BBC History Magazine

BBC History Magazine aims to shed new light on the past to help you make more sense of the world today. Fascinating stories from contributors are the leading experts in their fields, so whether they're exploring Ancient Egypt, Tudor England or the Second World War, you'll be reading the latest, most thought-provoking historical research. BBC History Magazine brings history to life with informative, lively and entertaining features written by the world's leading historians and journalists and is a captivating read for anyone who's interested in the past.

WELCOME OCTOBER 2025

THREE THINGS I'VE LEARNED THIS MONTH

THIS ISSUE'S CONTRIBUTORS

ANNIVERSARIES • DANNY BIRD highlights events that took place in October in history

“A tidal wave of digital material will overwhelm recordkeeping institutions” • If you've ever posted a comment on social media, you've created a potential source for future historians. But what problems does this mass of new material pose? Matt Elton asked historians JANE WINTERS and JOHN WILLS about how recent archives differ from those of the past – and how experts might make sense of them

“What it means to be young has shifted over time” • As the government moves forward with plans to lower the voting age to 16, JULIE V GOTTLIEB examines previous changes to the age of suffrage – from Victorian democratic reforms to the dawn of the teenager

“China suffered horrendous losses, second only to the Soviet Union” • CHINA'S ROLE IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR

“Nothing beats feeling the earth in your hands and uncovering the past” • KAVITA PURI on the enduring appeal of archaeological sites

LETTERS

BBC History Magazine

1066 WHO WAS THE RIGHTFUL KING? • Which of four main contenders for the English throne had the strongest claim? Was it the Anglo-Saxon strongman, the Norman duke, the ‘Thunderbolt of the North’ or a callow teenager? Caitlin Ellis sizes up the rivals

THE STALINGRAD OF AFRICA • In 1943, Allied and Axis troops contested one of the most decisive campaigns of the Second World War. Saul David tells the story of the battle for Tunis – as hard-fought as the struggle for the Soviet city

TIMELINE Victory in north Africa

Gray Barker UFO conspiracy theorist • Tales of alien sightings and government cover-ups have captured American imaginations for decades – but few with such global appeal as the Men in Black. DAVID CLARKE introduces the ufologist who popularised these shadowy space-age legends

Q&A • A selection of historical conundrums answered by experts

The making of Rome's monster • In the second century BC, Roman troops razed the city of Carthage and obliterated its civilisation. So why, asks Eve MacDonald, did the victors remain obsessed by their conquered foes for the next 200 years?

The lie of succession • Did James I ‘steal’ Elizabeth I's crown? Tracy Borman considers evidence that the transition from Tudor to Stuart dynasties may not have been quite as seamless as we've been led to believe

CONTENDERS FOR THE CROWN • There was no shortage of people with designs on Elizabeth I's English throne. But who had the best chance of success?

Reign of terror • In the 12th century, a sect of killers spread fear across the Middle East, executing a series of high-profile political murders. Steve Tibble introduces the original Assassins

BOOKS

“Economists studying history tend to focus on men, overlooking the contributions of half the population” • VICTORIA BATEMAN speaks to Danny Bird about the crucial roles women played in historical economies – and how recognising those contributions transforms our understanding of the past

Fighting talk • GUY DE LA BÉDOYÈRE is impressed by a deep dive into the world of ancient...