National Geographic History Magazine January/February 2026

by National Geographic Society

To stitch their vast empire together, Roman engineers built on knowledge gained from Greece, Italy, and Egypt—expanding it to new scales. Roads, bridges, aqueducts, and ports were skillfully built to last, many of which have survived centuries beyond the empire itself. Other features in this issue include:

Lethal Libations: The United States banned the sale of drinkable alcohol from 1920 to 1933. Industrial alcohol was laced with chemicals to deter bootleggers — a government policy widely known, yet disregarded – and some 10,000 people succumbed to the poisoned drink.

Sacred Script of the Egyptians: During the time of Egypt’s earliest rulers at the close of the fourth millennium B.C., animal figures carved on stone and ivory foreshadowed the hieroglyphic script that would define pharaonic civilization. Whether these early marks were writing or symbols is still debated.

Sack of Constantinople: Launched to reclaim Jerusalem, the Fourth Crusade ultimately diverted to the Christian city of Constantinople, where crusaders exploited political disputes, seized the city by force, and looted its treasures, leaving a lasting impact on Byzantine and European history.

100 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2026

About the author

The National Geographic Society (NGS), headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations in the world.
Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical conservation, and the study of world culture and history. The National Geographic Society's logo is a yellow portrait frame—rectangular in shape—which appears on the margins surrounding the front covers of its magazines and as its television channel logo. Through National Geographic Partners (a joint venture with The Walt Disney Company), the Society operates the magazine, TV channels, a website, worldwide events, and other media operations.

Reviews

[جلجامش Nabeel]

A lovely edition, I enjoyed it too much.