What We Are Reading Today: The Marshall Plan by Benn Steil

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Updated 15 November 2021
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What We Are Reading Today: The Marshall Plan by Benn Steil

The award-winning author of Battle of Bretton Woods reveals the gripping history behind the Marshall Plan — told with verve, insight, and particular resonance for today.

In the wake of World War II, with Britain’s empire collapsing and Stalin on the rise, US officials under new secretary of state George C. Marshall set out with a plan to reconstruct Western Europe as a bulwark against communist authoritarianism.

Focusing on the critical years 1947 to 1949, Benn Steil’s thrilling account brings to life the seminal episodes marking the collapse of postwar US-Soviet relations — the Prague coup, the Berlin blockade, and the division of Germany, according to a review on goodreads.com.

In each case, we see and understand like never before Stalin’s determination to crush the Marshall Plan and undermine American power in Europe.


What We Are Reading Today: From Palma to Princeton

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Updated 01 February 2026
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What We Are Reading Today: From Palma to Princeton

  • The surprising story that emerged crisscrosses the Atlantic and features the architect Julia Morgan; the newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst; among others

Authors: Alexandra Letvin and Elena Torok

In preparation for the opening of the Princeton University Art Museum’s new building in 2025, one of the major works in its collection, a Mallorcan stairway and gallery dated to the 15th and 16th centuries, underwent a multiyear conservation treatment.

During this period, art historian Alexandra Letvin and conservator Elena Torok began to investigate its origins and history.

The surprising story that emerged crisscrosses the Atlantic and features the architect Julia Morgan; the newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst; among others.