HistoryExtra

1. "Let the sky rain potatoes!": the hidden meanings behind Shakespeare's food obsession

   Shakespeare and his peers served up hearty helpings of diverse dishes and ingredients – many of them spiced with forgotten meanings. Sam Bilton reveals how food allusions illustrate key themes of everyday life

2. “Check your husband’s dunghill” – here’s why medieval society was obsessed with poo

   In medieval societies, manure became a precious economic commodity. Here’s how – and why – it got put to use

3. The relentless rise of the mafia

   Ryan Gingeras explains why the 20th century was a golden age for the world's major crime gangs

4. Rich diets and dangerous habits | Food, fashion and festivals in Tudor England

   Tracy Borman checks out the fashion, food, theatre and festivals of Tudor England

5. Harriet Martineau: life of the week

   Writer, campaigner, sociologist: Harriet Martineau was one of the 19th century's most remarkable figures. So why isn't she better known? Stuart Hobday introduces a radical thinker who challenged the status quo