New scholarship is opening up different ways of looking at the Renaissance. The historian explains what we should read to gain a wider appreciation of this key period in European history

The professor of history at Cambridge asks why Oliver Cromwell remains Britain’s most controversial ruler, and what the morbid story of Cromwell’s head after his death has to say about British history.

From body and blood of Christ or an act of seduction to a means of social control and even a weapon of war – Professor Steven Kaplan picks the best books on the history and power of food.

A city of hidden depths and morbid fascination, by turns respectable and savage. Iain Sinclair picks five novels that capture the spirit and rich history of London.

Britain votes on Thursday in a referendum on changing the electoral system. The political consequences could be great, says one of the country’s top constitutional experts.

The story and tragedy of the Kennedys is so incredible you don’t need to turn to fiction, says the biographer of Joseph P Kennedy, David Nasaw. He talks us through the Kennedy generations.

Bestselling romantic novelist Eloisa James says romance novels are all pretty feminist: even historical heroines (who couldn’t hold a job) are forthright, strong women