On the Cover

Honesty, so the saying goes, is the best policy. Telling the truth is always better than lying. When Leopold von Ranke declared he wanted to describe the past wie es eigentlich gewesen—as it essentially happened—he articulated this as a principle which historians have since embraced, though there has been no little debate as to the practicalities of its execution. The recent resurgence of authoritarian, nationalist movements across the globe have added a new flavor and urgency to the discussion. Now more than ever, the United States and the world need historians and the honest history we provide.

Photo: Kimberly Farmer/Unsplash