History in the Headlines: A Conversation

At a moment of heightened polarization, when distinctions between facts and click-bait news are elusive, the University of Georgia Press introduces a critical new series committed to reaffirming the indispensable role of the intellectual in the public sphere. History in the Headlines promises to harness the accumulated knowledge of leading scholars and academics, capturing their voices within a series dedicated to informing contemporary debate. Series editors Catherine Clinton and Jim Downs will work alongside a distinguished advisory board to offer books that contextualize current events and provide essential perspective.

The centerpiece of each book is a comprehensive roundtable discussion—carefully edited for concision, clarity, and relevance—bookended by an informative introduction, conclusion, and annotated bibliography. Stripped of jargon and focused on common issues, History in the Headlines will inform readers about pressing issues of the day with clear, lively writing and a conversational style. Series books engage prominent scholars with students, journalists, and the public at large.

Themes are selected based upon their contemporary importance and lasting scholarly weight: From Confederate memorialization and the construction of race, to the history of epidemics and the development of mass incarceration. The result will position informed conversation at its center, bring expertise to the fore, and situate History in the Headlines in the middle of pressing debates for years to come.