The History Reader offers articles, interviews, insights, and further reading for history buffs and book lovers everywhere.
John Berlau’s biography presents a fresh take on George Washington’s pursuits as a private citizen after his life as America’s most renowned general, covering his many innovations across several industries. The following excerpt discusses Washington’s initial interest … Read the article
Jeffrey B. Burton, author of The Finders, a fast-paced new mystery novel featuring a heroic golden retriever cadaver dog, discusses the fascinating and tragic history of war dogs utilized in World War I.
In 1956, a stunned world watched as the famous Italian ocean liner Andrea Doria sank after being struck by a Swedish vessel off the coast of Nantucket. The following is an excerpt from The … Read the article
In 1963, Attorney General Robert Kennedy sought out James Baldwin to explain the rage that threatened to engulf black America. In What Truth Sounds Like, Michael Eric Dyson draws lessons from their meeting and applies them … Read the article
In an excerpt from his latest book, Tombstone, Tom Clavin discusses the Earp family’s arrival in Arizona, focusing on Virgil Earp’s initial acts as a lawman.
Who was Hermann von Oppeln-Bronikowski? And why was he so important to the Germans on D-Day? Turns out, he was the only enemy commander capable of defeating the Allied forces on June 6, 1944.
Voyage of Mercy is the remarkable story of the mission that inspired a nation to donate massive relief to Ireland during the potato famine and began America’s tradition of providing humanitarian aid around the world. Read on … Read the article
In the final part of her Ship of Death essay, Catharine Arnold wraps up the tragic tale of the USS Leviathan, a troopship that highlighted the devastating spread of the Spanish flu.
In The 300, military and security expert Daniel Wasserbly introduces the elite unit tasked with protecting the nation from long-range weapons of mass destruction. Read on for an excerpt.
If you want to know about a society’s values, mores, and conventions, look to the decorative elements common during that era. Join Novelist Jane K. Cleland as she reflects on different objects from the past to … Read the article