Henry VIII Wasn’t a Glutton—He Was Just an Injured King

Then Why Is the English Monarch Portrayed as a ‘Fatso’ Who Tossed Chicken Bones?

Henry VIII is the most famous king in English history. Like all fame, Henry’s is a mix of fact and myth. He is most famous for having six wives, which he did. He is also famous for composing “Greensleeves,” which he did not. He is famous for breaking from Rome and becoming the head of the Church in England, which he was. He is thought by some to be famous for being a glutton, which he was not.

Henry was certainly a big man. When he became king just before his …

By Glenn Richardson | November 23, 2015

Where Do Colors Come From?

Dead Bugs, Manure, Acid, and the Unlikely Origins of Brilliant Hues in Art

by Victoria Finlay | November 2, 2014

When I was 8 and on holiday in France with my parents, we went to Chartres Cathedral, just south of Paris. My father took me by the hand as we …

From a London Alley to the White House

Louisa Catherine Adams, the Only First Lady Born Outside the U.S., Had to Prove Herself to Her Husband’s Family, Congress—and the Country

by Louisa Thomas | October 31, 2014

It was hard for Louisa Catherine Adams, the only first lady born outside the United States, to say where she came from. She began her life in a narrow alley …

I Was a Teenage Expat

I Loved America, Until I Had to Live There

by Emily Lombardo | February 3, 2014

England: the land of teatime, Harry Potter, and an archaic politeness more suited to novels than everyday life, all topped off with charming accents. My American family moved from the …

The Men Who Made the 20th Century

How Winston Churchill and George Orwell Helped Defeat Fascism and Communism to Create the Modern World

by Thomas E. Ricks | December 6, 2013

Why on earth am I setting out to write a book about Winston Churchill and George Orwell? What more is there to say? There have been thousands of books written …

Histories That Go Above the 38th Parallel, Beneath the Pasties, and Behind the Bar

September 11, 2013

The Real North Korea: Life and Politics in the Failed Stalinist Utopia by Andrei Lankov

The nutshell: Lankov, a historian at South Korea’s Koomkin University who lived as an exchange student …

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