Ep. 65 – The History of Intelligence
A look at the history of intelligence and espionage from Biblical times to social media misinformation. Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | Soundcloud
Ep. 63 – The History of Vampires
We’re discussing where vampires came from, how they’ve evolved, and why they continue to fascinate us today. Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | Soundcloud
Zionism and Human Rights: A Conversation with Historian James Loeffler
Human rights are universal. They belong to everyone, as the term implies. But the movement for human rights is a story grounded in particulars: a time, a place, a group of people. That story is told, brilliantly and for the first time, in Rooted Cosmopolitans: Jews and Human Rights in
The Future of International Institutions and Soft Balancing
T.V. Paul- With the arrival of populist leaders in the US and in Europe, the question is often raised regarding the future of international institutions, one of the three key pillars of the liberal international order, the other two being democracy and economic interdependence. A key function of international institutions
The Boasian Circle: Intellectual Kinship and Racial Privilege
Ned Blackhawk and Isaiah Lorado Wilner— The circle of scholars, authors, and intellectuals who shaped, and were shaped by, the anthropologist Franz Boas is wide and varied. Indeed, the intellectual legacies of this “Boasian Circle” cross disciplines, national boundaries, and hemispheres. Boas and his intellectual network provide a lens to
How an Epic Painting Became a Monumental Flop: The Perils of Art and Politics
Katie Hornstein — Powerful rulers have always relied on visual images to bolster their standing and seek public support for their military endeavors. While these sorts of images can be broadly understood as propaganda, the question of their effectiveness as art in the service of power is anything but assured,
European Couples: Mussolini and Hitler
Christian Goeschel— On July 20, 1944, a bomb exploded in the Wolf’s Lair, Adolf Hitler’s East Prussian Headquarters. The Nazi leader survived. Hours later, he received Benito Mussolini. This would be the final encounter between Mussolini and Hitler, leaders of Europe’s most significant fascist dictatorships. It took place almost exactly
The Original Constitution of the United States: Religion, Race, and Gender
Many who declare that Americans in 2018 should stick to the original words of the United States Constitution, ratified in 1788, fail to acknowledge that in reality the nation has been ruled by a substantially different Constitution for the past 150 years. The Union victory in 1865, and the amendments
Harvey Milk’s Jewish Identity
Lillian Faderman— The Jewish identity of Harvey Milk—arguably the most famous gay man in modern history—was as important to who he was and what he did as his gay identity. In San Francisco where he became a prominent gay leader and politician in the 1970s, he often introduced himself as
The Hero and the Madman: Two American Myths
Mary Stockwell— Even the most hidebound analytical historian can’t resist the archetype of the hero. The hero comes forward at the beginning of great events, sets out on a quest, often against a terrifying foe, and in the process wins glory for himself. At the founding of the United States, one