Photo Essay

Russia's Big Backyard

A grand tour of the stunningly diverse former Soviet states.

CAPTIONS BY SUZANNE MERKELSON | AUGUST 19, 2011

Calling All Comrades!

The long-lost propaganda posters that rallied the Soviets against Hitler.

AUGUST 19, 2011

Tour the South China Sea

A visual guide to understanding the conflict.

BY PHILIP WALKER | AUGUST 15, 2011

Once Upon a Time in Damascus

Stunning photos of Syria in a simpler day.

BY TY MCCORMICK | AUGUST 4, 2011

See No Evil

The war in Afghanistan, minus the warriors.

IMAGES BY OMAR MULLICK | AUGUST 1, 2011

Outside the Wire

Three months beyond the base in Afghanistan.

IMAGES BY TIVADAR DOMANICZKY | JULY 28, 2011

Female Engagement

In Afghanistan, a Marine's work is never done.

IMAGES BY RITA LEISTNER | JULY 27, 2011

Heavy Metal

U.S. Marines on the front lines of Afghanistan.

IMAGES BY TERU KUWAYAMA | JULY 26, 2011

The War in Hipstamatic

A rare and beautiful look at Afghanistan, through an iPhone. 

IMAGES BY BALAZS GARDI | JULY 25, 2011

Cambodia's Moment of Truth

Thirty-two years after the fall of the brutal Khmer Rouge regime, Cambodia finally confronts its horrific past.

BY PHILIP WALKER | JULY 20, 2011

From Khartoum to Juba

Images of Sudan and its people on the eve of the country's division.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY TIM MCKULKA | JULY 7, 2011

Ain't No Party Like the Communist Party

A look back at 90 years of the Communist Party in China.

CAPTIONS BY TY MCCORMICK | JULY 1, 2011

The Least Free Places on Earth, 2011

20 places with nothing to celebrate this weekend.

TEXT BY FREEDOM HOUSE | JULY 1, 2011

Chairman Mao's Technicolor Dream World

A short history of China's propaganda art.

CAPTIONS BY EDMUND DOWNIE | JUNE 30, 2011

In the Wake of Disaster

The aftermath of the Tohoku tsunami.

JUNE 30, 2011

Once Upon a Time in Bombay

From horse-drawn carriages to rugby players, street scenes of India's megalopolis at the turn of the century.

CAPTIONS BY TY MCCORMICK | JUNE 24, 2011

Postcards from Hell, 2011

Images from the world's most failed states.

BY ELIZABETH DICKINSON | JUNE 20, 2011

A Kremlin Built for Two

Putin and Medvedev through the years.

BY JOSHUA E. KEATING | JUNE 20, 2011

Gorby, the Man Who Changed the World

Life in the limelight for the West's favorite Soviet.

BY EDMUND DOWNIE, SOPHIA JONES | JUNE 20, 2011

Paradise Lost

Scratching out a living in the snows and slums of Mongolia.

JUNE 9, 2011

It's Their Country, Too

Children on the increasingly violent frontlines of the Arab Spring face an unknown future for themselves and their countries.

MAY 27, 2011

Blood and Gold

Welcome to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the warzone that helps make your iPhone.

MAY 12, 2011

War Dog II

The legend of the bin Laden hunter continues.

BY REBECCA FRANKEL | MAY 12, 2011

The Few, the Proud, the Unready

Can Afghanistan's army stand on its own?

MAY 10, 2011

The Worst Places to Be a Mother

Save the Children lists 10 countries where motherhood is a daily, life-or-death struggle.

MAY 6, 2011

War Dog

There's a reason they brought one to get Osama bin Laden.

BY REBECCA FRANKEL | MAY 4, 2011

The Killer’s Lair

Scenes from Osama bin Laden’s hideout.

MAY 4, 2011

Killer SEALs

A rare behind-the-scenes glimpse at the nation's most elite military unit.

MAY 3, 2011

Once Upon a Time in Egypt

Beaches and bikinis from when Alexandria was Club Med.

APRIL 25, 2011

Bombs Away

A look at Qaddafi's arsenal, now in rebel hands.

BY PETER BOUCKAERT | APRIL 8, 2011