How the compass became a political weapon
Why did early Islamic cartographers place south at the top of their maps? Who invented the magnetic compass? And why has 'the west' become an intensely political term, as well…
What is the greatest historical movie of all time?
What makes a great historical movie? An accurate portrayal of a period, a nostalgic look back at the past, or simply a ripping yarn? Well, on our website HistoryExtra.com, we've…
Murder in WW2 London
In September 1940, the German Luftwaffe began raining bombs on British cities, causing death and destruction on a scale never before seen. But, in the capital, the Blitz wasn’t the…
Halston (miniseries)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiYbb3mu0lc Halston is an American biographical drama television miniseries based on the life of designer Halston, starring Ewan McGregor. Adapted from the 1991 book Simply Halston by Steven Gaines, the…
How to be an Atheist in the Middle Ages
We tend to think that it was impossible not to subscribe to Christianity in the Middle Ages. But, as in any age, belief can wax and wane. But the chroniclers…
The riddles of Heinrich Hermann Mebes
Five notebooks delicately bound, filled with drawings, words, allegories emblems, precise yet disordered
THE ART THAT DARES NOT TO SPEAK ITS NAME
Outsider art is a term that covers a wide range of styles and forms that have in common the fact that they come from places where you may not ordinarily…
It’s Not Just Wayfair: Why Does ALL Of Your Furniture Fall Apart?
If you have ever bought a Wayfair couch or tried to assemble an IKEA anything, you know furniture sucks now. Fast furniture has taken over — meaning cheap quality for…
Radio Station Jingles: 80 Years of Earworms
If you turn on the radio, there’s one thing you’re almost guaranteed to hear: a catchy, over the top jingle proclaiming the name and call letters of the radio station.…