Studying 13th-century work habits reveals a surprising contrast with American workers of today — Incredible as it may sound, the average modern American puts in longer hours at his or her work than the average medieval peasant. While many people feel pressure to work long hours, even the hardest-hit victims of the “gigs economy” might assume that at least they don’t work as hard…

The celebrated Chevalier d’Éon was an aristocrat, soldier, diplomat, writer, and spy — It was the spring of 1810. Ordinarily, the death in London of an 81-year-old French émigré of aristocratic birth who’d long been living in genteel poverty would arouse little attention. The city was flooded with aristocrats during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror. Some of them never left. But as…

How Charles Dickens drew from bitter and anguished feelings about his own childhood to create some of the story’s most moving characters — It may well be the most beloved Christmas story ever written. Charles Dickens’ novella, originally titled Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, was published on December 19, 1843, and sold 6,000 copies by Christmas Day. It has never gone out of print and is the basis…

The conspiracy in 17th century England has taken on many meanings On Thursday, May 20, 1604, five Catholic men gathered at a house behind St. …

DNA from Scandinavian invaders is more present in Ireland than realized An Irish Viking. The concept has become much more real. Anyone who’s read even a bit about the history of the Vikings knows that their DNA is likely to be found in people living in the British Isles today…

The Yūrei and other figures possess a special emotional quality — When I was writing my novella The Ghost of Madison Avenue, I wanted to come up with ideas beyond the usual “Boo!” I wondered about creating something besides a story of the undead spirit hiding in the attic. Don’t get me wrong. I love a classic ghost story like Henry…

Treasure hunters search shipwrecks and Nazi bunkers for a trace. They hoped to discover one of the most exciting lost treasures of the 20th century. But it was not to be. A year ago, a team of divers announced they had found the wreck of the German steamer Karlsruhe, which…

The Bernie Gunther series sets a high mark for historical thrillers A group of watercolor landscapes went on sale at a German auction house, supposedly the work of a young and impoverished Adolf Hitler while he was struggling as an artist in Vienna. The paintings, along with a Fuhrer armchair…

The mystery of the hijacker who resembled a businessman has never been solved — It was November 24, 1971 and a rainy afternoon in Portland, Oregon. A man walked up to the flight counter of Northwest Orient Airlines. He wore a dark raincoat, a dark suit with a skinny black tie, a clean white shirt, and loafers. …