The Daimons’ Wisdom
A biographer of Machiavelli looks to Florentine history for lessons in the battle to preserve the rule of law in the face of tyranny.
The Pilot Who Stole a Secret Soviet Fighter Jet
The story of the Soviet fighter pilot who defected in 1976 in a new supersonic fighter jet that no one outside the Soviet military had ever before set eyes upon.
The Marvelous Automata of Antiquity
A piece looking at mechanical automata and their owners, from Mark Anthony to Anne Boleyn – evidence perhaps of humanity’s enduring interest in artificial intelligence and robotics.
Queens of Infamy: Joanna of Naples
A new entry in a series that profiles “badass world-historical women of centuries past.” Joanna of Naples had an extraordinary life even by the standards of the 14th century’s topsy-turvy geopolitics. Escape from her castle by night, papal trials, attacks on her kingdom by her own relations and four husbands of varying quality all feature in this engaging portrait.
This 3,500-Year-Old Greek Tomb Upended What We Thought We Knew About the Roots of Western Civilization
A stunning archaeological find is not only providing a window into a 3,500 year old society, but also challenging founding principles underpinning our views of how Western civilisation developed.
A Lot of What Is Known about Pirates Is Not True, and a Lot of What Is True Is Not Known
A piece reassessing the pirates of yesteryear and their impact on society, suggesting it was much more nuanced than is commonly understood. http://www.bit.ly/humanities-pirates
Vladimir Lenin’s Return Journey to Russia Changed the World Forever
The author retraces Lenin’s return from exile in 1917, a journey that was to have a profound impact on human history.
The Problem with Winning
The historian Linda Colley proposes that the relative political stability of Britain (along with the US) over time has left its political system with more maintenance work outstanding than other countries that have experienced greater upheaval. From there, she looks to the lessons history can offer in addressing Britain’s current challenges. http://bit.ly/lrb-history
North America’s Lost Medieval City
On the trail of Cahokia, a city in what is today Illinois – at its peak around the year 1000, it was bigger than Paris, but it was later totally abandoned.
For 40 Years, This Russian Family Was Cut Off From All Human Contact, Unaware of World War II
The remarkable story of a family who lived nearly half a decade totally cut off from the rest of humanity.