HistoryExtra

Heading to the British Museum to see the Bayeux Tapestry for yourself? David Musgrove and Michael Lewis reveal the 10 things you simply must do when experiencing the world’s most famous embroidery in all its glory

When confronted with the Viking foe who had threatened to take his land – and his life – King Alfred of Wessex chose to forgive his defeated Norse opponent

England explodes into fury as serfs revolt against the landed lords and gentry, all while a young King Richard II tries to hold on to power that is both slipping away and has already been grabbed by his so-called advisory council. That’s the inciting incident for Paul Greengrass’ new historical action drama The Uprising. James White separates the fact from fiction

Cosmo Jarvis stars as Wat Tyler in The Uprising, the story of a huge revolt in England in the 14th century. Possibly a former soldier, he was one of the key leaders of common folk looking for freedom from serfdom and new rights. But how closely does the film’s portrayal echo the real Tyler, asks James White?

Historian Edward Shawcross traces the strange path of Louis-Napoleon, from mocked pretender in exile to Emperor of the French

I’m James, a senior content producer at HistoryExtra. Working with leading historians, I research, write and edit features that answer the questions readers are genuinely curious about, and I’m always looking for engaging ways to help readers keep pace with the latest expert insights and discoveries from the history they’re interested in. As well as writing, I’m a host on the HistoryExtra podcast, where you’ll find me speaking with historians about some of my favourite historical topics; namely ancient history and the Viking Age! I also work behind the scenes on our videos, curate our medieval-focused newsletter for 15,000 subscribers, and write a monthly historical game review for our print magazine. I’m a qualified archaeologist with a BSc in Bioarchaeology from the University of York, specialising in archaeological science. I’ve worked in digital journalism for more than five years, covering culture and entertainment for a wide range of publications — and at one point I even ran my own website dedicated to prehistoric animals and extinction. Before joining HistoryExtra, I was a staff writer at Network N Media, reporting on film, TV and gaming, writing reviews and interviewing industry figures. As a freelance culture journalist, I’ve also contributed to outlets including Vulture, The AV Club, Radio Times, Digital Spy and GamesRadar.

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Marion Gibson speaks to Charlotte Vosper about her new book exploring the epidemic of witch trials that ravaged Britain during the 17th century

Why would you commission an embroidery that's nearly the length of seven London buses? That's the question at the heart of episode four in Dr David Musgrove's video Academy series on the Bayeux Tapestry…

In episode three of his guide to the Bayeux Tapestry, Dr David Musgrove dissects a crucial moment of the 11th-century embroidery, when Harold makes a decision that changes everything…