Longreads

The Daily Beast’s Best Longreads, June 7, 2014

From the mind of an elephant killer to the future of American soccer, the Daily Beast picks the best journalism from around the web this week.

Who Wants to Shoot an Elephant?Wells Tower, GQWhat kind of person looks on the world’s largest land animal—a beast that mourns its dead, lives to retirement age, and can distinguish the voices of its enemies—and instead of saying “Wow!” says “Where’s my gun?”

At The ‘End of HIstory’ Still Stands DemocracyFrancis Fukuyama, The Wall Street JournalA political theorist looks back at his epochal 1989 essay about the triumph of democracy.

How Jurgen Klinsmann Plans to Make American Soccer Better (And Less American)Sam Borden, The New York Times MagazineThe former German star hopes to keep expectations low for the coming World Cup. For now, Klinsmann will take the long view when it comes to soccer success for the United States.

When French Irrationality Was DeadlyDavid A. Bell, The New RepublicA new history of the French writers who sold their souls to fascism.

Bad ScienceLlewllyn Hinkes-Jones, JacobinFree-market academic research policies have unleashed medical quackery and scientific fraud, forcing consumers to pay premiums for discoveries we’ve already funded as taxpayers.

America’s Last Prisoner of WarMichael Hastings, Rolling StoneIn a 2012, the late Michael Hastings wrote the definitive account of American POW Bowe Bergdahl’s desertion into the hands of the Taliban.

To send suggestions for future editions, email david.sessions@thedailybeast.com. For more great longreads, visit our friends at Longreads.com.