May 2009 – Volume 10 - No 5

Anglo-Saxon special

The year England was born
Michael Wood on how the remarkable Anglo-Saxon king Athelstan won a series of military victories that created the country we know today.

When the dark ages were lit up
Seventy years after its discover, we asses what the famous Sutton Hoo burial hoard can tell us about Anglo-Saxon society.

William Pitt: the youngest PM
Recalling the career of William Pitt the Younger who became prime minister at the tender age of 24.

The decline of the British pub
As more of us choose to drink at home, what can the past tell us about the traditional local?

Murder in Nazi Berlin
Why was a man who murdered eight women able to remain at large for several months in wartime Berlin?

Everyday life of a Tudor gentleman
We examine a rare personal notebook from one of the lesser gentry in 16th century England.