Non-Fiction

The Samurai warrior class of Japan has a very long history. They were once a powerful political and military force that saved Japan from the Mongol army twice and could make emperors bend to their will. However, they were also often accomplished poets and philosophers. (1,710 words)

In 1978 the Red Brigade kidnapped Aldo Moro, the Italian Prime Minister just as he was about to form a coalition Government including the communists. In the two months that the crisis played out, the whole world held its breath. (1,170 words)

Dickens is the most famous novelist ever to write in English. He was admired by contemporaries as diverse as Edgar Allan Poe and Leo Tolstoy. His novels teem with larger-than-life characters that have become part of the literary landscape. This article discusses the man behind the literary giant, his beliefs and personal life. (1,940 words)

A fascinating introduction to the camel. Camels have been used to help people travel and survive in the desert and they were used extensively during the two world wars in the last century. They are raced and people pay huge sums of money for the most beautiful and fastest animals. Their use is declining but they are great survivors. (1,320 words)

Despite many discoveries and theories dating back to ancient times, two hundred years ago we had not the slightest idea that fossils existed. A lot has changed since then, of course, and this is the story of the rapid development of modern knowledge about fossils. (2,050 words)

There is a myth that the human race is getting better: we have a far deeper understanding of science and medicine than a few decades ago, for instance. We have more hospitals, universities and schools. More countries abide by democratic ideals and people have more say in government. Yet this does not stop genocide and bigotry. (1,940 words)

Ever since the release of 'Catch Me If You Can', starring Leonardo di Caprio and Tom Hanks, the early life of Frank Abagnale has been well-known and his exploits pretending to be a pilot, doctor and lawyer envied by all of us who lead routine lives but long for adventure. (1,285 words)

The Vietnam War is remembered as the war that the United States lost at the height of its strength as a superpower. For the Vietnamese it was another episode in a long history of fighting invaders including the Chinese, French and Japanese. (1,360 words)

Simon Bolivar was a freedom fighter of enormous importance. He fought the Spanish and led six modern countries - Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Panama - to independence. Bolivia in fact, is named after him. (930 words)

An introduction to the astonishing array of scientific techniques available to the police today to help them investigate crime. Find out how much has changed since the days of Sherlock Holmes! (1,505 words)

The story of Pablo Escobar who graduated from selling marijuana to exporting cocaine and built up a drugs empire that made him more powerful than government ministers. He escaped justice in Colombia for many years but the US wanted to extradite him. (1,920 words)

The sail was a revolution in travelling by water. It meant that boats could go much faster and people did not have to use their strength to push it through the sea. This is the history of its invention and development. (525 words)

There are many books about the First World War and the millions of people who died between 1914 and 1918. This short article tells the story of how it started. (500 words)

Even by modern norms, Mansfield led a shocking life: she had relations with two brothers and became engaged to the younger one when the older had rejected her; and she couldn't live with or without her husband. This is the story of her brief, stormy and very creative life. (1,400 words)

Early in the seventeenth century, Sweden was a great empire and had one of the strongest armies in the world. The king wanted the biggest and best ship too but his wonderful new ship sank after sailing about 1,000 metres. (415 words)