The theremin kicked off the first century of electronic music. The story twists from radio engineers in World War I Russia to Jazz Age New York and the stage of Carnegie Hall.
California’s natural bounty has been a marvel for centuries, from the redwood forests to the waters and mountains. During World War II…
For me, Apollo is the story of my father William Taylor, a mid-level engineer behind the lunar rover.
Recently I got a letter in the mail from former U.S. Treasury Secretary Michael Blumenthal. This was not completely out of the…
On the morning of June 6, 1944 American soldiers landed on the beaches of Normandy to retake Europe, unsure of what lay…
One of my favorite history podcasts, BackStory, selected my book Cork Wars for its monthly book club, BookStory. So the other day…
Not long ago I had the pleasure of talking with the fine writer Cathy Alter for the Washington Independent Review of Books.
My essay on Literary Hub explores how writing about families can lead you down twisting paths.
In a new episode, Angus and I discuss Cork Wars and the circumstances that set up one small industry’s unexpectedly critical importance during the war.
Our conversation ranged across the fears of sabotage in America, the role of cork in American industry, innovation, and wartime intelligence.
