Matthew Burke articles

Olive Oatman was one of the only survivors of a gruesome tragedy that destroyed her family. Captured by an Indigenous tribe, she witnessed the unthinkable. Sadly, this created a twisted ripple effect—with her memories haunting her right to the bitter end.

The world can be a vast, terrifying place—but some locations have utterly chilling histories that aren't for the faint of heart.

Hoping to elevate their status among the English nobility, the family of Bess Raleigh couldn’t have been happier when she married a man of great influence and grew closer to the Queen. However, the rebellious streak that had followed her family for ages eventually caught up with her. Still, she clearly had no regrets about anything that led to this ultimate fall from grace—especially since she did it all for love.

Napoleon's ego-driven ambition and military conquests left a legacy of devastation and upheaval that is still remembered with bitterness by many.

Mary FitzRoy was born into a powerful and ambitious noble family in 16th century England, and her prospects only improved when she married the illegitimate son of the King. The untimely loss of her husband, however, threw the young Duchess into a whirlwind of political brinksmanship, betrayal, and battle. The unassumingly clever Mary, however, proved more than capable of handling herself.

Judith Exner, previously Judith Campbell, was an all-American gal who rubbed elbows with some of the most famous, powerful, and shady men in the mid-20th century US. The revelations of her sordid affairs with a crooner, a couple of mobsters, and the President of the United States caused shockwaves in the media—and all that unwanted attention took its toll on her.

What Christopher Columbus did for America, Captain James Cook did for the Pacific—with all the baggage that entails. A restless explorer who didn’t know when to stop, Cook paid a high price for his ambitions, yet his shocking decline and infamous end have been shrouded in mystery for centuries. Only, historians now have disturbing answers.

J Edgar Hoover is one of the most odious figures in American history. Anointed as the first FBI Director, he is among the longest serving law enforcement leaders the country has known. But behind his thin veneer of public service lay a laundry list of concealed secrets, both professional and personal.