Kashmir: Trapped in Conflict
By Lewis M. Simons
Photographs by Steve McCurry

India, Pakistan, and Kashmiri separatists continue their increasingly dangerous struggle over Himalayan territory that once delighted residents and travelers alike.

Around At Last!
By Bertrand Piccard

In March of this year, Swiss doctor Bertrand Piccard and British balloon instructor Brian Jones became the first balloonists to circle the globe nonstop. In an exclusive account, Piccard describes their journey.

Masai Passage to Manhood
Article and photographs by Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher

In an elaborate, emotional ceremony Africa’s Masai elevate warriors to the status of elders.

Olive Oil, Elixir of the Gods
By Erla Zwingle
Photographs by Ira Block

The world is discovering what Mediterranean peoples have known for millennia: The salubrious oil of the olive is an essential ingredient of the good life.

Preserving the Sahara’s Art
Article and Photographs by David Coulson

Researchers make a cast of monumental giraffes carved into desert stone 7,000 years ago in Niger.

Hunting With Eagles
By Candice S. Millard
Photographs by David Edwards

On the plateau of western Mongolia, ethnic Kazakhs practice a centuries-old tradition.

Rodeos—Behind the Chutes
By Michael Parfit
Photographs by William Albert Allard

Getting bruised and broken more for love than money, cowboys wrangle broncs, wrestle steers, and otherwise get their kicks at dirt rings across the U.S. and Canada.

• Are rodeos exciting or exploitive? Read the complete story and add your views to our forum.
• See video of real rodeo action.

Galileo Mission
By William R. Newcott

NASA’s once troubled Jupiter spacecraft captures astounding images of the king of planets and its intriguing moons.

Science—Asking Infinite Questions; Unveiling the Universe; Secrets of the Gene; Valley of the Mummies; Cuba’s Colonial Treasure; George Mallory; The Last Dive.