Welcome at BBC History UK Magazine July 2023 issue

When I was six years old I took part in a school adaptation of the Exodus story, in which I played the pharaoh who was so reluctant to let the Israelites go. My historical knowledge was significantly more limited at that age, but one thing I knew even then was the name of that pharaoh: Ramesses. Of all the dozens of rulers of ancient Egypt, Ramesses II’s name has endured more than any other. He’s been lionised by everyone from Herodotus to Percy Shelley, and is the only pharaoh to be known as ‘the Great’. But does he deserve this exalted reputation?
In our cover feature this month, Egyptologist Toby Wilkinson revisits Ramesses’ extraordinary reign to determine whether he was a brilliant leader or simply a master of propaganda. Turn to page 22 for that – and do also listen out for my podcast interview with Toby (available on HistoryExtra.com), where we delve into some more fascinating questions about Ramesses, including whether he really was awarded a passport by the French government in the 1970s.
More than 3,000 years after Ramesses’ reign, legends of a very different kind were being forged in north Africa. As the recent BBC drama Rogue Heroes highlighted, the story of the wartime SAS is an astonishing mixture of courage, ingenuity and tragedy. It’s a story that historian Joshua Levine has been researching for his latest book, and on page 46 he profiles four key players in the formation of this remarkable unit.
I hope you enjoy the issue

Rob Attar
Editor

Download from:

NitroFlare

• BBC Science Focus Magazine – June 2023
• What Car – June 2023