Podcast Ravenna: Capital of Empire, Crucible of Europe May 09, 2022 At the end of the fourth century, as the power of Rome faded and Constantinople became the seat of empire, a new capital city was rising in the West. Here, in Ravenna on the coast of Italy, Arian Goths and Catholic Romans competed to produce an unrivaled concentration of buildings and astonishing mosaics. Read More
Interview B茅n茅dicte Savoy on Africa鈥檚 Struggle for its Art May 09, 2022 For decades, African nations have fought for the return of countless works of art stolen during the colonial era and placed in Western museums. In聽Africa鈥檚 Struggle for Its Art, B茅n茅dicte Savoy brings to light this largely unknown but deeply important history. Read More
Essay Fortune鈥檚 knave April 11, 2022 In the spring of 1924, Stalin鈥檚 nemesis and rival, Lev Trotsky, told the 鈥淥ld Bolshevik鈥� Vladimir Smirnov, 鈥淪talin will become the dictator of the USSR.鈥� 鈥淪talin?鈥� Smirnov reacted. 鈥淏ut he is a mediocrity, a colorless non-entity.鈥� Read More
Interview Robert K. Durkee on The New 91桃色 Companion April 05, 2022 The New 91桃色 Companion, edited by Robert K. Durkee, former vice president and secretary of 91桃色 University, is both a compendium and a chronicle of one of America鈥檚 finest institutions of higher learning. Read More
Interview Michael Brenner on In Hitler鈥檚 Munich March 28, 2022 In the aftermath of Germany鈥檚 defeat in World War I and the failed November Revolution of 1918鈥�19, the conservative government of Bavaria identified Jews with left-wing radicalism. Read More
Essay Madison鈥檚 balancing act聽 March 22, 2022 The further the American Revolution recedes into history, the easier it is to miss just how close the United States of America came to being a divided collection of competing colonies under the punishing heel of an angry Britain. Read More
Reading List A playlist for Waterloo Sunrise March 07, 2022 There are cultural moments that implant themselves in our shared consciousness, impacting how we discuss or recall those times. If someone were to mention the early aughts, for example, chances are we could all point to an event, a celebrity, a song that represents the entire era, not just for one person, but for us all. Read More
Video PUP Speaks: Kyle Harper on a germ鈥檚-eye view of history November 30, 2021 In the immortal words of the rock band The Doors, people are strange. From nature鈥檚 perspective, human beings are highly unusual. Kyle Harper shows how humans became the irresistible hosts of so many diseases, and how it has shaped us as a species. Read More
Interview Margaret Jacobs on After One Hundred Winters November 09, 2021 After One Hundred Winters聽confronts the harsh truth that the United States was founded on the violent dispossession of Indigenous people and asks what reconciliation might mean in light of this haunted history. Read More
Podcast Listen in: After One Hundred Winters November 01, 2021 After One Hundred Winters聽confronts the harsh truth that the United States was founded on the violent dispossession of Indigenous people and asks what reconciliation might mean in light of this haunted history. Read More
Essay A social democratic surprise: The results of the German elections October 12, 2021 The first election after Chancellor Angela Merkel鈥檚 retirement was eagerly awaited, since it would show the direction of Germany鈥檚 and Europe鈥檚 future. Read More
Interview Kyle Harper on Plagues upon the Earth October 06, 2021 Plagues upon the Earth聽is a monumental history of humans and their germs. Weaving together a grand narrative of global history with insights from cutting-edge genetics, Kyle Harper explains why humanity鈥檚 uniquely dangerous disease pool is rooted deep in our evolutionary past, and why its growth is accelerated by technological progress. Read More
Essay A look inside City of Dreams October 03, 2021 On April 10, 1962, amid ceremony and celebration, Dodger Stadium, major league baseball鈥檚 modern showpiece, opened in Los Angeles, California. Read More
Essay The fall of Kabul and the new decolonization September 28, 2021 The collapse of the Western-backed regime in Afghanistan in August 2021, and the subsequent images of the chaotic retreat of the American-led forces from Kabul Airport鈥攇randiosely named after the former President of a now-defunct regime, Hamid Karzai鈥攆its easily into the photo album of contemporary history. Read More
Essay The three ages of India鈥檚 democracy August 26, 2021 The comparative study of democracies has long since determined that this type of regime warrants qualification. While liberal democracy remains an ideal form, many 鈥渉ybrids鈥� that blend this archetype with other political genres have long existed. Read More
