Leadership
Echoes of George Washington in Joe Biden?
Our current president has never been confused with the nearly mythical figure who first occupied that office more than 230 years ago. Not ever. Yet there are striking parallels between…
Read MoreTwo Peas in a Pod: Trump and Andrew Johnson
Two Peas in a Pod: Trump and Andrew Johnson With the announcement that he will not attend the inauguration of President Joseph Biden, outgoing President Donald Trump cemented the connection…
Read MoreMadness at the U.S. Capitol
In the aftermath of yesterday’s attack on the U.S. Capitol, a history publication posed provocative questions to me. These are my responses: What is your view of what happened at…
Read MoreThe Virtual Author Talk: How to, and How Not To
Sure, the times are weird in CovidWorld, but we’re all making the best of it. One of those make-the-best-of-it structures is the virtual author talk. I’ve done a few virtual…
Read MoreWhat Happens When the President Gets Sick?
The recent news of positive COVID-19 tests for a valet for President Trump and an aide to Vice President Pence revive a thorny question: What happens if the president gets…
Read MoreImpeachment and George Washington: When it rains, it pours
Back in April, I wrote two short pieces on history topics of interest to me — impeachment trials and George Washington. So, naturally enough, they both launched on the web…
Read MoreDoes Going There Matter?
Multi-prize-winning author T.J. Stiles (Custer’s Trials, The First Tycoon) recently posed this question on social media. “Do historians have to visit the sites in their books?” he asked. “I say…
Read MoreTrump: Haunted Anew by the Ghost of Andrew Johnson
More echoes of the benighted Andrew Johnson Administration of 1865-69 reverberate around President Trump with the current logjam at the top of the Consumer Financial Protection Board. Deputy Director Leandra…
Read MoreUp Next: G. Washington, America's Master Politician
I’ve just signed with a Penguin imprint, New American Library, to write a book about The Big Guy — GWash himself, the Master of Mount Vernon, the man-myth who was…
Read More225th Birthday of America's Bill of Rights!
I’m delighted to be among the first to proclaim the 225th anniversary of the ratification of America’s Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the Constitution. Those amendments protect…
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