Hump Day Recommendations 4/10/2024

Read: “Rethinking the End of Empire: Nationalism, State Formation and Great Power Politics,” by Dr. Lynn Tesser (a GZERO Daily reader!). On the eve of World War I, global politics were dominated by continent-spanning empires. Some were vast and dominant, like Britain’s, some young and rising, like Japan, and some ancient and ailing, like the Ottomans, but today not a single one remains. Tesser asks why. And why did nation-states fill the gap? In her new study, she subverts conventional nationalistic explanations to argue that the same elites who formed the core of imperial projects from Peru to Phnom Penh ultimately introduced the conditions for their dissolution in the 20th century. – Matt

Watch:“Manhunt.” This new miniseries focuses on the hunt for John Wilkes Booth after he assassinated President Abraham Lincoln as the American Civil War drew to a close. Even though we already know how this ends, the series keeps you interested. If you enjoy historical fiction, I highly recommend checking this out. – John

Watch: “Dictator’s Dilemma.” This is National Geographic’s thoughtful and chilling 2022 profile of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un … and his enigmatic younger sister. – Willis

Read: What does “Never Again” really mean? For Israeli genocide scholar Omer Bartov, the meaning of the Holocaust has often been distorted and exploited over the past 80-odd years in ways that may make crimes against humanity more likely, rather than less. There is a lot to contend with in his long essay on the “Misuses of Holocaust Memory,” and close readers from across the spectrum will surely find points of disagreement. But it’s a worthy read if you want to engage with this (fraught!) topic. – Alex