I've just received the first magazine of my subscription to the BBC History Magazine and it's the best (late) birthday present I've ever had. I'm a month behind but let me give you a taste of what I got:
The Black Death - How this terrible disease shaped medieval society.
Walter Ralegh - The Heroic Traitor
Gallipoli - What went wrong/
At the Edge of Reason - Shaving and razors in 18th century Britain
As well as in-depth, well written articles, there are small snippets all over the place which are fascinating and entertaining. For example:
What Ailed Henry? - According to new research, Henry VIII might have been positive for the Kell blood group, whereby children in utero have a high chance of being attacked by the mother's antibodies. This would explain the large number of miscarriages and infant deaths his wives experienced.
There are tons of book reviews, and a heads up about upcoming TV and Radio programmes of a historical nature. The Out & About section takes you to real places in the UK and tells the stories. The February issue features 9 places which were of particular note during the Black Death.
All this and free podcasts too!
There's a special offer at the moment so for less than twenty quid or around $45 for 6 issues it makes a great gift for yourself or someone else.
