Was there a best time to be alive?

Ancient India gave the world its number system, anticipated Galileo’s heliocentric theory by a millennium and spread its culture from Egypt to Siberia–only to be almost entirely forgotten. It’s past time to restore it to its rightful place in history

Contempt for democracy and the perversion of classical liberalism

Emily Briffett: Why does the 14th century, which is often dubbed ‘calamitous’, have such a bad reputation? Helen Carr: Some pretty bad things happened during the 14th century – including the greatest

Sceptred Isle: A New History of the Fourteenth ...

What questions should today’s writers and artists be asking? Responses from authors at the Hay Festival and the TLS

A personal approach to the Renaissance