History Nerds United

Send us Fan MailLet's set him free! Pamela Colloff joins me to talk Catch the Devil: A True Story of Murder, Deception, and Injustice on the Gulf Coast.Buy Catch the DevilCheck out Pamela's websiteSupport the show

Send us Fan MailLet's get lit! Jonathan Vigliotti joins me to talk Torched: How a City Was Left to Burn, and the Olympic Rush to Rebuild L.A.Buy TorchedCheck out Jonathan's websiteSupport the show

Send us Fan MailLet's compromise! Lawrence Goldstone joins me to talk Imperfect Union: How Errors of Omission Threaten Constitutional Democracy.Buy Imperfect UnionCheck Out Lawrence's WebsiteSupport the show

Send us Fan MailLet's celebrate 250! The legendary Rick Atkinson joins me to talk The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780.Buy The Fate of the DayCheck out Rick's websiteSupport the show

Send us Fan MailHere they are, the books I don't want you to miss for June 2026!First, we have The Summer of Death by Geoff Williams. Did you know that in 1936 there was a deadly heatwave that killed thousands of Americans? Of course, you didn't and neither did I! Thankfully, we have Geoff Williams to not only tell this story, but to know when to crack a joke and when to take things seriously.Next is the Wreck of the Mentor by Eric Jay Dolin. Dolin is one of my favorite writers and he has done it again. In 1832, the whaleship Mentor wrecked on a remote reef in the Western Pacific and then it somehow got worse for those who survived. It's simple folks, if you are into maritime survival stories like the Wager or Dolin's previous book Left for Dead, you have to pick this one up.Next we have the Longest Hardest Race by Eric Moskowitz. Today, we have NASCAR, but back in 1909 long distance races were all the rage. They were also absolutely insane as Moskowitz describes in this one. And of course, if we are talking early automobiles, Henry Ford is going to be a big part. And as always, he won't be keeping his hands clean, literally or figuratively.Next is Fires in the Night by Matthew Wolfe. In the 1990s, there was a group known as the Earth Liberation Front of ELF. They liked setting things on fire, especially in the Pacific Northwest where Wolfe tells the story about how it all happened and what was the fallout. Wolfe nails this book because he never takes sides, but he's not above pointing out where both sides can fail in a cultural divide. For our final new book, we have the American School of Spies by Stephan Talty. Talty is another one of my favorites and you should read anything with his name on it. In this one, he looks at the Americans flung into Greece during World War II to wreak some havoc while also protecting some priceless art. This one has got everything!For my classic pick of the month, I am going with Island of the Lost by Joan Druett. If you aren't familiar with Druett, she is a New Zealand writer who might as well be crowned the queen of maritime history, especially around Australia and New Zealand. Island of the Lost rekindled my love of reading back in the day. It's part survival, part leadership parable. In 1864, the schooner Grafton wrecks on Auckland Island. The survivors have no hope of rescue. It comes down to whether or not the captain can keep the men together, survive, and find a way home. Sounds crazy enough, but guess what? At the same exact time the Grafton survivors are battling for their lives, a ship called Invercauld wrecks on the same island. The survivors never mingle, but the actions of each captain would be the difference between life and death. One for good, one for bad.That's it for this month! Let me know what you think of these books and if you read them yourself. Until next time nerds, stay cool.Support the show

Send us Fan MailLet's go down to the river! True Crime King Gregg Olsen joins me to talk By the River's Edge: A True Story of Identity and Serial Murder.Buy By The River's EdgeCheck out Gregg's websiteSupport the show

Send us Fan MailLet's make some money! Megan Gorman joins me to talk All the Presidents' Money: How the Men Who Governed America Governed Their Money.Buy All the Presidents' MoneySupport the show

Send us Fan MailLet's set sail! David Reynolds joins me to talk Two Ships: Jamestown 1619, Plymouth 1620, and the Struggle for the Soul of America.Buy Two ShipsCheck out David's websiteSupport the show

Send us Fan MailLet's crash! Liaquat Ahamed joins me to talk 1873: The Rothschilds, the First Great Depression, and the Making of the Modern World.Buy 1873Support the show

Send us Fan MailStalin's Apostles by Antonia Senior Hammer of the Gods by Don Hollway The Fallen by Louise Brangan American Men by Jordan Ritter ConnMargaret Beaufort by Lauren Johnson One of Us by Asne Seierstad Support the show

Send us Fan MailLet's survive! Thomas Asbridge joins me to talk The Black Death: A Global History of Humanity's Most Devastating Pandemic.Buy The Black Death (the book, not the disease)Support the show

Send us Fan MailLet's strike oil! Douglas Brunt joins me to talk The Lost Empire of Emanuel Nobel: Romanovs, Revolutionaries, and the Forgotten Titan Who Fueled the World.Buy The Lost Empire of Emanuel Nobel Check out Doug's WebsiteCheck out the Dedicated PodcastSupport the show

Send us Fan MailLet's go for a run! Martin Dugard returns to talk The Long Run: Steve Prefontaine, Frank Shorter, Joan Benoit, Grete Waitz, and the Decade That Made the Marathon Cool.Buy The Long RunCheck out Martin's websiteSupport the show

Send us Fan MailLet's Greek it up! Adrian Goldsworthy joins me to talk Athens and Sparta: The Rivalry That Shaped Ancient Greece.Buy Athens and SpartaCheck out Adrian's websiteSupport the show

Send us Fan MailLet's revolt! Anand Gopal joins me to talk Days of Love and Rage: A Story of Ordinary People Forging a Revolution.Buy Days of Love and Rage Support the show

Send us Fan MailLet's go north! Peter Stark joins me to talk The Lost Cities of El Norte: Coronado's Quest, the Unconquered West, and the Birth of American Indian Resistance – A Narrative History of Exploration, Conquest, and Resistance.Buy The Lost Cities of El NorteCheck out Peter's websiteSubscribe to Last Empty Places PodcastSupport the show

Send us Fan MailCan't interview them all! Don't miss these books:These Divided Isles by Stephen Phillips –Phillips tells the story of the relationship between Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Britain from independence to now. (Pegasus Books)The Oracle's Daughter by Harrison Hill – it's the story of the Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps cult. It's a wild story about a woman who truly goes off the deep end and the daughter who tries to break away. (Scribner Books)This Dark Night by Deborah Lutz – it's the life of the author of Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë. (W. W. Norton)Madman by M.F. Gross – Florida true crime story in 1949. Enough said.A Terrible Intimacy by Melvin Patrick Ely – a look at six different court cases in antebellum Virginia where people from each side of the racial divide are involved. (Henry Holt and Co.)For my classic pick of the month, I am going with Ballad of the Whiskey Robber by Julian Rubenstein – I don't believe in trying to improve on perfection. So here is the official synopsis of this book: “A true story of bank heists, ice hockey, Transylvanian pelt smuggling, moonlighting detectives, and broken hearts.” All of that is in there and all of that is true. I laughed, I cried. This is a book I can hand to absolutely anyone and know they will like it. Get it yesterday.Support the show

Send us Fan MailLet's bring back the fun! Breeze Barrington joins me to talk The Graces: The Extraordinary Untold Lives of Women at the Restoration Court.Buy The GracesCheck out Breeze's websiteSupport the show

Send us Fan MailObjection! Sarah Isgur joins me to talk Last Branch Standing: A Potentially Surprising, Occasionally Witty Journey Inside Today's Supreme Court.Buy Last Branch StandingSupport the show

Send us Fan MailLet's get weird! Antony Beevor joins me to talk Rasputin: The Downfall of the Romanovs.Buy RasputinCheck out Antony's websiteSupport the show

Send us Fan MailLet's talk about the neighbors. Patrick Radden Keefe joins me to talk London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth.Buy London FallingCheck out Patrick's websiteSupport the show

Send us Fan MailLet's call them out! Brooke Newman joins me to talk The Crown's Silence: The Hidden History of the British Monarchy and Slavery in the Americas.Buy The Crown's SilenceCheck out Brooke's websiteSupport the show

Send us Fan MailAnother month, another list of books I don't want you to miss!The Next One is For You by Ali Watkins the story of the gun runners from the U.S. who were trying to supply the IRA during the Troubles of Northern Ireland. Kennedy's Coup by Jack Cheevers –a look at JFK and his decision makers as the U.S. descends into the Vietnam War. Arsenio by Arsenio Hall – a lot of great behinds the scenes stuff and overall a positive book which will put you in a good mood.Charles Sumner by Zaakir Tameez – a dig into the life of the guy you probably only remember as the one who got whooped with a cane in Congress right before the Civil War. Yes, there is more!  Running Deep by Tom Clavin – the submarine USS Tang was deadliest submarine in World War II. Need I say more?.My Classic Pick: Diamonds, Gold, and War by Martin Meredith – the story of South Africa but more specifically the British occupation of it, the discovery of diamonds, and the Boer wars. Support the show

Send us Fan MailLet's hear it for the sisters! Veronica Buckley joins me to talk Seven Sisters: Captives and Rebels in Revolutionary Europe's First Family.Buy Seven SistersCheck out Veronica's websiteSupport the show

Send a textLet's ring the bell! Alison Lyn Miller and Hollywood Hunter James join me to talk Rough House: A Father, a Son, and the Pursuit of Pro Wrestling Glory.Buy Rough HouseCheck out Alison's WebsiteSupport the show

Send a textLet's go to paradise! Sara Kehaulani Goo joins me to talk Kuleana: A Story of Family, Land, and Legacy in Old Hawai'i.Buy KuleanaCheck out Sara's websiteSupport the show

Send a textLet's talk about a legend! Keith O'Brien joins me to talk Heartland: A Forgotten Place, an Impossible Dream, and the Miracle of Larry Bird.Buy HeartlandCheck out Keith's websiteSupport the show

Send a textWe can't interview them all, but I can for sure tell you the best books out there. Here is the latest release of books I don't want you to miss.Rebel of the Regency by Ann FosterUntil the Last Gun is Silent by Matthew Delmont The Science of Second Chances by Jennifer Doleac Heiresses by Miranda Kauffman Empire of Orgasm by Ellen Huet Support the show

Send a textLet's avoid an incident! Chris Jennings joins me to talk End of Days: Ruby Ridge, the Apocalypse, and the Unmaking of America.Buy End of DaysSupport the show

Send a textLet's talk about bloodbaths! Shelley Puhak returns to talk The Blood Countess: Murder, Betrayal, and the Making of a Monster.Buy The Blood CountessSupport the show

Send a textLet's return to the 80s! Elliot Williams joins me to talk Five Bullets: The Story of Bernie Goetz, New York's Explosive '80s, and the Subway Vigilante Trial That Divided the Nation.Buy Five BulletsSupport the show

Send us a textLet's place a bet! Danny Funt joins me to talk Everybody Loses: The Tumultuous Rise of American Sports Gambling.Buy Everybody LosesCheck out Danny's websiteSupport the show

Send us a textLet's object! Elizabeth Chamblee Burch joins me to talk The Pain Brokers: How Con Men, Call Centers, and Rogue Doctors Fuel America's Lawsuit Factory.Buy The Pain BrokersCheck out Elizabeth's websiteSupport the show

Send us a textAnd now for something a little different! We can't always get an author on the pod, but it doesn't mean their books aren't amazing. Here are 5 new releases I don't want you to miss plus a bonus classic that is one of my favorites.Covered in this installment:The Traitor's Circle by Jonathan FreedlandKings and Pawns by Howard BryantA Danger to the Minds of Young Girls by Adam MorganThe Rembrandt Heist by Anthony AmoreUseless Etymology by Jess ZafarrisThe White Cascade by Gary KristSupport the show

Send us a textLet's find some treasure! Julian Sancton joins me to talk Neptune's Fortune: The Billion-Dollar Shipwreck and the Ghosts of the Spanish Empire.Buy Neptune's FortuneSupport the show

Send us a textLet's have some common sense! Jack Kelly joins me to talk Tom Paine's War: The Words That Rallied a Nation and the Founder for Our Time.Buy Tom Paine's WarCheck out Jack's websiteSupport the show

Send us a textLet's do some invention! Graham Watson joins me to talk The Invention of Charlotte Brontë: A New Life.Buy The Invention of Charlotte Brontë: A New LifeSupport the show

Send us a textLet's lead an army! Helen Castor returns to talk Joan of Arc: A History.Buy Joan of ArcSubscribe to Helen's substackSupport the show

Send us a textLet's throw them back! Noah Rothbaum joins the entire History Nerds United team to talk The Whiskey Bible: A Complete Guide to the World's Greatest Spirit.Buy The Whiskey BibleSupport the show

Send us a textLet's ascend! Gareth Russell joins me to talk his book The Six Loves of James I.Buy The Six Loves of James ISupport the show

Send us a textLet's ride the wind! Simon Winchester joins me to talk The Breath of the Gods: The History and Future of the Wind.Buy The Breath of the GodsCheck out Simon's WebsiteSupport the show

Send us a textLet's get a close up! Scott Eyman joins me to talk Joan Crawford: A Woman's Face.Buy Joan CrawfordCheck out Scott's websiteSupport the show

Send us a textLet's launch! Jeffrey Kluger joins me to talk Gemini: Stepping Stone to the Moon, the Untold Story.Buy GeminiSupport the show

Send us a textLet's succeed! Tracy Borman joins me to talk The Stolen Crown: Treachery, Deceit, and the Death of the Tudor Dynasty.Buy The Stolen CrownCheck out Tracy's websiteSupport the show

Send us a textLet's act like a bull moose! Bret Baier joins me to talk his book To Rescue the American Spirit: Teddy Roosevelt and the Birth of a Superpower.Buy To Rescue the American SpiritCheck out Bret's websiteSupport the show

Send us a textLet's get him out! Pulitzer Prize Winner Gilbert King joins me to talk his book Bone Valley: A True Story of Injustice and Redemption in the Heart of Florida.Buy Bone ValleyCheck out Gilbert's websiteSupport the show

Send us a textLet's start a movement! Siddharth Kara joins me to discuss The Zorg: A Tale of Greed and Murder That Inspired the Abolition of Slavery.Buy The ZorgSupport the show

Send us a textLet's bring him to justice! Jake Tapper joins me to discuss his book Race Against Terror: Chasing an Al Qaeda Killer at the Dawn of the Forever War.Buy Race Against TerrorSupport the show

Send us a textLet's remember the Mighty Fitz! John Bacon joins me to talk The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Buy The Gales of NovemberCheck out John's websiteSupport the show

Send us a textLet's strike gold! Peter Cozzens discusses his book Deadwood: Gold, Guns, and Greed in the American West.Buy DeadwoodCheck out Peter's websiteSupport the show

Send us a textLet's get legal! CNN's Elie Honig talks his book When You Come at the King: Inside DOJ's Pursuit of the President, from Nixon to Trump. Buy When You Come at the KingSupport the show