On heroic self-sacrifice

In 1887, painter G.F. Watts was inspired by an idea: commemorate the everyday heroism of men, women and children who had lost their lives trying to save another’s. Not without struggle, his vision became the modest monument that is the Memorial to Heroic Self-Sacrifice at Postman’s Park, a tiny sliver of greenery amid the hubub [...]

On hidden history

“The best stories from history lie beyond the margins of textbooks, says the historian. He tells us about five extraordinary tales from the past, from visions of the Virgin Mary to the golden age of American con artist.” Here’s the text of a long interview that I gave to the brilliant The Browser site about [...]

History heroes: Marc Bloch

At eight on the evening of June 16, 1944—not long before dusk on the tenth day after the Allied invasion of France–the Gestapo dragged 28 French resistance fighters from the cells where they had been incarcerated, tortured and interrogated at Montluc prison, Lyon. Handcuffed in pairs, the men were thrust onto an open truck and [...]

One man against tyranny: Georg Elser’s lone attempt to blow up Hitler

Maria Strobel could not believe it of her Führer. Adolf Hitler and his party—a group of senior Nazis that included Heinrich Himmler, Joseph Goebbels and Reinhard Heydrich—had spent more than an hour in her Munich bierkeller. Hitler had delivered a trademark speech, and, while they listened, Himmler and the others had run up a large [...]