History Book Club
![Bookshelf](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/feature_image/public/unsorted/images/books-2463779_1920.jpg?h=c6633d97&itok=TbQjaPdT)
Past Book Club Events
You can also view recordings of past History Book Club gatherings.
The History Book Club is a monthly event series that brings together alumni, faculty, students, and friends of the Department of History to engage virtually with our faculty and graduates and learn about their recently published books.
History Book Club gatherings are designed to be enjoyed by any history lover, whether or not you’ve read the featured book.
Do I need to read the book to attend this gathering?
You do not! Our History Book Club gatherings are designed to be enjoyed by any history lover, whether or not you’ve read the featured book.
Upcoming Events
![Sept.BookClub](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/september_book_club_1.png?h=ef32cd0d&itok=UdH7gj-H)
Sept. 25: Yalile Suriel, Assistant Professor of History, University of MN, Cops on Campus: Rethinking Safety and Confronting Police Violence in conversation with Tracey Deutsch, Associate Professor of History, University of MN.
![October BookClub](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/october_book_club_0.png?h=c04e5481&itok=GIGOo5Eq)
Oct 9: Elizabeth Williams (PhD 2017), Assistant Professor, Gender and Women’s Studies, University of Kentucky, Primitive Normativity: Race,Sexuality, and Temporality in Colonial Kenya. In conversation with Jessica Nammakal (PhD 2013), Associate Professor of the Practice of International Comparative Studies, Duke University.
![Zozan](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/zonan_bookclub.new_.png?h=8012043d&itok=ljVKivz4)
Nov. 20: Zozan Pehlivan, Assistant Professor of History, University of MN, The Political Ecology of Violence: Peasants and Pastoralists in the Last Ottoman Century (Cambridge University Press, 2024).
Past Events
Learn about past events in this series. Recordings are available for some of the sessions.
![April](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/what_use_are_historians_graphic.jpg?h=5b3035e0&itok=xJymyeFe)
Alum Nikki Berg Burin (PhD ‘07) and Kirsten Delegard, project director and co-founder of the Mapping Prejudice project, will discuss how their awareness of urgent community needs transformed their research and teaching and why it is important to bring a historical perspective into collaborations with grassroots activists.
![Dr. Yuxin Ma and Dr. Elyssa Faison](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/Ma_Faison_HBC_HIST_870x580.jpg?h=2d235432&itok=mpgitLzp)
The history department welcomes Dr. Yuxin Ma and Dr. Elyssa Faison to talk about Ma's book Colonial Tactics and Everyday Life: Workers of the Manchuria Film Association.
![January Book Club](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/komarenko_2.jpg?h=038a9462&itok=5rMMqWzw)
The History Department is welcoming visiting professor Oleksandr Komarenko from the National University of Kyiv. Instead of featuring one of his books, this is a special opportunity to hear him talk with assistant professor Igor Tchoukarine about the Russia-Ukraine war in historical context.
![Paul Barclay photo next to cover of his book Kondo the Barbarian](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/hist_barclaypaul_870x580.jpg?h=2d235432&itok=KA5RyLcv)
Paul Barclay (PhD ‘99), professor of history at Lafayette College, will discuss Kondo the Barbarian: A Japanese Adventurer and Indigenous Taiwan’s Bloodiest Uprising. In conversation with Hiromi Mizuno.
![Cover of "Costa Rica After Coffee" in olive green with a map of Costa Rica created by a photo of coffee beans, on the left. Portrait of author Lowell Gudmundson in front of an Ivy wall on the right.](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/gudmundson_hbc_cover.png?h=735f51ca&itok=U4jc0w_A)
Lowell Gudmundson (PhD ‘82) Professor Emeritus of Latin American Studies and History at Mount Holyoke College on his work “Costa Rica After Coffee: The Co-op Era in History and Memory.” In conversation with Patrick McNamara.
![Cover of "Working the System" on the left, with a seated portrait of Dr. He in a blue suit o the right](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/HeQiliang_HIST_HBC.jpg?h=2d235432&itok=yG4mt5N4)
Qiliang He (PhD ‘06), professor at Hong Kong Shue Yan University on his book “Working the System: Motion Picture, Filmmakers, and Subjectivities in Mao-Era China, 1949-1966.” In conversation with Jason McGrath.
![On the left is a portrait of Margot Canaday (white with short blond hair, blue blouse, black pants) seated in front of a wall of books. On the right is the cover of "Queer Career."](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/Screenshot%202023-04-14%20at%209.30.19%20AM.png?h=0b7db141&itok=AcnIYiEc)
Margot Canaday (PhD '04), Professor of History at Princeton University, on her new book "Queer Career: Sexuality and Work in Modern America." She was joined in conversation by UMN History and Law Professor Barbara Welke.
![Left: Portrait of Dr. Todd Cleveland in a brown blazer. Right: cover of "A History of Tourism in Africa" featuring a line of cars on a road.](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/cleveland_hbc.png?h=4c338795&itok=RiC74Wgp)
Todd Cleveland (PhD ‘08), Associate Chair and Director of Graduate Studies with History at University of Arkansas on his newest release "A History of Tourism in Africa: Exoticization, Exploitation, and Enrichment." This discussion was co-lead by Igor Tchoukarine, UMN Professor.
![Portrait of John Mazis in front of a wall of Greek ruins on the right, and the creme cover of "Athanasios Souliotis-Nikolaidis and Greek Irredentism"](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/mazis_hbc.png?h=10ee7a23&itok=XyhJbQzG)
A discussion between Hamline History Professor and UMN PhD graduate John Mazis and Professor Theo Stavrou on Mazis' newest book Athanasios Souliotis-Nikolaidis and Greek Irredentism: A Life in the Shadows (Rowman & Littlefield February 2022).
View the recording of the March 2023 book club meeting with John Mazis and Theofanis Stavrou.
![Portrait of Tom Taylor, older white man in a dark blue quarter zip in front of some foliage, with the cover of "Modern Travel in World History" on the right](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/taylor_hbc.png?h=3da290a4&itok=ggRwp4Qy)
Tom Taylor (PhD '88), associate professor at Seattle University discusses his new book Modern Travel in World History (Routledge June 2022) with Loren Crabtree (BA ‘61, PhD ‘69).
View the recording of the March 2023 book club meeting with Tom Taylor.
![Side by side photos of Ruth Mazo Karras and Katherine Pierpont](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/KarrasRuth_PierpontKatherine_HIST.jpg?h=2d235432&itok=FW8ao98f)
Ruth Karras, professor of Medieval women, gender and sexuality history at Trinity College Dublin, and Katherine Pierpont, UMN PhD student researching Medieval sex work on the fourth edition of their book Sexuality in Medieval Europe: Doing Unto Others (Penn State Press 2023).
![Cover of "Language and the Making of Modern India" to the right, and a black and white photo of a smiling Dr. Mishra](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/mishra_hbc.png?h=74b2dd6c&itok=1AAQvWkt)
Pritipuspa Mishra, Associate Professor of History at University of Southampton and a UMN History PhD graduate, on her book "Language and the Making of Modern India: Nationalism and the Vernacular in Colonial Odisha, 1803–1956." Mishra specializes in modern India history. She was joined conversation with Ajay Skaria, UMN Professor of History and current Director of the Graduate Program with the department.
![Portrait of Giancarlo Casale on the right, with the cover of his book "Prisoner of the Infidels" in black and grey on the left](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/casale_hbc.png?h=7cc19da9&itok=qfYPF0ai)
Giancarlo Casale in conversation with Fikri Cicek in discussion of his new book "Prisoner of the Infidels." Casale is an associate professor with the U's history department, as well as a professor with the European University Institute, specializing in the Early Modern Mediterranean and Ottoman Empire. Fikri Cicek is a graduate student with the department, specializing the Ottoman Empire.
![Color photo of Howard Louthan on the right, and the cover of "Theuerdank" with a medieval tapestry on the left.](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/louthan_hbc.png?h=c6c046d8&itok=TxMSWB9V)
Led by Howard Louthan, professor of history at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, and Jonathan Green, instructor of German in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages at the University of North Dakota, in conversation with Elaine Tennan, Professor in the Departments of German and Scandinavian at UC Berkeley.
![Smiling photo of Adam Blackler, a white ginger man with a beard, with the cover of "An Imperial Homeland" on the right](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/blackler_hbc.png?h=b958b9a0&itok=V8hxiZeO)
Adam Blackler (PhD '17), in conversation with Erik Roubinek, on his new book "An Imperial Homeland: Forging German Identity in Southwest Africa." Blackler is an Assistant Professor of History at the University of Wyoming, specializing in modern Germany and southern Africa. He is co-editor of "After the Imperialist Imagination: Two Decades of Research on Global Germany and Its Legacies".
![Red Irregular grid over a hilly yellow colored background, with the title and authors inside of the boxes, with a white background](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/allotment_stories_cover_0.jpeg?h=a290176b&itok=v47AB4k8)
Jean O'Brien, distinguished McKnight Professor of History at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, and Daniel Heath Justice, professor of Critical Indigenous Studies and English at the University of British Columbia and the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Literature and Expressive Culture, on their book Allotment Stories. View the recording of the August History Book Club.
![Portrait of Kris lane, with the cover of "Potosi: The Silver City that Changed the World"](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/kris_lane.png?h=03fb5944&itok=GeYk_NX5)
Kris Lane (PhD '96), Professor of History at Tulane, on Potosi: The Silver City that Changed the World in conversation with Carla Phillips. View recording of the July History Book Club.
![Portrait of David Morton next to the cover of "Age of Contrete"](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/Screen%20Shot%202022-03-17%20at%201.03.23%20PM.png?h=8f65b8ee&itok=N-lUgs7f)
David Morton (PhD '15), Associate Professor of History at the University of British Columbia, on his book “Age of Concrete: Housing and the Shape of Aspiration in the Capital of Mozambique,” in conversation with Elliot James. View recording of Morton's History Book Club.
![The cover of "Insurance Era" - a red, blue, and black semi skeletal body - next to a smiling portrait of the author Caley Horan](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/caley%20horan%20book%20image.jpeg?h=eea869cb&itok=5huY-dQK)
Caley Horan (PhD '11), associate professor of history at MIT on Insurance Era: Risk, Governance, and the Privatization of Security in Postwar America. This event is in conversation with Ben Wiggins. View the recording of the April History Book Club.
![Portrait of Emily Rook-Koepsel and cover of "Democracy and Unity in India"](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/democracy%20and%20unity%20talk.jpeg?h=7afb1587&itok=TTiA5RwZ)
Emily Rook-Koepsel (PhD '10), assistant director of academic affairs - Asian studies at University of Pittsburgh on Democracy and Unity in India: Understanding the All India Phenomenon, 1940-1960. Patricia Lorcin will facilitate the event. View the recording of the March History Book Club.
![Portraits of Matthew Gabriele and David M. Perry](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/bright%20ages%20image.jpeg?h=252f27fa&itok=oaU7jsXZ)
On Bright Ages: A New History of Medieval Europe, led by Matthew Gabriele, professor of medieval studies and chair of the Department of Religion and Culture at Virginia Tech, and David M. Perry (PhD ‘06), undergraduate academic advisor for the Department of History, University of Minnesota Twin Cities. View the recording of the February History Book Club.
![Detail from the cover of Allen Isaacman's book showing Samora Machel against a background of black, tan, and red patterns](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/IsaacmanBookCover_SamoraMachel_870x580_0.jpg?h=2d235432&itok=ix0dJ756)
Allen Issacman (PhD '70), Regents Professor of Central and South African History at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, and Barbara Issacman, former Hennepin County criminal defense attorney, on Mozambique’s Samora Machel: A Life Cut Short. View the recording of the January History Book Club.
![Photo of Dr. Jessica Namakkal next to photo of her book Unsettling Utopia](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/Namakkal_UnsetttlingUtopia_870x580.jpg?h=2d235432&itok=TycZNh0G)
Jessica Namakkal (PhD '13), assistant professor of the practice in international comparative studies; gender, sexuality, and feminist studies; and history, Duke University on Unsettling Utopia: The Making and Unmaking of French India. Ajay Skaria will facilitate the event. View the recording of the November History Book Club.
![Side by side photo of Dr. Emily Bruce and the cover of her book Revolution at Home](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/BruceEmily_Revolutions_HIST_870x580.jpg?h=2d235432&itok=6fkc4amJ)
Emily Bruce (PhD '15), assistant professor of history, University of Minnesota Morris on Revolutions at Home: The Origins of Childhood and the German Middle Class. Mary Jo Maynes will be in conversation with Bruce. View October Recording of the October History Book Club.
![Side by side photos of Katrina Phillips and Andrew Denson](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/Katrina_Phillis_Andrew_Denson_870x580.jpg?h=2d235432&itok=jhsl55AX)
Katrina Phillips (PhD '15), assistant professor of American Indian history, Macalester College on Staging Indigeneity: Salvage Tourism and the Performance of Native American History. Andrew Denson (West Carolina University) will engage in conversation with Phillips about her book.
![Side by side photos of Nate Holdren and Daniel LaChance](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/Holdren_LaChance_870x580.jpg?h=2d235432&itok=n7sKgG9L)
Led by Nate Holdren (PhD '14), assistant professor of history, Drake University and and author of Injury Impoverished: Workplace Accidents, Law and Capitalism in the Progressive Era and Daniel La Chance (PhD '11), Winship Distinguished Research Professor in History, Emory University, author of Executing Freedom: The Cultural Life of Capital Punishment in the United States.
![Cover of Crossroads: I Live Where I Like by Koni Benson. Illustrated by Nathan Trantraal](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/Crossroads_Cover_BensonKoni_TrantrallNathan_870x580.jpg?h=2d235432&itok=RMN0gySo)
Led by Koni Benson (PhD '09), lecturer, University of the Western Cape, South Africa (author), and André Trantraal (illustrator) of Crossroads: I Live Where I Like: A Graphic History.
![Pictured: Katherine French and Etching of London](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/unsorted/images/frenchkatherine_household_cover_1.jpg?h=79d0f2e8&itok=BjQyc34u)
Katherine French (PhD '93), J. Frederick Hoffman Professor of History, the University of Michigan on Household Goods and Good Households in Late Medieval London.
![Pictured: Benjamin Wiggins and Cover of "Calculating Race"](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/unsorted/images/bookclub_-_may__1.jpg?h=79d0f2e8&itok=EduZthke)
Benjamin Wiggins (PhD '13), Digital Arts, Sciences, & Humanities Program Director, University of Minnesota Libraries on Calculating Race: Racial Discrimination in Risk Assessment AND Caley Horan (PhD '11), Associate Professor of History, MIT
![Section from a painting of Elihu Palmer from the chest up. He wears American colonial clothes and hat and hold a white cane. HIs eyes are closed.](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/PalmerElihu_FischerKirsten_870x580_0.jpg?h=2d235432&itok=aZvJic32)
Kirsten Fischer, associate professor of history, will discuss her book American Freethinker: Elihu Palmer and the Struggle for Religious Freedom in the New Nation with Jon Butler, research professor of history.
![Side by side photos of Joe Trotter and the cover of his book Workers on Arrival](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/TrotterJoe_WorkersOnArrival-870x580.jpg?h=2d235432&itok=kn9734K_)
Joe Trotter (PhD ‘80), Giant Eagle Professor of History at Carnegie Mellon University, discussed his book Workers on Arrival with moderator William Jones, Professor of History at the University of Minnesota.
![Detail from cover of Jon Butler book God in Gotham. The words God in Gotham are laid over a black and white photo of New York City at night taken from above.](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/Butler_God-in-Gotham_cover_870x580.jpg?h=2d235432&itok=dAo_WZTf)
A conversation on God in Gotham: The Miracle of Religion in Modern Manhattan by Jon Butler (BA ‘64, PhD ‘72), Research Professor of History, University of Minnesota and Howard R Lamar Emeritus Professor of American Studies, History & Religious Studies, Yale University.
![Book Cover of "Christian Slavery"](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/unsorted/images/img_0192-e1521232728546.jpg?h=1cad1093&itok=b7K3lAbL)
Katharine Gerbner, professor of history at the University of Minnesota, discusses her book Christian Slavery: Conversion and Race in the Protestant Atlantic World.
![Book Cover of "A World Divided"](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/unsorted/images/9780691145440.jpg?h=ec041e41&itok=pviSN2zp)
A conversation on A World Divided: The Global Struggle for Human Rights in the Age of Nation-States between author Eric D. Weitz, Distinguished Professor of History at The City College of New York, and Barbara Frey, Director of the Human Rights Program at the University of Minnesota.
![Book Cover of "America for Americans"](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/unsorted/images/d_s7sbuu8aackua.jpg?h=4a6a9f1b&itok=YCIbZdGp)
A discussion on America for Americans: A History of Xenophobia in the United States Erika Lee, Regents Professor, Director of the Immigration History Research Center, and Rudolph J. Vecoli Chair in Immigration History.
![Statue of Massasoit](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/unsorted/images/statueofmassasoit-cropped.png?h=ae59995b&itok=ZQmRGupu)
A book talk on Monumental Mobility: The Memory Work of Massasoit was given by co-authors Jean M. O’Brien, professor, University of Minnesota and Lisa Blee, associate professor, Wake Forest University.
![Andrea Robertson](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/authorphoto1_2_0.jpg?h=9345dc45&itok=kPGEplZ2)
The History Department is welcoming visiting Author Andrea Robertson to talk about transitioning from a career in academia to writing literature. She will be talking about a variety of books she has written over the years.