As we watch the horrific events in Ukraine unfold, many are trying to understand how we got here. With Vladimir Putin leading a brutal invasion of Ukraine by Russia, many who have praised Putin over the years for his leadership skills now look foolish. Also, given the embarrassing performance of…
Author: Gerardo Orlando
We’ve sadly entered a period in which some of the most basic principles underlying the American experiment are coming under attack. In the leadup to and aftermath of January 6th, it’s deeply troubling to see how many Americans and elected officials, mostly on the right, are willing say or do…
President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas on today’s date in 1963. He was planning to give a speech that night in Austin, Texas, and the photo below includes the final paragraphs from that planned speech. Kennedy’s words still resonate today. Hat tip: Russell Contreras
“If we are to have another contest in the near future of our national existence, I predict that the dividing line will not be Mason and Dixon’s, but between patriotism and intelligence on the one side, and superstition, ambition, and ignorance on the other.” — Ulysses S. Grant Is there…
I came across this quote from a Robert F. Kennedy speech years ago when browsing a bookstore and coming across a book called “RFK: Collected Speeches.” The quote was on the back cover of the book. It resonated with me then, and it’s just as applicable today. Too much and…
One of the goals of this website is to curate, catalog and share the most informative, interesting and entertaining resources for learning about history. That naturally includes documentaries, one of the most effective means of describing history that also provides the opportunity for a great deal of creativity in how…
As we get started with this new project, I don’t have any of my own recommendations for new books from 2018, though I’ve found a number of new books I’d love to read. I’ve consulted a number of “best of” lists from the past year which you can review as…
“I don’t think of myself as an historian in the conventional understanding of the word. I’m a writer, who has chosen other days from our own, other times, as my field. That’s what I want to write about.” David McCullough wasn’t trained as an historian, but he’s one of the…
Podcasting has become increasingly popular over the past several years with the ubiquity of smartphones. We can now listen anywhere, and we don’t have to be limited to what’s streaming at the moment. Podcasts offer a variety of sources and topics to help fill out time while working out or…