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Books: Politics, History, & Social

Time’s Echo and the Burden of Musical Memory
Jeremy Eichler explores how 20th-century music preserves memories of war and what it means when remembrance comes with ambiguity.
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Christopher Gerlacher
Lessons from the Askari: How Oppressive Regimes Endure
Discover what the askari story teaches about complicity, survival, and the mechanisms that sustain violent governments.
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Christopher Gerlacher
Inside the Left's Response to Trump-Era Populism
From Elizabeth Warren’s research to AOC’s activism, these are the leaders pushing the Democrats toward a working-class populist revival.
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Christopher Gerlacher
How a White Nationalist Changed His Mind
Derek Black was set to inherit the white nationalist movement. Instead, he came to reject the ideology that he was raised on.
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Christopher Gerlacher
Has Fascism Really Come to America?
Describing fascism is one thing, but seeing it ingratiate itself into a formally healthy political system is another.
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Christopher Gerlacher
In Plain Terms, this is What Fascism Means
Many people understand the vibe they want to invoke when they describe something as "fascist", but the precise meaning is more clarifying.
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Christopher Gerlacher
How the South Reinstated Slavery After the Civil War
Slavery didn't end when the Union won the Civil War. It ended when federal law was clarified and enforced in the early to mid-1900s.
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Christopher Gerlacher
How Women Quietly Power the White Nationalist Movement
Women play a crucial role in the white nationalist movement. One journalist embedded with them to learn how they were recruited and how one woman…
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Christopher Gerlacher
America Isn't Headed Towards a Civil War. Here's How That Could Change.
It takes more than political polarization to spark a civil war. Barbara Walter explains what makes a civil wars likely across cultures.
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Christopher Gerlacher
Why Hispanic Voters are Gravitating Toward Donald Trump
Hispanic conservatives used to be a minority, but Geraldo Cadava's book shows how Hispanic Republicans became such a large part of the American…
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Christopher Gerlacher
What the January 6 Report Actually Says
The January 6 Report includes details about the ordinary people hurt by the lies that led to the January 6 riot.
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Christopher Gerlacher
Why Intellectuals Align Themselves with Authoritarians
Intellectuals who are steeped in history should know better than to back dictators. One writer broke down why so many intellectuals choose to do it.
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Christopher Gerlacher
© 2025 Christopher Gerlacher
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