance. 12.20pm • The bomb is prepared Stauffenberg visits the bathroom and attempts to arm the bombs. Missing his left eye, his right hand and two of his remaining fingers, it proves fiddly work and he is forced to go into the meeting with only one bomb primed. 12.30pm • The bomb is planted Noticing that the disabled Stauffenberg is struggling to carry the briefcase, Major Ernst John von Freyend carries it into the meeting room for him, unwittingly placing the bomb next to Hitler. When it…

Airship An airship is a steerable, powered aircraft inflated by lighter-than-air gases. Dirigible A synonym of airship, the name comes not from its rigid frame but rather the French word diriger or ‘to steer’. Blimp A blimp is an airship that has no rigid structure and maintains its shape from the pressure of the inflating gas. Rigid airship These craft maintain their shape not through the pressure of the lifting gas but by a rigid framework that surrounds the gas cells or bags. Zeppelins A Zeppelin is a rigid airship built by the Zeppelin Company founded by Count Zeppelin.…

Size and structure The burial grounds would be approximately 50 metres in diameter and six metres deep, but this depended on the importance of the individual. The structure consisted of wooden walls and a layer of stones that would be covered by sod. Drinking culture As well as food and equipment, beverages and drinking vessels were buried as tradition. In one tomb alone, 1,100 litres of wine were taken underground. Gravediggers sometimes targeted Celtic burial grounds and huge amounts of drink could be a valuable find. The corpse The body would be made up to look its best for the Otherworld. The dead from noble backgrounds would be dressed in the smartest clothes they owned while the poor would be covered and wrapped up in cloth. Location of the body…

From Wolfenstein to Assassin’s Creed, history has long proved fertile ground for videogames. Many of the releases were generous with their use of artistic licence but War Thunder by Gaijin Entertainment is a proud exception. As the screenshots below illustrate, games are becoming more historically accurate than ever, helping gamers connect with the events behind their favourite titles.…

Author John Christopher Publisher Amberley Price £14.99 Released Out now The poster of Lord Kitchener with his fashionable handlebar moustache, staring intently at the reader and telling them “Your country needs YOU!”, is one of the most enduring images to survive World War I. This concept has been copied for war propaganda by countries other than Britain and in the decades since, has been parodied ad infinitum for advertising campaigns, mugs and T-shirts across the world. But it’s far from being the only World War I poster to endure the test of time: in the absence of the internet, television and in the dawn of radio, posters were the number one way to sell your product and hammer your point home. Whether it was a recruitment drive for the Western…

Authors Barbara Harper-Nelson and Genevieve Monneris Publisher Amberley Price £9.99 Released Out now Not every story from World War II has to involve soaring Spitfires or rumbling Tiger tanks; in fact, some of the most powerful tales told from the war are much simpler than that. The French Squadrons: A True Story Of Love And War takes this softer approach, and this account from Barbara Harper-Nelson is one of pure emotion and longing during a period of great turmoil. A 19-year-old from northwest England, Harper-Nelson’s life was changed forever after a chance meeting with a 22-year-old French airman by the name of Francis Usai. Sadly, Usai was called away to the continent to fight for the Allies, but the two decided to keep in touch by means of a series…