AUTHOR INTERVIEW(part 1): Anna Odland Portisch on A MAGPIE’S TALE

ANNA ODLAND PORTISCH has taught at the School of Oriental and African Studies and Brunel University. In her new book A Magpie’s Tale: Ethnographic and Historical Perspectives on the Kazakh of Western Mongolia she recounts her time living with a Kazakh family in a small village.

It’s fascinating (“Can you imagine a stranger showing up on your doorstep and asking to stay for a year?”) and highly evocative (“It was so cold that night, the next morning the driver had to bring the engine back to life by lighting a small fire underneath the car”) and it gave us so much to discuss that we’ve split our discussion into two parts.

Anna’s story begins here and Part Two will follow very soon.

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Excerpt: The German Marshall Fund of the United States


This year the German Marshall Fund marks its 50th anniversary and the 75th anniversary of the Marshall Plan. On June 5, 1972 former German Chancellor Willy Brandt announced the founding of the German Marshall Fund of the United States at Harvard University. Founded by Guido Goldman through a gift from Germany as a tribute to the Marshall Plan, GMF is a non-partisan policy organization committed to the idea that the United States and Europe are stronger together. GMF champions the principles of democracy, human rights, and international cooperation, which have served as the bedrock of peace and prosperity since the end of World War II, but are under increasing strain.

The GMF is considered one of Guido Goldman’s greatest achievements. To mark this historic moment and to honor Guido Goldman’s legacy Berghahn is featuring an excerpt from GUIDO GOLDMAN: Transatlantic Bridge Builder by Martin Klingst.


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International Day of Families

In the 1993, May 15 was declared as International Day of Families by the United Nations to provide awareness of family related issues and to increase the knowledge of the social, economic and demographic processes affecting families. This year’s theme is Demographic Trends and Families.

In recognition of the day, Berghahn is pleased to highlight family related books and journal articles.

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In recognition of VE Day

Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany’s unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking defeat of Nazi Germany and the end of Second World War in Europe.

In recognition of the day Berghahn is pleased to offer a selection of our WWII History books, including a selection of Open Access titles. In addition, Berghahn Journals would like to highlight relevant special issues from select history journals.

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Remembering the Chernobyl Disaster

In the early morning hours of April 26, 1986 there was a nuclear accident at one of the reactors in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, located near the city of Pripyat, in the north of the Ukrainian SSR in the Soviet Union, creating what many consider to be the worst disaster in the history of nuclear power generation. The accident caused the largest uncontrolled radioactive release into the environment ever recorded. Even after so many years of scientific research and investigations the questions about Chernobyl’s long-term health effects to the general population and environmental impact remain unanswered. To learn more please visit https://world-nuclear.org/

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Celebrating Earth Day

Celebrated April 22nd, Earth Day marks the anniversary of what many consider the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. Earth Day 1970 capitalized on the emerging consciousness, channeling the energy of the anti-war protest movement and putting environmental concerns front and center. For this year’s theme and more information visit www.earthday.org.

In joining the celebration, Berghahn Books is pleased to offer a selection of our Open Access titles on Environmental Studies. Berghahn Journals is also offering full access to Nature and Culture and the back issues of our two open access journals, Environment and Society & Regions and Cohesion, until May 6, 2024. See below for details.

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