The treaties signed at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 changed everything about Europe and ushered in a twenty-year interlude of promise and tumult. Victors and defeated alike suffered loss, of complacency, of confidence, of certainty.Innovation abounded, in technology, in borders, in gender relations, in class relations, and in cultural expr
American Giving: The History of Philanthropy in the United States
Several hundred men and women in the entertainment industry were blacklisted during the 1940s and 1950s in one of the saddest and most complex episodes of America’s cultural history. How and why did it start? Victor Navasky has interviewed hundreds of participants on both sides of the issue and has captured the painful history of the period.
Delve into the reality and psyche of the brave women who tempted both fate and the ire of King Henry VIII for the title of Queen. Read how history has painted Henry and the Queens; then view them thru 21st century eyes. Did some “fail” in the end because they wanted more than the Tudor life? Were they trying to break out of a mold?
July,1914: One hundred years of European peace, ancient empires ruled, unbridled progress - and all shattered by war on an industrial scale. World War I changed the world forever.
A unique historical perspective centering on a mineral, a rock, a spice. Prevalent today thanks to modern geology, salt was one of the world’s most sought-after commodities. A substance so valuable it served as currency, influenced trade routes and establishment of cities. Provoked and financed wars, secured empires, inspired revolutions.
Doris Kearns Goodwin’s book is a fascinating study of the leadership styles of four U.S. Presidents:Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson. Learn how each overcame personal challenges and rose to lead the nation at times of crisis in unique ways.
July,1914: One hundred years of European peace, ancient empires ruled, unbridled progress - and all shattered by war on an industrial scale. World War I changed the world forever.
In the context of our challenging contemporary political situation, it is refreshing to revisit the Early American Statesmen, who launched our nation almost 259 years ago. Pulitzer Prize winning Joseph Ellis is both insightful in his examination of the leading characters in a turbulent era.
This course will focus on reading and discussing Alain de Botton’s book, The Architecture of Happiness. In his book, de Botton explores new ways of evaluating the built world beyond the simple dichotomies of beautiful or ugly. He asks instead, what values are embodied in design, and how can architecture help us realize our best self.
Jill Lepore has created a readable, one volume history of the United States that relates its past in the light of present concerns. Lepore recounts major events—the Revolution, Civil War, World Wars, Vietnam, September 11, and the war on terror, as well as the roles of slavery and women.
Jill Lepore has created a readable, one-volume history of the United States that relates its past in the light of present concerns. Lepore recounts major events—the Revolution, Civil War, World Wars, Vietnam, September 11, and the war on terror, as well as the roles of slavery and women.
The Opium Wars (1839-1860) between the Chinese Empire and Great Britain were fought as a result of what amounted to a state sanctioned illicit narcotics trade.