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Samuel Helfont

@samuelhelfont.bsky.social
2.9K followers 1.9K following 100 posts

Middle East/International history. Three books on Iraq w/ Oxford UP. One forthcoming w/ Stanford UP. Naval War College@Naval Postgraduate School. PhD@Princeton. Views my own. www.samuelhelfont.com

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Reposted by Samuel Helfont
Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 30/09/2026
In our latest article, Samuel Helfont dismantles the myth of George H. W. Bush as a pure realist. He argues that while Bush's statecraft featured realist elements, his core policy was rooted in a disciplined liberal internationalism. @samuelhelfont.bsky.social tnsr.org/2026/09/libe...
Samuel Helfont | "Presidents are not international relations theorists, and Bush’s policies, like those of all presidents, displayed elements of realism, but at its core, Bush’s foreign policy was clearly liberal." from "Liberal Internationalism Forgotten: Myth & Memory in the Legacy of George H. W. Bush"
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Texas National Security Review @tnsr.org · 28/09/2026
Was George H. W. Bush truly a foreign policy realist? In our latest article, Samuel Helfont challenges this myth. He argues that Bush 41 practiced a disciplined liberal internationalism, from the Gulf War to Somalia. Read more at tnsr.org/2026/09/libe... @samuelhelfont.bsky.social
Scholar | "Liberal Internationalism Forgotten: Myth and Memory in the Legacy of George H. W. Bush" by Samuel Helfont
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Joe Stieb @joestieb.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
This is a really insightful, somewhat revisionist account of HW Bush as a pragmatic liberal internationalist as well as a compelling look at how the ‘Bush the Realist’ was concocted after his presidency.
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Samuel Helfont @samuelhelfont.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
My latest for TNSR on how George HW Bush’s foreign policy legacy has been used and abused by all sides.
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Samuel Helfont @samuelhelfont.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Review of Baathist Iraq through Archives. Thanks Joel!
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Samuel Helfont @samuelhelfont.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Review of Baathist Iraq through Archives. Thanks Joel!
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Joe Stieb @joestieb.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
michaelbrenes.substack.com/p/is-the-war... This is a really thoughtful response to my (and some other folks') argument that the War on Terror is over from Mike Brenes. Deals with some of the problems with defining historical periods, especially for loosely defined things like the War on Terror.
michaelbrenes.substack.com
Is the War on Terror History?
The 9/11 era after 25 years
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Julia Irwin @juliairwin.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
My department at LSU is hiring a historian of Modern East Asia (tenure-track assistant professor). We are seeking historians of the nineteenth or twentieth centuries. Those working on modern China are encouraged to apply, but we welcome candidates who specialize in any part of the region. /1
lsu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com
Assistant Professor - Modern East Asian History
All Job Postings will close at 12:01a.m. CST (1:01a.m. EST) on the specified Closing Date (if designated). If you close the browser or exit your application prior to submitting, the application progre...
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Samuel Helfont @samuelhelfont.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Come join me and Lisa Blaydes to discuss our new book!
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Michael Brill @michaelpbrill.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
"The contributors show how research in these unique archives challenges previous assumptions about Ba'thist Iraq & the workings of authoritarian regimes." @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social @lisablaydes.bsky.social @samuelhelfont.bsky.social @stanfordpress.bsky.social pocketcasts.com/podcast/new-...
pocketcasts.com
Lisa Blaydes and Samuel Helfont eds., "Ba‘thist Iraq Through Archives: Reflections, Explorations, and Opportunities" (Stanford UP, 2026)
The opening of Iraq's Ba'th Party archives revolutionized the study of Iraqi politics and history, offering scholars unprecedented access to the inner workings of one of the world's…
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Shamiran Mako @smako.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Thrilled to see my co-authored chapter with @marsin.bsky.social out in Ba'thist Iraq Through Archives edited by @samuelhelfont.bsky.social & @lisablaydes.bsky.social. In our opening chapter, we argue uneven access has produced hierarchized knowledge production through of wartime expropriation
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Samuel Helfont @samuelhelfont.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
Thanks, Michael! We were happy that you were able to contribute!
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Talbot Imlay @talbotimlay.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
I dont know, maybe ask an historian...for example, William Mulligan whose _The Fraying Bonds of Peace_ is just out and is excellent on the dynamics between eco interdependence and power politics before 1914. Does trade cause peace? Ask an economist - www.ft.com/content/d141... via @FT
ft.com
Does trade cause peace? Ask an economist
Researchers have been trawling history to measure the pacifying effects of moving goods around
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Samuel Helfont @samuelhelfont.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
You can read my take here: paw.princeton.edu/article/scho...
paw.princeton.edu
Scholar Samuel Helfont *15 Recommends Books to Understand Wars in the Middle East
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Samuel Helfont @samuelhelfont.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Finally, Roy Mottahedeh's The Mantle of the Prophet, 1985
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Samuel Helfont @samuelhelfont.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Second, Amos Oz's A Tale of Love and Darkness, 2002
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Samuel Helfont @samuelhelfont.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Princeton Alumni Weekly asked me to recommend three books on understanding conflict in the Middle East. The best way to understand conflict in the region is through the eyes of those who live there. First: Ghaith Abdul-ahad's A Stranger in Your Own City, 2024
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Samuel Helfont @samuelhelfont.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Princeton Alumni Weekly asked me to recommend three books on understanding conflict in the Middle East. The best way to understand conflict in the region is through the eyes of those who live there. First: Ghaith Abdul-ahad's A Stranger in Your Own City, 2024
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Foreign Affairs @foreignaffairs.com · 09/04/2026
To avoid repeating the mistakes it made in Iraq in the 1990s, the United States “should offer Iran a path to diplomatic and economic normalization in exchange for compliance with a clear set of demands,” argue Daniel Chardell and @samuelhelfont.bsky.social.
foreignaffairs.com
How a Cease-Fire Can Lead to Disaster
The first Gulf War’s lessons for what to do—and not do—in Iran.
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Samuel Helfont @samuelhelfont.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
I am happy to have written this piece of applied history with Daniel Chardell on what we can learn from the Gulf War ceasefire about today’s war with Iran. www.foreignaffairs.com/iran/how-cea...
foreignaffairs.com
How a Cease-Fire Can Lead to Disaster
The first Gulf War’s lessons for what to do—and not do—in Iran.
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Samuel Helfont @samuelhelfont.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
Thanks, Michael!
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Samuel Helfont @samuelhelfont.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
Short but good write up in Princeton Alumni Weekly "Helfont’s book offers a concise account of one of the most consequential and relevant geopolitical narratives of today."
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Samuel Helfont @samuelhelfont.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Merci beaucoup!
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Christopher McKnight Nichols @cmcknichols.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
Thank you, @h-diplo.bsky.social. Our hopes exactly: "This article is, so far as I know, the first to seriously consider the question of what normalization means, not just in the specific context of US–China relations, but also in US foreign policy more broadly."🗃️ issforum.org/reviews/PDF/...
issforum.org
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William B. Fuckley @opinionhaver.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
outright dismissing Fukuyama because "haha end of history" is quickly becoming a very useful filter for who has actually done the reading and who hasn't
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Henry Farrell @himself.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
this is really true. Lots to disagree with in End of History but it is a surprisingly weird and interesting book to have become a foreign policy bestseller.
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Samuel Helfont @samuelhelfont.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
I had a great time speaking with @rjgranieri.bsky.social on the War Room podcast about The Iraq Wars: A Very Short Introduction. Listen here: warroom.armywarcollege.edu/podcasts/ira...
warroom.armywarcollege.edu
THE LONG ARC OF THE IRAQ WARS
Samuel Helfont joins host Ron Granieri to discuss his book, The Iraq Wars: A Very Short Introduction, which covers the Gulf War of 1991, the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003 and subsequent years of...
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joelwing.bsky.social @joelwing.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
Musings On #Iraq Review Samuel Helfont, The Iraq Wars, A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press, 2025 musingsoniraq.blogspot.com/2026/02/revi...
musingsoniraq.blogspot.com
Review Samuel Helfont, The Iraq Wars, A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press, 2025
Samuel Helfont released his third book on Iraq entitled The Iraq Wars, A Very Short Introduction . It is a brief review of...
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joelwing.bsky.social @joelwing.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
Musings On #Iraq Review Samuel Helfont, The Iraq Wars, A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press, 2025 musingsoniraq.blogspot.com/2026/02/revi...
musingsoniraq.blogspot.com
Review Samuel Helfont, The Iraq Wars, A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press, 2025
Samuel Helfont released his third book on Iraq entitled The Iraq Wars, A Very Short Introduction . It is a brief review of...
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Samuel Helfont @samuelhelfont.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
“The Iraq Wars is only about 150 pages of text and yet it packs a big punch. It adds a depth of analysis to the decades long conflict between the United States and Iraq making it a worthwhile read.” Thanks, Joel!
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Samuel Helfont @samuelhelfont.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
“The Iraq Wars is only about 150 pages of text and yet it packs a big punch. It adds a depth of analysis to the decades long conflict between the United States and Iraq making it a worthwhile read.” Thanks, Joel!
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War on the Rocks @warontherocks.bsky.social · 03/11/2025
How did a Yemeni militia become one of Tehran's most powerful proxies? @osto.bsky.social and @thomasjuneau.bsky.social analyze the rise of the Houthis on the latest episode of The Iran Reckoning. (Members Only) Listen here: warontherocks.com/ep...
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Samuel Helfont @samuelhelfont.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
Always great to see it out in the wild! #aha @academic.oup.com
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Samuel Helfont @samuelhelfont.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
Always great to see it out in the wild! #aha @academic.oup.com
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Brian Ulrich @brianjulrich.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
This is my first deliberately academic read of 2026, and so far my thought is to tell students researching related topics that this is their essential orientation #Iraq
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Samuel Helfont @samuelhelfont.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
See everyone there!
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Michael Brill @michaelpbrill.bsky.social · 28/12/2025
I am looking forward to assigning @samuelhelfont.bsky.social's "The Iraq Wars" from @academic.oup.com in a class on the subject during the spring semester. I used a couple "A Very Short Introduction" books this fall & they worked well & were well received by students. global.oup.com/academic/pro...
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Samuel Helfont @samuelhelfont.bsky.social · 28/12/2025
Thanks Michael!
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Samuel Helfont @samuelhelfont.bsky.social · 28/12/2025
I had a great time speaking with Miranda Melcher @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social about “The Iraq Wars: A Very Short Introduction.” @academic.oup.com newbooksnetwork.com/the-iraq-wars
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Samuel Helfont @samuelhelfont.bsky.social · 02/12/2025
Did anyone else get an email about the Anthropic settlement?
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Julia Irwin @juliairwin.bsky.social · 10/11/2025
Happy news: My new book -- Humanitarianism: A Very Short Introduction -- now has a cover and is available for preorder! The book is a concise history of humanitarianism in an international and global perspective, from the 18th century to the present. More info here: global.oup.com/academic/pro...
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Florian Louis @florianlouis.bsky.social · 22/10/2025
Lisa Blaydes et Samuel Helfont (eds.) - Ba‘thist Iraq Through Archives Reflections, Explorations, and Opportunities À paraître en juin aux Stanford UP
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Samuel Helfont @samuelhelfont.bsky.social · 20/10/2025
It’s being read by someone named Tom Campbell. If you click on his name, you can hear samples of the other books he has narrated. Sounds pretty good to me! www.audible.com/pd/The-Iraq-...
audible.com
The Iraq Wars
Check out this great listen on Audible.com. American wars in Iraq were a defining feature of global politics for almost thirty years. The Gulf War of 1991, the American invasion of Iraq in 2003, and t...
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Lily Hindy @lilyhindy.bsky.social · 16/10/2025
Very proud to have a chapter examining Kurdish and Iraqi attempts to claim human rights violations in the '90s in "Ba'thist Iraq Through Archives," coming June 2026 from @stanfordpress.bsky.social, edited by @samuelhelfont.bsky.social & @lisablaydes.bsky.social www.sup.org/books/histor...
sup.org
Ba‘thist Iraq Through Archives | Stanford University Press
The opening of Iraq's Ba'th Party archives revolutionized the study of Iraqi politics and history, offering scholars unprecedented access to the inner workings of one of the world's most impenetrable ...
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Joe Stieb @joestieb.bsky.social · 16/10/2025
I had the pleasure of reading a draft: it’s outstanding!!!
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Gregory Koblentz @gregkoblentz.bsky.social · 16/10/2025
Can’t wait to read.
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Samuel Helfont @samuelhelfont.bsky.social · 16/10/2025
I am happy to announce the publication of my latest book The Iraq Wars: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press). amazon.com/Iraq-Wars-Shor… An audio-book version is scheduled for release in December.
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Samuel Helfont @samuelhelfont.bsky.social · 16/10/2025
I am happy to announce the publication of my latest book The Iraq Wars: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press). amazon.com/Iraq-Wars-Shor… An audio-book version is scheduled for release in December.
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Shamiran Mako @smako.bsky.social · 30/09/2025
Glad to see this important volume come to fruition- kudos to @lisablaydes.bsky.social & @samuelhelfont.bsky.social for putting us all in conversation with each other. Thrilled to have co-authored a critical chapter with @marsin.bsky.social on archival access & hierarchies of knowledge production
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Sumita Pahwa @sumitapahwa.bsky.social · 30/09/2025
Now this looks like a really incredible list of chapters and contributors.
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