A vibrant red street mural in Deventer, Netherlands, featuring the town's name in illustrated letters, with colorful umbrellas hanging over a medieval cobblestone alleyway

A Day in Deventer | Exploring the Medieval Heart of the Netherlands

The Long Reads | Travel Diaries There is a specific kind of quiet you only find in the Hanseatic cities of the Netherlands. Deventer, perched elegantly on the banks of the River IJssel, is a medieval masterpiece that feels world’s away from the neon glow of Amsterdam. Famous for its spicy Deventer Koek and the Victorian whimsy of its Dickens Festival, this quirky riverside gem is where history actually breathes. Field Notes Country: the Netherlands…

A silhouette of a figure leaping triumphantly from a platform into a shimmering golden vortex of light, symbolizing the empowerment of taking responsibility. Header for 'The Long Reads' by Jon & Caz Cole.

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Own it: The Power of Taking Responsibility

The Long Reads📜 | Life & Legacy Is hindsight a burden or a gift? Explore how awareness and personal ownership turn responsibility into your ultimate superpower. The Myth of the Objective Truth Growth and personal freedom begin when we stop blaming and start owning. Responsibility isn’t a burden — it’s your superpower. Own your choices, own your power. Short on time? Jump straight to the One-Minute Guide: Six Steps to Self-Improvement for the actionable summary of this…

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Images of the Past

The Long Reads 📜 | Life & Legacy Do Images of the Past Influence our Perception of the present? How reliable are our memories? My father used to film and photograph the three of us growing up: my brother, sister, and me. An 8mm film camera and slides. I remember sitting in the living room after a family holiday, the curtains closed, the whirring sound of the projector aimed at the wall. Those were the…

A silhouette perspective of legs in vibrant orange and black striped tights and Mary Jane shoes, standing on a crosswalk against a detailed, crowded city street. Header for 'The Long Reads' by Jon & Caz Cole.

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Dare to Stand Out

The Long Reads📜 | Life & Legacy Or are you obsessed with being part of the herd? Discover the courage required to embrace your unique path and step away from the collective normal. The Psychology of the Collective Normal Growth and personal freedom begin when we stop hiding and start showing up as ourselves. Choosing to be different isn’t a rebellion — it’s an evolution. Own your uniqueness, own your power.

Historical black and white photograph from 1940 showing thousands of Allied soldiers queued on the beaches of Dunkirk during the evacuation. This header image includes the title 'THE MIRACLE OF DUNKIRK' on a black top banner.

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Did the Battle of Dunkirk stop the Axis winning WWII?

The Long Reads📜 | Bite-Size History The Miracle of Dunkirk: How Operation Dynamo Saved an Army. Examining the theories and counter-theories from May-June 1940 The “Conventional” Wisdom about the Battle of Dunkirk and Operation Dynamo The successful, relentless advance by German Army Group A under the direction of Generaloberst Gerd von Rundstedt, under operation Fall Gelb (Case Yellow), left over 400,000 Allied troops trapped at Dunkirk, their backs to the sea, forced to abandon all their…

A warm, sunlit writer's desk featuring two coffee mugs labeled Jon and Caz, a vintage typewriter with a page reading 'A paper trail of thoughts and ink-stained dreams', and an open notebook surrounded by books and ink bottles.

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Ink-Stained Hearts: A Shared Life in Words

The Long Reads📜| Life & Legacy The best partnerships aren’t just a meeting of people, but a collision of worlds. For us, it was an instant recognition of a shared spirit — wanting to live a life building a dream together through words, books, and music, fuelled by coffee, ink, and an ongoing curiosity into life and all that surrounds us. We felt and became “Ink-Stained Hearts” and started our shared life together amidst an…

Black and white historical photograph of the USS Arizona sinking under a thick cloud of black smoke during the Pearl Harbor attack, featuring "The Long Reads" branding for Jon & Caz Cole.

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Was the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack avoidable?

The Long Reads📜 | Bite-Size History A day of infamy. Analysing the evidence of Japan’s declaration on war on the US. Where were you when the Twin Towers were attacked? Where were you when American President J.F. Kennedy was assassinated? Do you know where you were when Princess Diana tragically died? For certain generations, that pivotal seismic event was the Japanese bombing of the US Naval Station at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. And…