Author Archives: briansandberg

On Political Favor and Conflicts of Interest

On President-elect Trump’s glaring conflicts of interest…. “During his first administration, President-elect Donald J. Trump’s global business empire created an unprecedented number of conflicts of interest for a sitting president. Ethics experts worried that opportunists could try to curry favor … Continue reading

Posted in Court Studies, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern France, Early Modern World, European History, French History, Noble Culture and History of Elites, Political Culture, Political Theory, Reformation History, Renaissance Art and History, State Development Theory, United States History and Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

On the Army of God and Religious Politics in the U.S.

A new report in The Atlantic focuses on the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) in contemporary Christianity and its growing influence in the political culture of the United States. Stephanie McCrummen writes: “A shift is under way, one that scholars have … Continue reading

Posted in Cultural History, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, European History, European Wars of Religion, French Wars of Religion, Intellectual History, Political Activism and Protest Culture, Political Culture, Reformation History, Religious Politics, Religious Violence, United States History and Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

France’s Far-Right Embraces Jean-Marie Le Pen

French far-right political leader Jean-Marie Le Pen died this week. In 1972, Le Pen founded the Front National (National Front) and gradually built it into the preeminent far-right political party in France. Jean-Marie Le Pen was a former military intelligence … Continue reading

Posted in Contemporary France, European History, European Studies, European Union, French History, Museums and Historical Memory, Political Culture | Leave a comment

History of Science and Versailles

London’s Science Museum is currently displaying an exhibition on Versailles: Science and Splendour, which draws on recent studies in the history of science in early modern France. The Financial Times reports that “The engine of the exhibition is the relationship … Continue reading

Posted in Court Studies, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern France, Early Modern World, European History, European Studies, French History, History of Medicine, History of Science, Museums and Historical Memory, Women and Gender History, World History | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Death of Front National Founder Jean-Marie Le Pen

Jean-Marie Le Pen, the firebrand far-right French politician and one of the key architects of the modern neo-fascist movement in Europe, has died. The New York Times reports that “Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founding father of France’s modern political far … Continue reading

Posted in Atrocities, Contemporary France, Empires and Imperialism, European History, European Studies, European Union, French Empire, French History, Genocides, History of Violence, Human Rights, Laws of War, Political Culture, War, Culture, and Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Documenting the Storming of the U.S. Capitol

The Storming of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of then President Trump is one of the most documented individual episodes of mass violence in history. As President-Elect Trump prepares to re-enter the White House, it is important to revisit the … Continue reading

Posted in Academic Freedom, Historiography and Social Theory, History in the Media, History of Violence, Information Management, Museums and Historical Memory, Political Activism and Protest Culture, Political Culture, Political Theory, United States History and Society | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Remembering the Charlie Hebdo Attacks

Remembering the victims of the Charlie Hebdo Attacks on 7 January 2015 in Paris. I was living nearby in the Marais at the time and remember that terrible day and its aftermath vividly. It is hard to believe that 10 … Continue reading

Posted in Contemporary France, European History, European Studies, European Union, French History, History of Violence, Museums and Historical Memory, Political Culture, Terrorism | Leave a comment

Royalty, Territorial Claims, and International Politics

Early modern issues of royal heraldry and territorial claims have reemerged in contemporary international politics. The King of Denmark is changing his coat of arms, provoking surprise among European political analysts and historians. The Guardian reports that “The Danish king … Continue reading

Posted in Cultural History, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, Empires and Imperialism, European History, European Studies, European Union, European Wars of Religion, History of Violence, Medieval History, Monarchies and Royal States, Museums and Historical Memory, Political Culture, Political Theory, Reformation History, Renaissance Art and History, State Development Theory, Strategy and International Politics, Warfare in the Early Modern World | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Newberry Summer Institutes in Paleography

The Center for Renaissance Studies at the Newberry Library will be offering Summer Institutes in Spanish Paleography and/or Nahuatl/Nawat during Summer 2025. Northern Illinois University graduate students in History and the Humanities are encouraged to apply to participate in a … Continue reading

Posted in Archival Research, Atlantic World, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, European History, Graduate Work in History, History of the Book, Lectures and Seminars, Manuscript Studies, Mediterranean World, Paleography, Reformation History, Renaissance Art and History | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Publishing Your First Article: Webinar

The Renaissance Society of America will be holding a professional development webinar on “Publishing Your First Article (and the Unspoken Rules of Publishing You Need to Know).” This webinar will provide advice on how to prepare a research paper for … Continue reading

Posted in Academic Publishing, Graduate Work in History, Renaissance Art and History, Writing Methods | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment