The Great Arms Bazaar of the Nineteenth Century
In the late nineteenth century, fed by the disintegration of the Ottoman empire, the European arms race created a global military surplus.
Darwin Down Under
The largest town in Australia’s Northern Territory, Darwin offers beautiful beaches, historic seaside festivals, and some tough socioeconomic problems.
Assassination of A Playwright, Birth of A Nationalism
The 1819 assassination of playwright August von Kotzebue by theology student Karl Sand is considered one of foundational moments in German nationalism.
How Madagascar’s Queen Ranavalona Helped Define Queen Victoria
In the nineteenth century, Queen Ranavalona became a foil to Queen Victoria, her “savage” queenship held in contrast to that of the “civilized” female monarch.
Conflict Archaeology in Normandy
The light management of forests in Normandy since WWII helped preserve the remains of German supply depots and other artifacts of war hidden in the woodlands.
How American Librarians Helped Defeat the Nazis
Recruited to the war effort thanks to their deft research skills and technological know-how, librarians used microforms to gather and share intelligence with Allied forces.
Who’s Afraid of the Filipina Coed?
Cultural depictions of the "transpacific Filipina" reflected anxieties about the changing education and social roles of women in the Cold War Philippines.
Scrub-a-Dub in a Medieval Tub
Contrary to popular misconceptions, Europeans in the Middle Ages took pains to keep themselves clean.
Translating Corn
To most of the world, “corn” is “maize,” a word that comes from the Taíno mahizwas. Not for British colonists in North America, though.
Dervla Murphy: The Godmother of Hitting the Road
Perhaps the greatest female travel writer of her generation, Murphy defied the narrative of the dutiful Irish daughter—and motherhood—to find freedom.