Fatherhood: a short history

Augustine Sedgwick considers how the concept of fatherhood has evolved over the centuries

Published: June 15, 2025 at 8:00 AM

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What does it mean to be a father? When did people first start talking about men as 'father figures'? And how has the concept of fatherhood changed over the millennia? In conversation with David Musgrove, Augustine Sedgwick charts the story from the ancient near east right through to the modern father figure today.

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Augustine Sedgwick is the author of Fatherhood: A History of Love and Power (Picador, 2025).

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Authors

Dr David Musgrove, FSAContent director

David Musgrove is the content director at HistoryExtra

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