All Articles — Page 21
Every story we've published, newest first
Reagan vs. History: How Accurate Is the Dennis Quaid Biopic?
Reagan 2024 movie accuracy reviewed: the Dennis Quaid biopic gets the biography broadly right but invents its Soviet narrator and skips Iran-Contra almost entirely.
A Time Traveler's Guide to Romanov St. Petersburg, 1900
Your guide to St Petersburg 1900 history: the Romanov imperial capital at its final peak before war and revolution bring the old order down.
Arsenal: The PPSh-41 Submachine Gun
The PPSh-41 submachine gun armed millions of Soviet soldiers, dominated the close-quarters hell of Stalingrad, and became the defining weapon of the Eastern Front.
Blitz vs. History: How Accurate Is Steve McQueen's WWII London Drama?
Our Blitz 2024 accuracy verdict: Steve McQueen's WWII London drama gets wartime racism and the Blitz experience right, while narrowing its lens on the full story.
If Genghis Khan Lived Today: The Conqueror Who'd Build the World's Most Dangerous Supply Chain
If Genghis Khan lived today, he would not run a country. He would build a private conglomerate controlling the infrastructure of commerce - the modern Silk Road.
Origins: How Writing Was Invented
Who invented writing? Not a priest or poet but an accountant in ancient Uruk. The story of cuneiform, the alphabet, and what happened when humans first wrote things down.
The Murder of Sister Cathy Cesnik: A Nun, a Predator, and a City That Looked Away
Sister Cathy Cesnik murder: Baltimore, 1969. A teaching nun vanished during a routine errand and was found shot months later. The case has never been solved.
A Time Traveler's Guide to Restoration London, 1665
Your survival guide to Restoration London 1665 - a city of royal decadence, reopened theaters, and bubonic plague killing thousands every week. Navigate it if you dare.
Arsenal: The Mauser K98k - Germany's Bolt-Action Standard
A history of the Mauser K98: the Karabiner 98 Kurz armed the German Wehrmacht through WWII. Some 14 million were made, but its bolt-action rate of fire was its downfall.
The Disappearance of Etan Patz: The Case That Changed America
Six-year-old Etan Patz vanished on a two-block New York walk in 1979. His disappearance launched the missing children movement and ended with a contested conviction that many investigators still question.
If Napoleon Lived Today: The Outsider Who Rewrites the Rules
If Napoleon lived today, he'd be the defense-tech founder who rewrites industry rules from the outside - the same arc as the original, different cavalry, same eventual overreach.
Origins: Who Invented Money - And Why It Wasn't Barter
Who invented money? The barter story is wrong. Debt and credit came first, coins arrived later, and Lydian electrum stamps solved the trust problem around 600 BC.
September 5 vs. History: How Accurate Is the Munich Olympics Broadcast Film?
September 5 film accuracy examined: Tim Fehlbaum's 2024 drama follows ABC Sports at Munich 1972. The ethics are right; the history behind the cameras is more complicated.
A Time Traveler's Guide to Old Kingdom Memphis, 2500 BC
A guide to old kingdom Egypt daily life: the pharaoh is a living god, the pyramids are freshly built, and there is no safe way to decline an invitation from either.
Arsenal: The Thompson Submachine Gun
Thompson submachine gun history: designed for WWI trenches, adopted by Prohibition gangsters, then finally deployed in the war it was always built for.
If Sun Tzu Lived Today: The Strategist Who Would Never Need an Office
If Sun Tzu lived today, he would advise governments and corporations from a practice with no website, no listed clients, and a waiting list no one can join.
Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon: The Panama Hike That Never Ended
Two Dutch students vanished on a Panama jungle trail in 2014. Months later, their camera revealed 90 night photographs. The case has never been closed.
Maria vs. History: How Accurate Is the Maria Callas Biopic?
A maria callas biopic accuracy check on Larrain's 2024 film: what Jolie gets right about the Paris isolation and Onassis grief, and what the film invents entirely.
Origins of the Internet: How the Network That Changed Everything Began
The origins of the internet trace to 1969 - not nuclear war fears. ARPANET was built to share computing resources, and the first message sent was just two letters: LO.
Time Traveler's Guide to Amarna, Egypt, 1340 BC
Akhenaten's Amarna, Egypt was the world's first purpose-built city for a single god. Survive a visit to 1340 BC's most baffling, sun-drenched experiment in monotheism.
Arsenal: The StG 44 Assault Rifle - The Weapon That Defined Modern Infantry Combat
The StG 44 assault rifle came too late to save the Reich, but its intermediate-cartridge design defined every military rifle built in the eight decades since.
The Hae Min Lee Murder and the Adnan Syed Saga: A Case That Won't Stay Closed
The Hae Min Lee murder case: a 1999 Baltimore strangling, a convicted ex-boyfriend, a record-breaking podcast, and a conviction that was vacated - then reinstated.
If Machiavelli Lived Today: The Prince as Political Consultant
If Machiavelli lived today, he would be Washington's most-cited, least-invited political consultant - admired for his clarity about power, avoided in practice.
Origins of Pizza: Where It Was Actually Invented
The origins of pizza trace to 18th-century Naples, not 1889. The Margherita story is myth. We trace pizza's history from ancient flatbreads to Neapolitan street food.