History

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

The Bloody History of Bible Translators
The poet Willis Barnstone on the dangers of translating the Bible.
Willis BarnstoneNov 11, 2017
- History
- Religion
Helena Modjeska: California’s Stage Star
Gerald Maa on Helena Modjeska, the quintessentially Californian immigrant, homesteader, and theatrical star.
Gerald MaaNov 4, 2017
- Around the World
- History
Wiry Minstrels and Bloodletting Monster: William McKeen’s “Everybody Had an Ocean: Music and Mayhem in 1960s Los Angeles”
Anthony Mostrom breezes through “Everybody Had an Ocean: Music and Mayhem in 1960s Los Angeles” by William McKeen.
Anthony MostromOct 29, 2017
- History
- Music
Speak, Mongoose: On “Gef!: The Strange Tale of an Extra-Special Talking Mongoose”
Colin Dickey on the tale of a talking mongoose.
Colin DickeyOct 29, 2017
- History
Female Code Warriors
Two new books on female codebreakers.
Joseph PeschelOct 28, 2017
Above the Fray
Aurelian Craiutu reviews John Avlon's "Washington’s Farewell: The Founding Father’s Warning to Future Generations."
Aurelian CraiutuOct 28, 2017
- History
- Politics
The Party’s Over: Looking Back on Communism
Patrick Iber reviews two new books on communism and its aftermath.
Patrick IberOct 24, 2017
- Around the World
- History
Hollywood, Los Angeles Spies, and the Underground Battle Against Hitler
Two new books tell the story of how one alarmed volunteer in L.A.’s Jewish community helped take down Nazi spies in the years leading up to World War II.
Chris YogerstOct 23, 2017
- History
- Politics
Street Fighting Men: Antifa’s Origins in the ’60s and ’70s
Mark Bray misses opportunities to convincingly rebut antifa skeptics.
Luca ProvenzanoOct 21, 2017
- History
- Politics
Nights of the Mu-Tron III: On Peter Conners’s “Cornell ’77” and the Mystique of the Grateful Dead
Eric Gudas on “Cornell ’77” by Peter Conners and the Grateful Dead’s live acts and recorded legacy.
Eric GudasOct 20, 2017
- History
- Music
To Be Continued, or Who Lost the Civil War?
Keenan Norris on the durability of Confederate kitsch.
Keenan NorrisOct 12, 2017
- History
- Politics
How Skiffle Changed the World: A Conversation with Billy Bragg
Scott Timberg interviews singer-songwriter Billy Bragg about his new book, “Roots, Radicals and Rockers: How Skiffle Changed the World.”
Scott TimbergOct 8, 2017
- History
- Music