History

Exile in Asolo

Holly Hurlburt— Eventually, Asolo casts its spell. Yet our beginning was inauspicious. My first approaches to this small Italian hill town nestled into the Dolomite foothills, as a graduate student and later on my first sabbatical, in early spring and summer, daylight and dusk, left me going in circles, searching

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Orthodox Disunity in Ukraine

“Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you should be in agreement and that there should be no divisions among you, but that you should be united in the same mind and the same purpose.” —1 Corinthians 1:10  

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Hitler at Home: A Conversation with Despina Stratigakos

Adolf Hitler’s makeover from rabble‑rouser to statesman coincided with a series of dramatic home renovations he undertook during the mid‑1930s. In the brand-new book Hitler at Home, author Despina Stratigakos exposes the dictator’s preoccupation with his private persona, which was shaped by the aesthetic and ideological management of his domestic architecture.

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History’s Coldest Case: The Assassination of Lorenzino de’ Medici

Stefano Dall’Aglio— Some of you might be familiar with the TV series Cold Case, produced in the U.S. over seven seasons from 2003 to 2010 and successfully broadcast all over the world. The unusual task of the special division of the Philadelphia Police Department is to investigate murders committed many

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Byzantium and the Rights of Women

Jonathan Harris— Ancient Greece and Rome are often seen as the origin of much that underpins the political systems of modern democracies such as the United States, from separation of powers to freedom of religious belief. It was these constitutional arrangements, wrote Alexander Hamilton in number thirty-five of The Federalist,

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Beauty & freedom, guise & dolls: Warhol & Mapplethorpe

The exciting exhibition Warhol & Mapplethorpe: Guise & Dolls opened this weekend at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford. Focusing on New York in the 1970s and early 80s, the exhibition explores the vibrant and tumultuous era of change through the work of Andy Warhol and Robert Mapplethorpe, both of

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Balmoral Castle, Tourism, and Cultural Icons

Margot Maley– A few weeks ago, Queen Elizabeth began her summer holiday at Balmoral, the royal family’s Scottish estate. Located in the northeast of Scotland about an hour west of Aberdeen, Balmoral has been a privately-owned vacation residence for the royal family since Prince Albert purchased the property for Queen

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Why the Constitution Matters

Happy Constitution Day! In Why the Constitution Matters, Harvard Law professor Mark Tushnet poses a seemingly simple question and provides us with a thoroughly unexpected answer, forcing us to question our understanding of the Constitution. He broadens our understanding of the Constitution and shows us how this document structures our

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Dangerous Books in America, Britain, and France

Books have always had the power to make authorities rather uncomfortable. Sometimes it’s because the novel makes the government look bad, goes against the teachings of a particular religion, or says things that are simply too salacious. In A Little History of Literature, John Sutherland takes a look at how

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A Conversation with James West Davidson

Throughout the week, we’re celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Little History series. We’re kicking things off with the latest book, A Little History of the United States, which comes out tomorrow. The author, James West Davidson, sat down with us to preview his take on American history. Yale University

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