When did you first hear about Tom Neil?
Several years ago, I was trying to pitch a show about the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. One of my friends is a Spitfire pilot, and he really wanted to get Tom on board, so we went to meet him at his house.
Tom had told his stories about the war again and again, so didn't really have anything to gain apart from sharing his memories and insights. He was a keen student of war, and had a detached view of its events. He was a really honest guy without a trace of jingoism or nationalism, though he did have a real mischief to him.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The Victorians' cocaine habit
In the 19th century, a magic new drug took the medical community by storm, riding a wave of scientific endeavour.
Tower of light and dark
The gold-tipped monument that towers above Bath is an architectural jewel and a visceral reminder of the evils of slavery. PAUL BLOOMFIELD visits the newly restored haven built by the wealthy outcast William Beckford
How Britain found its frequency
When radios first appeared in British homes in the early 20th century, one thing soon became clear: domestic life would never be the same again. Beaty Rubens tracks Britons' reaction to this extraordinary new technology via seven cartoons
There are only a handful of survivors left who can say what happened
I WAS INTERVIEWING AN ALMOST 98-YEAR-OLD man about his memories of the Second World War this week.
THE KING LOST KINGDOM
Battered by the Vikings, outshone by King Alfred, Mercia has long been painted as the also-ran of the Anglo-Saxon world. Yet, writes Max Adams, this mighty Midlands kingdom was at the very heart of the emergence of England
Donald Trump has retaken the US presidency, repeating his vow to 'Make America Great Again'. But he's not the first to wield such a slogan. Back in the 1980s, Ronald Reagan stood for election with the same promise.Did he deliver?
Donald Trump's recurring battle cry \"Make America Great Again!\"- taps into a powerful sense among many Americans that life was better in the old days.
"In times of political volatility, it's more vital than ever that we tell women's stories"
What impact has recent instability around the world had on the study of women’s history? Does our desire for strong female role models risk erasing complexity? And whose lives are still overlooked? Ahead of Women’s History Month, ELLIE CAWTHORNE spoke to three historians about the state of the discipline
Five shocking tales from Britain's royal palaces
Royal residences have been a hotbed of drama, violence and intrigue down the centuries, as Kate Williams reveals
Why, the villagers wondered, were they completely green?
The story of the otherworldly children of Woolpit has long been treated as folklore - but, as John Clark explains, the tale may not be as fanciful as it seems
We are witnessing the biggest gathering of people in world history
I'M SURE, LIKE ME, READERS HAVE BEEN BOTH gripped and saddened this last month by the pictures of India's Kumbh Mela, the biggest pilgrimage in the world.
