Inside our December 2021 issue…
Your essential guide to the golden age of piracy
Parrots, peg legs, eyepatches and, of course, a broad West Country brogue: in popular culture, no pirate worth his (or her) salt would be seen or heard without at least one. But how accurate are modern-day portrayals of these nautical criminals? We dive into the history of piracy’s ‘golden age’ and meet some of the famous figures – from Blackbeard to Anne Bonny – who plundered ships across the Caribbean and beyond.
Ras Prince Monolulu: tipster, showman, radical
If you went to the races in interwar Britain, there was a good chance you would have spotted an excitable ‘African prince’ in the crowd, offering the latest tips to passing punters. But who exactly was he? We explore the surprising life and career of Ras Prince Monolulu – the country’s first black television star.
Tudor England through the five senses
Five hundred years ago, ordinary English folk would have been subjected to a mixture of sensory experiences – not all of them pleasant. From crowing cockerels to pungent public toilets, we explore the myriad of sights, sounds, smells, tastes and textures that defined life during the 16th century.
What if… Otto von Bismarck hadn’t unified Germany?
In 1871, dozens of central European states were brought together as a single nation by Prussia’s powerful minister-president, Otto von Bismarck. But what if the ‘Iron Chancellor’ had never been on the scene to begin with? We ask whether Germany would have come into existence regardless, and how history might have looked different.
PLUS
- The Persian Immortals: who were they, how were they selected, and how did they get their name?
- A look back at the Second Great Fire of London – the night the German Luftwaffe wrought untold destruction on the English capital
- History Q&As: What was it like on the Mayflower? How old is the whoopee cushion? Who took the first selfie?
SUBSCRIBE TODAY to get our next issue: the Christmas 2021 issue of BBC History Revealed is on sale from 30 November, featuring your essential guide to the medieval church, the hidden story of Edward VIII’s abdication, the secrets of Jan van Eyck’s iconic Arnolfini Portrait, and more…