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Fritz Stern

A recognized authority on modern Europe, Fritz Stern (1938–2016) was a Seth Low Professor of History and former provost at Columbia University. He held three degrees from Columbia, where he taught for over four decades. He also taught at Cornell, Yale, the Free University of Berlin, and the University of Konstanz in West Germany, and as Élie Halévy Professor at the Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques in Paris. He received a DLitt from Oxford in 1985 and the Leopold-Lucas Prize from the Evangelical-Theological Faculty of the University of Tübingen in 1984. His works include The Varieties of History: From Voltaire to the Present; Dreams and Delusions: National Socialism in the Drama of the German Past; Gold and Iron: Bismarck, Bleichröder, and the Building of the German Empire, which was nominated for a National Book Award; The Politics of Cultural Despair; and The Failure of Illiberalism.
Gold and Iron

Books

Gold and Iron

Three Penguin Random House Authors Win Pulitzer Prizes

On Monday, May 5, three Penguin Random House authors were honored with a Pulitzer Prize. Established in 1917, the Pulitzer Prizes are the most prestigious awards in American letters. To date, PRH has 143 Pulitzer Prize winners, including William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Josh Steinbeck, Ron Chernow, Anne Applebaum, Colson Whitehead, and many more. Take a look at our 2025 Pulitzer Prize

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Books for LGBTQIA+ Pride Month

In June we celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual + (LGBTQIA+) Pride Month, which honors the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan. Pride Month is a time to both celebrate the accomplishments of those in the LGBTQ+ community and recognize the ongoing struggles faced by many across the world who wish to live

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