HistoryExtra Long Reads

Dummy tanks at El Alamein, bogus generals in Algiers, sham armies on D-Day – all were ruses masterminded by World War II's master of deception Dudley Clarke. This Long Read, written by Robert Hutton, ...

13 Okt 202422min

Why is Henry VII remembered as an intensely suspicious king, wracked by paranoia? According to Nathen Amin, the answer lies in his death-defying rise to power. In this Long Read, written by Nathen, we...

6 Okt 202421min

The suffragettes crafted a brilliant PR campaign, driven by everything from marching bands to branded marmalade. But did their quest for publicity eventually backfire? In this Long Read, written by El...

29 Sep 202419min

Robert the Bruce is famed as a national hero, and lauded for his military exploits against the old enemy of England. But how true is this perception? As Scotland marks Bruce's 750th birthday, this Lon...

22 Sep 202423min

When you place a letter in the hands of your local postal worker, you have faith that they won't take a sneak peek at your messages – but what if these well-trusted characters were secretly spies of t...

15 Sep 202418min

The crusades sparked centuries of violence and chaos, and not just on the battlefield. This Long Read, written by Steve Tibble, examines the surge in criminality, from petty theft to cold-blooded murd...

8 Sep 202419min

For so long, women have been excluded from ancient tales of extraordinary world-changing events. Writing them back into the narrative, this Long Read, written by classicist Daisy Dunn, tells the story...

1 Sep 202421min

On the morning of the 10 June 1944, the residents of Oradour-sur-Glane were going about their lives as normally as was possible in occupied France. Cooking, washing, shopping, playing. Little did they...

25 Aug 202420min