Ideas & Belief
Who Really Destroyed the Library of Alexandria?
Caesar, Christians and a caliph all get blamed. The likelier culprit is slower and less dramatic: neglect.
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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
Was Tulip Mania Really a Mass Delusion?
It is the standard story of a financial bubble. The evidence for a nation ruined by flowers is surprisingly thin.
Politics & Power
Did Nero Really Fiddle While Rome Burned?
The emperor, the violin and the fire make a perfect image of tyranny. Only one of those three things is certain.
War & Conflict
Was the Trojan Horse Ever Real?
The most famous trick in military history is missing from the earliest account of the war. That is only the first problem.