Reviews

Review

Homosexuality’s forbidden histories

Across Europe and the Christian and Muslim worlds, same-sex relations in the Early Modern world were far more disparate and complex than received wisdom would suppose.

Daniel Johnson January 30, 2024

Review

Crusading women

Whether as companions, patrons, regents, warriors or writers, women played vital roles in the crusades of the medieval period.

Nicholas Morton January 25, 2024

Review

A Libyan love affair

Hisham Matar's latest novel is a spellbinding tale of love, loss and exile from his native Libya.

Lucy Thynne January 23, 2024

Review

When everything is empire

A superficial reckoning with the history of the British Empire is blind to the realities of class and inequality.

Pratinav Anil January 17, 2024

Review

A magical Renaissance

Anthony Grafton's study of the occult and Renaissance thought offers powerful lessons in our age of disenchantment and technological progress.

Mathew Lyons January 15, 2024

Review

Medieval wanderlust

Pilgrimage was a hugely popular, yet expensive, activity in Medieval Europe with an entire industry - from clothing to souvenirs - built up to support travellers.

Helen Carr January 4, 2024

Review

Spinoza’s radical enlightenment

Jonathan Israel's monumental biography of Spinoza characterises the philosopher as a foundational thinker for the modern world. To what extent is that the case?

David Wootton January 3, 2024

Review

Books of the Year 2023

Contributors to Engelsberg Ideas highlight the books they’ve enjoyed in 2023

Engelsberg Ideas December 21, 2023

Review

The unmaking of Julius Caesar

A landmark BBC/PBS documentary attempts to tell Julius Caesar's story in contemporary terms. In doing so, it obscures and simplifies a more complex — and fascinating — history.

Andrew Sillett December 12, 2023