History

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

Foundations of Solidarity: Zeina Maasri Answers
Zeina Maasri speaks with Helen Mackreath about visual ephemera of resistance, postcolonial sites of dissensus, and erasures within the decolonizing moment.
Helen MackreathNov 26, 2021
- History
- Politics
Margins of History: On Shay Hazkani’s “Dear Palestine: A Social History of the 1948 War”
David N. Myers finds that “Dear Palestine: A Social History of the 1948 War” by Shay Hazkani upends received wisdom.
David N. MyersNov 24, 2021
- History
Letter to the Editor: Kyle Harper Responds to Monica H. Green
Kyle Harper and Monica H. Green exchange thoughts on Green’s review of Harper’s book, “Plagues Upon the Earth: Disease and the Course of Human History.”
Kyle Harper, Monica H. GreenNov 21, 2021
- History
- Pasts Imperfect
Down to the Wire in Old Shanghai: On James Carter’s “Champions Day”
Taoyu Yang reviews James Carter’s “Champions Day: The End of Old Shanghai.”
Taoyu YangNov 17, 2021
- History
Selling Menthol: On Keith Wailoo’s “Pushing Cool”
A history of the menthol cigarette and its effects on Black people.
Vesper NorthOct 31, 2021
- History
On the Chinese Cultural Revolution: Thought Exercises for the 21st Century
LARB presents a conversation with four scholars on the Chinese Cultural Revolution: Lingchei Letty Chen, Nan Z. Da, Frank Dikötter, and Jie Li.
Frank Dikötter, Jie Li, Lingchei Letty Chen, Nan Z. DaOct 22, 2021
- History
Perfecting Diseases’ Pasts: On Kyle Harper’s “Plagues Upon the Earth”
LARB presents the third entry in “Pasts Imperfect,” a column that explores the impact of ancient pasts on the present.
Monica H. GreenOct 18, 2021
- History
- Pasts Imperfect
What Happened Here in Munich: An Interview with Mirjam Zadoff
Laurie Winer talks with Mirjam Zadoff, director of the Munich Documentation Centre for the History of National Socialism.
Laurie WinerOct 16, 2021
- History
The “Decline and Fall” of Rome — A Dangerous Idea?
Ronald Mellor reviews "The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea" by Edward J. Watts.
Ronald MellorOct 8, 2021
- History
Ballet in the City: Jewish Contributions to the Performing Arts in 1930s Shanghai
How European Jewish refugees brought ballet to China.
Susan Blumberg-KasonSep 18, 2021
- History
Wellspring
The classic story of the child down the well played out in Southern California at the dawn of television.
Jeffrey BurbankSep 13, 2021
- History
The Colonial Mentality, Past and Present
Ronjaunee Chatterjee reviews "The Global Indies: British Imperial Culture and the Reshaping of the World, 1756–1815" by Ashley L. Cohen.
Ronjaunee ChatterjeeSep 3, 2021
- History