Reviews
The Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of the (First) French Revolution
Several years ago a friend of mine was headed to Paris and asked for a recommendation of a book that would give her a clear account of the French Revolution.* Somewhat abashedly, I suggested my own book on the history of socialism which I believe gives a clear account of the various iterations of the…
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Pippi Longstocking Goes to War
(Okay, I admit it. That’s an inaccurate, click-bait of a title.) Today Astrid Lindgren is famous as the creator of Pippi Longstocking: the red-headed quirky rebel who proclaimed herself the strongest girl in the world.* In World War II, Lindgren was a 30-something housewife and aspiring author. Her war diaries, published posthumously in Sweden and…
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Victoria: The Novel
I don’t normally review novels here on the Margins. In fact, I seldom review novels, period. I read constantly for my work: Big Fat History Books, erudite (and sometimes not so erudite) articles, the first hand accounts on which Big Fat History Books depend.* When I read for fun, I read fiction. I try not…
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