May 2011

As blockbuster film The Eagle brings one of the great mysteries of Roman Britain to UK cinema screens, Miles Russell investigates what really happened to the Legion of the Ninth?

Professor Mark Stoyle takes a closer look at the role of superstition in the English Civil War, including Charles I’s nephew, Prince Rupert, and his supposed demon dog.

Paul Addison and Jeremy Crang consider the role of the Ministry of Information in assessing popular morale during the 1940 Battle of Britain.

Mark White examines President Kennedy’s role in the Bay of Pigs invasion when US-backed exiles made a disastrous attempt to overthrow Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

With royal wedding fever set to hit the country, Tracy Borman takes a look at regal marriages throughout history.

Francis Fukuyama discovers how political institutions have developed around the world and talks to BBC History Magazine’s Rob Attar about his findings.

Dominic Sandbrook nominates 1 May 1851 as a big day in history – the date that Queen Victoria opened the Great Exhibition at the famous Crystal Palace.

Dr Tara Hamling speaks to BBC History Magazine’s Charlotte Hodgman about the evolution of Elizabethan drama during the 16th century, and visits nine associated places.

Justin Marozzi offers his advice for those visiting Samarkand, the capital of the mighty Timurid empire, in 1404.