BBC History UK 04.2020

ALAMY

WRITE TO US We welcome your letters, while reserving the right to edit them. We may publish your letters on our website. Please include a daytime phone number and, if emailing, a postal address (not for publication). Letters should be no longer than 250 words. email: [email protected] Post: Letters, BBC History Magazine, Eagle House, Colston Avenue, Bristol BS1 4ST The opinions expressed by our commentators are their own and may not represent the views of BBC History Magazine or the Immediate Media Company

Vol 21 No 4 – April 2020 BBC History Magazine is published by Immediate Media Company Bristol Limited under licence from BBC Studios who help fund new BBC programmes. BBC History Magazine was established to publish authoritative history, written by leading experts, in an accessible and attractive format. We seek to maintain the high journalistic standards traditionally associated with the BBC. ADVERTISING & MARKETING Advertising manager Sam Jones 0117 300 8145 [email protected] Business development manager Kate Chetwynd-Lawton 0117 300 8532 Brand sales executive Max Spalton 0117 300 8530 Classified sales manager Rebecca Janyshiwskyj Classified sales executive Alexander Armstrong 0117 300 8538 [email protected] Group direct marketing manager Laurence Robertson 00353 5787 57444 Subscriptions director Jacky Perales-Morris Subscriptions marketing manager Natalie Lawrence US representative Kate Buckley [email protected] PRESS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS PR manager Emma Cooney 0117 300 8507 [email protected] SYNDICATION Director of licensing & syndication Tim Hudson International partners’ manager Anna Brown PRODUCTION Production director Sarah Powell Production co-ordinator Emily Mounter Ad co-ordinator Jade O’Halloran Ad designer Julia Young IMMEDIATE MEDIA COMPANY Content director David Musgrove Commercial director Jemima Dixon Managing director Andy Healy Group managing director Andy Marshall CEO Tom Bureau BBC STUDIOS, UK PUBLISHING Managing Director, Consumer Products and Licensing: Stephen Davies Head of publishing Mandy Thwaites Compliance manager Cameron McEwan Chair, Editorial Review Boards Nicholas Brett UK publishing coordinator Eva Abramik ([email protected])

ADVISORY PANEL Dr Padma Anagol Cardiff University, Prof Joanna Bourke Birkbeck College, London, Prof Richard Carwardine Oxford University, Prof Clive Emsley Open University, Prof Richard Evans Cambridge University, Prof Sarah Foot Oxford University, Loyd Grossman Chairman of the Heritage Alliance*, Prof Rab Houston St Andrews University, Prof John Hudson St Andrews University, Dr Peter Jones formerly Newcastle University, Prof Denis Judd London Metropolitan University, Prof Sir Ian Kershaw formerly Sheffield University, Robert Ketteridge Head of Documentaries, Factual, BBC*, Christopher Lee formerly Cambridge University, Prof John Morrill Cambridge University, Greg Neale Founding editor, BBC History Magazine, Prof Kenneth O Morgan Oxford University, Prof Cormac ó Gráda University College, Dublin, Prof Martin Pugh formerly Newcastle University, Julian Richards archaeologist and broadcaster, Prof Simon Schama Columbia University, Prof Mark Stoyle University of Southampton, Dr Amanda Goodrich The Open University*, Dr Simon Thurley formerly chief executive, English Heritage, Michael Wood historian and broadcaster *member of BBC Editorial Advisory Board © Immediate Media Company Bristol Limited, 2020 – ISSN: 1469 8552 Not for resale. All rights reserved. Unauthorised reproduction in whole or part is prohibited without written permission. Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright material. In the event of any material being used inadvertently, or where it proved impossible to trace the copyright owner, acknowledgement will be made in a future issue. MSS, photographs and artwork are accepted on the basis that BBC History Magazine and its agents do not accept liability for loss or damage to same. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher. We abide by IPSO’s rules and regulations. To give feedback about our magazines, please visit immediate.co.uk, email [email protected] or write to Katherine Conlon, Immediate Media Co., Vineyard House, 44 Brook Green, London W6 7BT. Immediate Media Company is working to ensure that all of its paper is sourced from well-managed forests. This magazine can be recycled, for use in newspapers and packaging. Please remove any gifts, samples or wrapping and dispose of it at your local collection point.

Jan–Dec 2019 93,931

EDITORIAL Editor Rob Attar [email protected] World history editor Matt Elton [email protected] Production editor Spencer Mizen Section editors Ellie Cawthorne and Jon Bauckham Picture editor Samantha Nott [email protected] Deputy picture editor Katherine Mitchell Group art editor Susanne Frank Senior deputy art editor Rachel Dickens Art editor, special editions Sarah Lambert Deputy art editor Rosemary Smith Digital editor Emma Mason [email protected] Deputy digital editor Elinor Evans Digital editorial assistant Rachel Dinning

to resist it by replanting the dunes. The storm of 1694 had a huge impact, but the abandon- ment of the land was a more gradual process than the traditional story suggests. The sands of Culbin were not stabilised until the Forestry Commission planted a thriving coastal forest there in the 20th century. Andrew Sutherland, Berkshire

Change for change’s sake? I am writing in response to How Dark Were the Dark Ages? (March). I don’t see why we need to change the terms used to describe the past at all. The period from the Roman withdrawal to AD 600 or 700 was an age that we know little about. Ergo, we are in ‘the dark’. So Dark Ages sums up the period very well until evidence of this time is found and then we will be ‘enlightened’, and a more suitable label will be chosen. As for this argument about Anglo-Sax- ons, you cannot look at any period of history from today’s point of view. That is just headache forming. No doubt Alfred the Great would find our world terrifying and horrific in comparison to his own. If we start apologising for what has gone before, where will it end? Wouldn’t it be better to learn from the past and not repeat it? Rose Norton, Bedfordshire

A tree on a beach at Culbin, Moray. Reader Andrew Sutherland suggests the sandy inundation of the Culbin estate may have been down to land- management practices

ALAMY

WRITETOUS Wewelcomeyourletters,whilereservingtherightto editthem.Wemaypublish yourlettersonourwebsite.Pleaseincludea daytimephonenumberand,if emailing, a postaladdress(notforpublication).Lettersshouldbenolongerthan 250 words. email:[email protected]: Letters,BBC History Magazine, Eagle House, ColstonAvenue,BristolBS14ST Theopinionsexpressedbyourcommentatorsaretheirownandmaynotrepresent the viewsofBBC History Magazine or the Immediate Media Company

Vol 21 No 4 April 2020 BBCHistoryMagazineis publishedby ImmediateMediaCompanyBristolLimited underlicencefromBBCStudios who help fund newBBCprogrammes. BBCHistoryMagazinewasestablishedto publishauthoritativehistory,writtenby leadingexperts,in anaccessibleandattractive format.Weseektomaintainthehigh journalisticstandardstraditionallyassociated withtheBBC. ADVERTISING& MARKETING Advertisingmanager SamJones 01173008145 [email protected] Businessdevelopmentmanager KateChetwynd-Lawton 0117 300 8532 Brandsalesexecutive MaxSpalton 01173008530 Classifiedsalesmanager RebeccaJanyshiwskyj Classifiedsalesexecutive AlexanderArmstrong 01173008538 [email protected] Groupdirectmarketingmanager LaurenceRobertson 00353578757444 SubscriptionsdirectorJackyPerales-Morris Subscriptionsmarketingmanager NatalieLawrence USrepresentativeKateBuckley [email protected] PRESSANDPUBLICRELATIONS PRmanagerEmmaCooney 01173008507 [email protected] SYNDICATION Directorof licensing& syndicationTimHudson Internationalpartners’managerAnna Brown PRODUCTION ProductiondirectorSarahPowell Productionco-ordinatorEmilyMounter Adco-ordinatorJadeO’Halloran AddesignerJuliaYoung IMMEDIATEMEDIACOMPANY ContentdirectorDavidMusgrove CommercialdirectorJemimaDixon ManagingdirectorAndyHealy GroupmanagingdirectorAndyMarshall CEOTomBureau BBCSTUDIOS,UKPUBLISHING ManagingDirector,ConsumerProductsand Licensing:StephenDavies Headof publishingMandyThwaites CompliancemanagerCameronMcEwan Chair,EditorialReviewBoardsNicholasBrett UKpublishingcoordinatorEva Abramik ([email protected])

ADVISORYPANEL DrPadmaAnagolCardiffUniversity, ProfJoannaBourkeBirkbeckCollege,London, ProfRichardCarwardineOxfordUniversity, ProfCliveEmsleyOpenUniversity, ProfRichardEvansCambridgeUniversity, ProfSarahFootOxfordUniversity, LoydGrossmanChairmanoftheHeritage Alliance*,ProfRabHoustonStAndrews University,ProfJohnHudsonStAndrews University,DrPeterJonesformerlyNewcastle University,ProfDenisJuddLondon MetropolitanUniversity,ProfSirIanKershaw formerlySheffieldUniversity,RobertKetteridge HeadofDocumentaries,Factual,BBC*, ChristopherLeeformerlyCambridge University,ProfJohnMorrillCambridge University,GregNealeFoundingeditor,BBC HistoryMagazine,ProfKennethO Morgan OxfordUniversity,ProfCormacó Gráda UniversityCollege,Dublin,ProfMartinPugh formerlyNewcastleUniversity, JulianRichardsarchaeologistand broadcaster,ProfSimonSchamaColumbia University,ProfMarkStoyleUniversityof Southampton,DrAmandaGoodrichTheOpen University*,DrSimonThurleyformerlychief executive,EnglishHeritage,MichaelWood historianandbroadcaster *memberof BBCEditorialAdvisoryBoard ©ImmediateMediaCompanyBristol Limited, 2020 – ISSN: 14698552 Notforresale.Allrightsreserved.Unauthorised reproductionin wholeorpartis prohibited withoutwrittenpermission.Everyefforthas beenmadeto securepermissionforcopyright material.In theeventof anymaterialbeingused inadvertently,or whereit provedimpossibleto tracethecopyrightowner,acknowledgement willbemadein a futureissue.MSS, photographsandartworkareacceptedonthe basisthatBBCHistoryMagazineandits agentsdonotacceptliabilityforlossor damagetosame.Viewsexpressedarenot necessarilythoseofthepublisher. WeabidebyIPSO’srulesandregulations. Togivefeedbackaboutourmagazines,please visitimmediate.co.uk,email [email protected] orwritetoKatherineConlon, ImmediateMediaCo.,VineyardHouse, 44 BrookGreen,LondonW67BT. ImmediateMediaCompanyis workingto ensurethatallof itspaperis sourcedfrom well-managedforests.Thismagazinecanbe recycled,forusein newspapersandpackaging. Pleaseremoveanygifts,samplesor wrapping and dispose of it at your local collection point.

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EDITORIAL [email protected] [email protected] ProductioneditorSpencerMizen SectioneditorsEllieCawthorneandJonBauckham [email protected] DeputypictureeditorKatherineMitchell GrouparteditorSusanneFrank SeniordeputyarteditorRachelDickens Arteditor,specialeditionsSarahLambert DeputyarteditorRosemarySmith [email protected] DeputydigitaleditorElinorEvans Digital editorial assistant Rachel Dinning

toresistit byreplantingthedunes.Thestorm of 1694 hada hugeimpact,buttheabandon- mentofthelandwasa moregradualprocess thanthetraditionalstorysuggests.Thesands ofCulbinwerenotstabiliseduntilthe ForestryCommissionplanteda thriving coastalforestthereinthe20thcentury. Andrew Sutherland,Berkshire

Changeforchange’ssake? I amwritinginresponsetoHowDarkWere theDarkAges?(March).I don’tseewhywe needtochangethetermsusedtodescribe thepastatall.TheperiodfromtheRoman withdrawaltoAD 600 or 700 wasanagethat weknowlittleabout.Ergo,wearein‘the dark’.SoDarkAgessumsuptheperiodvery welluntilevidenceofthistimeis foundand thenwewillbe‘enlightened’,and a more suitablelabelwillbechosen. AsforthisargumentaboutAnglo-Sax- ons,youcannotlookatanyperiodofhistory fromtoday’spointofview.Thatis just headacheforming.NodoubtAlfredthe Greatwouldfindourworldterrifyingand horrificincomparisontohisown.If westart apologisingforwhathasgonebefore,where willit end?Wouldn’tit bebettertolearn fromthepastandnotrepeatit? Rose Norton, Bedfordshire

A treeona beachat Culbin,Moray.Reader AndrewSutherland suggeststhesandy inundationof theCulbin estatemayhavebeen downto land- management practices

BBC History UK 04.2020

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