The Best of Books 2022

In this monumental book, Ferrer chronicles four centuries of Cuban history and outlines the island’s complex relationship with the United States. In her view, present-day Cuba may be politically sovereign, but it is economically vulnerable—and its future is tenuous.

In this magisterial synthesis, French explores the complex relations between Africans and Europeans in the centuries before the imposition of formal colonialism, demonstrating that Africa was never marginal to global events. Rather, it is the place where the modern world came into being.

Gewirtz provides a vivid and readable account of Chinese politics in the period between Mao Zedong’s death and shortly after the Tiananmen Square massacre, arguing that a more liberal development path was possible for China—and that Beijing might have pursued it under different circumstances.

Rachman provides one of the most vivid and incisive accounts yet of the new authoritarianism that has swept the world, arguing that the rise of strongman leaders is deeply rooted in global economic and technological changes—and in the failures of and disillusionment with liberal democracy.

In this deeply researched overview of the evolution of authoritarian politics, Guriev and Treisman argue that today’s autocrats maintain control over society not through brutality and fear but through the manipulation of information.

In this fascinating book, Cherniss explores the ideas of liberal thinkers from the World War II and Cold War eras, building portraits of intellectuals preoccupied with how liberalism could survive as a way of life in the face of extremist projects that sought to destroy liberalism and democracy.

Goldin summarizes the history and current state of gender disparities in employment and pay, arguing that redressing today’s pay gap will require revisiting fundamental social and workplace norms. An erudite, engaging, and surprisingly personal book.

Prasad demystifies the esoteric world of cryptocurrencies, so-called stablecoins, and central bank digital currencies, drawing out the new currencies’ implications for monetary policy, financial regulation, and economic development. He offers the best single point of entry for those interested in the nitty-gritty of digital finance.

Terzi thoughtfully engages with the argument that societies must transition away from economic growth in order to address climate change and the ills of the market system, notably pervasive inequality. He makes the case that only the resources made available by an expanding economy can solve these problems.

In an original and persuasive analysis, Mulder charts how economic sanctions emerged as a potential coercive instrument and alternative to war during the early twentieth century—and argues that rather than keeping the peace, this form of economic warfare aggravated tensions and often backfired.

Spector combines meticulous research with lively writing to describe the bloody conflicts that arose as European powers struggled to hold on to their colonies in Asia in the wake of World War II.

Krepon’s comprehensive and thoroughly researched history of U.S. nuclear arms control policy advances a refreshingly realist message: the world is stuck in the nuclear age.

Tyrrell’s rich intellectual history traces the changing significance of the idea of American exceptionalism from its roots in the revolutionary era to the present—illuminating the broad sweep of U.S. history in the process.

Avlon’s highly readable, original treatment of President Abraham Lincoln’s tragically interrupted plans to advance political reconciliation in the wake of the U.S. Civil War is particularly timely now in a polarized United States and world.

Hill, a well-known Russia expert, deftly combines a childhood memoir, political analysis, and an account of her time on U.S. President Donald Trump’s National Security Council to offer a compelling examination of the conditions that breed populism.

This prize-winning memoir recounts with wit, charm, and wisdom Ypi’s life before and after the fall of communism in Albania, charting the path that led her to a personal and intellectual commitment to social democracy.

O’Toole, perhaps Ireland’s foremost public intellectual, combines an intimately personal narrative, piquant facts and figures, and sharp commentary to chart the extraordinary economic, social, and political transformation of Ireland since 1958 in this standout book.

Olmsted examines how the most powerful media moguls in the United Kingdom and the United States whitewashed Adolf Hitler’s actions and embraced sensationalism and untruth throughout the 1930s—reminding readers that nationalist press outlets that disseminate fake news, praise foreign autocrats, and practice dog-whistle politics are nothing new.

Shawcross deftly and persuasively reexamines the tragicomic rule of the Austrian archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, the Habsburg prince whom France briefly imposed on Mexico in the 1860s, arguing that Maximilian was a well-intentioned, if flawed, Enlightenment ruler buffeted by the great forces of the age.

In an unrelentingly depressing requiem, Neuman examines how Venezuela went from being an oil-rich, functioning democracy with a prosperous middle class to a country trapped by economic ruin, severe shortages, and crippling urban crime—a cautionary tale in which U.S. politicians come off poorly.

Haynes proposes an alternative to the traditional foundational myth of Texas, in which a heroic American resistance overcame Mexican despotism—instead illuminating a pre-independence history in which English speakers, Hispanics, indigenous tribes, and freed Blacks coexisted in relative harmony under Mexican rule.

In this well-researched book, Brunstedt assesses the competing narratives of the Soviet experience of World War II and the rise of Russian nationalism among Moscow elites.

Eden’s innovative study explores the dynamics of Muslim life in the Soviet Union during World War II, examining how Moscow sought to inculcate patriotism among communities whose sense of belonging to Soviet society remained tenuous.

In the first English-language book about Alexei Navalny, the leader of the Russian opposition to President Vladimir Putin, the authors follow Navalny’s trajectory to becoming Russia’s most prominent political prisoner—and, along the way, explain how corruption secures Putin’s rule instead of eroding it, why support for Putin remains broad, and why Navalny’s current imprisonment speeds Russia’s descent toward full-fledged dictatorship.

Martínez shows how public debates about bread in Jordan illustrate both the state’s profound role in shaping national identity and its fading influence in popular understandings of political authority—and why decades of economic liberalization have left the country’s welfare state in tatters.

El-Ghobashy elegantly recounts the years of upheaval in Egypt between the 2011 uprising against President Hosni Mubarak and the 2014 election of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, analyzing sources of political contestation and stressing the uncertainty and volatility of those years.

In this subtle and reflective book, Arjomand draws on his own experience as a young Iranian American reporter and local fixer in Turkey to examine the murky forces—and figures—that shape how international news is made.

Hillman shows how Chinese-manufactured digital technology is taking over the world and argues that although China remains poised to dominate the industry, leading democracies still have a chance to invest in technology that promotes ethical norms and freer societies.

In a work of skill and courage, Pawakapan explains how Thailand’s military has penetrated society in an effort to foster support for its conservative policies—but casts doubt on whether it has succeeded in generating popular support for a corrupt and inequitable system.

Green argues that former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reoriented and strengthened Tokyo’s foreign policy in a way that will persist, despite his tragic assassination in July 2022.

In this powerful book, Elischer explains how some African states avoided a rise in Salafi political violence by responding to early signs of emerging extremism, while others were complacent and allowed Islamic groups to organize themselves and become a threat.

In this strikingly original study, Schouten shows how local actors seek to gain power and resources by controlling the road networks in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. He demonstrates that these roadblocks profoundly fuel long-standing conflicts and hamper efforts at institution building in central Africa.

In this stunning book, Campbell explores the Catholic Church’s support for and encouragement of the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini’s campaign against the Ethiopian Orthodox Church during Italy’s invasion and occupation of Ethiopia from 1935 to 1943, shedding new light on a key episode in African history.