AUGUST 2020

There’s a joke doing the rounds on social media that historians of the future will have to be sorted into which part of 2020 they specialise in. Certainly, we seem to be living in extraordinary times, with a devastating pandemic now overlapping with the Black Lives Matter protests across the globe. In the latter instance, history is very much part of the story, with protestors highlighting centuries of racial inequity, and fervent debates taking place about the future of statues of those involved in slavery and other imperial misdeeds.

For us the global quickly became local, as the statue of Edward Colston that was toppled a few weeks ago stood right outside our office. While people in Bristol and beyond have expressed strong and conflicting views on its removal, it’s hard to dispute that more attention is being paid to Colston now than when his likeness looked out over the centre of the city.

This month we’re exploring these themes in Behind the News, Michael Wood’s column and Talking Points. Plus, in an article on page 56, Hannah-Rose Murray highlights a lesser-known chapter in this story, when African-American abolitionists travelled to Britain to campaign against slavery in the US.

'lsewhere, we’re examining a broad range of British and international history, including Robert Bartlett on medieval dynasties, Shushma Malik on whether Nero was really a monster, Peter Frankopan on global historical trends, and much more. I hope you enjoy the issue.