Basic Books Group
@basicbooksgroup.bsky.social
Renowned publisher of serious nonfiction by leading intellectuals, scholars, and journalists. A division of Hachette.
"From the beginning of the nation's story, America is betwixt and between two impulses..."
Mark J. Dunkelman stopped by The Gray Area on @vox.com to talk about the deep history of why nothing in America seems to work anymore--from Jefferson to Robert Moses to Trump. Watch here: bit.ly/4jyO7OO
Mark J. Dunkelman stopped by The Gray Area on @vox.com to talk about the deep history of why nothing in America seems to work anymore--from Jefferson to Robert Moses to Trump. Watch here: bit.ly/4jyO7OO
Why America can’t build anything | The Gray Area
Why is it so hard for America to build things?Subscribe to our channel and turn on notifications (🔔) so you don't miss any videos: http://goo.gl/0bsAjOBridg...
bit.ly
January 12, 2026 at 5:52 PM
"From the beginning of the nation's story, America is betwixt and between two impulses..."
Mark J. Dunkelman stopped by The Gray Area on @vox.com to talk about the deep history of why nothing in America seems to work anymore--from Jefferson to Robert Moses to Trump. Watch here: bit.ly/4jyO7OO
Mark J. Dunkelman stopped by The Gray Area on @vox.com to talk about the deep history of why nothing in America seems to work anymore--from Jefferson to Robert Moses to Trump. Watch here: bit.ly/4jyO7OO
Reposted by Basic Books Group
Even when everyone agrees in principle that we really, really need to get things done, the system still can’t move. Author Marc Dunkelman joined The Gray Area podcast to discuss why that sense of paralysis isn’t a mystery, and it isn’t just a product of polarization or bad politicians.
Why America can’t build anything anymore, explained
Progressives designed reforms to stop government abuse in the 1960s. Those same protections now make it nearly impossible to build infrastructure.
www.vox.com
January 12, 2026 at 2:45 PM
Even when everyone agrees in principle that we really, really need to get things done, the system still can’t move. Author Marc Dunkelman joined The Gray Area podcast to discuss why that sense of paralysis isn’t a mystery, and it isn’t just a product of polarization or bad politicians.
"In short, by the time the United States is ready to return to multilateralism, the world will have moved on."
Read Amitav Acharya's sobering new essay in @foreignpolicy.com, on the global order in the age of Trumpism: bit.ly/457GnO0
Read Amitav Acharya's sobering new essay in @foreignpolicy.com, on the global order in the age of Trumpism: bit.ly/457GnO0
The World-Minus-One Moment
Managing the global order with an antagonistic Washington.
bit.ly
January 12, 2026 at 2:53 PM
"In short, by the time the United States is ready to return to multilateralism, the world will have moved on."
Read Amitav Acharya's sobering new essay in @foreignpolicy.com, on the global order in the age of Trumpism: bit.ly/457GnO0
Read Amitav Acharya's sobering new essay in @foreignpolicy.com, on the global order in the age of Trumpism: bit.ly/457GnO0
"Jalonick's collected oral histories capture the sense of danger, fear, and fury of that unprecedented day, hour by frantic hour."--Donald A. Ritchie
STORM AT THE CAPITOL is available now: bit.ly/4sqSb7N
STORM AT THE CAPITOL is available now: bit.ly/4sqSb7N
January 10, 2026 at 7:00 PM
"Jalonick's collected oral histories capture the sense of danger, fear, and fury of that unprecedented day, hour by frantic hour."--Donald A. Ritchie
STORM AT THE CAPITOL is available now: bit.ly/4sqSb7N
STORM AT THE CAPITOL is available now: bit.ly/4sqSb7N
Mary Clare Jalonick spoke to NPR's Here & Now, about her new book "Storm at the Capitol: An Oral History of January 6th."
Listen to her speak here, along with some extraordinary archival material from the audiobook: bit.ly/3YrOVvo
Listen to her speak here, along with some extraordinary archival material from the audiobook: bit.ly/3YrOVvo
'Storm at the Capitol': Oral history book lays out Jan. 6 attack minute by minute
Five years ago, supporters of President Trump tried to stop the certification of the 2020 election.
bit.ly
January 8, 2026 at 9:35 PM
Mary Clare Jalonick spoke to NPR's Here & Now, about her new book "Storm at the Capitol: An Oral History of January 6th."
Listen to her speak here, along with some extraordinary archival material from the audiobook: bit.ly/3YrOVvo
Listen to her speak here, along with some extraordinary archival material from the audiobook: bit.ly/3YrOVvo
Reposted by Basic Books Group
I would highly recommend this oral history for anyone who wants to get a feel for how January 6th felt at the scene, and for those who are interested, @lawfaremedia.org will be posting a podcast interview tomorrow between myself and the author.
Mary Clare Jalonick's STORM AT THE CAPITOL is "a riveting account of one of the most consequential days in American history," says @ryanjreilly.com
January 7, 2026 at 8:34 PM
I would highly recommend this oral history for anyone who wants to get a feel for how January 6th felt at the scene, and for those who are interested, @lawfaremedia.org will be posting a podcast interview tomorrow between myself and the author.
"Coyote America" by Dan Flores, the @nytimes.com bestselling account of how coyotes took over North America—and are now taking over South America as well—is available in paperback. Read the updated and expanded edition today!
January 7, 2026 at 4:58 PM
"Coyote America" by Dan Flores, the @nytimes.com bestselling account of how coyotes took over North America—and are now taking over South America as well—is available in paperback. Read the updated and expanded edition today!
Mary Clare Jalonick's STORM AT THE CAPITOL is "a riveting account of one of the most consequential days in American history," says @ryanjreilly.com
January 7, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Mary Clare Jalonick's STORM AT THE CAPITOL is "a riveting account of one of the most consequential days in American history," says @ryanjreilly.com
Happy publication day to "Storm at the Capitol: An Oral History of January 6th," by Mary Clare Jalonick.
This is the definitive, unbiased account of the twenty-four hours surrounding the historic January 6th attack on the Capitol.
This is the definitive, unbiased account of the twenty-four hours surrounding the historic January 6th attack on the Capitol.
January 6, 2026 at 2:48 PM
Happy publication day to "Storm at the Capitol: An Oral History of January 6th," by Mary Clare Jalonick.
This is the definitive, unbiased account of the twenty-four hours surrounding the historic January 6th attack on the Capitol.
This is the definitive, unbiased account of the twenty-four hours surrounding the historic January 6th attack on the Capitol.
"[Crick's] real second act was in the nascent field of neuroscience. Mr. Cobb... is especially persuasive on Crick's hitherto unacknowledged influence here."
Read the latest @wsj.com review of "Crick: A Mind in Motion" by @matthewcobb.bsky.social here: on.wsj.com/44SNMRg
Read the latest @wsj.com review of "Crick: A Mind in Motion" by @matthewcobb.bsky.social here: on.wsj.com/44SNMRg
‘Crick’ Review: The Molecule and the Man
The revelation of DNA’s chemical structure made it possible to understand how it might replicate and direct the growth of life-forms.
on.wsj.com
January 5, 2026 at 4:31 PM
"[Crick's] real second act was in the nascent field of neuroscience. Mr. Cobb... is especially persuasive on Crick's hitherto unacknowledged influence here."
Read the latest @wsj.com review of "Crick: A Mind in Motion" by @matthewcobb.bsky.social here: on.wsj.com/44SNMRg
Read the latest @wsj.com review of "Crick: A Mind in Motion" by @matthewcobb.bsky.social here: on.wsj.com/44SNMRg
Reposted by Basic Books Group
@jackewilson.bsky.social talks to Edward J. Watts, author of The Romans: A 2,000-Year History. Through his comprehensive overview, Watts shifts our focus away from Rome's fall, instead bringing to light the qualities that helped Rome endure for so long.
#books #history @basicbooksgroup.bsky.social
#books #history @basicbooksgroup.bsky.social
764 Two Thousand Years of Roman History (with Edward J. Watts) | My Last Book with Nathan Hensley
764 Two Thousand Years of Roman History (with Edward J. Watts) | My Last Book with Nathan Hensley page for The History of Literature Podcast
www.historyofliterature.com
January 5, 2026 at 1:10 PM
@jackewilson.bsky.social talks to Edward J. Watts, author of The Romans: A 2,000-Year History. Through his comprehensive overview, Watts shifts our focus away from Rome's fall, instead bringing to light the qualities that helped Rome endure for so long.
#books #history @basicbooksgroup.bsky.social
#books #history @basicbooksgroup.bsky.social
Rome's greatest orator was born on this day in 106 BC. Read about the rise and fall of Cicero and the fate of the Roman Republic in Josiah Osgood's "Lawless Republic."
Avaialble now: bit.ly/4j6gC6p
Avaialble now: bit.ly/4j6gC6p
January 3, 2026 at 3:00 PM
Rome's greatest orator was born on this day in 106 BC. Read about the rise and fall of Cicero and the fate of the Roman Republic in Josiah Osgood's "Lawless Republic."
Avaialble now: bit.ly/4j6gC6p
Avaialble now: bit.ly/4j6gC6p
"The Call of the Honeyguide" by Rob Dunn, which shows how rethinking our relationships with other species can help us reimagine the future of humankind, has been long-listed for @penamerica.bsky.social's Literary Science Writing Award!
Read more, and see all the nominees here: bit.ly/493uyJN
Read more, and see all the nominees here: bit.ly/493uyJN
Announcing the 2026 PEN America Literary Awards Longlists
PEN America is honored to announce the Longlists for the 2026 Literary Awards, which will confer nearly $350,000 to writers and translators.
bit.ly
December 19, 2025 at 4:14 PM
"The Call of the Honeyguide" by Rob Dunn, which shows how rethinking our relationships with other species can help us reimagine the future of humankind, has been long-listed for @penamerica.bsky.social's Literary Science Writing Award!
Read more, and see all the nominees here: bit.ly/493uyJN
Read more, and see all the nominees here: bit.ly/493uyJN
“Biting critiques of the red-tape state."
Philip K. Howard recommends "Why Nothing Works" by Marc J. Dunkelman on @wsj.com!
Learn more, and see all the selections here: bit.ly/48KvW5g
"Why Nothing Works" is available now: bit.ly/3YDpsPq
Philip K. Howard recommends "Why Nothing Works" by Marc J. Dunkelman on @wsj.com!
Learn more, and see all the selections here: bit.ly/48KvW5g
"Why Nothing Works" is available now: bit.ly/3YDpsPq
Why Nothing Works
Hachette Book Group is a leading book publisher based in New York and a division of Hachette Livre, the third-largest publisher in the world.
bit.ly
December 19, 2025 at 4:00 PM
“Biting critiques of the red-tape state."
Philip K. Howard recommends "Why Nothing Works" by Marc J. Dunkelman on @wsj.com!
Learn more, and see all the selections here: bit.ly/48KvW5g
"Why Nothing Works" is available now: bit.ly/3YDpsPq
Philip K. Howard recommends "Why Nothing Works" by Marc J. Dunkelman on @wsj.com!
Learn more, and see all the selections here: bit.ly/48KvW5g
"Why Nothing Works" is available now: bit.ly/3YDpsPq
Reposted by Basic Books Group
Thank you to everyone who has supported #Economica: A Global History of Women, Wealth & Power 📗 this year. I am enormously grateful. #womenwealthpower @headlinebooks.bsky.social @basicbooksgroup.bsky.social @hachetteuk.bsky.social
December 18, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Thank you to everyone who has supported #Economica: A Global History of Women, Wealth & Power 📗 this year. I am enormously grateful. #womenwealthpower @headlinebooks.bsky.social @basicbooksgroup.bsky.social @hachetteuk.bsky.social
"A stunning account."
Justice Anthony Kennedy recommends "The End of Everything: How Wars Descend into Annihilation" by @vdhanson.bsky.social at @wsj.com .
Read more: bit.ly/490BLKw
Justice Anthony Kennedy recommends "The End of Everything: How Wars Descend into Annihilation" by @vdhanson.bsky.social at @wsj.com .
Read more: bit.ly/490BLKw
Who Read What in 2025
We asked 50 luminaries from the worlds of business, politics, books and the arts about what they read—and what they recommend.
bit.ly
December 18, 2025 at 3:34 PM
"A stunning account."
Justice Anthony Kennedy recommends "The End of Everything: How Wars Descend into Annihilation" by @vdhanson.bsky.social at @wsj.com .
Read more: bit.ly/490BLKw
Justice Anthony Kennedy recommends "The End of Everything: How Wars Descend into Annihilation" by @vdhanson.bsky.social at @wsj.com .
Read more: bit.ly/490BLKw
"[An] enthralling and illuminating history of German U-boats in the battle for the Atlantic."
Read the latest review of Roger Moorhouse's "Wolfpack" at @foreignaffairs.com: bit.ly/48XYmrj
Read the latest review of Roger Moorhouse's "Wolfpack" at @foreignaffairs.com: bit.ly/48XYmrj
Four Books on World War II
Eighty years after the end of World War II, books by Hastings, Moorhouse, Clavin, and Passmore shed new light on the conflict.
bit.ly
December 17, 2025 at 7:50 PM
"[An] enthralling and illuminating history of German U-boats in the battle for the Atlantic."
Read the latest review of Roger Moorhouse's "Wolfpack" at @foreignaffairs.com: bit.ly/48XYmrj
Read the latest review of Roger Moorhouse's "Wolfpack" at @foreignaffairs.com: bit.ly/48XYmrj
"A magisterial ode to Americana."
"Born Equal" by Akhil Reed Amar is a @wsj.com Recommended Read of 2025!
Learn more: bit.ly/4oWgR59
"Born Equal" by Akhil Reed Amar is a @wsj.com Recommended Read of 2025!
Learn more: bit.ly/4oWgR59
Who Read What in 2025
We asked 50 luminaries from the worlds of business, politics, books and the arts about what they read—and what they recommend.
bit.ly
December 17, 2025 at 7:30 PM
"A magisterial ode to Americana."
"Born Equal" by Akhil Reed Amar is a @wsj.com Recommended Read of 2025!
Learn more: bit.ly/4oWgR59
"Born Equal" by Akhil Reed Amar is a @wsj.com Recommended Read of 2025!
Learn more: bit.ly/4oWgR59
"O’Brien speaks on these subjects with immense authority. He was one of the few who predicted the developments in Ukraine correctly from the start."
@wsj.com reviews "War and Power," @phillipspobrien.bsky.social's bold, revisionist study of modern warfare.
Read more: bit.ly/4oTWmGc
@wsj.com reviews "War and Power," @phillipspobrien.bsky.social's bold, revisionist study of modern warfare.
Read more: bit.ly/4oTWmGc
‘War and Power’ Review: Off the Battlefield, Another Fight
When nations clash, military prowess is important—but don’t forget about endurance, supply and alliances.
bit.ly
December 15, 2025 at 7:47 PM
"O’Brien speaks on these subjects with immense authority. He was one of the few who predicted the developments in Ukraine correctly from the start."
@wsj.com reviews "War and Power," @phillipspobrien.bsky.social's bold, revisionist study of modern warfare.
Read more: bit.ly/4oTWmGc
@wsj.com reviews "War and Power," @phillipspobrien.bsky.social's bold, revisionist study of modern warfare.
Read more: bit.ly/4oTWmGc
“Incisive… Williamson’s surprising thesis is that taxes, when done right, are good for democracy.”
@vanessawilliamson.bsky.social's "The Price of Democracy" was featured in the latest @nytimes.com Book Review!
Read more here: bit.ly/49a46zk
@vanessawilliamson.bsky.social's "The Price of Democracy" was featured in the latest @nytimes.com Book Review!
Read more here: bit.ly/49a46zk
December 15, 2025 at 3:25 PM
“Incisive… Williamson’s surprising thesis is that taxes, when done right, are good for democracy.”
@vanessawilliamson.bsky.social's "The Price of Democracy" was featured in the latest @nytimes.com Book Review!
Read more here: bit.ly/49a46zk
@vanessawilliamson.bsky.social's "The Price of Democracy" was featured in the latest @nytimes.com Book Review!
Read more here: bit.ly/49a46zk
Reposted by Basic Books Group
“a compelling read…filled with interesting and extraordinary stories… it encompasses the entire history of (wo)mankind” - thank you Rituparna Roy for your fantastic review of #Economica 📗: www.telegraphindia.com/books/force-...
Force made invisible
What makes Economica a compelling read is the way in which economic history meets a non-fiction narrative
www.telegraphindia.com
December 12, 2025 at 1:46 PM
“a compelling read…filled with interesting and extraordinary stories… it encompasses the entire history of (wo)mankind” - thank you Rituparna Roy for your fantastic review of #Economica 📗: www.telegraphindia.com/books/force-...
Reposted by Basic Books Group
Top 10 books: The International Affairs Christmas reading list 2025 📚🎄
Ahead of the holidays, Book Reviews Editor Mariana Vieira
has curated a list of books that reflects our commitments to covering the whole of the International Relations discipline.
Check them out 👇
medium.com/internationa...
Ahead of the holidays, Book Reviews Editor Mariana Vieira
has curated a list of books that reflects our commitments to covering the whole of the International Relations discipline.
Check them out 👇
medium.com/internationa...
Top 10 books: The International Affairs Christmas reading list 2025
How regularly do you think about Serbia, Angola or the Pacific Islands? For many, the answer will be ‘not that often’. Ahead of the…
medium.com
December 12, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Top 10 books: The International Affairs Christmas reading list 2025 📚🎄
Ahead of the holidays, Book Reviews Editor Mariana Vieira
has curated a list of books that reflects our commitments to covering the whole of the International Relations discipline.
Check them out 👇
medium.com/internationa...
Ahead of the holidays, Book Reviews Editor Mariana Vieira
has curated a list of books that reflects our commitments to covering the whole of the International Relations discipline.
Check them out 👇
medium.com/internationa...
Reposted by Basic Books Group
Great new review of my book, War and Power: Who Wins War and Why, in the @wsj.com The reviewer does a great job outlining the argument and I'm grateful he read it so closely. Here is a link and an excerpt. www.wsj.com/arts-culture...
December 12, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Great new review of my book, War and Power: Who Wins War and Why, in the @wsj.com The reviewer does a great job outlining the argument and I'm grateful he read it so closely. Here is a link and an excerpt. www.wsj.com/arts-culture...
"The Price of Democracy feels essential today.... Anyone who cares about preserving democracy would be well served by reading it."
@npr.org reviews @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social's "fascinating" new history of taxation in America from colonization to the present day.
Read more: bit.ly/44VU6qX
@npr.org reviews @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social's "fascinating" new history of taxation in America from colonization to the present day.
Read more: bit.ly/44VU6qX
Believe it or not, this book makes taxes fascinating
The Price of Democracy tells the history of taxation from colonization to the present day. It's essential reading for anyone who cares about preserving democracy.
bit.ly
December 10, 2025 at 8:27 PM
"The Price of Democracy feels essential today.... Anyone who cares about preserving democracy would be well served by reading it."
@npr.org reviews @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social's "fascinating" new history of taxation in America from colonization to the present day.
Read more: bit.ly/44VU6qX
@npr.org reviews @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social's "fascinating" new history of taxation in America from colonization to the present day.
Read more: bit.ly/44VU6qX
Reposted by Basic Books Group
Three months ago today, I launched #Economica: A Global History of Women, Wealth & Power at the National Portrait Gallery. A huge thank you to everyone who has read, supported, reviewed & recommended the book. I am truly grateful. @headlinebooks.bsky.social @basicbooksgroup.bsky.social #FTBestBooks
December 10, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Three months ago today, I launched #Economica: A Global History of Women, Wealth & Power at the National Portrait Gallery. A huge thank you to everyone who has read, supported, reviewed & recommended the book. I am truly grateful. @headlinebooks.bsky.social @basicbooksgroup.bsky.social #FTBestBooks