Bad History

History & Policy's 'Bad History' series aims to dismantle the historical myths that abound in contemporary debate and expose the spinning of history for political and PR purposes. The series is written by professional historians, members of the History & Policy Network.

The first seven 'Bad History' comments appear in an article in Times Higher Education magazine (the Bad History case studies are towards the end of the feature).

  • Philip Cowley (University of Nottingham) dismantles the myth that MPs were 'more independent' in the past. Read the article: Same old, same old
  • Pat Thane (University of London) and Tanya Evans (Macquarie University) contest the idea that cohabitation is symptomatic of 'Breakdown Britain'. Read the article: The illusion of happy families
  • Glen O'Hara (Oxford Brookes University) points out that George Osborne's proposed 'star chamber' was tried and failed under both Harold Wilson and Margaret Thatcher. Read the article: An ill-starred chamber
  • Selina Todd (University of Manchester) dismantles the myth that grammar schools created a hey-day of social mobility. Read the article: Opportunity knocks... but not for everyone
  • Gervase Phillips (Manchester Metropolitan University) questions the Bush administration's use of history to legitimise the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Read the article: The end of history? Not quite
  • Niall MacKenzie (University of Cambridge) explodes the myth that laissez-faire policies led to economic success in 1980s Britain. Read the article: Minding its business
  • John Langton (St Johns College, Oxford) demolishes Prince Charles' portrayal of Henry VIII as an early-modern eco-warrior. Read the article: As green as he was compassionate

Read the press release about the new series [pdf file, 118KB].



Please contact us if you are a historian interested in contributing to this series, or have spotted some bad history that needs correcting. We are looking for:

  • short, pithy refutations of Bad History in public life, in no more than 100-200 words
  • a sharp, lively and amusing tone
  • the Bad History examples can either take the form of a direct, verifiable quote from a well-known figure or organisation, or a brief explanation of how history is generally being used wrongly in a particular field
  • a clear indication of why the Bad History matters and what is it stake for those getting it wrong, from the silly to the serious
  • a balance between highlighting history that is plain wrong, and avoiding pedantry