Peter the Great (1672-1725) pulled Russia into the Western realm despite the opposition of noblemen, churchmen, and even the ordinary peasant. His untimely demise in 1725 did not allow him to appoint a successor. The next 25 years were consumed...
Everyone has seen the footage: a heavily bearded Saddam Hussein blinking under the bright lights of infantry cameras, dazed to find himself in U.S. Army custody. Yet while the breaking news was broadcast around the world, the story of the...
To illuminate the mysterious greatness of Anton Chekhov's writings, Janet Malcolm takes on three roles: literary critic, biographer, and journalist. Her close readings of the stories and plays are interwoven with episodes from Chekhov's life and...