by Jack Kelly To celebrate Labor Day, author Jack Kelly shares with The History Reader why Thomas Paine, who famously penned the lines, “These are the times that try men’s souls…,” is quite possibly the working-class American founder of our time. Thomas Paine, copy...
Looking for your next history read? Need a book for back to school season? Check out some of our favorite new history books publishing in September 2025. Killing the SS Now in paperback. Killing the SS is the epic saga of the espionage and daring waged by self-styled...
Each year on August 19th, America celebrates National Aviation Day. Today, we bring you our favorite books that honor aviation history and technology. We hope you fly through these must-reads! Inferno by Joe Pappalardo Joe Pappalardo’s Inferno tells the true story of...
by Cathy Pegau Cathy Pegau, author of A Murderous Business: A Mystery, shares with The History Reader how some queer women of means in the United States were able to push boundaries more so than women in poor or middle, working-class families. Being queer in a...
Tim Queeney’s Rope is a unique and compelling adventure through the history of rope and its impact on civilization, in the vein of single-subject bestsellers like Salt and Cod. In it, Queeney has woven together a fascinating blend of history and technology, taking...
by Paris Davis In Every Weapon I Had, author Paris Davis shares the story of a Green Beret commander’s heroism during the Vietnam War, and the long fight to recognize his bravery. You can read an introductory excerpt below. The Frederick Hart bronze statue Three...
by Tom Clavin Tom Clavin writes about Jay Zeamer, an Eagle Scout and skilled pilot during World War II, who undertook a risky mission that significantly impacted the war. Don’t forget to preorder Tom’s upcoming book RUNNING DEEP now! Lt. Col. Jay Zeamer. Public...
Looking for your next history read? Check out some of our favorite new history books publishing in August 2025. Rope A unique and compelling adventure through the history of rope and its impact on civilization, in the vein of single-subject bestsellers...
by Tim Queeney Tim Queeney, author of Rope: How a Bundle of Twisted Fibers Became the Backbone of Civilization, shares with The History Reader how rope played a pivotal role in Colonial America’s acts of tarring and feathering before it fell into gradual disuse in the...
by Jeffrey Kluger Few authors have had as big an impact on space journalism as Jeffrey Kluger. His book Lost Moon, co-authored with Astronaut James Lovell, was the basis for Tom Hanks’s movie, Apollo 13. In honor of the anniversary of Apollo 11 landing on the moon on...
by Jack Kelly As part of the ongoing celebration of the birth of the United States 250 years ago and the sacrifices that soldiers made to create the United States, author Jack Kelly recounts the Battle of Bunker Hill and Dr. Joseph Warren’s role in it. Portrait of...
by Tom Clavin To celebrate the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, which ended WWI on June 28, 1919, author Tom Clavin shares with The History Reader the story of the Red Baron and other early flyboys whose dangerous missions helped bring WWI to an end. Photograph of...
Looking for your next history read? Check out some of our favorite new history books publishing in July 2025. People Who Eat Darkness Now with a new afterword. Lucie Blackman—tall, blond, twenty-one years old—stepped out into the vastness of Tokyo in the summer of...
by Jack Kelly In honor of Anne Royall’s birthday (June 11, 1769), author Jack Kelly shares with The History Reader her story as one of the pioneering female journalists in American history who was indicted for being a “common scold.” In the summer of 1829, one of the...
In June of 1752, with some sources specifically saying the tenth of June, Benjamin Franklin conducted his famous experiment of drawing electricity from the sky utilizing a kite. Tim Queeney, author of Rope: How a Bundle of Twisted Fibers Became the Backbone of...
In my December 2024 JAH article, I wrote about the history of âbad roadsâ in the time and space of American slavery. The article examined the making, repair, uses, meanings, and effects of ordinary public ways that ran throughout the South. These public roads were...
As we approach the eightieth anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Process invites proposals and submissions for an upcoming series on nuclear history. We are open to a wide variety of topics. This could include pieces that consider resource...
by Alex Vernon Alex Vernon of Peace is a Shy Thing discusses reality versus cinema during the Vietnam War, focusing on a unique experience of Tim O’Brien during that time. One of the joys in conducting research for Peace is a Shy Thing: The Life and Art of Tim O’Brien...