Author: Antoine P Borg

A photo of the Archeological museum of Macedonia - Skopje, Macedonia

Macedonia and the Bulgarian Horrors

During my travels in North Macedonia, I was puzzled to see lots of references and mentioned to ex-UK Prime Minister William Gladstone. What would a 19th-century British statesman have in common with a modern nation-state? The answer focuses on the interdependencies of foreign policy and 19th century realpolitik.
An underwater photo of the Kujawiak's anti-aircraft guns

ORP Kujawiak: From Britain to Malta

During World War II, the Polish Navy operated under the auspices of the British Navy. One destroyer escort, the ORP Kujawiak, helped supply the island of Malta where it hit an Italian mine. This article explains the short life of ORP Kujawiak, its final moments and its current status as an underwater diving site.
A photo of the landscape behind the Abbey - Bourgeuil, France

The Abbey of Bourgueil

In 990, Emma of Blois leveraged her dowry and family alliances to found an abbey in Bourgueil, France. The abbey grew into a regional powerhouse over the next 500 years influencing daily life.
A photo of reconstructed Puchov settlements - Havranok, Slovakia

The Púchov Culture

A fascinating and complex culture in late Iron Age Europe is the Púchov culture. It shows remarkable cultural synthesis and adaptation in the mountanous regions of present-day Slovakia and eastern Moravia. This article examines how this evolved from Celtic foundations, merged other European influences and shaped the cultural landscape of the Carpathian basin till the 2nd century.
A photo of Abu Dhabi today

Creating the Emirates

The United Arab Emirates exist because of a reaction to Britain's loss of power, post-Word War II. That power, in turn, came about because of geography, rather than outright politics. It's strange to think a modern country exists because of a random geographical feature. This article explains the whole story.
A photo of Ħal-Għargħur parish church

The independence of Ħal-Għargħur

In the 16th century, the rural village of Ħal-Għargħur became an independent parish for 3 brief years. It’s unusual that someone thought it should be independent and changed their mind a few years later. This article explains the village politics behind the situation, and how Ħal-Għargħur became a parish.
A photo of a relief on the Column of Marcus Aurelius - Rome, Italy

The mysterious Marcomanni

I’ve often heard about the Marcomanni tribe when researching information about Czechia. References are always fleeting and there’s never enough information about them. I decided to look into this oddly-named Germanic tribe.
A photo of a gargoyle on the Town House in Munich

Banning Bohemian gargoyles

Gargoyles are an important architectural feature in Gothic buildings around Europe. These ornate water spouts depict grotesque creatures or human figures. As practical as they were, they seem to have existed from the 14th to the 16th century in Bohemia.
A photo of Icelandic Prime Minister Benediktsson at the 1968 NATO ministerial meeting - Reykjavik, Iceland

The Icelandic anomaly

In geopolitical terms, Iceland is a bit of an anomaly. It gained independence from Denmark, but found itself unable to defend itself. It joined NATO even though it doesn't have a standing army of its own. It's crucial to North Atlantic security but is it that crucial? This article examines Iceland before NATO, and how it, and NATO, evolved together.
A photo of the facade of the church of St James - Valletta, Malta

St James’ Church, Valletta

St James' Church on Valletta's bustling Merchants' street never attracted my eye the same way the other churches in the city do. When I found out my ancestors married there so I thought I'd take a closer look at this historical building.