History
Moral ambiguity and the representation of genocide
On January 10 2022, the McMinn County School Board in Tennessee voted unanimously to remove Art Spiegelman’s graphic novel Maus …
Ukraine as a ‘borderland’: A brief history of Ukraine’s place between Europe and Russia
One interpretation of the name ‘Ukraine’ is borderland. This needs to be taken seriously. Borderlands are all about diversity and …
Ukraine crisis: The Russian leader’s vision of the past
The day that Vladimir Putin sent Russian forces into Ukraine, President Biden spoke publicly about the sheer mendacity of Putin’s …
Why I won’t be celebrating Australia Day on 26 January
Most nations – the United States, Greece, Finland, India, Indonesia and many others – celebrate their national day on the …
The sordid underbelly of Christmas past
When English Puritans outlawed Christmas in 1647, it was not without good reason. When American Puritans, in turn, outlawed Christmas …
Tolstoy’s last years
Tolstoy’s death in 1910 occurred just seven years before the Russian Revolution. His last two essays What’s To Be Done? …
How do you spot a witch? A notorious 15th-century book gave instructions
Books have always had the power to cast a spell over their readers – figuratively. But one book that was …
My time: The experiences of an ordinary soldier in Papua New Guinea
The overwhelming majority of Australians who have served in war zones have been volunteers. However, during the Vietnam war, 63,735 …
Not just the Sphinx: Ancient Egyptians and their treasured felines
Ancient Egyptian culture and practices have intrigued historians and archaeologists for years. Thought to be the pre-eminent civilisation in the …
Memories of the factory: The extraordinary war stories of some ‘new Australians’
It was Litchfield Engineering Company, Croyden Park Extension, then an outer suburb of Adelaide, in 1960. My father, who was …