National Geographic History

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FROM THE EDITOR

National Geographic History

Deep Discoveries From the Battle of Midway • Two of the four Japanese carriers sunk in the decisive World War II battle have been found.

Glimpsed in the Depths

Christine de Pisan: France’s First Lady of Letters • The brilliant poet, critic, and champion of women upended medieval norms by staying single and became France’s first woman to make a living as a writer.

France’s First Lady of Letters

PORTRAITS IN BLUE

The City of Ladies • These miniatures are from a French 15th-century illuminated manuscript of Christine de Pisan’s allegorical work, The Book of the City of Ladies.

How Leonardo Redrew the Map • Leonardo da Vinci’s 1502 map of a small Italian city transformed cartography from an art to a science.

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral: Truths and Legends • The lawless Western town of Tombstone was the setting for the most famous shoot-out in U.S. history, turning cowboys into villains and making Wyatt Earp a star.

HOLLYWOOD LEGENDS

HITTITES • A great empire more than 3,000 years ago, the Hittite civilization rose to power waging war from the wheels of their chariots. Deploying a fleet of thousands, the Hittites battled Egyptians for dominance in the eastern Mediterranean.

WAR ON WHEELS

HITTITE HORSE WHISPERER

QUICKER, LIGHTER, DEADLIER

ISIS Egypt’s Enduring Mother Goddess • For two millennia Egyptians worshipped Isis, a divine mother, healer, and protector of the dead. As new powers ruled Egypt, her cult would spread far and wide—beyond Egypt to all corners of the Roman Empire.

OUT OF EGYPT

MANY-FACED GODDESS • Isis was revered throughout the ancient world as a protector and maternal force. Cultures across the Greco-Roman world reshaped her appearance—her hair, dress, and attributes—to suit their local preferences and divine associations.

PIRATES OF THE ANCIENT WORLD • Trade routes along the shores of the Mediterranean brought wealth and prosperity to civilizations there—and made them attractive targets for pirates stalking the seas. A bane to the pharaohs of Egypt, Alexander the Great, and even Julius Caesar, pirates targeted trade routes, sacked cities, and enslaved captives, all in the name of profit.

RULING THE WAVES

RIPE FOR THE TAKING

CRIME AND DIVINE PUNISHMENT

KUBLAI KHAN’S REALM • Grandson of the feared Genghis Khan, Kublai completed the Mongol conquest of China, founded the Yuan dynasty, and ruled history’s largest contiguous empire.

The Last Great Khan

VICTORIES AND DEFEATS

PATRON OF THE ARTS

TRUSTED ADVISERS

THE SOCIAL LADDER • Kublai was personally open to other cultures, but the Yuan social hierarchy was rigid: The Mongols were at the top, followed by the semuren (from Central Asia and Europe), hanren (northern Chinese and Koreans), and nanren (southern Chinese) at the bottom.

JULES VERNE FATHER OF SCIENCE FICTION • Inspired by 19th-century scientific progress, Jules Verne coupled technology with the adventure story to create a blockbuster literary genre.

TALES OF THE FUTURE

A Modest Traveler

A Thin Editorial Line

AROUND THE WORLD IN 54 NOVELS • Beginning in the 1860s, Verne published a series of novels collectively known as the Extraordinary Journeys, which would contain an astonishing 54 works by the end of Verne’s career. Appearing first in installments, then in book form, the stories whisked away...