Portrait of a male author with glasses standing against a concrete wall, wearing a green shirt and jacket.

Edward C.

The Great Wall of China: Built on the Dead, Opened From the Inside, and Now Disappearing

Legend says the men who built the Great Wall are buried inside it. In 1644 its commander opened the gate to the enemy. A third of it is now gone.

Read the Article

The Great Wall of China: Built on the Dead, Opened From the Inside, and Now Disappearing

Asia

Discover the hidden history of the East. From the killing fields of Cambodia to the neon-lit shadows of Tokyo, we document the region's ancient ruins and the modern scars of war.

Alamut Castle: The Eagle’s Nest of the Assassins and the Birth of Political Terror

Ruins of Civilizations

Alamut Castle: The Eagle’s Nest of the Assassins and the Birth of Political Terror

Discover the true history of Alamut Castle, the "Eagle's Nest" of the Assassins. Explore the myths of the Hashashin, the Mongol destruction, and the reality of the site today.

Portrait of a female author smiling in warm evening light on a city street.

Fukuoka’s Underworld: The Last Stronghold of Japan’s Ruthless Yakuza

An investigative record of Fukuoka’s Kudo-kai: The "specially dangerous" Yakuza syndicate that used rocket launchers and grenades to wage war on the Japanese state. Read the gritty chronicle of the war between the city of Fukuoka and the Kudo-kai.

Namba and Minami: The Neon Labyrinth of the Yakuza’s Fading Empire

Explore the rise and fall of the Yakuza in Namba and Minami. A deep dive into the history, the 2011 exclusion laws, and the disappearing neon underworld of Osaka.

Edward C.

Choeung Ek: The History and Memorial of Cambodia’s Killing Fields

Tragedies & Disasters

Choeung Ek: The History and Memorial of Cambodia’s Killing Fields

Choeung Ek stands as the final site of erasure for 17,000 victims of the Khmer Rouge. From the 8,000 skulls in the Memorial Stupa to the soil that still reveals bone, explore the raw, documented history of Cambodia's most notorious Killing Field.

Edward C.

Tuol Sleng: The High School of S-21 and the Bureaucracy of Disappearance

Tragedies & Disasters

Tuol Sleng: The High School of S-21 and the Bureaucracy of Disappearance

Discover how a Phnom Penh high school became S-21, the Khmer Rouge’s most notorious torture center. A deep dive into the architecture and bureaucracy of genocide.

Edward C.

Babylon: The Ancient Wonder and Its Crumbling Legacy

Ruins of Civilizations

Babylon: The Ancient Wonder and Its Crumbling Legacy

Explore the legendary city of Babylon, once the heart of the Babylonian Empire and home to the Hanging Gardens and the Ishtar Gate. Discover its rise under Nebuchadnezzar II, its fall to Alexander the Great, and the modern threats of war, looting, and environmental decay.

Clara M.

The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Massacre of World War II

Tragedies & Disasters

The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Massacre of World War II

Explore the horrors of the Rape of Nanking, one of the most brutal massacres of World War II, where the Imperial Japanese Army committed atrocities against hundreds of thousands of Chinese civilians.

Portrait of a female author standing against a brick wall, wearing a green jacket and grey shirt.

Sophia R.

Montevideo Maru: Australia’s Worst Maritime Disaster

Tragedies & Disasters

Montevideo Maru: Australia’s Worst Maritime Disaster

Discover the forgotten tragedy of the Montevideo Maru, the Japanese transport ship sunk in 1942, claiming over 1,000 Australian POWs and civilians—the worst maritime disaster in Australia’s history.

Edward C.

Nagasaki: The Forgotten Tragedy (Part II)

Tragedies & Disasters

Nagasaki: The Forgotten Tragedy (Part II)

August 9, 1945. Discover the chaotic mission behind the "Fat Man" plutonium bomb. Learn how the "Kokura Luck" spared the primary target and how the Urakami Valley shielded parts of Nagasaki while intensifying the blast that destroyed the Urakami Cathedral.

Sophia R.

Hiroshima: The Day the World Changed Forever (Part I)

Tragedies & Disasters

Hiroshima: The Day the World Changed Forever (Part I)

August 6, 1945. A forensic breakdown of the "Little Boy" uranium bomb, the targeting of the Aioi Bridge, and the physics of the blast that erased the city center. Explore the history of the Genbaku Dome and the survival of the human shadow on the bank steps.

Iwo Jima: The Bloodiest Battle of the Pacific and the Island That Became a Legend

Explore Iwo Jima, the volcanic island that became the site of one of World War II’s bloodiest battles. Discover its harsh geography, the 36-day struggle between U.S. Marines and Japanese defenders, and the enduring legacy of the flag-raising on Mount Suribachi.

Sophia R.

Persepolis: The Glorious Ruins of the Persian Empire

Ruins of Civilizations

Persepolis: The Glorious Ruins of the Persian Empire

Step into the ancient world of Persepolis, the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire. Learn about its destruction by Alexander the Great, modern excavations, and the controversies surrounding its preservation.

Portrait of a male author wearing a cap and backpack, smiling with a city skyline at sunset in the background.

Diego A.

The Great Wall of China: Built on the Dead, Opened From the Inside, and Now Disappearing

Asia

Alamut Castle: The Eagle’s Nest of the Assassins and the Birth of Political Terror

Fukuoka’s Underworld: The Last Stronghold of Japan’s Ruthless Yakuza

Namba and Minami: The Neon Labyrinth of the Yakuza’s Fading Empire

Choeung Ek: The History and Memorial of Cambodia’s Killing Fields

Tuol Sleng: The High School of S-21 and the Bureaucracy of Disappearance

Babylon: The Ancient Wonder and Its Crumbling Legacy

The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Massacre of World War II

Montevideo Maru: Australia’s Worst Maritime Disaster

Nagasaki: The Forgotten Tragedy (Part II)

Hiroshima: The Day the World Changed Forever (Part I)

Iwo Jima: The Bloodiest Battle of the Pacific and the Island That Became a Legend

Persepolis: The Glorious Ruins of the Persian Empire

Beyond This Region

Antarctica

Africa

Asia

Australia & Oceania

Europe

North America