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Southern Europe in the Age of Revolutions
Book Review ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ by Evan Rothera

Southern Europe in the Age of Revolutions

From the outbreak of war in the 13 British North American colonies in 1775 to the conflicts that erupted throughout the Spanish New World colonies in the 1810s, revolutions convulsed the Atlantic World for half a century. The power and consequences...
The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World
Book Review ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ by Roberto Carrodeguas

The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World

In The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World, Virginia Postrel expertly demonstrates how the history of textiles is the story of human progress. Although textiles have shaped society in many ways, their central role in the development...
Embodied Histories: New Womanhood in Vienna, 1894–1934
Book Review ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ by Kimberly Anne

Embodied Histories: New Womanhood in Vienna, 1894–1934

When first picking up this book, the reader might not expect to stumble upon police reports regarding wrongful arrests of Viennese women at the turn of the century. As a contemporary reader, what is provided on the pages of Katya Motyl’s...
Trafficking with Demons: Magic, Ritual, and Gender from Late Antiquity to 1000
Book Review ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ by Alex Hagler

Trafficking with Demons: Magic, Ritual, and Gender from Late Antiquity to 1000

Martha Rampton’s two primary goals with this book were to define in specific terms what “magic” meant and to examine how that meaning changed over time. She divides the book into four parts, with the last three focusing on specific time periods...
Twilight Cities: Lost Capitals of the Mediterranean
Book Review ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ by Kelly Macquire

Twilight Cities: Lost Capitals of the Mediterranean

Twilight Cities: Lost Capitals of the Mediterranean is Katherine Pangonis’s second book, with her first being Queens of Jerusalem: The Women Who Dared to Rule (2021). Twilight Cities is dedicated to the history of five prominent and "lost"...
Alexandria: The City that Changed the World
Book Review ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ by Arienne King

Alexandria: The City that Changed the World

The book begins with Alexandria's founding by Alexander the Great after he conquered the Persian Empire. Like its legendary namesake, the city was destined for fame. Its strategic and symbolic value made it a coveted prize of world conquerors...
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper
Book Review ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ by Taylor Shaye Roche

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper takes a refreshing approach by focusing on the lives of the women believed to be victims of the notorious killer rather than simply on their deaths. Unlike typical ripperology...
Empire's Mistress, Starring Isabel Rosario Cooper
Book Review ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ by Zhihui Zou

Empire's Mistress, Starring Isabel Rosario Cooper

Born in January 1914, Isabel Cooper grew up in the Philippines and supported herself through working in the entertainment industry, performing, singing, and acting since her early teenage years. She earned fame when acting in the first Philippine...
War in the Balkans: An Encyclopedic History from the Fall of the Ottoman Empire to the Breakup of Yugoslavia
Book Review ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ by John Polemikos

War in the Balkans: An Encyclopedic History from the Fall of the Ottoman Empire to the Breakup of Yugoslavia

Richard C. Hall's timely encyclopedia can help reporters and scholars investigate beyond a headline. The book features informative and expertly written essays with suggestions for further reading. As a leading scholar of Balkan history, Hall...
Alexander the Great: A New Life of Alexander
Book Review ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ by Katerina Panagi

Alexander the Great: A New Life of Alexander

Alexander the Great's profound impact on Roman culture is undeniable, particularly when considering the fusion of Greco-Oriental influences during the Hellenistic era, which permeated Rome and, subsequently, Western Europe. His conquests...
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