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Cultural History

20th Century Queer Women of Means

Louisa D’Andelot Carpenter

by Cathy Pegau

Cathy Pegau, author of A Murderous Business: A Mystery, shares with The History Reader how…
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Summer History Reading: August 2025

Looking for your next history read? Check out some of our favorite new history books publishing…
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Rope’s Role in Colonial America’s Tarring and Feathering

he Bostonian's Paying the Excise-Man, or Tarring & Feathering. Copy of mezzotint attributed to Philip Dawe, 1774. Public domain.

by Tim Queeney

Tim Queeney, author of Rope: How a Bundle of Twisted Fibers Became the…
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Richard Nixon’s Call for a Cosmic Hoedown

Apollo 11 launch from Kennedy Space Center on July 16, 1969.

by Jeffrey Kluger

Few authors have had as big an impact on space journalism as Jeffrey…
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Historical Summer Reading: June 2025

Looking for your next history read? Check out some of our favorite new history books publishing…
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10 Genius Ideas from the Roman Empire That Still Matter Today

The Roman Empire Got It Right

by Steven Marr

The Roman Empire’s brilliance is far from ancient history. The Roman Empire Got…
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Chor-Bazaar: The Thieves Market

by Nev March

The Silversmith's Puzzle author Nev March explains the storied history…
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The MKULTRA Conspiracy

by John Lisle

Project Mind Control's John Lisle explains how something as classified…
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Featured Excerpt: Whack Job

by Rachel McCarthy James

Whack Job is a brilliant and bloody examination of the axe's foundational…
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Guns, Chainsaws and Swords: The Rivals of the Humble Axe

Ahmose ceremonial axe

by Rachel McCarthy James

Whack Job author Rachel McCarthy James takes a look…
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Cultural History

The Landmarks of Mary Ann Patten’s Maine

by Tilar J. Mazzeo

New York Times bestselling author Tilar J. Mazzeo gives a behind-the-scenes look…
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Dolly Parton Knows Who She Is

Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner, 1969.

by Martha Ackmann

Lifelong fan Martha Ackmann shares with The History Reader why she felt drawn…
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Featured Excerpt: Tom Paine’s War

Painting of Thomas Paine by Laurent Dabos. National Portrait Gallery (London). Public domain.

by Jack Kelly

In 1776, Tom Paine's words—and the determination of American patriots—allowed our nation to…
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Three New History Books to Read This January

January 2026 Upcoming History Books
With a new year comes a new set of history books publishing this month. Whether you've…
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Featured Excerpt: The Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz

Auschwitz gate

by Anne Sebba

An instant USA Today bestseller, The Women's Orchestra of Auschwitz …
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Featured Excerpt: JFK: Public, Private, Secret

Jackie Bouvier and John F. Kennedy married in Newport, Rhode Island, on September 12, 1953.

by J. Randy Taraborrelli

J. Randy Taraborrelli shares with The History Reader an excerpt from his…
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Featured Excerpt: The Sea Captain’s Wife

Neptune's Car Clipper Ship.

by Tilar J. Mazzeo

In The Sea Captain's Wife, New York Times bestselling author Tilar J.…
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The Curious Case of Nuremberg’s Hangman

View of the defendants in the dock at the International Military Tribunal trial of war criminals in Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany. November 1945. Public domain. Courtesy of Wikimedia.

by Tim Queeney

In his book Rope, author Tim Queeney takes readers on a unique and…
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