The age of revolutions

Fareed Zakaria’s new book explores how periods of rapid economic and technological change often unleash cultural anxiety and political backlash.

History rhymes

History doesn’t repeat itself so neatly that well-worn historical precedents are always instructive, but much can still be learned from the past, not least in Trump’s willingness to appease Russia by abandoning and butchering Ukraine.

Miles Franklin’s other brilliant career

Miles Franklin is famous for her book ‘My Brilliant Career’, but what is less well-known is the fact she went undercover for a year as a domestic servant to investigate the working and living conditions of domestic staff.

Goin’ South

Modern researchers have found evidence that a Polynesian settlement on the northernmost of the Auckland Islands was inhabited for almost a century between 1250 and 1320 AD.

1923…2024?

A new book on Hitler’s first attempt to seize power in Germany “offers a powerful reminder that even strong democracies, if they are continually undermined from within, may eventually collapse into authoritarianism.”

The war against the past

In his new book, The War Against the Past: Why the West Must Fight for Its History, Frank Furedi defends the rich history of western liberal democracies against the social justice warriors determined to destroy it.

How it all ends

What lessons can we learn from history about navigating the crises besetting the world today?

Happy Roman Mothers’ Day

Mothers in Ancient Rome didn’t get breakfast in bed and a bouquet on their equivalent of ‘Mothers Day’ but served their slaves and offered flowers to a goddess instead.

The mystery and the legacy of Australia’s immigrant selectors

From 1860, a series of Land Acts in the Australian colonies allowed new farmers to select and buy some of the vast tracts of land controlled by squatters. The story of one family epitomises the struggles, heartaches and triumphs they endured to build the nation we call home today.

The long history of New Year’s resolutions

New year resolutions continue to capture people’s imagination, hopes, and promises for betterment. Even after 4,000 years of civilisation, the new year continues to symbolise a new threshold. An opportunity for a fresh start.

Hysterical history

A long running Twitter thread has unearthed hundreds of unexpected facts and insights from the nation’s academics and historians.

Remembering Indigenous figures in Australian history

The role played by an aboriginal woman called Turandurey and her daughter Ballandella in an early colonial expedition are among 25 new biographies published by the Australian Dictionary of Biography.