Reading History is the blog of The Department of History at the University of Reading. Our department offers students a friendly and supportive environment in which to learn about the past from a group of internationally recognised historians.

We teach history across a broad chronological span (from c.1000 to the present day) and with an increasingly global perspective – with expertise in American, Russian, African, Middle Eastern, and South Asian history, as well as Britain and Europe. We also teach a range of different types of history: political, social, cultural, economic and intellectual.

Our teaching is almost entirely seminar-based, and delivered by experts in their respective fields. In the recent Research Excellence Framework (REF) exercise over 75% of the Department’s publications were judged to be ‘internationally excellent’ or ‘world-leading’.

We believe that history is for all and that it can be studied and written about in many different ways. Our blog provides a unique opportunity to develop a dialogue between staff, students, alumni, applicants, and the wider public about all things historical.

On these pages you will find blogs from staff, related directly to their research, and from students, describing on their teaching, study trips, or placement experiences. You will also find a range of blogs, from staff and students alike, giving a historical perspective on current news stories and events, as well as reflecting on the use (and abuse) of history in the public sphere. In fact, you might find a blog on almost anything. History, after all, is the sum total of all human experience and we hope to convey a sense of our own endless and diverse fascination with the study of the past. Of course, each blog reflects the view of the individual blogger rather than of the Department.

Use the menu to have a look around and read more about what we do, and we hope you enjoy Reading History.

You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter, and at our University homepage.