We last left our hero in the Dallas library of Harlan Crow, admiring the paintings of three World War II leaders (Eisenhower, Churchill, and Hitler).  Outside the library, however, lurked even greater wonders:  a collection of gigantic statues of some of the 20th centuries most monstrous dictators, including — Lenin Stalin Mao Tse Tung Chou…

While in Dallas a couple of weeks ago, I was lucky enough to get a tour of the Harlan Crow Library, which is in Mr. Crow’s home.  It was an amazing treat.  After making our way past a couple of Charles Willson Peale portraits, we proceeded into his World War II room (or so I…

James Madison was a thoughtful fellow.  Very.  He and his pal Jefferson were amateur scientists, forever corresponding about their observations of natural phenomena or some new wacky theory coming out of those European know-it-alls.  Jefferson usually gets all the credit for being a renaissance man while Madison gets credit for being . . . short. But Madison had some…

While attending the Washington Nationals’ Opening Day on Thursday, I immediately collided with the team’s one tremendous success:  its marketing of the mid-game Presidents’ Race.  For those of you who have not enjoyed a game at Nationals Park, this involves four individuals wearing costumes with giant heads that dimly resemble Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and TR. …

I rise on a point of personal privilege.  My government, in the form of the U.S. Department of Justice, has just brought a legal action that will make my life considerably worse.  It has sued five publishing houses and Apple under what we somewhat nostalgically still call the “antitrust” laws.  As an author of three…

Having just finished the terrific, deeply flawed The Beauty and the Sorrow by Peter Englund, about World War I, I find myself wondering if it is possible to write a sensible history of that massive, world-changing conflict.   I hope people keep trying to do so, because I want to try to understand it better, but…

It was the moment Aaron Burr had been working toward for two years.  In late December, 1806, he stood on the Illinois shore of the Ohio River, just below the mouth of the Cumberland River.   Gathered around him were the men who had volunteered to join his expedition to liberate the Spanish lands of Florida,…

In late December 1806, Aaron Burr was desperately trying breathe life into the Western expedition he had spent the previous twenty months organizing.  For several weeks, everything had been turning sour. In October, the U.S. Attorney in Kentucky tried to prosecute him for organizing an illegal private invasion of Mexico.  A grand jury in Frankfort…