History

"Hegel was right when he said that we learn from history that man can never learn anything from history." — George Bernard Shaw

Staring into a Total Eclipse: On Adam Hochschild’s “American Midnight”
Robert Slayton examines Adam Hochschild’s “American Midnight.”
Robert SlaytonMar 16, 2023
- History
Skeletons in the Dungeon: Conspiracy Theory, Nationalism, and the French Revolution
Nicole Bauer explores how the French Revolution made conspiracy theory central to modern political discourse.
Nicole BauerMar 9, 2023
- History
Ingesting Mercury and the Noble Lie: On Anthony Barbieri-Low’s “The Many Lives of the First Emperor of China” and Shadi Bartsch’s “Plato Goes to China”
Leigh Jenco reviews Anthony Barbieri-Low’s “The Many Lives of the First Emperor of China” and Shadi Bartsch’s “Plato Goes to China: The Greek Classics and Chinese Nationalism.”
Leigh JencoMar 6, 2023
- History
Structures of Belonging and Nonbelonging: On Kirsten Silva Gruesz’s “Cotton Mather’s Spanish Lessons”
Joseph Rezek contemplates “Cotton Mather’s Spanish Lessons: A Story of Language, Race, and Belonging in the Early Americas” by Kirsten Silva Gruesz.
Joseph RezekFeb 1, 2023
- History
Let the Knife Speak: On José Rizal
Gina Apostol explores the works and cultural meanings of the great Filipino rebel-poet José Rizal.
Gina ApostolJan 30, 2023
- Fiction
- History
Democracy from the Ashes: On David Stuttard’s “Phoenix”
Elisabeth Lasch-Quinn reviews David Stuttard’s “Phoenix: A Father, a Son, and the Rise of Athens.”
Elisabeth Lasch-QuinnJan 29, 2023
- History
History of Smut: On Kelsy Burke’s “The Pornography Wars”
Whitney Strub considers Kelsy Burke’s “The Pornography Wars: The Past, Present, and Future of America’s Obscene Obsession.”
Whitney StrubJan 24, 2023
Hot Time in the BioCity: On Char Miller’s “Natural Consequences”
Peter Sebastian Chesney considers Char Miller’s “Natural Consequences: Intimate Essays for a Planet in Peril.”
Peter Sebastian ChesneyJan 20, 2023
- History
- Science & Technology
Competing Paradigms: On “The Last Writings of Thomas S. Kuhn”
Philosopher Paul Dicken reviews a new volume, “The Last Writings of Thomas S. Kuhn: Incommensurability in Science,” edited by Bojana Mladenović.
Paul DickenJan 16, 2023
Somewhat Nebulous Contours: On Sasha Senderovich’s “How the Soviet Jew Was Made”
Yelena Furman reviews Sasha Senderovich’s “How the Soviet Jew Was Made.”
Yelena FurmanJan 15, 2023
Enduring Divides: On Eve Fairbanks’s “The Inheritors”
Jean Hey considers Eve Fairbanks’s “The Inheritors: An Intimate Portrait of South Africa’s Racial Reckoning.”
Jean HeyJan 10, 2023
Abolition After the George Floyd Rebellion: On Jarrod Shanahan and Zhandarka Kurti’s “States of Incarceration”
Jason E. Smith reviews Zhandarka Kurti and Jarrod Shanahan’s “States of Incarceration: Rebellion, Reform, and America’s Punishment System.”
Jason E. SmithJan 4, 2023