August 2026

Articles from the August 2026 issue of HistoryExtra magazine

A stylised illustration of a rally or public gathering. In the foreground, dark silhouettes of people hold up smartphones, their screens glowing as they record a central speaker on a stage. The speaker stands with a microphone, flanked by two figures in dark clothing and sunglasses. Behind them, a large blank flag is raised, and a dramatic red backdrop shows an enlarged shadow of the speaker, creating a sense of spectacle and media attention.

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Are there still fascists in the 21st century? Six experts weigh up the evidence. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Two circular portraits overlap against a bright blue background. The left shows a sepia‑toned image of a person in older clothing seated before an ornate backdrop. The right shows a modern colour portrait of a smiling person with curly hair, a light blue bow, and a decorative outfit.

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I was so inspired by Harriet Jacobs that I wrote a song about her: Corinne Bailey Rae on her history hero. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A person sits on a red‑and‑gold vintage sofa in a room decorated with hanging string instruments, including a banjo, mandolin, violin, balalaika, and lute. A keyboard is partly visible on the left and a wooden chest on the right.

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How did the Romans conquer Britain? You might be surprised by what our expert has to say. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

An illustrated scene shows a person standing in front of a wall covered with pinned photos, maps, drawings, and notes connected by red string. The items include a house sketch, a marked map, a grave symbol, a sword, and a chalk body outline. Papers are scattered on the desk and floor, along with a skull and a box of bones. A red desk lamp lights the cluttered workspace, which also includes a filing cabinet and a table, creating the look of a detective piecing together clues.

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From Jack the Ripper to the Princes in the Tower: these are history's 8 biggest mysteries. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

An illustration of a hand drawing a flowering plant with a fountain pen on a sheet of paper. The sketched plant rises off the page as a lifelike stem with green leaves, pink blossoms, and a butterfly perched on one leaf. Books sit stacked on the wooden table, and a soft countryside scene with a stone house, gate, rolling hills, and palm trees stretches into the background under a partly cloudy sky.

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"He plugged into the electric current of history": why Rudyard Kipling still matters in 2026. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A historical workshop scene with three men working among stacks of rectangular metal bars. One man sits at a desk writing, another operates a large mechanical device with gears and levers, and a third stands nearby wearing an apron as if supervising. Metal ingots are piled on a wheeled cart and a wooden pallet in the foreground, and a tall stack of papers rises against the back wall.

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In WW2, Britain smuggled all of its gold to Canada. How on earth did they do it?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A black‑and‑white photograph of soldiers in helmets and heavy uniforms gathered along a shallow roadside trench in a wooded area. Some stand on the dirt road, others crouch or sit in the dugout, handling supplies or equipment. Dense foliage lines one side of the scene, and the unpaved road curves away into the distance. The image conveys the everyday logistics and waiting periods of troops during a 20th‑century wartime campaign.

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Does history really repeat itself? Why we should be careful in drawing parallels with the past. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A black‑and‑white collage places a woman in ornate formal clothing and a fur stole at the front. Behind her are images of snow‑covered mountain peaks, roped climbers, and a smaller figure holding a newspaper with the headline “Votes for Women.”

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"She saw off bandits with her revolver": the unbelievable adventures of Fanny Bullock Workman. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A group of women work in an early 20th‑century industrial laundry, standing around large wash basins filled with clothing. The high‑ceilinged room has pipes, machinery, and washing equipment visible in the background.

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"This would be your place for the rest of your life": the haunting history of Ireland's Magdalene laundries. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A large ancient Greek red‑figure krater with two painted scenes. On one side, three standing figures appear in a mythological moment, including one drawing a bow. On the other, three figures are shown indoors, with one reclining on a couch and another standing beside them. The vessel is decorated with geometric and floral borders.

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I'm an expert on ancient Greece – here's what you need to know before you watch The Odyssey. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A stylised illustration of two figures in historical clothing set against a patterned purple background. One sits on a wooden chair, wearing a long robe and tall hat, holding a flask in one hand and pointing with the other. The other stands with hands on hips, dressed in an ornate gown with a crown‑like headpiece.

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Sex and the Stuarts: inside 17th-century London's most notorious brothel. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A crowded pebble beach on a sunny day, with many people sitting or lying on deck chairs and towels. The scene is warm-toned with an orange-yellow overlay, and a stylised sun graphic appears in the top left corner.

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Riots, whiffy kippers and taps running dry: the inside story of the 1976 heatwave. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.