Modern History Notes

Giant's Shoulders #37: The Wunderkammer Edition, the history of science carnival, is up at Providentia.

James Gleich, "Books and Other Fetish Objects," NYT, 16 July, argues that the age of the book is behind us.

Donald Worster, "The Transcontinental Travesty," Slate, 6 June, and Michael Kazin, "How the Robber Barons Railroaded America," NYT, 15 July, reviews Richard White's Railroaded: The Transcontinentals and the Making of Modern America.

Jonathan Yardley reviews Cameron McWhirter's Red Summer: The Summer of 1919 and the Awakening of Black America for the Washington Post, 14 July.

Richard J. Evans, "Dateline Hitler," The Book, 18 July, reviews Steve Wicks's The Long Night: William L. Shirer and The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich.

Michael Dirda reviews Peter L. Berger's Adventures of an Accidental Sociologist for the Washington Post, 13 July.

David J. Garrow reviews Sally H. Jacobs's The Other Barack: The Bold and Reckless Life of President Obama's Father for the Washington Post, 12 July.

Finally, farewell to Owen S. "Mike" Connelly, South Carolina's distinguished Napoleonic historian.