Ilan Troen, a Brandeis University professor emeritus, at his home in Omer, Israel. His daughter and son-in-law, Deborah and Shlomi Mathias, were killed in the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023. Tamir Kalifa for NPR hide caption toggle caption Tamir Kalifa for NPR Ilan Troen, a Brandeis University professor emeritus,
Tag: Historian
J.G.A. Pocock, Historian Who Argued for Historical Context, Dies at 99
J.G.A. Pocock, who brought new perspectives to historical scholarship by arguing that the first step in understanding events of the past is to identify their linguistic and intellectual context, died on Dec. 12 in Baltimore. He was 99. The cause was congestive heart failure, his sons, Hugh and Stephen, said.
'Bun in the oven' is an ancient pregnancy metaphor. This historian says it has to go
The “bun in the oven” idea goes all the way back 2,000+ years to Ancient Greece, along with some other ideas that discuss pregnancy as a fundamentally passive state, says the author of a new book. Andrew Bret Wallis/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Andrew Bret Wallis/Getty Images The “bun
Martha Saxton, Historian Who Explored Women’s Lives, Dies at 77
Martha Saxton, a historian whose penetrating examinations of women’s lives led her to new insights into figures ranging from the author Louisa May Alcott to the 1950s actress and sex symbol Jayne Mansfield to Mary Washington, the mother of the first president of the United States, died on Tuesday at
Wolfgang Schivelbusch, Polymathic Cultural Historian, Dies at 81
Ever wonder why railroad tracks in America meander but English tracks ordinarily run straight? What was the traditional breakfast drink in Europe before coffee came along? How did the introduction of gas mains transform family life? Why did the Confederate battle flag become so enduring a symbol? Who was missing
Pulitzer Prize winning historian David McCullough has died
Historian David McCullough, shown here in 2013, has died at 89. He wrote extensively and compellingly about American history and won two Pulitzer Prizes. Matthew J. Lee/Boston Globe/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Matthew J. Lee/Boston Globe/Getty Images Historian David McCullough, shown here in 2013, has died at 89. He
Phil Schaap, Grammy-Winning Jazz D.J. and Historian, Dies at 70
Phil Schaap, who explored the intricacy and history of jazz in radio programs that he hosted, Grammy-winning liner notes that he wrote, music series that he programmed and classes that he taught, died on Tuesday in Manhattan. He was 70. His partner of 17 years, Susan Shaffer, said the cause
Robert Middlekauff, Historian of Washington and His War, Dies at 91
He served as a first lieutenant in the Marines from 1952 to 1954, deploying to Korea and Japan. He studied at Yale with Edmund S. Morgan, the renowned historian of Puritanism and colonial life, who remained an influence on him for more than 50 years. After receiving his Ph.D. in
Stephen B. Oates, Civil War Historian, Dies at 85
The American Historical Association, which examined the charges, issued an ambiguous ruling in 1993, saying there was “no evidence” that Dr. Oates had committed plagiarism “as it is conventionally understood.” But it did find evidence “of too great and too continuous dependence, even with attribution, on the structure, distinctive language
Donald Kagan, Leading Historian of Ancient Greece, Dies at 89
Mrs. Kagan, who taught elementary school and wrote two books about the history of New Haven, Conn., died in 2017. Along with his sons, Professor Kagan is survived by two grandchildren. Professor Kagan’s “On the Origins of War and the Preservation of Peace” (1994), which argued that leaders need to