When Bohemia reached the Adriatic
Bohemia wasn't always a land-locked nation, which may surprise some cartographers. For a short time in the 1th century, one Bohemian king built a chain of power from Prague towards the Adriatic. How did he do that?
The lost church of St Philip and St Jacob
In the city of a hundred spires, it's hard to imagine that there were more belfries, towers and churches than there are today. The church of St Philip and St Jacob in Prague's Smichov district is one of the churches that no longer exists.
The Lion in the Harbour: When Garibaldi Came to Malta
In 1864, the most famous man in the world spent 36 hours in Malta. In 1864, Giuseppe Garibaldi stopped off in Malta on his way to England. He was limping from a bullet wound and wanted a quiet rest. What he got instead was a firestorm.
Did World War II Start With a Failed Secret Raid?
World War II began on 1 September 1939. What if I told you a secret German commando unit jumped the gun, invading Poland six days early?
This is the Jabłonków Incident, a bizarre opening act to the world’s deadliest conflict. Ready to uncover one of WWII’s best-kept secrets?
The Fruttuaria Abbey
A King Died Here. Then the Church Buried It. Then a Plumber Found It Again. The Abbazia di Fruttuaria has been a monastery, a political pawn, a makeover project, and a school. What lies beneath the floor is one of the most remarkable archaeological finds in northern Italy — and almost nobody knows about it.
The Battle of Strigonia
Sixteenth century Europe was ablaze with one war after another. The epoch-defining conflict was the one between the Ottomans and the Hapsburg Empire. This changed European, and Middle-Eastern history. One of this war's battles included a contingent of Maltese fighting forces. This article explains how they came to be there and the story of that siege.
The Empress who transformed a city
When Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV died in 1740, he didn’t leave any male heirs. His daughter, Maria Theresa, inherited the role and became the first Empress of the Empire. Her influence can be directly seen in Prague, which became one of the major imperial cities because of her.
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.
How the 1602 famine hit Malta and Sicily
We often don't think of how explosive and violent Mother Nature can be. In 1600 a volcano exploded in Peru, affecting life around the planet in many ways. In Malta, it led to a diplomatic spat with Sicily and caused a riot in the south of Malta.
This article explains how one led to the other.
RAF hijacking in Prague
In 1950, three ex-RAF pilots, persecuted by the Communist regime in Czechoslovakia, coordinated the hijacking of three flights, leading to a daring escape to the West.