David E. Nye,"The Origins of 20th Century Progress," American Scientist, March/April, reviews Vaclav Smil, Creating the Twentieth Century: Technical Innovations of 1867-1914 and Their Lasting Impact; and Smil, Transforming the Twentieth Century: Technical Innovations and Their Consequences. Hat tip.

Normitsu Onishi,"In Japan, a Historian Stands by Proof of Wartime Sex Slavery," NY Times, 31 March, looks at the work of Yoshiaki Yoshimi.

The best breaking news for historians of the civil rights movement comes, of all places, from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Yesterday, it released the report of its recent inquiry into the death of Emmett Till in 1955. The bulk of the 464 page report is an appendix that is a copy of the original transcript of the 1955 trial in which Roy Bryant and J. W. Milam were found not guilty in Till's death. Shortly after the trial, Bryant and Milam acknowledged their responsibility for Till's death, but no subsequent charges were brought against them. Liberty & Power's David Beito and I assisted the Jackson, Mississippi, FBI office in picking up the trail to the transcript, which had been lost to researchers for nearly 40 years.

For their failures to appreciate the obvious analogy between Spartans and patriotic Americans and their recommendation of Gary Brecher's"Triumph of the War Nerd," our colleagues, Tim Burke and Scott McLemee, have re-invested their creds as"commies". Quaint, isn't it?

Finally, Day 2 at the OAH Convention.