Don’t miss some engaging articles in the September issue of BBC History.
The Spy Who Hoodwinked Hitler
Dummy tanks at El Alamein. Bogus generals in Algiers. Sham armies on D-Day. All were ruses masterminded by Dudley Clarke. Robert Hutton tells the story of the British soldier who made an art form of duping the Nazis.
The King They Couldn’t Kill
Want to know why Henry VII is remembered as an intensely suspicious king, wracked by paranoia? The answer, writes Nathen Amin, lies in his death-defying rise to power.
The Genius in the Shadows
Athelstan is one of the greatest of all Anglo-Saxon monarchs. So why, asks Michael Wood, does the first king of the English remain so fiendishly elusive?
From China Cups to Letter Bombs
The suffragettes crafted a brilliant PR campaign, driven by everything from branded marmalade to marching bands. But did their quest for publicity eventually backfire? Ellie Cawthorne investigates) an Edwardian battle for hearts and minds.
Eastern Promises
Lured by rich trading prospects, from the 17th to the 19th centuries, Britain attempted to cultivate relations with China—sometimes successfully but often disastrously. Kerry Brown explores the troubled but ultimately vital links between these two ambitious realms.
Medieval England’s political miracle
From the Magna Carta to parliament, taxation to the law courts, Caroline Burt and Richard Partington examine the 13th and 14th centuries, which laid the foundations for the modern British state.
Quebec City in five places
From a French trading post to the capital of British North America, Quebec City has a storied past. David Mendel suggests five unmissable sights.
I want to thank Gail B., whose email question prompted me to look at the issue through the OPL online subscription.
BBC History is a great companion magazine for genealogists – so much background and great recommendations for books etc.