Category: Features
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Victoria 3: How Historical Strategy Games Shape Views on the Past
The video game industry has had a profound influence on shaping public understanding of history, not least in the strategy genre. Aleksandrs Skulte discusses both the positives and pitfalls of “Victoria 3”, and the pedagogical opportunities this form of popular media presents.
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A Brief History of the Medieval Revival
As industrialisation swelled in the Western world, societies looked towards the medieval past as a means of legitimising their history. Megan Crutchley explores the forms this took in the US and UK, and the manner in which it was embedded in white elitism.
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The South African Apartheid: The Effects upon the Next Generation
The South African apartheid ended in the 1990s, but the effect those laws have had on new generations is still significant. Lucy Stewart examines the impact the history of apartheid has had on mental health in South Africa today.
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Hesiod’s Guide to Winter
Hesiod’s “Works and Days” serves as an instruction on how to be a good farmer, including when poor weather hits. Fiona MacRae looks to the ancient Greek poet for some advice on how we might brave the colder months – goat skin optional.
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Claudia Efemini set to publish debut novel A Letter Away From Asaba in Spring 2023
“A Letter Away From Asaba”, the debut novel of former Retrospect Columnist Claudia Efemini, follows the lives of two friends who confront the British press’ censorship of the 1967 Asaba massacre. Exploring their grief, trauma and resilience, Claudia’s novel, set for release in 2023, aims to bring awareness to a largely neglected event in Nigerian history.
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Dead and Buried? Finding Edinburgh’s last hanged woman in oral history
Charged with a most heinous crime, Jessie King would come to sit in the annals of Scottish history as the last woman hanged in Edinburgh. Chloe Bramwell explores the story of a woman who may have been as much a victim of circumstance as a villain for commercial tours to exploit.
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Guernica: Pablo Picasso and the Spanish Civil War
“Guernica”, a 1937 painting by Pablo Picasso, depicts the horrifying brutality of the Spanish Civil War. Meenakshi Nirmalan discusses its startling composition which continues to captivate audiences to this day.
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Under Threat? Archaeology in Britain Today
Whilst popular media has captivated public interest in archaeology, such portrayals mask the issues – from funding cuts to lack of opportunity – plaguing the discipline today. John Strachan explores the current situation of archaeology in Britain and the steps being taken to promote to safeguard its future.
Retrospect Journal 