In this post David Hayton introduces his new volume in the Royal Historical Society's Camden Series, 'Allen Leeper’s Letters Home, 1908–1912. An Irish-Australian at Edwardian Oxford'. Allen Leeper, Oxford undergraduate and future Foreign Office mandarin, wrote regularly to his family in Australia from 1908 until he left university in 1912. His letters record his experiences at Balliol College, Oxford, among a ‘golden generation’ decimated by the First World War, and on his extensive travels in Europe. They provide a vivid picture of a continent on the eve of profound change, written by someone whose background afforded a degree of objectivity.

In this post Dr Adam Budd introduces our upcoming panel discussion on ‘AI, History and Historians’, taking place on Wednesday 17 July. He discusses the opportunities this event provides for historians and students of history to learn about the meaning of ‘artificial intelligence’ in our academic community.

To coincide with the release of his new book -- 'Designed for Play. Children’s Playgrounds and the Politics of Urban Space, 1840–2010' -- Jon Winder considers the complex and revealing history of the children’s playground and the wider social, political and environmental concerns such spaces were intended to address. Jon’s book, published on 11 July, is the 18th title in the Society’s 'New Historical Perspectives' series for early career historians, published by University of London Press. As with all books in the series, 'Designed for Play' is available in print and as a free open access download.