The conflict between history and memory lies at the heart of today’s cultural divides

In his willingness to provoke unorthodox thinking, Arno Mayer, who died this month, was one of our most vital historians

Reams of secret poetry by pioneering British scientist finally come to light

Sir Humphry Davy’s unpublished verse – including one published below for the first time – was found in notebooks alongside details of his groundbreaking experiments

‘She took control of the ship with a pistol’: the high seas heroine who inspired a savage pirate tale

Katherine Howe’s bloody, brutal new novel is about a Boston barmaid who dresses up as a cabin boy and joins a notorious crew of pirates. The writer and keen sailor explains how it was inspired by her great-aunt, who once quelled a mutiny at sea

A smoking quill? Notes in Bible margin could be handwriting of the Venerable Bede

Annotations in eighth-century manuscript point to work of revered English monk, scholar and saint

Professor Hakim Adi shortlisted for prestigious Wolfson award

The nomination for Adi,the first British person of African heritage to become a professor of history in the UK, is a vindication for the academic who was made redundant a week ago

Which person has had the greatest impact on the course of the 21st century so far?

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts

Crumbs and cat poo: Renaissance women’s ‘astonishing’ beauty tips revealed

The era is known for the white mask of makeup worn by Queen Elizabeth I, but academics reveal that cosmetic recipes then were more sophisticated than previously thought

‘Heart-stopping’: censored pages of history of Elizabeth I reappear after 400 years

British Library uses new technique to uncover passages of Camden’s Annals, the first official account of Elizabeth’s reign

‘They were slave traders’: how an Indigenous historian found peace by unearthing her family’s past

For Bundjalung woman Shauna Bostock, researching her ancestors’ lives unshackled their stories – and also herself

Hever Castle to display 16th-century prayer book believed to be Thomas Cromwell’s from Holbein portrait

There are three copies of the 1527 Book of Hours in existence, two of which belonged to Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn

Patrick Renshaw obituary

Other lives: Historian of American politics and labour who produced a major study of the General Strike

Rod Kedward obituary

Historian who brought to light the important role of rural communities in the French resistance during the second world war

Elain Harwood obituary

Architectural historian who championed the preservation of England’s postwar buildings and the brutalist style

Donald Hinds obituary

Writer, teacher and historian whose book Journey to an Illusion provided an insight into the lives of postwar Black immigrants

Anne Boleyn’s reputation as ‘temptress’ to be recast in new exhibition

Henry VIII’s second wife was a deeply religious woman who resisted his advances for years, according to fresh research