The Rise and Rise of Vladimir Putin
New Yorker staff writer Masha Gessen on how the Russian president is planning to rule for life.
A Fateful Decision That Led to the 1979 Iran Hostage Crisis
The journalist David Kirkpatrick on how President Jimmy Carter was pressured into letting the Shah of Iran into the United States.
The Persian Puzzle—Iran, Iraq, and the United States
What a trove of leaked Iranian cables tells us about Iran’s influence in Iraq.
The Truth About the U.S. War in Afghanistan
Former Pakistani Ambassador to Washington Husain Haqqani on how the Taliban won.
The Documentaries of 2019
A look back at the documentaries we featured on First Person in the past year.
The Books of 2019
A look back at the books we featured on First Person in the past year.
The Jumper
Eugene Hasenfus, Private Contractor
Corbyn and Anti-Semitism
How allegations of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party became a central issue in Britain’s election campaign.
The Art Dealer
Amaryllis Fox, CIA
An American in Mosul
Journalist Mike Giglio provides an eyewitness account of a key battle against the Islamic State.
The Counterspy
James Olson, CIA
Iranian Spy Games Revealed
What a trove of leaked Iranian cables tells us about Iran’s influence in Iraq.
The Man With the Antidote
Mishka Ben-David, Mossad
The Sleeper Agent
Jack Barsky, KGB
The Master of Disguise
Jonna Mendez, CIA
How to Reverse the Global Drift Toward Authoritarianism
Brookings President John Allen on why autocrats are rising and what to do about it.
The Syrian Filmmaker Who Risked Her Life to Document the Atrocities in Aleppo
Waad al-Kateab’s film focuses on one of the hardest-hit cities in Syria’s ongoing conflict.
How to Boost the Economies of Africa
Brookings scholar Landry Signé on why the continent underperforms when it comes to trade and what can be done about it.
The Jerusalem Murder That Set Off a War
An Israeli drama series on HBO about the 2014 murder of a Palestinian teen stirs compassion and controversy.
How to Manage North Korea
Brookings senior fellow Jung H. Pak on why the United States has failed to prevent North Korea from developing nuclear weapons and what to do about it.
Follow FP
