history

Just after Christmas 50 years ago, the original Russian edition of the first two parts of The Gulag Archipelago was published, followed by French and English translations the next year. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn dedicated his book “to all…

Fifty-one years ago, on Dec. 26, 1972, one of our most surprising presidents, Harry S. Truman, slipped out of life into eternity at the age of 88. Even in his ’70s and ’80s he was admirably fit and journalists had trouble keeping up with…

At certain times, we find ourselves caught in a curious paradox: I want to do a meaningful thing, to be involved in this or that important occasion, yet it’s just so hard. How can an activity I care so much about still be so difficult —…

They came like torches in the night, swarming over the sides of the three ships anchored in Griffin Harbor: the Dartmouth, Eleanor, and Beaver. Their faces were painted black, red, and copper from lamp soot and paint, bodies wrapped in…

California Gov. Gavin Newsome is straight out of central casting for a perfect liberal: JFK looks but without JFK’s pesky conservative beliefs. All perfect leftists have an accidental view of history, and Newsom has a Ph.D. in accidents.…

When Napoleon escaped from Elba in 1815, his march to Paris was stopped by 6,000 French soldiers under the command of Marshall Ney who had promised Louis XVIII that he would bring “the monster” to the French capital in an iron cage.…

Antony Beevor’s latest article in The Telegraph discusses Ridley Scott’s upcoming film about Napoleon’s life and laments the fact that heroic figures like Napoleon give weight to the Great Man Theory. Beevor sees the idea that a few…

In late 2019, I volunteered for two weeks in the West Bank city of Hebron. This was part of a month-long sojourn and reporting trip through Israel and the Palestinian territories. I hadn’t planned on volunteering, but upon showing up at a…

As Wednesday marks the 60th anniversary of the tragic assassination of John F. Kennedy, historians and pundits will no doubt be evaluating his legacy. While the political successes and failures of his administration can be debated, much of…

As Netflix launches its final season of “The Crown,” focusing on Princess Diana, her boyfriend Dodi Fayed, and his billionaire father, Mohamed Al-Fayed, many viewers will be retold the story of Diana’s shocking death through TV news…