“In the 16th and 17th centuries, as many as 60,000 people were executed in Europe as suspected witches. But it would be nice to think that centuries of advances in science and education have made people less prey to phantasms and falsehoods.”

Russian-born American author and military historian

Max Boot is a Russian-born American author, editorial writer, lecturer, and military historian. He became known for his commentary and books on history and national security, and he has also written widely for major newspapers and magazines. He worked as a writer and editor at The Christian Science Monitor and later at The Wall Street Journal in the 1990s. He is the Jeane J. Kirkpatrick Senior Fellow in National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and a contributor to The Washington Post. His books include military history and biography, including works on Edward Lansdale and Ronald Reagan, as well as a book reflecting on his political shift after the 2016 U.S. presidential election.