Published monthly in London since January 1951, it presents authoritative history to as wide a public as possible.

[1] The magazine covers all periods and geographical regions and publishes articles of traditional narrative history alongside new research and historiography.

[2] The magazine was founded after the Second World War, by Brendan Bracken, former Minister of Information, chairman of the Financial Times and close associate of Sir Winston Churchill.

[4] The founding co-editors were Peter Quennell, a "dashing English man of letters",[5] and Alan Hodge, former journalist at the Financial Times.

[7] Since 1997, The Longman-History Today Charitable Trust has held an annual awards ceremony at which presentations are made to those that have fostered a wider understanding of, and enthusiasm for, history.