The Real Vampires of Europe
In general, a vampire is a malicious spirit or soul of the deceased who is not confined to the grave. Where did the idea come from?
The Dilemma of Sanctions on North Korea
Recent diplomatic tension between America and North Korea seems bewildering, and not just because of the boasts and paranoia of Trump and Kim Jong Un.
Sir Thomas Browne’s Vulgar Errors
If you're suffering from exhaustion, hallucination, or a coma, then you have Sir Thomas Browne, dead 335 years now, to thank.
When Societies Put Animals on Trial
Animal trials were of two kinds: (1) secular suits against individual creatures; and (2) ecclesiastic cases against groups of vermin.
How the Nazis Created the Myth of Stalingrad
The battle of Stalingrad was the first major defeat of the Nazis in World War II, and presented the Nazis with a propaganda quandary.
Cheng I Sao, Female Pirate Extraordinaire
Learn more about Cheng I Sao, a female pirate who dominated the coast of the Kwangtung Province between 1795-1810.
London Has Always Been Multicultural
The conventional story is that "black Britain" came about after World War II, but London has been a multicultural capital for centuries.
Victorian England Had a Problem With Cloth Piracy
Calico took the newly industrial world by storm. But battles over bolts of fabric shook Britain during the nineteenth century.
The Fantastic Disaster of the Arabia Felix Expedition
The Danish expedition to the Arabian Peninsula of 1761-1767 was a bungle of mismatched egos and wretched conditions. There was only a single survivor.
The Ugly Origins of America’s Involvement in the Philippines
The American use of torture, then called the “water cure,” in the Philippines during the war of 1899–1902 shocked some Americans of the day.