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Book Reviews
Marc Morris Anglo-Saxons
The Anglo-Saxons, Marc Morris
For his latest book, Marc Morris has gone grander and earlier than anything he's done before. The Anglo-Saxons: A History of the Beginnings of England covers the history of England from just before the fall of the Roman Empire through to the coming of the Normans 700 years later. Woven into the narrativeA story; in the writing of history it…
News
Chalke Valley History Festival
The Return of Chalke Valley History Festival, 2021
After its enforced absence in 2020 due to the pandemic, Chalke Valley History Festival is set to return with a bang in 2021. Running from Wednesday 23 June to Sunday 27 June, it will be one of the very first major festivals to run this year
Attraction Reviews
Ludlow Castle
Ludlow Castle, Shropshire
Ludlow Castle, snuggled beside a bend in the River Teme as it winds its ways through south Shropshire, is at the western edge of the pretty town of Ludlow. Although this small market town that was planned and built around the castle seems sleepy now, both it and the castle have been witness to considerable violence, death, and mayhem during their…
Georgian
Women in the Age of Sail
Jane Tar: Women and the Royal Navy in the Age of Sail
There can be few historical milieus as thrilling and iconic as the lives of men at sea in the glorious Age of Sail. Yet there is always something in these images that is notable for its absence – the presence of women.
Book Reviews
Floriography
Floriography: The Myths, Magic and Language of Flowers, Sally Coulthard
In a little under 150 beautifully illustrated pages, Sally Coulthard takes the reader on a whistle-stop tour of 50 of the most common, and important, flowers from around the world. Combining ancient medicinal uses with Victorian flower symbolism and Shakespeare's sonnets with charms against witchcraft, 'Floriography' is a veritable treasure trove…

Latest Articles

Women in the Age of Sail
Jane Tar: Women and the Royal Navy in the Age of Sail
There can be few historical milieus as thrilling and iconic as the lives of men at sea in the glorious Age of Sail. Yet there is always something in these images that is notable for its absence – the…
Read more
Elizabeth I
The End of an Era: The Death of Queen Elizabeth I
In the early hours of 24 March 1603 Queen Elizabeth I died quietly in her palace at Richmond. But for those living through those hours of her final decline, it was a time of fear as well as of hope:…
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Mary Shelley
Ten Facts You Might Not Know about Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley is famous as the wife of the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, and as the author of the classic novel Frankenstein. But these two facts, interesting as they are, belie the depth of character…
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Latest Quizzes

Girl on crocodile
Quiz: Weird Pets in History
Many people own pets, from dogs and cats to the more exotic, but how much do you know about pets in history? Take our quiz to find out!
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Moon landings
The first Moon landing - 50th anniversary quiz
How much do you really know about the Moon landing in 1969? Try the GetHistory.co.uk 50th anniversary quiz and find out!
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Name the historical character from their on screen depiction
Name the historical character from their on screen depiction
Can you match the following film and TV characters to the real historical character? See if you can get over 70%!
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Latest News

Chalke Valley History Festival
The Return of Chalke Valley History Festival, 2021
After its enforced absence in 2020 due to the pandemic, Chalke Valley History Festival is set to return with a bang in 2021. Running from Wednesday 23 June to Sunday 27 June, it will be one of the…
Read more
Film reel
Fast and Loose: The Value of Historically Questionable Cinema
Historical cinema comes in for endless criticism from reviewers, viewers and – of course – historians: filmmakers bring their own interests, opinions and biases to their work. They make films not…
Read more
Hereford mappa mundi (13th century)
Elizabeth Baigent: In Conversation
As the final part in a trilogy of articles on space and history, I met up with Oxford professor Dr Elizabeth Baigent, University Reader in the History of Geography and SCIO Senior Tutor at Wycliffe…
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Latest Reviews

Marc Morris Anglo-Saxons
The Anglo-Saxons, Marc Morris
For his latest book, Marc Morris has gone grander and earlier than anything he's done before. The Anglo-Saxons: A History of the Beginnings of England covers the history of England from just…
Read more
Ludlow Castle
Ludlow Castle, Shropshire
Ludlow Castle, snuggled beside a bend in the River Teme as it winds its ways through south Shropshire, is at the western edge of the pretty town of Ludlow. Although this small market town that was…
Read more
Floriography
Floriography: The Myths, Magic and Language of Flowers, Sally Coulthard
In a little under 150 beautifully illustrated pages, Sally Coulthard takes the reader on a whistle-stop tour of 50 of the most common, and important, flowers from around the world. Combining ancient…
Read more

Fact of the Day

13th century chancellor of Oxford, Thomas de Cantilupe, banned students from carrying arms. At one point he had 20 confiscated bows and swords.

Quote of the Day

"Shoot, you devil! Shoot, in the devil’s name! Shoot, or it will be worse for you! "
~ William II reportedly speaking to the renowned bowman Walter Tirel on a stag hunt, just before Tirel missed and killed the king

On This Day

1381 The rebels of the Great Revolt attacked London, burning John of Gaunt's Savoy Palace to the ground, with the total loss of goods of this house alone costing more than £10,000. The gaols at Newgate, Westminster, Fleet and Marshalsea were broken into and their inmates released, the Temple was sacked, and the provincial headquarters of the Knights Hospitaller were destroyed.
1483 William Hastings, a wealthy and important noble at the court of Edward IV, became 'Richard III's first victim', when he was summarily executed for treason at the Tower of London.
1628 Astrologer, reputed master of the dark arts and favourite of the 1st Duke of Buckingham, John Lambe was stoned to death by an angry London mob.
1842 Queen Victoria became the first ever reigning monarch to ride on a train, when she journeyed with Prince Albert from Slough to Paddington.
1917 The first and deadliest daylight German air raid on London of the First World War killed 162 people, including 18 children who were attending primary school.
1920 The US Post Office Department ruled that children could not be sent by parcel post.
1983 Unmanned US space probe Pioneer 10 crossed Neptune's orbit and became the first human-made object to leave the proximity of the major planets of the Solar System. The last weak signal was received from it in 2003, when it was 80 AU from Earth.