CURRENT ISSUE

August 2008

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Features

Sun Zhenyuan views preserving the wall as a sacred mission

The Great Wall of China Is Under Siege

China’s ancient 4,000-mile barrier, built to defend the country against invaders, is under renewed attack

1968 Democratic National Convention

Parties to History

Four Political Conventions That Changed America

Roosevelt Campaign Speech

1912 Republican Convention

Return of the Rough Rider

Truman at the 1948 Democratic Convention

1948 Democratic Convention

The South Secedes Again

Goldwater signs at the 1964 Republican Convention

1964 Republican Convention

Revolution From the Right

Chicago police prepared for a battle with antiwar protesters

1968 Democratic Convention

The Bosses Strike Back

A harvester in California Sacramento Valley gathers tons of Roma tomatoes

A Passion for Tomatoes

Which is more nutritious, the commercial variety that goes into ketchup or the precious heirloom beloved by gourmets? Why has a Florida genetic engineer developed a tomato that tastes like wintergreen? Undeterred by this summer's salmonella scare, a culinary correspondent still has a passion for tomatoes

people group up and leave a sort of comfortable space around them

Richard Misrach's Ominous Beach Photographs

A new exhibition of oversized photographs by Richard Misrach invites viewers to have fun in the sun. Or does it?

Nathan Leopold and his lover Richard Loeb

Leopold and Loeb's Criminal Minds

In defense of murderers Leopold and Loeb, attorney Clarence Darrow thwarted a nation's call for vengeance

Departments

Indelible Images

Olympic Athletes Who Took a Stand

For 40 years, Olympians Tommie Smith and John Carlos have lived with the consequences of their fateful protest

Phenomena

A Wildlife Mystery in Vietnam

The discovery of the saola alerted scientists to the strange diversity of Southeast Asia's threatened forests

Tribute

Who Do You Love?

Bo Diddley's beat changed the course of rock music. And his lyrics evoked a history that reached all the way to Africa

From the Editor

Challenges

To save a wall and understand killers' motives

Letters

Letters

Readers Respond to the June Issue

Wild Things

Wild Things

Life As We Know It

Points of Interest

Points of Interest

Notable American Destinations and Happenings

Interview

Paul Polak, Social Entrepreneur, Golden, Colorado

His new book advocates helping the world's poorest people one tool at a time

This Month in History

August Anniversaries

Momentous or Merely Memorable

From the Castle

From the Castle

Keeping Up

Around the Mall

Photo Find

With a rolleiflex camera, a pioneering botanist documented his fieldwork—and created art

Around the Mall

Jukebox: Dogged Underdog

The Object at Hand

All That Glitters

Carol Channing can't forget the night her gown got ransomed

Q&A

Laurie Anderson

The celebrated performance artist discusses Andy Warhol, NASA and her work at McDonald’s

Around the Mall

Making History

Role Reversal

What's Up

What's Up

Smithsonian exhibitions highlight the secrets of soil, lavish interiors and Chinese landscape paintings

The Last Page

Growing Up Gambino

Confessions of an alleged Mafia princess