Retrospect
Journal.

EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY'S HISTORY, CLASSICS AND ARCHAEOLOGY MAGAZINE

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  • The Russian Civil War: the White’s War to Lose

    Written by Finlay Cormack. Whilst Europe was in the grips of the First World War, civil war was devastating Russia. What appeared in the initial years of fighting to be a likely victory for the anti-Bolshevik White Army, internal struggle and foreign intervention would inevitably lead to their downfall.

  • The Second Cataract Fortresses

    Written by Alex Smith. The fortress system of Nubia is often overshadowed by the pyramids when discussing Ancient Egyptian architecture. Key for regulating trade and its role in offensive policy, Alex Smith revisits this complex system in the south of Egypt.

  • Scots: The Mither Tongue – In Conversation with Billy Kay

    Written by Mhairi Ferrier. Billy Kay’s accessible history of the Scots language written in 1986 has had an undeniable effect on conversations surrounding the cultural importance of the Scots language. Mhairi Ferrier interviews Kay about writing the book as well as its impact in the years since.

  • Communism, virtue and the ideal commonwealth in Thomas More’s Utopia

    Written by Nikita Nandanwad. Thomas More’s Utopia is frequently regarded as his best work, but how does his depiction of Utopia correlate with modern communism, and how should we understand More’s intention with this work?

  • An Error of Embargoes: The Failure of Napoleon’s Continental System

    Written by Fraser Barnes. In his quest to cripple and de-stabilise his greatest rival, Napoleon embarked on an economic policy that would ultimately bring about his ruin: the Continental System.

  • Navigating the Voyage of St. Brendan

    Written by Jack McGlone. Voyaging into the unknown was a constant for the early Medieval explorer. What drove them? What did they write down? And, might their hope offer inspiration for us today?

  • Bangs of Expectations and Other Weird and Wonderful Christmas Traditions

    Written by Sophie Whitehead. Christmas is filled with many weird and wonderful traditions, but where exactly did they come from? From Henry VIII’s turkeys to Mariah Carey’s Christmas Number One, each tradition has its own history.

  • Blemmyae: A History of the Headless Men

    Written by Amy Hendrie. Mythical creatures of the past are usually characterised by images of the unicorn, the dragon, and the mermaid but the Blemmyae were a prominent feature of many ancient and medieval accounts and histories. Amy Hendrie explores their past and makes a case for their importance.