BBC History UK - September 2022

In this issue

Politics on screen
In the ninth part of our series on the BBC’s history, David Hendy revisits the birth of televised political debate.

A country divided
Seventy-five years after the partition of India, Kavita Puri examines the continuing legacy of that division across the subcontinent and in the UK.

Why PMs get the push

Boris Johnson's announcement that he is set to resign as prime minister threw the British government into turmoil in July - and saw him join a small group of PMs brought down by scandal. RICHARD TOYE explores what we can learn from the demise of previous premiers

6 mins

A dramatic solar storm lights up the Earth

2 SEPTEMBER 1859 | The "Carrington Event" causes auroras and telegraph chaos

2 mins

Want to know why Henry VI's reign was such a disaster? Then look no further than his father

Henry VI fell foul of the French, his soldiers, even his own advisors. Yet, writes Lauren Johnson, his greatest enemy was the revered warrior-king who left him the throne 600 years ago

10+ mins

Stalingrad through German eyes

Iain MacGregor explores the previously unpublished testimony of a German officer on the front line | In September 1942, German lieutenant colonel Friedrich Roske declared himself "the master of the centre of Stalingrad" after his troops had smashed their way into the heart of the city. But with thousands of Soviet guardsmen poised to launch a furious counter-attack, his triumph was to be short-lived. Roske's previously unpublished testimonies reveal, in unsparing detail, the grim fate of the German troops holed up in Stalingrad as the Red Army began to tighten its grip...

10+ mins

In 1678, Catholic assassins a plot to murder hatched Charles II... or did they?

Victor Stater tells the story of the Popish Plot, an elaborate fake news story that reshaped British politics - and sent dozens of innocent people to the gallows

10+ mins

The enduring trauma of partition

In 1947, British India was split in two, sparking a wave of violence that defined the new nations for decades. On the 75th anniversary of partition, Kavita Puri looks at how subsequent generations in south Asia and the UK have come to terms with its legacy

10+ mins

Enter the dragon

It's brought its own unique brand of magic to everything from Game of Thrones to Harry Potter. But how did the modern dragon come into being? Daniel Ogden traces the six stages of the creature's evolution in the west - from ancient serpent to medieval fire breather

8 mins

THE DIG THAT CHANGED (URBAN) HISTORY

Sixty years ago, one of Britain's most important archaeology projects was launched in Hampshire. Michael Wood reviews the groundbreaking discoveries of the dig at Winchester, once the showpiece of Alfred the Great's royal dynasty

8 mins

"For too long medieval women have been written out of history. It's high time we put them back in"

Janina Ramirez introduces three trailblazers whose stories show that medieval women were far more than the wives, sisters and aunts of men

9 mins

"Henrietta Maria has been looked at far too much through the male gaze - it's time for another perspective"

Leanda De Lisle speaks to Emily Briffett about her new study of Charles I's reviled queen and reveals why she doesn't deserve her rotten reputation

10 mins

Caledonian chronicle

RAB HOUSTON has mixed feelings about an energetic but uneven romp through four centuries of Scottish political, social, cultural and economic history

4 mins

Smooth operator

SECOND WORLD WAR | KATE VIGURS acclaims a vibrant account of the life and wartime travails of American-French cabaret artist - and covert resistance operative - Josephine Baker

2 mins

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BBC History UK Magazine Description:

BBC History Magazine is Britain’s bestselling history magazine devoted to history enthusiasts of all levels of knowledge and interest. Published 13 times a year, BBC History Magazine brings history to life with informative, lively and entertaining features written by the world’s leading historians and journalists. Whether it is the history of our politics and institutions, or the fascinating stories of our private lives through the ages, BBC History Magazine sheds new light on the past and helps make more sense of today’s world.Covering the latest new developments in history and archaeology from Britain and around the world, the latest, most thought provoking historical research and strong links with TV and radio programming maximizing use of BBC’s existing expertise in the genre.