Initially circulated in the 14th century, "The Travels of Marco Polo" gave Europeans a glimpse into Far Eastern mysteries. But if Polo was an emissary to Kublai Khan, why isn't he mentioned, as are other foreigners, in the Khan's meticulous records? We'll delve into the ongoing dispute over the Venetian's veracity and very existence.

In Christianity's medieval battle to retake the Holy Land from Islam, the failure of wealthy Crusaders left a growing number of disgruntled Europeans. And so, in 1212, two 12-year-old boys began their own Crusade, and thousands of children tagged along. We reveal how these innocents paid the ultimate price in this spiritual warfare.

A Siberian peasant rises to power in Tsarist Russia, becomes the close confidante and reputed lover of Empress Alexandra, scandalizes the country with his drinking and womanizing, and after being poisoned, shot several times, and submerged in the Neva River's freezing waters, finally dies from drowning! We reveal the truth about the rise of the "Mad Monk" with the hypnotic gaze, using information from the newly uncovered "Rasputin File," a report originally prepared by the Russian secret police.

In 1941, the armies of two of history's most ruthless rulers clashed in the Ukraine. Soon after the Germans captured Kiev, it erupted in a week-long series of explosions. To retaliate, the S.S. machine-gunned over 30,000 Jews at Babi Yar. Many mysteries remain. What secrets did Hitler and Stalin try to bury in Kiev's rubble forever?

Sought by Western intelligence for over 20 years, his name was synonymous with political terrorism in the 1970s.

The heartbreaking story of Africans forcibly enslaved and shipped to America is a well-known tale; yet, it is just one tragic episode in the saga of world slavery. For nearly 6,000 years of recorded history, conquerors have imprisoned their enemies and forced them to act as laborers, warriors, and often sexual partners. It is a system that is responsible for the rise and fall of some of the world's greatest civilizations--and it's still going on today!

Ships sailing without a crew? Phantom destroyers? Boats that disappear, then reappear? The Flying Dutchman, the Mary Celeste, the Dash, the Teazer, and the more recent Joyita. Crews of these vessels vanished without a clue to their fates. We travel the seven seas seeking answers and hear from witnesses to the bizarre events.

From the earliest recorded references of the fighting sports to a modern octagon, where combatants beat each other to a bloody pulp, we learn why games of combat have always been and will continue to be a vital part of sports. We'll compare Western boxing, wrestling, and gladiator sports to more spiritually-based Eastern martial arts.