Pandemic Collection

Ancient Ebla Opens a New Chapter of History { Splendor of an Unknown Empire: Ebla; Ebla: Splendor of an Unknown Empire}
Excavators in northwestern Syria unearth a great city called Ebla, seat of a realm that rivaled the mightiest early civilizations, writes Howard La Fay. Photographs by James L. Stanfield, paintings by Louis S. Glanzman.
Crossing the Atlantic by Balloon { [Double Eagle II] Leaps the Atlantic; [ Double Eagle II] Has Landed! }
Three enterprising Americans, Ben L. Ambruzzo, Maxie L. Anderson, and Larry Newman, describe their pioneer flight to Europe, a feat that eluded aeronauts for more than a century. With photographs by Double Eagle II crew and others.
Ontario: Canada's Keystone
David S. Boyer and Sam Abell travel from metropolis to muskeg across the province that pulses as the heartland of Canadian unity.
Epitaph for a Killer? { Total Victory Over Smallpox? ; Smallpox- -Epitaph for a Killer? }
After an all- out global war, smallpox threatens no more, reports Dr. Donald A. Henderson, who led the successful campaign. The only live smallpox virus now left is held in laboratories. Photographer Marion Kaplan records the final victory in Africa.
Winterkeeping in Yellowstone
When tourist throngs leave and the snows come, R. Steven Fuller and his family stay behind to guard shuttered cabins and lodges above the Yellowstone River. It's a lonely life, but full of beauty and special reward.
Thor Heyerdahl Sails in the Wake of Sumerian Voyagers { [Tigris] Sails Into the Past}
In a ship of reeds based on craft of 5, 000 years ago, explorer Thor Heyerdahl follows the wake of forgotten Sumerian mariners. Carlo Mauri and other crewmen photograph the voyage.

Central Asia: The Stans { Central Asia Unveiled}
Central Asia Unveiled From Kazakhs in the north to Pashtun in Pakistan, over 100 ethnic groups call these storied lands home. BY MIKE EDWARDS
Cuba Reefs: Undersea Eden { Cuba Reefs: A Last Caribbean Refuge}
Cuba Reefs Gardens of sponges and exotic fish bloom in the pristine cays of Cuba, the Caribbean's largest submerged island shelf. BY PETER BENCHLEY PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVID DOUBILET
Mount Etna Ignites { Etna Ignites}
Mount Etna Ignites Europe's tallest active volcano erupts in grandeur, enthralling Sicilians and intriguing scientists. BY MARCO PINNA PHOTOGRAPHS BY CARSTEN PETER
Leap of Faith { Salt Lake Valley: Olympic Leap of Faith; Salt Lake Valley's Leap of Faith}
Salt Lake Valley Wedged between snowy peaks and its name- sake lake, this fast- growing oasis is ready for its Olympic debut. BY LISA MOORE LAROE PHOTOGRAPHS BY ROBB KENDRICK
A Beginning
War on Disease Microbes threaten billions of people in a world weakened by poverty, war, lack of clean water, and inattention. Former President Jimmy Carter introduces a series examining Challenges for Humanity in the 21st century. BY RICK WEISS PHOTOGR
AIDS Turns 20 { Search for a Cure; Amid the Unrelenting Spread of AIDS: Search for a Cure}
Search for a Cure Will a vaccine ever suppress HIV, the elusive virus that has caused immeasurable suffering- and more than 20 million AIDS deaths throughout the world? BY MICHAEL KLESIUS PHOTOGRAPHS BY KAREN KASMAUSKI
Elkton, Maryland: The Wedding Zip { ZipUSA: The Marrying Place: 21921; ZipUSA: Elkton, Maryland}
ZipUSA: Elkton, Maryland Where no- wait marriages once drew movie stars, thousands of couples still come each year to say I do. BY MICHAEL E. LONG PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVID ALAN HARVEY

Supplement:

ANTARCTICA: A NEW AGE OF EXPLORATION ( side 2)(20 1/4 x 31 1/4 inches)
Topographic map created by BEDMAP consortium. ; Included: Terrain model of Antarctica' s bedrock landscape overlaid with satellite imagery of surface details; insets show erosion of ice shelves, emergence of Antarctica as a separate continent, ice sheet
ANTARCTICA: A NEW AGE OF EXPLORATION ( side 1)(20 1/4 x 31 1/4 inches)
Included: Digital mosaic of Antarctica compiled from 4, 500 scans by Canadian Space Agency' s Radarsat I in 1997 during the first Antarctic Mapping Mission, a joint project of CSA and NASA; insets show surface elevation, ice sheet thickness, ice flow vel

Last Days of a Storm Chaser

For years Time Samaras pursued tornadoes for the sake of science, always taking great pains to stay safe. Then came the storm of May 2013.

Paradise Revisited

Seventeen years ago David Doubilet fell in love with the reefs of Kimbe Bay. At long last, he has returned to the Pacific paradise.

Mapping a New America

On a venture to rival Lewis and Clark's, we're exploring our vast watery frontier.

The War for Nigeria

They call it "the crisis": Islamist terrorists are trying to gain control of the north.

Norway's Otherworldly Coast

It has 63,000 miles of fjords, bays, island shores.

Vicki Jensen: Virus Catcher

In her airtight space suit she looks for cures.

Excavation Impossible

When digging is taboo, fate may unearth the past.