I’m Moshik Temkin, currently Distinguished Visiting Professor of Leadership and History at Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University, and a faculty affiliate at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.

I received my PhD in History from Columbia University in 2007, combining American, European, and Global history. I taught at Columbia University and at the École des Hautes Études in Paris before joining the faculty of Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. I have since been a visiting professor and lecturer in India, South Korea, Spain, Mexico, France, and the United States. My articles and essays have appeared in the New York Times, the Nation, the Journal of Democracy, Aeon, the New Republic, Salon, and the Los Angeles Times. My previous books include The Sacco-Vanzetti Affair: America on Trial, which was a finalist for the prestigious Cundill History Prize, and Alan Brinkley: A Life in History.

My new book is Warriors, Rebels, and Saints: The Art of Leadership from Machiavelli to Malcolm X. Based on the award-winning course “Leaders and Leadership in History”, which I taught at Harvard University for over a decade, it is a deep dive into how we define, seek, and become leaders. The book was published in November 2023 by PublicAffairs in North America and Profile Books in the UK, Europe, and the Commonwealth nations. The Spanish-language edition of the book was published in April 2024 by Temas De Hoy/Planeta, the Korean edition was published in November 2024 by Across Books, and there are further translations forthcoming in Arabic, Albanian, French, Japanese, and other languages. Kirkus Reviews described the book as “a plea for the importance of history in the study of leadership”, and The Financial Times called it “that rare thing among ‘leadership’ titles: a truly original concept”, and “an incredibly well-researched and lively read.” You can read more praise for the book here.

Feel free to reach out to me through the contact page. If you are interested in an interview or speaking engagement with me, please contact the book publicist through the contact page. Thank you for visiting!