SAS: Band of Brothers
Review of 'SAS: Band of Brothers' by Damien Lewis.
Paid
The English Civil War
Review of 'The English Civil War:
An Atlas and Concise History of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, 1639–51' and 'English Civil War: Operations Manual'.
Sicily ’43: the assault on Fortress Europe
Review of James Holland's 'Sicily ’43: the assault on Fortress Europe'.
Smuts: guerrilla, politician, warlord
Stephen Roberts reports on the extraordinary career of Jan Smuts, who went from Boer commander to Commonwealth statesman.
In View
MHM’s round-up of the latest military history titles.
HMS Glatton
Sometimes poor quality-control can be as lethal as bad design – this was certainly true in the case of HMS Glatton. On the outbreak of war in August 1914, the Admiralty began buying warships that British shipyards were building for…
Restoring HMS Victory
MHM'S Assistant Editor Calum Henderson delves into the history of HMS Victory.
The Battle of Kircholm, 1605 – Sweden’s Greatest Defeat
Poltava is more famous, but, explains historian Magnus Olofsson, Kircholm was probably the greatest defeat in Swedish history.
War Athletes – Wyndham Halswelle
The life of Wyndham Halswelle - Olympic athlete and soldier in the Second Boer War and Second World War.
Inside the fortress
The ‘Flying Fortress’ became legendary for its ability to stay in the air even after taking a severe battering.
War of Words – ‘Kamikaze’
Marc DeSantis delves into the history and meaning of the word 'kamikaze.'
Rodney, Howe, and the rise of British seapower
In the half century between the Battle of Quiberon Bay (1759) and the Battle of Trafalgar (1805), Britain’s Royal Navy transformed naval tactics and established global maritime supremacy. Developments in the technology of sail power and naval gunnery had combined…
The careers of Rodney & Howe
In the second article in our occasional series, Graham Goodlad assesses two 18th-century admirals whose flaws were offset by outstanding victories.
The Glorious First of June
Neil Faulkner analyses the fighting on 1 June 1794 and sees a new British tactical system still in development.
Combat of Champions
Ashley and Stephen Cooper take a close and critical look at the hallowed idea of war by personal combat.
Letters – MHM120 January/February 2021
Your thoughts on issues raised by the magazine.
MHM Book Awards 2021
Gold, silver, and bronze prizes are up for grabs in the race for MHM Book of the Year, which will be awarded to the titles our readers feel have made the greatest all-round contribution to the study of military history.
Nefertari: into the Valley of the Queens
The Great Royal Wife of Ramesses II, Nefertari, was buried in one of the most spectacular tombs of Egypt’s Valley of the Queens. Well-educated and well-travelled, Nefertari played a crucial part in the political life of the pharaoh, and her importance was reflected through her magnificently decorated tomb. Minerva's Lucia Marchini speaks to Jennifer Casler Price to find out more.
Parthenon, Athens, 1907
Boissonnas headed to Athens and worked to photograph the monuments of the Acropolis, a subject he returned to several times.
Mapping the coast edge: Flimston Bay, Pembrokeshire
Flimston is a baseline study site for the EU-funded Ireland–Wales CHERISH project (2017-2023), which is studying climate change and eroding coastal heritage in Ireland and Wales.
Impinging on the Past: a rescue excavation at Fladbury, Worcestershire, 1967
The report on this significant site is most welcome. While earlier and later prehistoric features were present, as well as a small Roman cemetery, the chief interest lies with the mid-Saxon oven/grain-dryer complex. This feature was clearly explored most determinedly,…
The Archaeology of East Oxford – Archeox: the development of a community
Think of the archaeology of Oxford and thoughts will inevitably turn to the historic city centre. In the suburbs, however, there is a heritage every bit as rich and distinct. The Archeox project was set up to investigate the archaeology…
A Biography of Power: research and excavations at the Iron Age oppidum of Bagendon, Gloucestershire (1979-2017)
Bagendon has long been the poor relation of British late Iron Age oppida, lurking on the distribution’s western fringe. Its extensive, intermittent ramparts have long been known, but only in the 1950s did limited excavations reveal its character. Tom Moore’s…
Offa’s Dyke Journal, Volume 1
The archaeological societies founded in the 19th century embraced all aspects of the discipline, and from about the beginning of the 20th century societies came to be formed. In recent years, they have been joined by more-specialist societies and journals.…
Living on the Edge of Empire: the objects and people of Hadrian’s Wall
Do we need another book on Hadrian’s Wall? The answer in this case is a resounding ‘yes’. The authors curate the magnificent collections derived from several centuries of research, excavation, and antiquarian collection along the frontier. Their expertise and knowledge…
Nazi Prisons in the British Isles: political prisoners during the German Occupation of Jersey and Guernsey 1940-1945
This is a welcome addition to the literature on confinement, a topic that has developed from a little-studied phenomenon into one of most vibrant areas within the subdiscipline of Conflict Archaeology. Gilly Carr has been a part of this through…
The Art Deco Society UK
Was it by coincidence that the formation of the Art Deco Society UK (ADSUK) in 2019 coincided with the publication of Art Deco Britain: buildings of the interwar years by Elain Harwood, Historic England’s 20th-century architecture specialist? Elain argues that…
Towards a National Collection
Christopher Catling employs joined-up thinking in his regular column on the eccentricities of the heritage world
Excavating the CA archive: Yorkshire 2
From Captain Cook's Cottage to Romans in the East Riding: Joe Flatman explores half a century of reports from Yorkshire
Finds tray – Roman bowl
This is an imported Roman bowl, made of copper-alloy, found in Wingham, Kent. The metal-detectorist who discovered the bowl left it in situ and reported it to the local Finds Liaison Officer. This allowed the Canterbury Archaeological Trust to conduct…
Planes over Port Meadow: revealing a First World War Home Front aerodrome
A century after the site was dismantled, can the ephemeral remains of Oxford’s tented First World War flying training aerodrome be rediscovered? The Wolvercote WWI Aerodrome Memorial Project, a community initiative, sought to find out with the help of scientific surveying. Roger Ainslie reports.
Glass roots: examining the archaeology of glassmaking in England
Today, glass is a commodity so ubiquitous and cheap that we take it for granted, but it wasn’t always so. A new book by David Dungworth traces the rise of glass from small-scale manufacturing in the medieval period to the major industrial production of the 20th century. Chris Catling reports.
New thoughts on the Boxford ‘Triumphs of Pelops and Bellerophon’ mosaic
The vibrant late 4th-century mosaic discovered in Boxford, Berkshire, has been hailed as one of the most important discoveries of its kind. Anthony Beeson explores the latest thinking on the stories told by its intricate imagery.
Unearthing a tyrant
And here is the weird thing. Polykrates is the greatest figure in Samian history. The Late Archaic age is the only time when the island could be considered a great power. And the archaeological imprint is truly awesome. Yet our local minibus driver didn’t even know the way to the ancient walls!
Cancel culture
No doubt those early Christians would say it was relatively mild revenge for the sufferings of the martyrs.
AI and ancient languages
Available in English and Arabic, Fabricius is an enjoyable introduction to hieroglyphs, but also presents new approaches for professional Egyptologists.