September 2025 issue of BBC History Magazine out now!
Victoria’s secret
Fern Riddell recounts the historical sleuthing that led her to unearth the queen’s hidden story of love and loss
England’s colossus
David Woodman explains why the coronation of King Æthelstan 1,100 years ago was a foundational moment in a nation’s story
What have the Etruscans ever done for us?
Lucy Shipley salutes the ancient civilisation that shaped our writing, the form of our cities, even our love of horror films
Asia’s forgotten war
On the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, Kavita Puri asks why we rarely talk about the conflict in the far east
The lost mayor of Hiroshima
Iain MacGregor explores what one man’s fate reveals about the rise and fall of Japan
The atomic plague
Steve O’Hagan introduces the intrepid reporter who exposed the horrific impact of the Hiroshima bombing 80 years ago
Pepys’ dark secrets
Deciphering the noted 17th-century diarist’s coded entries for the first time, Guy de la Bédoyère reveals a troubling history of sexual violence
SUBSCRIBE TODAY to get our next issue: The September 2025 issue of BBC History Magazine is on sale from 7 August 2025. Look inside!