By Alice Su
During the 1980s a young intellectual called Yang Bi-chuan used to give illicit history lectures in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan. Charismatic and fearless, with a frizz of unruly hair, Yang was only in his 30s, but had already served seven years in prison for angering the authoritarian government that ruled the island. A voracious reader and self-taught historian, he referred to himself as the Taiwanese Trotsky.
Explore more
1843 | How Tether became money-launderers’ dream currency
The stablecoin is fuelling a global shadow economy. And it’s never been more respectable
1843 | Shock and ore: Scenes from the relentless search for critical minerals
From Chile to Indonesia, the changing needs of the electronics industry are altering the face of the Earth
1843 | Putin’s next target
Estonia is girding itself for an invasion as its Russian minority grows restless
1843 | A historical guide to surviving and thriving in the court of Trump
Lessons from Thomas Cromwell and Niccolò Machiavelli about winning friends and influencing people in the White House
1843 | The curse of Kenya’s long-distance runners
Kelvin Kiptum had the world at his feet. Then it all ended in an instant
1843 | How Graham Hancock became conspiracy theorists’ favourite historian
His Netflix show claims to uncover the truth about our ancient past. Critics say he peddles dangerous nonsense