History is full of long, drawn-out wars that claimed years and generations. But in 1896, one battle ended before the morning coffee cooled. It was loud and shockingly swift—the Anglo-Zanzibar War, ...

Should it even be called a war? Maybe a scuffle, an argument, or a brief act of defiance. When we think of wars, we often picture drawn-out battles and prolonged conflicts that stretch on for weeks, ...