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New Books in Intellectual History

New Books Network
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This podcast is a channel on the New Books Network. The New Books Network is an academic audio library dedicated to public education. In each episode you will hear scholars discuss their recently published research with another expert in their field. Discover our 150+ channels and browse our 28,000+ episodes on our website: ⁠newbooksnetwork.com⁠ Subscribe to our free weekly Substack newsletter to ... more

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Artwork for New Books in Intellectual History

Latest Episodes

Today I’m speaking with Peter N. Miller, historian and president of the American Academy in Rome, about his new book, Research: A Manifesto (Princeton University Press, 2026). Globally, we spend around $3 trillion dollars a year on research, roughly ... more

In Rehearsing the Future: The Thought and Practice of James and Grace Lee Boggs (AK Press, 2026), Michael Doan explores the work and legacy of James and Grace Lee Boggs, two of the most influential American radical thinkers of the twentieth century. ... more

What underpins the legitimacy of the prison system in the twenty-first century? Despite numerous challenges and setbacks, there is still a widespread belief that prisons can be improved in a socially progressive way. Even today, 'model prisons' are b... more

A Protestant Air: Gide, Sartre, Barthes, and the Religion of Literary Modernity (Cornell UP, 2026) focuses on the Protestant connection linking three intellectual giants of twentieth-century French thought. All three came from a Protestant background... more

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Recent Guests

Clémentine Fauré-Bellaïche
Associate Professor of French and Francophone Studies at Brandeis University.
Brandeis University
Episode: A Protestant Air: Gide, Sartre, Barthes, and the Religion of Literary Modernity with Clémentine Fauré-Bellaïche (Cornell UP, 2026)
Mark J. Noonan
Historian of American print culture and author of Revolutionary Ink
New York City College of Technology
Episode: Revolutionary Ink: New York Printers and the Promise of Democracy, 1693-1804 with Mark J. Noonan (Cambridge UP, 2026)
Martin Kristoffer Hamre
Historian and Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellow researching modern European history and far-right movements
University of Oslo
Episode: Fascists of the World, Unite?: A History of Fascist Internationalism in the 1930s with Martin Kristoffer Hamre (de Gruyter Oldenbourg, 2025)
Teresa Bejan
Political theorist and historian of political thought at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
Episode: First Among Equals: Visions of Equality Before Egalitarianism with Teresa M. Bejan (Harvard UP, 2026)
Sarah M. S. Pearsall
Historian and professor and chair of the Department of History at Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
Episode: Freedom Round the Globe: A World History of the American Revolution with Sarah M. S. Pearsall (Doubleday, 2026)
Dr. Rafael Walker
Associate Professor of English and Black and Latino Studies at Baruch College
Baruch College, City University of New York
Episode: Realism After the Individual: Women, Desire, and the Modern American Novel with Rafael Walker (U Chicago Press, 2025)
Barry R. Davis
Author of The Preventioneers
Johns Hopkins University Press (2026) / Physician and biostatistician
Episode: The Preventioneers: Diseases, Disasters, and the Discoveries That Changed Our World with Barry R Davis (JHU Press, 2026)
Charles West
Professor of Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh and author
University of Edinburgh
Episode: Europe in the Eleventh Century: Beyond Revolution and Reform with Charles West (Oxford UP, 2025)
Katherine L. Alexander
Scholar of late imperial Chinese literature and author of Teaching and Transformation in Popular Confucian Literature of the Late Qing
Episode: Teaching and Transformation in Popular Confucian Literature of the Late Qing with Katherine L. Alexander (U Michigan Press, 2025)

Hosts

Christine Lamberson
Host of The New Books Network channel; experience in coordinating scholarly book discussions.
Caleb Zakarin
Host of The New Books Network; co-host on multiple episodes; CEO/Publisher involvement.
Miranda Melcher
Host on New Books Network channel; known for scholarly book discussions.
Julia Rothkoff
Host for the discussion from the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research; co-hosting with scholars.
Thomas Edward Kingston
Host of The New Books Network interview series; experienced interviewer.

Reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars from 125 ratings
  • Excellent book selection, not always great interviews

    The concept was always unique. These books, mostly from academic presses and mostly in the humanities, have long failed to receive the attention they deserve. There are obviously limits to how many books in these areas can be reviewed in the NYT, NYRB and the LRB and other publications of that type. Yet in the field of intellectual history the quality of the interviewers is highly variable. One must be instantly suspicious of those such as Morteza Hajizadeh who are a fixture in this series, revi... more

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    sidneyhart
    United Statesa year ago
  • Such a great show

    Great discussions - thanks!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    C Rattat
    United States2 years ago
  • Unqualified interviewers

    Not sure how a 'grants researcher' for medicine & science qualifies as an interviewer on issues dealing with intellectual & religious history. The bench at NB Network can't be that shallow can it?

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    t78tt.r
    United States4 years ago
  • Simon Critchley

    The host for that episode asked profoundly dumb question. He almost implied the program was about him and his questions.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Hardy5414
    United States4 years ago
  • Sound needs urgent attention

    Excellent material, but frustrating to have the sound phasing in and out and distorted. Is there a way to record both sound sources and edit together, rather than record a zoom call from just one end? It might help. I’ve had to abandon several tracks because I can’t follow what’s being said.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    JFPhil
    United Kingdom6 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Sound quality and interview pacing are recurring points for improvement.
Interviews are praised for thoughtful questions but occasionally criticized for depth depending on the guest.
Listeners appreciate the rigorous, scholarly focus and deep book-based discussions.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Eran Shalev, "The Star-Spangled Republic: Political Astronomy and the Rise of the American Constellation" (U Virginia Press, 2025)
Q: What does political astronomy mean?
Shalev uses the term for the use of modern, post-Newtonian astronomy as a metaphor for Western politics, including imagery of monarchs as suns and the United States as a constellation of states.
Eran Shalev, "The Star-Spangled Republic: Political Astronomy and the Rise of the American Constellation" (U Virginia Press, 2025)
Q: What led you to write this book?
A colleague asked Shalev to read a paper on early modern European cosmology, which brought back the phrase “the new constellation” from his reading of early American newspapers. Finding little scholarship on the subject prompted him to develop the idea of political astronomy.
The Study: The Inner Life of Renaissance Libraries with Andrew Hui (Princeton UP, 2026)
Q: Why was loving books considered both virtuous and dangerous?
Hui says private reading can foster self-care, reflection, and learning, but excessive solitude and reading can disconnect people from others. He points to Don Quixote, Doctor Faustus, and Prospero as literary figures whose lives are damaged by overinvestment in books.
The Study: The Inner Life of Renaissance Libraries with Andrew Hui (Princeton UP, 2026)
Q: Can you talk about the concept of the studiolo, the private intellectual space that is both a place and an idea?
Hui explains that studium originally referred to zeal or an eager impulse to pursue knowledge. He argues that Renaissance private libraries, beginning with Petrarch, enabled independent scholarship beyond universities, monasteries, churches, and courts.
Think of England: Nation, People, and Race in the English Imagination with Paul Kléber Monod (Cambridge UP, 2026)
Q: What can this long history teach us about these debates about immigration, multiculturalism, English identity? Or do you think that English identity can become more open without, let's say, needing all these conflicts or war or empire that once sustained it?
Monod says national boundaries have always been porous and migration will continue. Historical examples show that hostility toward immigrants can diminish over time, but greater security and patience are needed to help people accept cultural change.

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Frequently Asked Questions About New Books in Intellectual History

What is New Books in Intellectual History about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A scholarly, high-level interview show that centers on recently published academic books in history, philosophy, and related disciplines. Guests are typically researchers, professors, or authors who discuss their work with another scholar, exploring ideas, historical trajectories, and methodological approaches. The conversations tend to emphasize archival sources, theoretical frameworks, and the broader implications of scholarly work for understanding culture, politics, and society. Noteworthy aspects include a strong balance between deep scholarly analysis and accessible discussions of complex ideas, with a consistent focus on intellectual history and humanities disciplines. Listeners are likely drawn to rigorous, book-centered conversatio... more

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Which podcasts are similar to New Books in Intellectual History?

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1. New Books in Critical Theory
2. What's Left of Philosophy
3. The LRB Podcast
4. Jacobin Radio
5. Close Readings

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New Books in Intellectual History launched 14 years ago and published 1044 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on New Books in Intellectual History?

Recent guests on New Books in Intellectual History include:

1. Clémentine Fauré-Bellaïche
2. Mark J. Noonan
3. Martin Kristoffer Hamre
4. Teresa Bejan
5. Sarah M. S. Pearsall
6. Dr. Rafael Walker
7. Barry R. Davis
8. Charles West

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