History
The Life and Death of a Capital
Popularity Contest
THE GREAT WHITE HOUSE Rating Game is ongoing and endless—and open to everyone,” writes Robert W. Merry in his new book. “Wanna play?” Many, to judge by the recurring polls of presidential favorability and the persistent debate about President Obama’s likeability, are eager to engage in Merry’s antics. This makes sense: in Merry’s account, “the judgment of history” should “coincide to a significant degree with the contemporaneous judgment of the electorate.” READ MORE >>
The Myth of the Londoner
A Very Particular Place
Revolutionary Road
IT’S NOT HARD to comprehend why politicians’ memoirs usually appear after their careers are over. With not much to do and with a legacy to shape, politicians can get a jump-start on their lionization, presenting early defeats that steeled them for triumph (Bill Clinton, Margaret Thatcher) or rehashing debates with colleagues whom they blame for all their mistakes (Tony Blair, Donald Rumsfeld, and many more). Sometimes, though not too often, they are actually fun to read. READ MORE >>
