History

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

Dodging the Censor
A new book about the impact of literary censorship in the long 18th century.
Jake FuchsMar 20, 2020
Sin, Glamour, and Photography in Hollywood’s Golden Age: On Two Books by Mark A. Vieira
Chris Yogerst praises two books by Mark A. Vieira that document pre-Code Hollywood history through vivid pictures and astute storytelling.
Chris YogerstMar 14, 2020
What It All Meant: A Conversation with Alex Halberstadt
Meredith Maran interviews Alex Halberstadt about his debut memoir, “Young Heroes of the Soviet Union: A Memoir and a Reckoning.”
Meredith MaranMar 10, 2020
- History
- Memoir & Essay
The Logic of the Rebel: On Simone Weil and Albert Camus
Robert Zaretsky considers Albert Camus’s posthumous friendship with Simone Weil.
Robert ZaretskyMar 7, 2020
Oliver Morton: Science Journalism and Humanity’s Fascination with the Moon
Eliot Peper talks to Oliver Morton about his new book, "The Moon: A History for the Future."
Eliot PeperMar 6, 2020
Thinking Like a Plant: On Daniel Belgrad’s “The Culture of Feedback: Ecological Thinking in ’70s America”
Lewis Page considers “The Culture of Feedback: Ecological Thinking in ’70s America” by Daniel Belgrad.
Lewis PageMar 5, 2020
- Cultural Studies
- History
An Epic Struggle for Mastery of a Subcontinent
Priya Satia reviews William Dalrymple's "The Anarchy: The East India Company, Corporate Violence, and the Pillage of an Empire."
Priya SatiaMar 3, 2020
Histories of Violence: Unlearning History
Brad Evans speaks with Ariella Aïsha Azoulay, whose most recent book is “Potential History: Unlearning Imperialism.”
Brad EvansMar 2, 2020
- Histories of Violence
- History
Undercover Lovers, or How The CIA Became Style
Greg Barnhisel considers how our stories about the Cold War are evolving from politically urgent realist narratives to a narrative convention itself.
Greg BarnhiselMar 1, 2020
The Voices from Inside: On “Prison Truth”
A history of a California prison newspaper says a lot about changing attitudes toward the incarcerated.
Robin Kaiser-SchatzleinMar 1, 2020
- History
- Politics
The Road to Glory: Faulkner’s Hollywood Years, 1932–1936
Lisa C. Hickman reconstructs William Faulkner’s tumultuous Hollywood sojourn of 1932–1936.
Lisa C. HickmanFeb 27, 2020
- History
- Nonfiction
Mescaline’s Bio, Soberly Considered
Philip Alcabes considers Mike Jay’s biography of the psychedelic drug mescaline.
Philip AlcabesFeb 26, 2020
- History
- Science & Technology