Not since the 1970s has there been so much interest in witchcraft. On social media, communities like #WitchTok are booming with young people engaging in the mysteries of folklore, paganism, Wicca, and sorcery. So, what exactly is the appeal of witchcraft? Last week, I went to a screening of the 1973 movie The Wicker Man…
A woman who wanted to be pope. A man who wanted to murder the inquisition. And a pope accused of being in league with Satan. The year 1300 was certainly memorable. A new century was welcomed with an explosion of heretics across Europe. The stage was set for a violent confrontation between those who rejected…
I grew up in Essex – a county often mocked and reviled. But for those of us who know it well – it’s a part of England rich in history, stories, and mysteries. If you want to step back into the Roman Empire, the era of the Vikings, Saxons, and Normans or understand the life…
Millions of people visit the Pyramids in Egypt – gaze on their sheer size and scale – and pose the question: who really built these? Was it the Ancient Egyptians? Which is the view of mainstream historians. Was it aliens? As claimed by a legion of conspiracy theorists. Or, was it a a much older…
The iconic German silent movie Nosferatu – directed by F. W. Murnau in 1922 – is being remade. But for anybody who has never seen this film – it’s a must-see. Based on the novel Dracula, Nosferatu had a huge influence on horror movies over the last century. But of equal interest – is the…
At the end of the Second World War, a wave of terror and assassinations among Brazil’s 300,000-strong Japanese community was blamed on a secret society: the Black Dragon. The war had ended with two atomic bombs dropped by the Americans on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki forcing Japan to surrender. But the Black…
On November 30 this year, my new book on the Knights Templar is published by Pen & Sword. It’s the first of a trilogy from this publisher – all authored by me – covering every aspect of this enigmatic order of holy warriors. This will answer every question you’ve ever had on the Knights Templar…
A secret society at Yale University founded in 1832 fascinates many because of its association with top American politicians and rumours of bizarre rituals. The Skull and Bones – also called Order 322 and The Brotherhood of Death – is either a harmless student organisation or something far more sinister. The latter view was held…
Early human beings witnessed volcanoes exploding and earthquakes that made the ground shudder. But it took the Industrial Revolution to allow humans to create their own massive calamities. So, what is the biggest explosion in history for which we are solely to blame – and not mother nature? Let’s take a look… Beirut explosion –…
Rasputin is well known as the evil monk who allegedly exerted a hypnotic influence over the last Tsar of Russia – and his family – but was then murdered by jealous aristocrats. A familiar enough story! But was Rasputin an LGBT holy man? Did he have a gay relationship with a Russian prince? And was…
