David Starkey: My family values
The historian talks about his family
The Buddhas of Bamiyan by Llewelyn Morgan – review
Samanth Subramanian on the Afghan sculptures destroyed after a millennium and a half
Thomas Becket, Warrior, Priest, Rebel, Victim by John Guy – review
Eamon Duffy on the murder in the cathedral
Nights Out by Judith R Walkowitz – review
Matthew Sweet explores a demi-monde that's all but vanished
Under Every Leaf by William Beaver – review
Bernard Porter challenges a study of the British empire's spies
Hitler and the Nazi Cult of Celebrity by Michael Munn – review
A ludicrous study of Hitler recasts the Führer as a precursor of Simon Cowell, writes Peter Conrad
Want a bestseller? Write about Henry or Hitler…
From Tudor England to the Third Reich, history's megalomaniacs continue to make great literary fodder, writes Robert McCrum
Mrs Robinson’s Disgrace by Kate Summerscale – review
Kate Summerscale's follow-up to The Suspicions of Mr Whicher is another masterful retelling of a true Victorian scandal, writes Rachel Cooke
Why Spencer Perceval Had to Die by Andro Linklater – review
John Barrell is intrigued by a new theory on Britain's only prime ministerial assassination
Seasons in the Sun by Dominic Sandbrook – review
David Edgar challenges an entertaining analysis of a decade of great change
Mrs Robinson’s Disgrace by Kate Summerscale – review
Alexandra Harris is engrossed by a landmark divorce case in a fine cultural history
Tom Holland responds to Glen Bowersock’s review of In the Shadow of the Sword
Many scholars would now agree that the origins of the Qur'an are obscure, so why does Glen Bowersock's review of my book suggest it is reprehensible to bring this to light, asks Tom Holland
Manhunt by Peter Bergen – review
Great investigative work and new sources make this a thrilling account of the long hunt for Osama bin Laden, writes Jason Burke
Unpicking the past masters: what makes a ‘historical novel’?
Stuart Kelly: The genre is 'not exactly jammed with greatness', according to one critic. Not true, there are tales that are truly great
The Ancient Guide to Modern Life by Natalie Haynes – review
Standup comic Natalie Haynes offers a bracing guide to the classics, writes Jessica Holland
Opium: Reality’s Dark Dream by Thomas Dormandy – review
A deft history of opium spans the personal and the political, writes John Gallagher
Scenes from Early Life by Philip Hensher – review
Philip Hensher's semi-fictional account of his husband's Bengali childhood is a fascinating hybrid, writes Bella Bathurst
The New Few, or A Very British Oligarchy
Ferdinand Mount asks why the gap between rich and poor is growing, why political parties are hollowed-out shells, and who is to blame
The story of a city by its modest modern guardian
John Thorp has not been able to prevent all carbuncles from wrinkling the face of Leeds. But his role as the UK's last Civic Architect shines through a long-awaited book
Deny the British empire’s crimes? No, we ignore them
George Monbiot: New evidence of British colonial atrocities has not changed our national ability to disregard it
The War is Dead, Long Live the War: Bosnia – The Reckoning by Ed Vulliamy – review
Ed Vulliamy's intelligent analysis of the Bosnian war does not linger on the horror but tries to explain it, writes John Simpson
A History of Food in 100 Recipes by William Sitwell – review
William Sitwell's fact-filled history of food is worth savouring, writes Rebecca Seal
The Saturday interview: Professor Mary Beard
With her new TV series about the lives of ordinary Romans, Professor Mary Beard wants to tackle history differently. The nation's new favourite classicist talks to Stuart Jeffries
A History of Singing by John Potter and Neil Sorrell – review
The tenor Ian Bostridge on song – from lullabies to opera
What is the real legacy of colonialism?
The conversation: Atrocities committed as Britain's imperial rule ended have been revealed in newly published documents. Writers Kwasi Kwarteng and Richard Gott discuss the history's legacy
George F Kennan: An American Life by John Lewis Gaddis – review
Jonathan Haslam on a Pulitzer-winning life of an opponent of McCarthy and George Bush
The Penge Mystery: the murder of Harriet Staunton
In 1877, Harriet Staunton's husband and three others were accused of starving her to death and lurid newspaper reports of the Penge murder trial held the nation's rapt attention. A bestselling novel about the affair – written in 1934 and now republished – proves as gripping today
Blood on the Altar by Tobias Jones – review
Charles Nicoll follows the gruesome crimes of the 'hair in hand' killer
Fatherland by Robert Harris
Week three: Robert Harris on writing Fatherland
Titanic Lives by Richard Davenport-Hines – review
Nigel Jones surveys of some of the many Titanic books marking the anniversary
Escape From Camp 14 by Blaine Harden – review
Blaine Harden's account of one man's escape from the North Korean gulag is harrowing but important, writes Andrew Anthony
Horrible Histories: too cool for school?
Alison Flood: Author Terry Deary says he wishes he could sue schools that use his books in lessons. Does he have a point?
The magic of Encyclopedia Britannica’s 11th edition
Representing a peak of colonial optimism before the slaughter of war, the 1910/11 edition has acquired an almost mythic reputation among collectors, writes Nate Pedersen
The Titanic Remembered: 1912-2012 by Beau Riffenburgh – review
A history of the ship for fact junkies