History

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

Truth Itself Becomes Suspicious: On Rob Brotherton’s “Bad News: Why We Fall for Fake News”
Athia Hardt reviews "Bad News," the new book from Rob Brotherton.
Athia HardtSep 5, 2020
- History
- Politics
Cousins Like Us: Black Lives and John Maynard Keynes
Taylor Beck, a white writer, is discovered by his black cousin; they are both descended from the same slave owner.
Taylor BeckSep 4, 2020
A Hope Machine: On Jeffrey Brooks’s “The Firebird and the Fox: Russian Culture under Tsars and Bolsheviks”
Caryl Emerson pursues “The Firebird and the Fox: Russian Culture under Tsars and Bolsheviks” by Jeffrey Brooks.
Caryl EmersonSep 2, 2020
Enchanting Disenchantment
Peter Harrison reviews "Unbelievers: An Emotional History of Doubt," a recently published book by Alec Ryrie.
Peter HarrisonSep 2, 2020
- History
- Religion
East of the Eastside
A crowd-sourced history of a neglected SoCal community.
Héctor TobarSep 1, 2020
- History
- Memoir & Essay
The Work of Analogy: On Isabel Wilkerson’s “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents”
A sweeping new book reevaluates the American conception of race and class.
Anupama RaoSep 1, 2020
No Mere Slogans: On Isabel Wilkerson’s “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents”
Yogita Goyal reviews Isabel Wilkerson’s new book, “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents.”
Yogita GoyalSep 1, 2020
Monstre Sacré: The Life and Times of Franklin E. Kameny
Michael Nava reviews “The Deviant’s War: The Homosexual vs. the United States of America,” Eric Cervini’s exhaustive new history.
Michael NavaAug 31, 2020
Piracy and Power: A Conversation with Steven Johnson
Benedict Cosgrove interviews Steven Johnson, the author of “Enemy of All Mankind.”
Benedict CosgroveAug 29, 2020
- History
Migration as Bio-Resilience: On Sonia Shah’s “The Next Great Migration”
Reviewing Sonia Shah’s recent book, John Washington shows how a nuanced understanding of migration’s critical import has been a long time coming.
John B. WashingtonAug 26, 2020
The Conspiracy on Pushkin Street: The Costs of Humor in the USSR
Jonathan Waterlow considers the high cost of humor under repressive regimes.
Jonathan WaterlowAug 25, 2020
How Defunding Abusive Institutions Goes Wrong, and How We Can Do It Right
Defunding the police and prisons won’t work if we defund it like we did mental institutions in the 1960s.
Neil GongAug 24, 2020
- History
- Politics