The History Reader offers articles, interviews, insights, and further reading for history buffs and book lovers everywhere.
I first came across Annie Smith Peck on a black-and-white poster from an antiques shop in 2007. The image displayed a woman wearing a long tunic sweater, canvas knickerbockers, and leather boots. She sported a hat fastened … Read the article
It was a cool, grey spring day in Paris. I was standing in the Montparnasse Cemetery in front of the grave of the Romantic poet Charles Baudelaire, still a shrine to his many fans, who leave offerings … Read the article
I write books in which people are murdered, then others use their assorted talents to find the killers. We who participate in this genre are constantly on the lookout for the latest developments in forensic science, not … Read the article
Who were William Petty’s Bastards? And why were the Germans so afraid of them? Well—with very good reason. Not for nothing did this band of tough-nut American Rangers refer to themselves as the bastards.
P. T. Deutermann, former Navy Commodore and author of The Hooligans, discusses the non-regulation and wholly unorthodox ‘Hooligan’ Navy of WWII.
Who was Shimi Lovat? And how did a flamboyant Scottish aristocrat come to be head of the British commandos? Turns out that patrician charm goes a long way when it comes to leading an attack on the … Read the article
With unprecedented access to the highly classified strategic nerve centers of U.S. Northern Command in Cheyenne Mountain, years of research, and dozens of exclusive interviews with normally inaccessible missile crews, author Daniel Wasserbly reveals the incredible true … Read the article
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