Period

Illustrations by Ian Morris.

The Civil War cross-dressers: the women who swapped dresses for breeches

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Professor Dame Janet L Nelson has published extensively on early medieval Europe. She is professor emeritus at King's College London, a fellow of the British Academy and a former president of the Royal Historical Society. Her previous books include 'Charles the Bald' (1992) and 'The Frankish World' (1996). (Photograph by Frank Monks)

Books interview with Janet Nelson: “The only way this huge regime could work was by Charlemagne trusting his own instincts” . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Winner takes all: A painting shows the French ship 'Redoutable' clashing with the British 'Temeraire'.

Trafalgar, a futile victory? Why Nelson’s triumph didn’t turn the tide on Napoleon

High heaven: Lindisfarne Castle rises above the beach. It's a steep climb to the castle entrance. (Photo by Alamy)

History Explorer The Holy Island of Lindisfarne

Drawing depicting crew of German traders at work aboard a Hanseatic League, aka German Hanse, aka Hansa 16th-century cargo vessel. (Photo by Mansell/Mansell/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images/Getty Images)

A medieval European union: why the Hanseatic League still matters

Striking machinists at Dagenham's Ford plant. (Photo by Getty Images)

Back on Planet Earth: what world did Neil Armstrong leave behind in 1969?

Ruth Ellis and her friend Desmond Cussen, who supplied the gun with which she shot David Blakely. (Photo by Trinity Mirror/Mirrorpix/Alamy Stock Photo)

Ruth Ellis and the hanging that rocked a nation

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The ruins of Dunluce Castle, which sit on the coastal cliffs of North Antrim in Northern Ireland. They are thought to have been the inspiration for CS Lewis’s castle Cair Paravel in ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ (1950–56). (Photo by Andrea Ricordi/Contributor/Getty Images)

9 of Britain’s best castles . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Heart of the city: The sun shines on the lawns of the Plaza de Mayo, located in the historic centre of Buenos Aires. (Photo by Alamy)

Explore Buenos Aires, Argentina: infused with Latin beauty . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Charles I. (Photo by World History Archive/Alamy)

King killers in America . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

An illustration of the battle of Agincourt. By attacking over unsuitable ground, Charles d’Albret “doomed his army”, says Rupert Matthews. (Photo by Historica Graphica Collection/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

The top 10 military blunders in history

c1916: British soldiers sitting around a lamp in their trench. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

First World War

10 First World War slang words we still use today

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A selection of treasure from the Staffordshire Hoard.

A closer look at the Staffordshire Hoard . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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St Fagans Castle and gardens

A visit to St Fagans National Museum of History, Cardiff . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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A C Grayling. (Photo by David Levenson/Getty Images)

AC Grayling on the history of philosophy . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.