The Contradictions of Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. The Contradictions of Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
The Supreme Court justice may have been heralded by many of his progressive peers, but the legacy he left behind is far more ambiguous.
Aug 13, 2019 / Books & the Arts / Brenda Wineapple
How the Spanish-American War Helped Lay the Groundwork for American Empire How the Spanish-American War Helped Lay the Groundwork for American Empire
Stephen Kinzer's new history captures how the United States has long been a country guided by both imperialist and isolationist instincts.
Jan 31, 2018 / Books & the Arts / Brenda Wineapple
What America’s 19th-Century Reformers and Radicals Missed What America’s 19th-Century Reformers and Radicals Missed
A new book on the antebellum period captures the dangers of confusing self-improvement with institutional change.
Apr 18, 2017 / Books & the Arts / Brenda Wineapple
Jellyfish or Fossil? On Louis Agassiz Jellyfish or Fossil? On Louis Agassiz
Frustrated, stubborn, committed to bad science, was Louis Agassiz anything other than a laughingstock?
Mar 6, 2013 / Books & the Arts / Brenda Wineapple
Moral Portents: On Adam Goodheart Moral Portents: On Adam Goodheart
Capes, torches, secret meetings! Adam Goodheart’s 1861 tells the story of the unyielding idealism awakened by the Civil War.
Aug 30, 2011 / Books & the Arts / Brenda Wineapple
Crooked Sticks: On Utopianism Crooked Sticks: On Utopianism
At the utopian community of Fruitlands, vegetables were not only eaten. They were also imitated.
Feb 10, 2011 / Books & the Arts / Brenda Wineapple
A Wise Unknowingness A Wise Unknowingness
"There is such a thing as a moral atmosphere." So said Violet Gibson, the woman who shot Mussolini.
Mar 18, 2010 / Books & the Arts / Brenda Wineapple
Sallow, Queer, Sagacious: Lincoln Through the Ages Sallow, Queer, Sagacious: Lincoln Through the Ages
A new anthology of essays captures the many faces of Lincoln over the decades.
Mar 11, 2009 / Books & the Arts / Brenda Wineapple
The James Gang The James Gang
In Henry James and his family, biographers find a fascinating story of dynastic melodrama.
Jul 1, 2008 / Books & the Arts / Brenda Wineapple
The Wharton School The Wharton School
A new biography describes how Edith Wharton transformed her obsessions into stories of loss, regret and entrapment.
May 10, 2007 / Books & the Arts / Brenda Wineapple