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…

In 1911 a nearly two-week-long record-breaking heat spell took its toll. — In the year 1911, Coney Island was thriving in the middle of its Golden Age. Rival amusement parks such as Steeplechase, Dreamland, and Luna not only competed for the thousands of New Yorkers who poured into “America’s Playground” but also drew curious visitors from all over the world. Sigmund Freud…

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…

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. Clement’s Inn to rage against the decades of repression suffered by their friends and families, nursing their grievances against the new Protestant king of England…

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…

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…