Trade & Economy
Why Britain? The Industrial Revolution Was Not Inevitable
Coal, colonies, culture or cheap labour: historians still disagree about why the machine age began where it did.
Search
Africa & the World
The Benin Bronzes: Whose Art Is It?
In 1897 a British force burned Benin City and carried away thousands of works. The question of who should keep them is still being argued.
War & Conflict
Why Did the Zulu Win at Isandlwana, and Still Lose the War?
It was among the worst defeats the British Army suffered in the colonial era. Within six months the Zulu kingdom was broken.
Trade & Economy
When a Company Ruled a Subcontinent
The East India Company began as a trading venture and ended up with its own army and a territory larger than most states.
Africa & the World
Was Mansa Musa Really the Richest Person Ever?
His pilgrimage shook the economy of Cairo. The claim that he was “richer than anyone in history” says more about our habits than about Mali.
Politics & Power
Was Napoleon Really Short?
The tyrant with the complex is one of history’s most durable jokes. It begins with a conversion error and a very good propaganda campaign.