History

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

Destiny Averted: Mining the Past to Save the Future
War with China might be likely but it is not inevitable, says Graham Allison’s sobering new book about great powers.
Joshua M. SilversteinAug 5, 2017
- History
- Politics
The Peace Coalition: On Michael Kazin’s “War Against War: The American Fight for Peace, 1914-1918”
Lauren Jannette reviews “War Against War: The American Fight for Peace, 1914-1918” by Michael Kazin.
Lauren JannetteAug 4, 2017
- History
Desperate Straights: David Weigel on the Rise and Fall of Prog Rock
Anthony Mostrom revisits the cult of prog rock.
Anthony MostromAug 4, 2017
- History
- Music
The Fallacy of “The Turning Point” — A Critical Look at Mark Bowden’s History of the Battle of Huế
An otherwise admirable history of a single battle is hampered by a simplified thesis and excessive credit given to the “turning point theory” of history.
Gregory A. DaddisJul 31, 2017
- History
- Politics
“I Write on Human Skin”: Catherine the Great and the Rule of Law
Robert Zaretsky reflects on 250th anniversary of Catherine the Great’s Legislative Commission to propose a new code of law for the Russian Empire.
Robert ZaretskyJul 30, 2017
- History
Marketing Modernism
Loren Glass surveys the many strengths of Lise Jaillant's "Cheap Modernism: Expanding Markets, Publishers’ Series and the Avant-Garde."
Loren GlassJul 29, 2017
Ignore History at Your Own Urban Peril
Austin Allyn reviews Alexander Vasudevan's new history of urban squatting.
Austin AllynJul 25, 2017
- History
- Politics
Crime and Publishing: The Story of Jack Abbott and Norman Mailer
Remembering Jack Abbott, the convicted murderer who was Norman Mailer’s literary protégé.
Rachel MonroeJul 23, 2017
- Biography & Autobiography
- History
Rough Men Standing Ready: On Mark Moyar’s History of US Special Ops
Henrik Bering vets “Oppose Any Foe: The Rise of America’s Special Operations Forces” by Mark Moyar.
Henrik BeringJul 20, 2017
- History
- Politics
A Test of American Traditions: Timothy Snyder’s “On Tyranny”
Darryl Holter appreciates the lessons of “On Tyranny” by Timothy Snyder.
Darryl HolterJul 12, 2017
- History
- Politics
Red Dawn: On China Miéville’s Urgent Retelling of the Russian Revolution
Alci Rengifo is stirred by “October: The Story of the Russian Revolution” by China Miéville.
Alci RengifoJul 8, 2017
Russia 1917: You Are There
China Miéville makes the Russian Revolution come alive in an excellent popular history.
Carl FreedmanJul 8, 2017