Being “Other’d” to Ensure You’re “Unamerican” or Great Ideas, Random Thoughts From the 2019 Washington Book Festival.
Although we weren't literally among the thousands who camped out the night before or lined…
Bipartisan Approach to Gun Control — Ronald Reagan’s California and Black Panthers
Image from KUOW.org How quickly a state government -- acting "in a bipartisan…
How Civilians Saw Soldiers; How Soldiers Saw Civilians
Illustration by Strother from Harper's Weekly; image of Strother from West Virginia Culture. David…
When Dinosaurs Try Mating.
As if the news the GateHouse planned to merge with Gannett was not sobering enough,…
‘Apocalypse Now’ vs. Woodstock
As an antidote for all the Woodstock nostalgia, and for all those who missed it…
I Spy With My Little Eye
Went for the first time to the Spy Museum Sunday -- missed its stay near…
Who Doesn’t Need Money? Great Tips on Grants
Putting it bluntly, when it came down to writing a biography and knowing that an…
George Washington and George Germaine
Thought of Rick Atkinson's comparison of Germaine during the Revolution to Robert McNamara during Vietnam…
Prized Possession
I was honored to have my piece on the Reverend James Maury and Patrick Henry…
‘This Nation Was Born Bickering’
Rick Atkinson, author of the British Are Coming, said at the Association of the United…
The Birth of an American Army — June 14, 1775
After the bloodletting at Lexington and Concord, and the capture at gunpoint of Ticonderoga and…
Where Lincoln ‘Won’ the Presidency: ‘Right Makes Might’
Wish we had more time in New York last month when we were in lower…
Memorial Day with Old Town Alexandria Civil War Roundtable
Thanks to Reverend Mark Tooley for inviting me to speak to this wonderful group of…
‘Some Will Never Return’: FDR D-Day Prayer
Nigel Hamilton's recently-released biography of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, "War and Peace, FDR's Final Odyssey D-Day…
MARAD: U.S. Must Address Military Sealift Vessel and Crew Shortage
https://news.usni.org/2019/05/09/marad-u-s-must-address-military-sealift-vessel-and-crew-shortage
George Washington American Revolution Round Table of the District of Columbia (ARRT-DC)
https://arrt-dc.blogspot.com
Bachelorette and the NFL Draft
What a surprise, any one who has been to the Tennessee capital in recent years…
Patrick Henry and Freedom of Religion — Colonial Treason in a Courthouse
Spent a wonderful afternoon at Huguenot Society of Virginia's annual meeting Saturday. This year's event…
Here Comes the Sun:
Best Done by Richie Havens, Not Congress I hate changing the clocks, particularly losing the…
The Shutdown to End All Shutdowns — Starting with the Army!
If you wondered why federal troops are barred from civil law enforcement, Charles Lane's Retropolis…
Not by Design, By Accident
A Book Review on the Nation's First Black Governor, And Virginia's Racist History for All…
What Would the Church Lady Say?
For several months, the Morally Correct Commuter has been silent -- observing the ebb and…
When in Doubt, Mr. President, You Could Ask TR What His Gut Told Him.
Two Titantic Egos -- And Immigrants No one can doubt the "It's All About Me"…
‘The Lordstown Syndrome’ — Then ‘Long-Haired, Piggytailed and Bell-Bottomed’ and Now Out of Work With Few Prospects
Photo by Youngstown Vindicator For four years, I taught at a branch campus of Penn…
“Where’s Mine?” In the “City in a Garden”
Viola Davis in Steve McQueen's "Widows" Or Why Steve McQueen's "Widows" (2018); Haskell Wexler's "Medium…
Tuesday’s Surprise Datelines
Yep, on the front page of the Post were datelines that I recognized from earlier…
A Stop at VMI
During this weekend's Army Historical Foundation staff ride on Thomas Jackson's 1862 Valley Campaign, we…
‘Tet War Baby’ After 50 Years and 9/11
[https://www.c-span.org/video/?449746-29/steve-coll-discusses-directorate-s&playEvent] Fifty years ago, I heard the term "Tet War Baby" for the first time. …
The Houses That John Brown’s Raiders Struck
The yellowish brick home belonged to Lewis Washington, a great grand-nephew of the first president,…
“Martyrs” to Their Cause: John Brown, Edmund Ruffin, and Harpers Ferry
https://www.civilwarmonitor.com/blog/martyrs-to-their-cause-john-brown-edmund-ruffin-and-harpers-ferry
Confederate Icons and History, Memory, and the Future of Our Past
This Moses Ezekiel Statue of a Confederate soldier stands on Johnson's Island in Sandusky Bay,…
Where’s Deep Dish? Where’s Gino’s on Rush [Closed for Years]?
Deep Dish from Gino's East in Chicago Carol Helstosky's "Five Myths: Pizza" was as welcome…
“If It’s Sunday, It’s Meet the Press!” Or Not
At Least Henry VIII Said It Was ... Not so fast, in this post -…
‘Elite’ vs. Running for Sheriff as a Qualification
Where are the Sandra Day O'Connors when it comes to appointing judges to a…
With the Greats — the 1961 Blackhawks
In front of the Bobby Hull exhibit in the Hockey Hall of Fame on Front…
Adding the Marinara
Dinner planned and executed by the Junior Chef-Trained Sarah. Rotini -- prepared, drained and ready.…
The Last Few Hundred Yards to Freedom
If as a fugitive slave you could make it as far as the Cataract House…
When You Reach the Gulf of Mexico, Turn Left.
Or The Hunt for Kenny Stabler and a Great Book. Those were part of the…
‘Little House’ Ignites ‘Prairie Fires’
I was never really a fan of "Little House on the Prairie" although I watched…
The “Parson’s Cause” and Religious Freedom
Mix together the failed at almost every career but gifted speaker and tavern bon vivant…
Tom Wolfe, New Journalism and William Goetzmann, American Historian of Exploration
In noting Wolfe's death, I did not see the classmate connection at Yale and their…
The Morally Correct Commuter and the Great Age of Exploration
The great fear in Evanston was the arrival of Chicago-style liquor stores, but not the…
Trea Turner Is Topps
bbal Well, after a five-hit night in San Francisco, he should be. I have his…
Toora, loora, loora/ It’s an Irish lullaby — With a Tinge of History
Timothy Egan on this fine St. Patrick's Day morn put the right perspective on the…
Morally Correct Commuter: Crossing the Street
Or A Tale of the Ethical Price of Getting to the Other Side Ethics challenges…
What did you give up for Lent?
Lent has arrived. As has been my custom and practice for decades, I am…
Let Us Now Praise,’The Vision Thing’
In the wake of the State of the Union address this week, now is the…
Don’t Need a Weatherman When You Have Dylan, Forbes
Two years ago yesterday, I delivered a Banner Lecture Series on Matthew Fontaine Maury and…
Winston’s Guide to Winning for Donald
My paternal grandmother, Delia, always referred to the British as the "Evil English Oppressors." Having…
Happy New Year from the Au Pair(s) for the Ancien Regime
For more years than I remember, Lillian and I have trekked to the National Gallery…
Morally Correct Commuter — An Aerobic Day
Much business dispatched me from the far reaches of Fairfax to the heart of the…
The Day Virginia Hanged John Brown
The painting is famous, but John Brown never did kiss a black child before he…
The Splintered Empires: The Eastern Front 1917-21
The Splintered Empires: The Eastern Front 1917-21
‘Trust Us’ in All Matters of Justice
The commission in session hearing the case of the men and woman charged in killing…
Reaching for the Stars in a Newport News Newsroom
I laughed this morning when I came upon this NYT story on horoscope writers. www.nytimes.com…
The Morally Correct Commuter — Returns
The choice was clear, drive to DuPont Circle from the reaches of Fairfax…
A Dope Fiend’s Take on Biography
'Unprovoked Abuse and Senseless Eulogy' A Dope Fiend's Take on Biography "Biography,…
What’s Going On? American Soldiers in Niger
The brouhaha between the president and the young widow of an American soldier killed in…
Rediscovering The Man Who Was The Stuff of Legend
Years before there was David Crockett but about the same time as Daniel Boone [both…
Seablindness
https://www.navyhistory.org/2017/10/book-review-seablindness-how-political-neglect-is-choking-american-seapower-and-what-to-do-about-it/
How I Turned the Nationals’ Fate Around from My Sofa
I have a witness to how I turned the Nationals around last night. Now, Lillian…
Revels at L’Auberge Chez Francois
Chef Jacques Haeringer demonstrates how to prepare Pate in Puff Pastry, Beef Bourguignon and creating…
John McCain’s Last Good Fight
At the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on reconfirming Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford as chairman…
A Murderer Defending Grammar; The Death of a Reference work
Ken Bruen has made a fine living with his Jack Taylor series of crime thrillers…
Why I ‘Don’t Get Around Much Anymore’
For the second protracted time in less than three years, I found Etta James getting…
Wonderful Research Week: Ending with Kim and a Thermo-Nu-Cu-Lar bomb.
Kim Jong-un wins the weekly prize and upped the ante of showing "respect" to 45…
Margaret Thatcher: A Life and Legacy
https://www.navyhistory.org/2017/07/book-review-margaret-thatcher-a-life-and-legacy/
The Less Than Honorable Solution — Now
Secretary David Shulkin's announcement that the VA was showing long-overdue compassion in treating veterans with…
U.K. Defense Minister Fallon: Break with European Union Gives U.K. More Flexibility to Deal with Russia
https://news.usni.org/2017/07/07/u-k-defense-minister-fallon-break-european-union-gives-u-k-flexibility-deal-russia-britains-defense-minister-said-london-views-leaving-european-union-opportunity-t
How the Holy Mackerel Beats the Sacred Cod
So in Boston, one should always to be on the lookout for the choicest seafood.…
Dining at Jake’s
Before we checked out of Boston's Parker House hotel [and yes, we had the rolls…
Ready, Ready, Write, Write: Agent Up Front
A British literary agent offered a series of tips of how to entice an agent,…
Candice Millard on Biography
"Writing about someone I know is living seems absolutely terrifying to me," the recipient of…
A Cautionary Tale for Journalists
The summer issue of MHQ, The Quarterly Journal of Military History has a cautionary tale…
A Cautionary Tale: John Peter Zenger
' None be so hardy to tell or publish any false news or tales' …
Fate of a Confederate Spy, Pirate, and Guerrilla
I was delighted to learn from a friend that Civil War Monitor recently reposted my…
The Things You Learn
When you go to a conference there are always a few surprises and chances to…
Scaparotti: Russia Pushing U.S. European Command Back to a Warfighting Focus
https://news.usni.org/2017/03/28/scaparotti-russia-pushing-u-s-european-command-back-warfighting-focus
Japanese Politician: Trump Message on Defense Should Spark Wake Up Call in Tokyo
https://news.usni.org/2017/03/27/japanese-politician-trump-message-defense-spark-wake-call-tokyo
Panel: Conversations on Missiles and Nuclear Weapons Key to Rebuilding U.S.-Russian Relationship
https://news.usni.org/2017/03/24/panel-converstations-missiles-nuclear-weapons-key-rebuilding-u-s-russian-realatiohship
Toxic Leader Posted Great Achievement
Portrait of Charles Wilkes about the time he commanded The South Seas Exploring Expedition. Nathaniel…
A Spy, Pirate and Guerrilla Goes to Charleston
The cell were Beall was shackled at Fort McHenry, Baltimore Well, not quite, but I…
Conspiracies, Assassinations, Executions
I spent four extremely profitable hours at the Surratt Museum in Prince George's County, Maryland.…
Vickie Lewis and Side by Side
Vickie Lewis I want to share some thoughts on Vickie's Side by Side and how…
Another Great Walk with Rory Stewart
Rory Stewart following Hadrian's Wall Rory Stewart's The Places in Between, his personal account…
Done with Montaigne — Not Quite
A lifetime ago, I had to read one of Michel de Montaigne's essays in a…
Loving the Midwest — from a distance and remembering Alma Mater
I was really truck by the eloquence of Lynn Freehill-Maye's New York Times' travel piece…
What a Treat, Richard the Third
In June I returned from a Richmond conference with a list of books on writing…
Sea History and Blue & Gray on Maury
Two reviews that captured what I wanted to do with Matthew Fontaine Maury, Father of…
Through the NW Passage for $120,095
One of Sir John Franklin's ships trapped in ice looking for the Northwest Passage. …
Whales Tales and the Northwest Passage
Dr. Elisha Kent Kane led the Second Grinnell Expedition to find the remains of the…
Three Little Words
"I need you." "I miss you." "I love you." "Another round here." Contractions and questions…
A Rogue Captain and America’s 1st Pacific Pivot
David Porter should have been the commander of Starship Enterprise "going where no [American naval…
In Pursuit of the Essex; Mad For Glory
http://www.navyhistory.org/2016/09/book-review-in-pursuit-of-the-essex-mad-for-glory/
In Europe’s Shadow — Romania
I have been hooked on Robert Kaplan's reporting on the Balkans ever since I knew…
Blitz plus Whole Earth Catalogue equals Cyber
Not exactly a beach book but very timely reading. My review in the Washington Independent…
The Texas Bell Tower Shootings — 50th Anniversary
When I read the story in this morning's Washington Post on the 50th anniversary of…
‘What Would Robert Caro Do?’ Newswriting Is Not Book Writing
Beth Macy is a reporter for a newspaper in Roanoke and is working on a…
What Happens Next? Well, Write a Letter to a Fictional Friend
Charlotte Jacobs, the author of a biography on Jonas Salk, writes a letter to a…
We Did Return Despite Riding Beneath the Streets of Boston
Lillian and I rode Amtrak down from Portland to Boston on a day trip to…
Bill Geroux’s Mathews Men: Sense of Time and Place
Bill Geroux said he wanted to write "an adventure story" when he finally settled…
A Walk among the Whiz Kids
"They Might Be Giants" performed on the Einstein Stage. I have two degrees that end…
Embassy to the Eastern Court
http://www.navyhistory.org/2016/04/book-review-embassy-to-the-eastern-court-americas-secret-first-pivot-toward-asia-1832-1837/
Anticipation … Is keepin’ me waitin’ — Big time
Forget the Heinz ketchup commercial using Carly Simon’s waiting for Cat Stevens’ arrival for a…
Revolutionary Takeaways
So how big a war was the Revolution -- Louisiana, Florida and the Caribbean in Kathleen…
How George Washington Became the Essential Man
Takeaways on George Washington Peter Henriques: America's Atlas: The Leadership of George Washington I was…
The Texas Blues Lady with the Red Dress on
The idea was to get away for awhile after speaking in Fredericksburg. So I booked…
Great Lives: Maury lived for high seas adventure, scientific pursuits
Column: Great Lives: Maury lived for high seas adventure, scientific pursuits
Timing is Everything
Timing Is Everything Delivered the Banner Lecture Thursday at the Virginia Historical Society in Richmond.…
Thinking Jefferson, Remembering Reagan
I came more than three years late to Jon Meacham's Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power; but having…
Finding Garibaldi After All These years
Garibaldi holding an Italian flag. Four years ago, I was finishing my research on Matthew…
The ‘Real Santa’ and Can We Go Again?
Miller & Rhoads Santa promotion To tie up more early loose ends on a new…
A Tricky Feat
Art Taylor, who teaches at George Mason University, left, read from his new mystery "On…
You Can’t Make This Stuff Up!
Following my reading at the Writer's Center in Bethesda, Md., Sunday, I had a chance…
The Danger of Connecting the Dots on Thanksgiving
When I put the twenty-plus-pound turkey in the oven – basted with olive oil and…
Historian Takes on ‘Bad King John’ and Robin Hood
Richard Greene, sounding alarm in Sherwood Forest, in the Robin Hood TV series. Let's get to…
Joe Terrell, North Carolina and Paris
Joe Terrell in Paris I had been thinking about Joe Terrell, a longtime friend…
Ah, The Witches of Salem
Stacy Schiff does a masterful job in this piece from Sunday’s NYT of explaining how…
Glad to Meet You, Three, Four
Wendell Pierce as trombonist Antoine Batiste in HBO’s Treme was always hustling for gigs. Michael…
Fields of Blood: religion and violence
I have just begun Karen Armstrong’s provocative latest work – Fields of Blood, Religions and…
Military Reporters and Editors rocks steady
I breathed a sigh of relief when Rep. Rob Wittman, chairman of House Armed Services…
Wonderful symposium learned much
Spent two wonderful days at the Naval Academy attending the McMullen Naval History Symposium this…
Review Makes My Month
The review of my book in the Virginia Historical Society's "Virginia Magazine of History and…
Image of a Vet: Hero, Victim, Something Else?
"There's a reason we keep reading the Iliad," but we need new stories for new…
The Beauty of the Inland Sea
Hancock Center towers over Chicago's incomparable Oak Street Beach on the city's Near North Side.…
Empire of Sin — New Orleans Long Before Katrina
I picked up Gary Krist's Empire of Sin, A Story of Sex , Jazz, Murder,…
Re-reading Francis Parkman
A small section of Louis XIV's Versailles As a high school student and again in…
A Daily Illini Reunion
I was delighted to be invited to speak on Matthew Fontaine Maury at Mary Washington…
A Man, Not an Icon — Korda’s Lee
Clouds of Glory: The Life and Legend of Robert E. Lee, By Michael Korda, New…
Navy Memorial presentation
A special thanks to Mark Weber, curator of the Navy Memorial in Washington, and his…
The Great Explorations
Elisha Kent Kaine who found the North West Passage. With two very positive reviews this…
A Personal Note — Joe Burlas
Personal note: I first met Joe Burlas when he was a teen-ager. His father invited…
Back on Center Stage
Maury on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Va. Kind book review by Naval Historical Foundation. Full…
Journey to find Holy Grail to prevent brain injury
I interviewed retired Gen. Peter Chiarelli, USA, Ret., to learn more about One Mind's work. Here…
Looking further down the road
Dates are firm, but times are still being determined for speaking appearances and book signings.…
A dear friend comes to Maury lecture
David Chernicky, a colleague from my Daily Press days attended the lecture on Maury at…
Keeping a unique museum great
A very special thanks to Mark Arduini (in blue shirt) of the Mariner’s Museum for…
John Coski knows how bad Maury’s handwriting was
I was very touched by the warm introduction that John Coski, right, gave me at…
Becky Starling’s work for Maury
Becky Starling of Fredericksburg, Va., led a crusade to restore Matthew Fontaine Maury to grace…
Sometimes I’m Especially Blessed
Lyn Reisig stopped by the Navy Museum Wednesday following my lecture there on Matthew Fontaine…
The Last Combat Soldier to Leave Vietnam
As I was watching Rory Kennedy’s television documentary about the 40th anniversary of the fall…
On the Road with the Father of Oceanography
Near the entrance of the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, Va. The end of…
Remembering an American Hero: Victor Delano
Battleship West Virginia under attack Dec. 7, 1941 Capt. Victor Delano, U.S. Navy (Retired) died…
Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery
When I moved to still rural Gloucester County, Virginia in May 1976, I didn’t know…
Panfish: Spot On
I should have been concentrating on getting ready for the “trip of a…
Subject and Venue — Ironic
Began work on a lecture at Navy Museum in Washington for noon May 27 on…
Third Coast — What a Book
While recovering from major eye surgery and ordered to do nothing --…
Book Talk in Richmond
Matthew Fontaine Maury – Scientist at War Noon June 5 Museum of the Confederacy 1201…
Secrets to Success — Out of Uniform
“At the top of the list” for women leaving the military “is re-connecting with family,”…
Special Presentation and Book Signing
Matthew Fontaine Maury, Father of Oceanography by John Grady Fredericksburg, VA - This spring the…
John Grady Mention in The Biographer’s Craft
While we mentioned John Grady’s biography of Matthew Fontaine Maury in last month’s listing of…
Appomattox Victory, Defeat, and Freedom at the end of the Civil War Review
Historian Elizabeth Varon has gone a long way in puncturing the myths that surround what…
McPherson at SMH Dinner
http://www.navyhistory.org/2014/01/mcpherson-at-smh-dinner-the-moral-courage-of-risk-taking/
The Captain Who Burned His Ships
http://www.navyhistory.org/2013/02/book-review-the-captain-who-burned-his-ships-captain-thomas-tingey-usn/
The Journey of a Warrior
http://www.navyhistory.org/2012/12/book-review-journey-of-a-warrior-29th-commandant-marine-corps-general-alfred-mason-gray/
