History

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

Talking God in the United States
Rachel Gordan reviews "Religious Freedom: The Contested History of an American Ideal" by Tisa Wenger.
Rachel GordanAug 31, 2017
Barnum Presidents and Benevolent Monopolists: Mark Twain, Amazon, and the Futility of Antitrust
With Amazon's acquisition of Whole Foods, it's time to remember when Twain asked a deceptively simple question: who benefits from the breakup of a monopoly?
Matt SeyboldAug 30, 2017
The Mexican Constitution Celebrates Its Centennial — and Mexico Celebrates Its Revolution
Lois Parkinson Zamora traces the on-going narratives of the Mexican Revolution, and by extension, the Constitution of 1917.
Lois Parkinson ZamoraAug 26, 2017
- History
- Politics
How Fragile We Were: Why the United States Almost Failed Early
The Trump era wasn’t this nation’s first constitutional mess; the worst one happened almost right after we had a Constitution, argues a new book.
Monica RicoAug 24, 2017
- History
- Politics
Midwest Interludes: Three Vignettes of the Chicago Renaissance
Liesl Olson shares three vignettes from “Chicago Renaissance: Literature and Art in the Midwest Metropolis.”
Liesl OlsonAug 22, 2017
- History
A Pear, a Bear, and Some Hair: Caricature and Freedom of the Press
Victoria Dailey considers the art of caricature and freedom of the press under Louis Philippe and Donald Trump.
Victoria DaileyAug 21, 2017
Soviet Pseudoscience: The History of Mind Control
The long, strange history of Soviet mind control experiments.
Giovanni VimercatiAug 20, 2017
- History
- Science & Technology
The Bodies We Won’t See: Gary Simmons and “Face to Face” at the California African American Museum
Evan Kleekamp on several exhibits currently at the California African American Museum.
Evan KleekampAug 19, 2017
- Art & Architecture
- History
From Pariahs to the Privileged: On Keri Leigh Merritt’s “Masterless Men”
"As poor whites began to enjoy more of the privileges of whiteness, symbols of the slaveholders’ crusade came to represent general whiteness."
Steven WhiteAug 19, 2017
- History
- Politics
Red House: The Rise and Fall of Bolshevism Under One Roof
Max Holleran reviews “The House of Government: A Saga of the Russian Revolution” by Yuri Slezkine.
Max HolleranAug 16, 2017
Awaiting the Real Day: An Excerpt from Yuri Slezkine’s “The House of Government: A Saga of the Russian Revolution”
An excerpt from “The House of Government: A Saga of the Russian Revolution” by Yuri Slezkine, published this month by Princeton University Press.
Yuri SlezkineAug 16, 2017
The Newark Rebellion at 50, and the Ghost of Ron Porambo
On the 50th anniversary of the Newark riots, our reviewer remembers the most important book to come out of the event that you’ve never heard of.
Eric NelsonAug 14, 2017
- History
- Politics