Ten dark moments in colonial history
History is often written by the victors, but buried beneath grand empires and riches lies a much darker truth. These are ten of the most disturbing and tragic moments in colonial history.
1. …
Articles
The First Anglo-Afghan War (1839-1842): Britain’s imperial disaster in the Hindu Kush
The First Anglo-Afghan War stands as one of the most catastrophic military ventures in British imperial history. What began as a confident assertion of power in Central Asia ended in one of the most …
Operation Ajax and the shadow of empire: The 1953 Iranian coup
Operation Ajax is the story of how a democratic government was destroyed to protect oil interests, how intelligence agencies perfected techniques of covert regime change, and how the consequences of …
The Great Game: Britain and Russia’s strategic rivalry in Central Asia
The Great Game stands as one of history’s most enduring geopolitical rivalries, a century-long strategic competition between the British and Russian Empires that shaped the destiny of Central …
Captain James Cook: Master navigator and Pacific explorer
James Cook stands as one of history’s most accomplished naval explorers, a man whose three Pacific voyages fundamentally changed European understanding of the world’s largest ocean. Born …
Iran: Modernisation and nationalism
The Iran that emerged from the chaos of the early 20th century bore little resemblance to the mighty Persian Empire of antiquity. Weakened by foreign interference, territorial losses, and internal …
Phyllis Coard: Architect of women’s liberation in revolutionary Grenada
The pioneering woman who transformed gender equality during the Grenada Revolution and paid the ultimate price
Phyllis Coard was much more than the “only woman among the Grenada 17” – a …
Managing work overload: Why we’re still busier than ever
Imagine working only four hours a day, nine months a year and earning all the money you need to do exactly what you want with all your free time. Does that sound like your life?
That’s the …
The enduring legacy of Zapotec culture in Oaxaca
In the mountainous valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico, one of Mesoamerica’s most ancient civilisations continues to thrive after more than 2,500 years. The Zapotec people, whose name derives from the …
The Banana Wars: America’s forgotten military interventions in Central America
Between 1898 and 1934, the United States engaged in a series of military interventions across Central America and the Caribbean that collectively became known as the “Banana Wars.” This …
The Grenada Revolution: A Caribbean island’s brief socialist experiment
The Spice Island’s political awakening
In the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, the small island nation of Grenada—known for its nutmeg and other spices—became the unlikely stage for one of …
The history of Nana Yaa Asantewaa: The lion-hearted queen mother
In the chronicles of African resistance against colonial rule, few figures command as much respect and admiration as Nana Yaa Asantewaa. Born around 1840 in the Ashanti Empire of present-day Ghana, …