Historians in the News

Bruce Mazlish, Who Fused Psychoanalysis and History in His Books, Dies at 93

Professor Mazlish was best known for putting Nixon on the couch in “In Search of Nixon: A Psychohistorical Inquiry” (1972).

Political scientist Stephen Skowronek talks about how his theory of the cycles of presidential history explains the campaign’s shocking results

One clear lesson: "the Reagan era is not over.”

Greg Grandin says it’s a mug’s game trying to figure out when Castro turned to Marxism

by Greg Grandin

"It’s fitting, though depressing, that’s he’s left us on the cusp of a new darkness."

Historian is first to write a scholarly biography of Toussaint Louverture in 80 years

Why was Haiti's revolutionary overlooked by historians for so long?

Massachusetts Institute of Technology invites academe to collaborate on future of libraries

“I don’t think we need to save libraries, but I do think we might need libraries to save us.” — Chris Bourg, director of libraries at MIT

Historian says liberals worried about Trump should ask “What would the abolitionists do?”

by Linda Hirshman

Linda Hirshman is working on a history of abolitionism.

Historian Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz says Thanksgiving was “never about honoring Native Americans"

"It’s been about the origin story of the United States, the beginning of genocide, dispossession and constant warfare from that time—actually, from 1607 in Jamestown—until the present."

Smithsonian historian says democracy could use the saloons of old

by Jon Grinspan

Jon Grinspan says when reformers closed saloons they killed a place where the working class debated politics.

Grad student in Medieval history says in NYT op ed he grew up as a white nationalist

by R. Derek Black

His godfather is David Duke.

Yale College Dean Jonathan Holloway to step down

The African-American historian, who’s heading to Northwestern as provost, faced criticism last spring for taking two days to denounce racist Halloween incidents.

Three Ohio State professors work together to teach multidisciplinary climate change course

The Climate Change course — new to Ohio State University this semester — covers everything from tree rings and rising seas to endangered species and alternative energy.

Jewish historian’s anti-Trump statement goes viral

More than 240 Jewish studies scholars have signed a public statementthat warns against the threat to minorities posed by the election of Donald Trump.

David Kaiser says Trump nationalist Steve Bannon is wedded to a theory that we’re ripe for revolutionary change

by David Kaiser

The theory was promulgated in the 1990s by the authors of “The Fourth Turning Point.”

His Japanese-American parents were held in camps; now historian sees ‘same patterns’ emerging

A Seattle man who has spent 15 years studying and preserving the history of Japanese-American internment in World War II said he sees the same climate of fear and hate now following Donald Trump’s campaign.

Holocaust-denying UK historian David Irving goes on lecture tour

David Irving, a far-right British historian widely condemned as a Holocaust denier, will embark on a month-long lecture tour, seeking to capitalize on an upcoming feature film documenting his legal misfortunes.

American historian Thomas W. Laqueur wins ‘a real vindication’ with $75,000 Cundill Prize for "The Work of the Dead"

Laqueur said that winning the Cundill Prize felt like “a real vindication” after labouring for 40 years on the book.

History professor examines immigrants' stories in new book

“It tends to be lack of familiarity with immigrants that breeds nativism.” — Tyler Anbinder, professor of history, George Washington University

UCLA Professor Gabriel Piterberg — accused of sexual harassment — to return in winter 2017

Many students say his punishment wasn’t severe enough.

Armenian students protest Atatürk scholar to leave campus

They objected to a new book by Baylor University history professor George Gawrych.

On quest to clear Kasztner, historian ‘shocked’ to prove Nazi collaboration

Paul Bogdanor has set out the case against the Hungarian Jew who negotiated with Eichmann, an affair that sparked a deadly scandal in Israel, though that wasn’t his original plan.