New Books in History
Latest Episodes
Alan J. Levinovitz, “The Limits of Religious Tolerance” (Amherst College Press, 2016)
The Pope said that Donald Trump wasnât much of a Christian if all he can think about is building walls. Trump replied that it was âdisgracefulâ for a any leader, even the Pope, âto question another manâs religion or faith.ââ¦
Matthew Pehl, “The Making of Working-Class Religion” (U. Illinois Press, 2016)
Matthew Pehl is an associate professor of history at Augustana University. His book, The Making of Working-Class Religion (University of Illinois Press, 2016), gives us a rich and deep study of working class religion in Detroit beginning with the growt...
Ondine Gross, “Restore the Respect: How to Mediate School Conflicts and Keep Students Learning” (Brookes, 2016)
In this episode, I speak with Ondine Gross, the author of Restore the Respect: How to Mediate School Conflicts and Keep Students Learning (Brookes, 2016). Her book outlines how teachers and administrators can implement mediation protocols in their scho...
Surekha Davies, “Renaissance Ethnography and the Invention of the Human: New Worlds, Maps, and Monsters” (Cambridge UP, 2016)
You find a lot of strange things on late medieval and âAge of Discoveryâ era maps. Of course there are weird beasts of every sort: dragons, griffins, sea monsters, and sundry multi-headed predators. But you also find a lot ofâ¦
Lee Gutkind, ed., “What I Didn’t Know: True Stories of Becoming a Teacher” (In Fact Books, 2016)
In this episode, I speak with Lee Gutkind, the editor of What I Didnât Know: True Stories of Becoming a Teacher (In Fact Books, 2016). His book shares more than twenty firsthand accounts of teachers working in different contexts.â¦
Ellie Schainker, “Confessions of the Shtetl: Converts from Judaism in Imperial Russia, 1817-1906” (Stanford UP, 2016)
In Confessions of the Shtetl: Converts from Judaism in Imperial Russia, 1817-1906 (Stanford University Press, 2016), Ellie Schainker, the Arthur Blank Family Foundation Assistant Professor of History and Jewish Studies at Emory University,
Helen Rappaport, “Victoria: The Heart and Mind of a Young Queen” (Harper Design, 2017)
The term historical fiction covers a wide range from what the mystery writer Josephine Tey once dubbed âhistory with conversationâ to outright invention shading into fantasy. But behind every story set in the past lies the past itself,
Joshua Howe, “Behind the Curve: Science and the Politics of Global Warming” (U. Washington Press, 2016)
The year 2016 was the hottest year on record, and in recent months, drought and searing heat have fanned wildfires in Fort McMurray Alberta and in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Meanwhile, the Arctic has had record high temperatures,
Ben Westhhoff, “Original Gangtas: The Untold Story of Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Tupac Shakur, and the Birth of West Coast Rap” (Hachette, 2016)
The real story behind the origin of gangsta rap is difficult to discern. Between the bombastic rhetoric and imagery, the larger-than-life characters, and the subsequent success of many of the individuals, it is hard to know exactly what to believe.â¦
Paul McKenzie-Jones, “Clyde Warrior: Tradition, Community, and Red Power” (U. Oklahoma Press, 2015)
Clyde Warrior was a Ponca Indian who in the 1960s was one of the founders of the âRed Powerâ movement for the rights of Native Americans. While his name may not be as well-known as that of other civil rightsâ¦