BBC History Revealed Magazine - Christmas 2023

In this issue

The life and times of Charles Dickens
Discover the milestones in the author’s career and find out how they coincided with major world events.

The author goes abroad
From Italy to the US, discover how Dickens’s overseas travels shaped his writing – and his attitude to fame.

How to fall in love

Struggling to find that special someone? Justin Pollard looks at the ways in which our ancestors tried to woo would-be lovers - and deal with the consequences when things didn't quite go to plan

3 mins

WHAT IF...CHARLES V HAD INVADED ENGLAND?

Nige Tassell asks Dr Owen Emmerson about the possible chain of events had Henry VIII been deposed by the Holy Roman Emperor

4 mins

7 THINGS YOU (PROBABLY) DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE WHITE HOUSE

Presidential historian Dr Lindsay M Chervinsky reveals some of the most surprising facts about the world-famous US residence

5 mins

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS

Dr Lee Jackson chronicles Charles Dickens's journey from down-at-luck teenager to titan of Victorian literature

6 mins

A JOURNEY THROUGH DICKENS'S LONDON

The works of Charles Dickens are synonymous with visions of Victorian London. We talk to Dr Lee Jackson about the author's love of the capital, and the locations that most inspired him

10+ mins

GIVING THE POOR A VOICE

From Hard Times to Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens used his pen to help illuminate the lives of the less fortunate

3 mins

REVIVING THE FESTIVE SPIRIT

A Christmas Carol wasn't just a bestseller - it changed the way that Britons chose to mark the festive season

3 mins

THE AUTHOR GOES ABROAD

Dickens expanded his horizons and boosted his fan-base by venturing overseas - but global fame came with a cost

4 mins

'Dickens's evocation of the fears, excitement and confusion of childhood is peerless'

DR LEE JACKSON ON WHY CHARLES DICKENS REMAINS RELEVANT TODAY

2 mins

HELLISH NELL

Malcolm Gaskill delves into the life of Helen Duncan - the fraudulent Scottish medium whose ectoplasm-filled seances saw her ending up on the wrong side of the law

6 mins

WHAT GREAT PAINTINGS SAY

We explore the story behind an allegorical painting that celebrates the triumph of love over hate, peace over war

3 mins

GIFTS, TREES & FEASTING

We take a journey through the photo archives to reveal how Christmas and its many traditions have been celebrated over the years - and around the world

3 mins

Read all stories from BBC History Revealed

BBC History Revealed Magazine Description:

History Revealed brings the past to life for everyone. It’s an action-packed, image-rich magazine with zero stuffiness, jam-packed with facts, features and historical fun. If you enjoy finding out how things happened, love a good story, want to revel in stunning images from the past, or lap up trivia and facts, then History Revealed is the magazine for you.