The feature that arguably most defines the ‘postmodernist turn’ in historical studies is its engagement with the question of objectivity in historical inquiry.

Liberal Party founder Robert Menzies’ creed of Australian liberalism was informed by the ideas of three thinkers from Victorian Britain.

When people today imagine the ‘Renaissance’, they typically think of the transitional period that ushered in the glorious modern era, and marked the end of what Petrarch termed the ‘Dark Ages’. However, the reality is far less definite than this perspective allows. Seb Falk, in his book, The Light Ages, argues that the Medieval period is really one of ‘scientific interest and inquiry’. The twelfth century, in particular, stands out with its very own ‘renaissance’.

It was called the “bloodiest border in Europe” for a reason. Thousands of people died escaping Nicolae Ceausescu’s communist regime of 1974-1989—no one knows exactly how many. People from all across Eastern Europe risked everything to flee south through Romania into Yugoslavia and freedom. This border was heavily patrolled and covered in tripwires and barbed-wire fences.

The winter season of 2024-25 marked a resurgence of fur clothing – both faux and real – in fashion across Europe and North America. Shearling jackets and embroidered “Penny Lane coats” featured widely in reports on the latest fashion trends. Vintage fur coats are also back in vogue.