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Category: History

Large crowds of people in front of Dome of the Rock shrine in Jerusalem.

25 for 25, “Muhammad’s Grave: Death Rites and the Making of Islamic Society” by Leor Halevi.

Posted by: Lillian Williams

This post is part of the Kluge Center’s 25 for 25, in honor of the Kluge Center’s 25th anniversary, celebrating 25 books that were written thanks to the Kluge Center’s support. Read the introductory post to the series here. Human beings have been burying and caring for the dead for over thirty thousand years, notes historian Leor Halevi. …

East German border guard, Hans Konrad Schumann, dressed in his uniform, leaps over barbed wire.

25 for 25, “The Light that Failed: Why the West is Losing the Fight for Democracy” by Ivan Krastev and Stephen Holmes

Posted by: Lillian Williams

This post is part of the Kluge Center’s 25 for 25, in honor of the Kluge Center’s 25th anniversary, celebrating 25 books that were written thanks to the Kluge Center’s support. Read the introductory post to the series here. At the end of the Cold War, there was strong hope for the global spread of liberal democracy and …

Peacock spreads its feathers into a large fan.

25 for 25, “The Peacock Elite: A Case Study of the Congressional Black Caucus” by Major R. Owens

Posted by: Lillian Williams

This post is part of the Kluge Center’s 25 for 25, in honor of the Kluge Center’s 25th anniversary, celebrating 25 books that were written thanks to the Kluge Center’s support. Read the introductory post to the series here. Major Robert Odell Owens (1936-2013) was an American politician, civil rights activist, and the only professional librarian elected to …

Boy sits in chair reading a Superman comic book, issue #19

25 for 25, “Pulp Empire: The Secret History of Comic Book Imperialism” by Paul S. Hirsch

Posted by: Lillian Williams

This post is part of the Kluge Center’s 25 for 25, in honor of the Kluge Center’s 25th anniversary, celebrating 25 books that were written thanks to the Kluge Center’s support. Read the introductory post to the series here. The 24th edition of All-Star Comics hit global newsstands, drug stores, and military bases in 1945. Titled “This Is …

Large wave capsizes a boat throwing people into the sea

25 for 25, “Freaks of Fortune: The Emerging World of Capitalism and Risk in America” by Jonathan Levy

Posted by: Lillian Williams

This post is part of the Kluge Center’s 25 for 25, in honor of the Kluge Center’s 25th anniversary, celebrating 25 books that were written thanks to the Kluge Center’s support. Read the introductory post to the series here. You have probably heard the phrase “you are the master of your own destiny.” In contemporary …

Duke Ellington sits at the piano on stage.

25 for 25, “Duke Ellington’s America” by Harvey G. Cohen

Posted by: Lillian Williams

This post is part of the Kluge Center’s 25 for 25, in honor of the Kluge Center’s 25th anniversary, celebrating 25 books that were written thanks to the Kluge Center’s support. Read the introductory post to the series here. Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington (1899-1974), one of the greatest American jazz composers, band leaders, and pianists …

Woman kneeling alongside small sleeping child. Credit: Frank and Frances Carpenter Collection (Library of Congress).

25 for 25, “Madness in the Family: Women, Care, and Illness in Japan” by H. Yumi Kim

Posted by: Lillian Williams

This post is part of the Kluge Center’s 25 for 25, in honor of the Kluge Center’s 25th anniversary, celebrating 25 books that were written thanks to the Kluge Center’s support. Read the introductory post to the series here. During Japan’s Meiji period (1868-1912), there was little structural or governmental support for those with mental illnesses. Even by 1918, …

Three women stand on steps with the dome of the Capitol building in the background.

25 for 25, “The House: The History of the House of Representatives” by Robert Remini

Posted by: Lillian Williams

This post is part of the Kluge Center’s 25 for 25, in honor of the Kluge Center’s 25th anniversary, celebrating 25 books that were written thanks to the Kluge Center’s support. Read the introductory post to the series here. In 1999, Congress passed the House Awareness and Preservation Act, directing the Library of Congress to create a complete written …