Congratulations to Cliopatria's friend, Randall Stephens, who's just become editor of Historically Speaking, the very lively bulletin of The Historical Society. Randall also edits the online Journal of Southern Religion and blogs at Religion in American History.

Richard Eyre,"The Seven Ages of Shakespeare," Guardian, 15 November, reviews Jonathan Bate's Soul of the Age: The Life, Mind and World of William Shakespeare.

Louis P. Masur,"Downsizing Andrew Jackson," Slate, 10 November, reviews Jon Meacham's American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House and David Reynolds's Waking Giant: America in the Age of Jackson.

Barry Gewen,"The Overlooked Economic Crisis, Influential Still," NYT, 13 November, reviews Robert J. Samuelson's The Great Inflation and Its Aftermath: The Past and Future of American Affluence.

Sam Tanenhaus,"The Imperial Vice Presidency," TNR, 19 November, reviews Barton Gellman's Angler: The Cheney Vice Presidency.

Joseph Levine,"History Matters," Boston Review, September/ October, insists that Israel and its supporters must take the claims of Palestinians seriously.