PN1501 On the night of July 9, 1943, Allied forces landed in Sicily, opening a new front in Europe and bringing the war directly to Italian soil. Within weeks, the fascist regime began to collapse. Benito Mussolini, who had ruled Italy for more than 20 years, was removed from power by order of King Victor Emmanuel … Read more
Det var en kall decemberkväll i Djursholm. Regnet vräkte ner över familjen Vonbergs anrika villa, och vinden fick takpannorna att vissla. Jag heter Lova, och i nio år och åtta månader hade jag varit svärdotter i den familjen. I deras ögon var jag bara en analfabet kvinna från landet, en enkel flicka som de tagit … Read more
When JP Morgan canceled his plans to sail on the Titanic’s maiden voyage, he appeared to have escaped a catastrophic death. Less than a year later, the financier who had built one of America’s greatest fortunes died in a slow, grueling decline that his wealth could not prevent. Born in Connecticut in 1837, Morgan grew … Read more
Pobiegł w stronę dymu, żeby ją znaleźć. Ja przebiegłam przez niego, żeby odnaleźć siebie. Tak o tym teraz myślę, prosto i czysto. Ale stojąc na betonowym parkingu we wtorkowy listopadowy poranek, z lewym nadgarstkiem wygiętym w złym kierunku, z gardłem pełnym popiołu, patrząc, jak budynek Heartwell Development pluje czarnym dymem w białe niebo, wcale nie … Read more
On the night of April 26, 1944, a German general left his headquarters in Heraklion, Crete, and vanished. No explosions, no gunfire, no alarms. Heinrich Kreipe was stopped at what appeared to be a routine checkpoint by men in German uniforms who were not German at all. What followed was not a battle but a … Read more
Alice Gwyn Vanderbilt witnessed the Vanderbilt dynasty at its absolute peak and lived long enough to watch its immense fortune slowly dissolve. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on November 11, 1845, she came from a distinguished American family, but her life changed dramatically when she married into the wealthiest family in the country. After her father’s … Read more
A member of the Lewis and Clark expedition became the first American to explore what is now Yellowstone National Park, but his most famous ordeal began when he was stripped naked and forced to run for his life from dozens of warriors. John Colter was born around 1774 in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. Little is known … Read more
I piatti di porcellana erano freschi sotto le mie dita mentre li sistemavo intorno al tavolo da pranzo dei miei genitori. Attraverso la porta della cucina sentivo la voce di mia madre al telefono, con quel tono dolce che riserva alle delusioni. “Sì, Rebecca è qui”, disse, abbassando la voce a quello che credeva un … Read more
Den dagen jag kände det första illamåendet var det inte jag som bleknade först utan min svärmor. Hon satt i vardagsrummet och smuttade på en kopp te när ljudet av mina kväljningar hördes från badrummet. Koppen hon höll i föll till marmorgolvet med ett skarpt klick. Hennes ansikte blev vitt som ett lakan. Som om … Read more
The woman remembered as Calamity Jane was born Martha Jane Canary near Princeton, Missouri, but the fearless gunfighter of movies and dime novels bears little resemblance to the real person behind the legend. Even her birth date has been clouded by myth. Her 1896 autobiography claimed she was born on May 1, 1852, but census … Read more