Page 63 - BBC History - September 2017

David Olusoga Tracy Borman
“The big story this year has to be the number “The eclectic
of women, almost a third of the 100”
mix of new
If it wasn’t for Shakespeare, the only documentaries are after histories that are
cultural figure in the top 10, the top places less male-focused. entries is
would be entirely dominated by men and The other great take-away has to be that
women who wielded political and military the Tudors still reign supreme. If we reassuring”
power. With Hitler, Mussolini and include Richard III, whose defeat and
Henry VII all in the top 20 there’s no death left the way open for Henry Tudor,
Henry VIII down five places? Three of his
shortage of history’s strong men, but as half of the top 10 are figures from that
wives down 80 places between them? Even
the list goes on it gets more surprising. greatest of all dynastic epics.
that stalwart of the top 10, Elizabeth I, has
The big story this year has to be the
slipped from second to fourth. Does BBC
number of women, more than a third of David Olusoga is a
History Magazine’s latest Hot 100 poll
the 100. Of course, that’s nowhere near historian and broadcaster.
signal the demise of the dynasty that has
50-50 parity, but the number of female His most recent book is
dominated British history for the past
figures is, to me, strong evidence that Black and British:
500 years? Not necessarily.
the readers of history books and the A Forgotten History
Henry VII, founder of the dynasty, has
audiences that watch history (Macmillan, 2016)
moved up the chart, as have his wife and
mother. And of course, his vanquished
rival, Richard III, has held onto the top
Joann Fletcher slot for the third year running.
Perhaps, in this age of the prequel, we’re
“At long last we are moving away getting more interested in what happened
from the same old names” before the most famous events in our
history. With Alfred the Great and
Boudica making great strides up the
It’s no surprise Richard III remains at no sign of Tutankhamun! It seems that, at chart, we may also be experiencing a
number one, the discovery of his remains long last, we are moving away from the Game of Thrones moment.
in 2012 having done so much to generate same old names to engage with far more The eclectic mix of new entries is
interest in him. Yet it is striking that four diverse characters, many of whom are reassuring. With everyone from Cleopatra
of the top 10 in this year’s list are women, increasingly featured on TV and in the to Charles Dickens entering the frame,
with Eleanor of Aquitaine up five places to popular media – long may this continue! perhaps the overall message from this
number two. year’s list is that our historical tastes are
There is an overwhelming number of Joann Fletcher is visiting broader than ever before.
British figures throughout, with my own professor in archaeology at
favourites, Cleopatra and her pharaonic the University of York. Her Tracy Borman is joint chief
predecessor Hatshepsut, only making 64 latest book is The Story of curator for Historic Royal
85. Yet both are new entries and are the Egypt (Hodder & Palaces. Her most recent
only Egyptian pharaohs on the list, with Stoughton, 2015)
book is The Private Lives of
the Tudors (Hodder &
Stoughton, 2016)
Peter Frankopan
“We take huge comfort in name-checking
the same heroes and villains”

This year’s History Hot 100 offers no not one person from the Arab world; not
surprises, with all the usual suspects one from the Ottoman or great Khmer
present albeit with some movements up empires. And not one from Africa from
and down. But it does reveal a lot about the last 2,000 years.
how we view the past. We take huge I’m too much of a realist to call this list DISCOVER MORE
comfort in name-checking the same depressing but it is predictable, insular and
heroes and villains, the same stories, and narrow to the point of being blinkered. It’s HAVE YOUR SAY
the same episodes from history that we’ve not just unadventurous and boring to find E What do you think of this year’s
History Hot 100?
heard about time and again. the same names again and again. I think it Tell us via Twitter or Facebook
It’s amazing, though, in the global distorts history itself. twitter.com/historyextra
world of the 21st century that there is not facebook.com/historyextra
a single figure from Chinese history; apart Peter Frankopan is author
from Gandhi, not one from south Asia; of The Silk Roads: A New WEBSITE
not a single ruler, scholar, writer or artist History of the World E For more on our Hot 100, including last
from nearly 3,000 years of Persian history; (Bloomsbury, 2015) year’s list, visit historyextra.com

BBC History Magazine Hot 100 63