History

Blaise Pascal on Christian and Jew

The great thinker’s turn toward the theological has lessons for us even today.

When Historians Go Bananas

The relentless search for racism in the past has reached the point of diminishing returns.

Sherman’s Hard Truths About War Ring True Today 

The Civil War general’s experiences offer important lessons for critics of Israel’s military tactics.

  • World

‘Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem’

Evangelicals’ support for Israel is historical. But it’s also broader than current political alliances.

The Balance of Tragedy and History in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’

Martin Scorsese’s latest is a model of nuanced adaptation that reckons honestly with America’s past.

  • World

Lessons in Complicity

Tyrants and terrorists deserve the blame for their atrocities, but we cannot ignore those who acknowledge injustice and do nothing, either.

History Is Short Enough, if You Know How to Use It

On our current obsession with the Roman Empire.

To Thine Own Self Be True

Tara Isabella Burton’s new book ‘Self-Made’ surveys the grand, and sometimes ridiculous, history of how crafting identities shaped our modern world.

An Invitation to Chaos

Want to save the world? Follow the rules.

The Coolidge Miracle

How ‘Silent Cal’ cleaned up the federal government after Warren Harding’s many scandals.

Czar Gazing

On Russia’s long history of authoritarian imperialism.

Rage Against the Ism

Don’t reduce your life to the abstract.

Picking a President: Back to the Future?

Character mattered in the 18th century, just as it matters in 2024.

Cleveland Rocks

The nation’s 22nd and 24th president is underappreciated.

Hitting Rewind on ‘Woke’

This isn’t the first time a slogan became a tool for sowing cultural confusion.

The Other Legacy of Watergate: Nicknames

The Plumbers are about to get their own show. But there was also Le Grand Fromage and the German Shepherds.