Publication date: November 1, 2026
Taking as inspiration the work of legendary scholar Ernest R. May, a pioneer in the field of applied history, this book illustrates how historical narratives, analogies, and axioms can, and frequently do, shape policymaking.
History’s Dead-Hand Grip, edited by historians Joseph Ledford and Daniel J. Sargent, builds in part on May’s seminal work “Lessons” of the Past. That book lays the foundation for this one’s explorations: How have policymakers in diverse countries—from Indonesia and Israel to Saudi Arabia and Brazil—used and misused history?
Ranging across time from the medieval domestication of the horse in Asia to up-to-the-minute executive orders issued in the United States, these eight essays offer critical examples of how historical reasoning informs statecraft around the world
