Before the High Line was a park, it was a solution to a body count. The first rail tracks on the lower west side ran
Here’s a piece of Andersonville history most people don’t know. The greatest immediate danger to a prisoner in the summer of 1864 wasn’t the guards.
On 15 June 1904 the *General Slocum* left a Manhattan dock carrying 1,358 passengers plus crew to a church picnic on the north shore of
On a ridge in southeastern Turkey stands the oldest known monumental architecture in the world. Göbekli Tepe dates to 9500-8000 BCE. That’s six thousand years
On November 15, 1864, Sherman marched out of a burning Atlanta with about 62,000 men and cut himself off from his own supply line—a thing
By the early nineteenth century, the streams and ponds that once covered Manhattan had mostly been filled in and built over. What remained was overused
The Great Pyramid of Giza contains an estimated 2.3 million stone blocks averaging 2.5 tons each. Conservative estimates say it was built in twenty years.
Someone does not come home. You call the police, and somewhere in the back of your mind is the thing everyone knows: they will not
In August 1996, Dartmouth chemistry professor Karen Wetterhahn spilled a small amount of dimethylmercury on her latex glove. She was working in a fume hood,
A new chapter in the Area 51 series comes out today; Empire Falls, but it’s actually a prequel. A novella set well before the start
On the morning of June 30, 1908, something exploded over the Siberian taiga with a force of 10 to 15 megatons—about a thousand Hiroshimas. It
Pick up ten survival books and nine of them will tell you the same things about water, fire, shelter, and food. All of it correct.
I’ve visited a lot of Civil War sites. Battlefields have a terrible dignity to them. Andersonville is different. It’s not a battlefield. It’s a prison,
Everybody knows the moment. First Bull Run, July 1861. Confederate General Barnard Bee sees Thomas Jackson’s brigade holding firm against a Union assault and shouts,
Is it just me, or did anyone else call it Hells Gate? I did, for years. It’s Hell Gate. It’s where the East River meets
On the morning of April 6, 1862, a Confederate army came out of the woods at Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee, and by nightfall more Americans had
In 524 BCE, Persian King Cambyses II sent 50,000 soldiers across the Egyptian desert to destroy the oracle of Amun at Siwa Oasis, which had
There was the fear that leaving a tourniquet on led to limb loss. So there was guidance to loosen it every so often. That is
Easter Island—Rapa Nui to its people—holds nearly 900 monolithic statues carved between roughly 1250 and 1500 CE. They average 13 feet and 14 tons. The
The man who saved the United States was named U.S. Grant by a clerical error. He was born Hiram Ulysses Grant in Ohio on April
At Los Alamos there was a sphere of plutonium-239 that killed two men in nine months. Afterward, they called it the Demon Core. The first
It has stained glass, tiled vaults, and brass chandeliers. It’s been closed since 1945. The City Hall station sits under City Hall Park, and it
At 4:30 in the morning on April 12, 1861, Confederate guns opened on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor and the Civil War began. The shot
In 1974, Chinese farmers digging a well near Xi’an broke into the tomb complex of Qin Shi Huang, China’s first emperor, dead since 210 BCE.
Shane and Phoebe Versus The Assassins is out today. A novella, it closes out a loose end from the end in the previous story. Shane
If you are caught in the open during a thunderstorm, you have probably been taught to crouch. Balls of the feet, heels together, head down,
Yale’s Beinecke Library holds a 240-page book written in an alphabet no one has ever identified, illustrated with plants that don’t exist. Radiocarbon dating puts
I grew up in the Bronx. I went to City Island plenty of times, rode my bike out to Orchard Beach, learned to drive in
Most novels, TV series, and films in this genre do you a favor. They kill almost everyone in the first chapter—an asteroid, a plague, something
On the Fourth of July, 1826, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died within hours of each other, fifty years to the day after the Declaration
I fact-check my nonfiction books every so often because things change. And this is a big change, but it makes sense. The old way to
Every situation is different, so this is a guideline, not a checklist you follow off a card. But the order matters, and most people get
In 1901, sponge divers working off the Greek island of Antikythera found a shipwreck. Among the statues and pottery was a corroded lump of bronze
Food expiration dates: There are some things to understand about this. First, there are several terms stamped on the food. This is what they mean:
According to Douglas S. Freeman’s biography, the oath Lee signed on September 25, 1825 upon admission to West Point read: “I, Robert E. Lee, a
I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. My latest novella, Red Rain, published this past week. It takes place well before the start of Lavender’s
Fresh vegetables represent peak nutrition — just picked, just purchased, the full complement of vitamins and minerals intact. Frozen vegetables are a compromise: processed, degraded,
Because it is counterintuitive until you understand what it is. What is survivor bias? During World War II, the military wanted to add armor to
Excerpted from You’re Doing It Wrong: Dump the Myths, Misconceptions, and Bad Advice You Believe, The math looks clean. Fat stores represent stored calories. Eat
Interspersed in Slow Fall are “Elsewhere” scenarios where I present what is happening during a slow collapse of civilization. This is one: SOMEWHERE IN NEBRASKA
The Green Beret Guide for Success if free today through the 14th. **In tough times, it’s the tough who succeed.** What makes a Green Beret
At grocery stores across the country, brown eggs command a premium price over white eggs from the same display case. Consumers select them with the
There’s a Facebook post going around about a group of Marines and children in the Pentagon on 9-11. It’s a nice story, heart-warming, etc. It’s
In cold-weather folklore, the flask of whiskey is standard equipment. Stranded in a blizzard? Brandy warms you from the inside. The Saint Bernard carries a
The advice has circulated in safety articles, on social media, and in well-meaning emails forwarded among people for years. If your car goes into the
I hope everyone is enjoying their long, hot weekend. It’s hot here and it seems it’s hot everywhere. Stay cool. Stay hydrated. In celebration, I’ve
Excerpted from You’re Doing It Wrong. It’s one of those first aid instructions so widely practiced that it feels officially sanctioned: nosebleed? Tilt your head
Excerpt from You’re Doing It Wrong This was one I learned from my father on the old ’64 Valiant with three on the column– a
Excerpt from You’re Doing It Wrong Rinse the chicken before it goes in the pan. Remove bacteria, remove the residue from the packaging, get it
Excerpted from You’re Doing It Wrong This is one that seems logical, but most have it wrong. I did. Premium gasoline costs more per gallon.
Excerpted from You’re Doing It Wrong The phrase comes from an old folk remedy for rabies: treat a bite from a rabid dog by applying
Excerpted from: You’re Doing It Wrong: Dump the Myths, Misconceptions and Bad Advice You Believe I use words for a living and even I was
Excerpted from You’re Doing It Wrong: Dump the Myths, Misconceptions and Bad Advice You Believe This is one of my pet peeves. In Against All
Excerpt from You’re Doing It Wrong: Dump the Myths, Misconceptions, and Bad Advice You Believe Coffee is a diuretic; therefore, coffee dehydrates you; therefore, coffee
This was one of the reasons I wrote You’re Doing It Wrong: Dump the Myths, Misconceptions, and Bad Advice You Believe. This is an excerpt
You’re Doing It Wrong: Dump the Myths, Misconceptions, and Bad Advice You Believe is live today. Honestly, I had about half of these wrong or
Every so often a show comes along that has no business working as well as it does, and Apple TV+’s Widow’s Bay is exactly that
FREE today through the 21st. I wrote The Jefferson Allegiance in 2013, but it is truer than ever. Jefferson and Hamilton, enemies, united in one
This is an excerpt from my latest novel, Slow Fall. SOMEWHERE IN NEBRASKA The Chat-n-Chew on the main square opened at six in the morning
D-Day (Time Patrol) is free today through the 9th along with The Gate. Two of my favorite thrillers that contain considerable history. There are also
This is the author’s note at the beginning of my latest novel, Slow Fall. Most novels, tv series and films in this genre do you
In my newest book, Slow Fall, I have excerpts titled “Elsewhere” with vignettes from various places as civilization collapses. One is a couple in Manhattan.
The first book in my new Green Beret survival series, Slow Fall, is out today. The preorder for the second book, Deep Winter, is also
While the majority of the book follows five characters through the collapse of civilization, I also do several “elsewhere” in the world scenes. This is
The first book in a new series, Slow Fall, publishes on Thursday. It’s about the collapse of civilization in the most terrifying way: slowly and
As usual, there are a number of books free today. Chief among them are New York Minute and the first book in the Atlantis series. I’ve also got pre-orders
“It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, more
Howl: WT Sherman’s Monster Hunters is out today. It is also in Kindle Unlimited. Howl is an examination of evil in warfare and also, redemption.
A plethora of free and discounted books today. First, Lavender’s Blue, the first book in the Liz Danger series. By the way, I’ll be publishing
The Ancient Enemy has arrived. A Swarm Battle Core is orbiting Earth preparing for the Reaping. Area 51: Invasion The remnants of mankind desperately try
The first book in our bestselling, and best reviewed, series is on sale for only .99. It’s also in Kindle Unlimited: Rocky Start. Nothing
Against All Odds: The Green Beret Guide to Epic Survival Stories This book is a pulling together of research I did for my Preparation and
From the Great Pyramid to the Tunguska Explosion, from Atlantis to Area 51—100 enigmas that still defy explanation. The Little Black Book of Ancient Mysteries
This is the opening chapter of Howl: WT Sherman’s Monster Hunters William Tecumseh Sherman saw his own death staring at him. Less than fifty yards
New York City’s Little Black Book is free today through the 19th. This is an example of what’s covered: Most people assume the Manhattan skyline
FREE today through Saturday. The Complete Guide to Map Reading and Land Navigation
This is one of my favorite books. A stand alone. THE ROCK **Deep beneath Ayers Rock, something has awakened. And it’s sending a message humanity
FREE today through the 22nd. Life’s Little Black Book: Hacks That Save Time, Money and Your Life What if you had every essential life hack
Last night I was thinking about the Rocky Start books and thought– this is kind of like the nice Rambo. A veteran is out walking
The Jefferson Allegiance. Which was a #2 National Bestseller in Barnes and Noble when it was published and on sale today through the 20th. Some
Housed in Yale University’s Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library sits what may be the world’s most mysterious book. The Voynich Manuscript, named after the
Life’s Little Black Book: Hacks That Save Time, Money and Your Life #giftideas #LifeHack #trivia #survival #Tips #LifeLessons #lifelesson https://amzn.to/409Cl3F
This is currently my bestseller with some examples. The Little Black Book of Ancient Mysteries A selection from 35 years of research for my over
2026 looks to be a very exciting year on the book front after a slow 2025, which I spent writing a lot of what will
I’ve been telling stories for a long time, but Atlantis: A Novel of Time Travel and Alternate Worlds holds a special place for me. It’s
Are you prepared? Not “sort of” prepared. Not “I think we have some batteries somewhere” prepared. Actually, truly ready for whatever comes your way? As
Here are a few ancient mysteries covered in The Little Black Book of Ancient Mysteries: This first one was the basis of my Road of
Jenny Crusie and I are at it again. If you’ve read our earlier collaborations, you know what happens when you put a romance writer and
I’m giving away The Line for free starting today through March 1st, and if you haven’t read it yet, this is your chance. Here’s the
Mike Turcotte has been fighting a shadow war since the day he stumbled onto the truth about Area 51. He’s a soldier—killing is what he
I spent decades in Special Forces learning one fundamental truth: preparation without focus is just expensive panic. That’s why I wrote The Green Beret
I watched Predator: Badlands expecting two hours of things getting their spines ripped out. What I got instead was a buddy movie where one buddy
Blue Lights is one of the most compelling police dramas to emerge from the UK in years, and it deserves far more attention than it’s
What if the forces that shaped America’s founding never stopped fighting—and the stakes were nuclear annihilation? From today through February 20th, grab The Kennedy Endeavor
New York Minute It’s July 1977. New York City is sweltering, the Son of Sam is hunting, and the lights are about to go
Which are the best kind, since they’re the ones that keep us in business. In this case it’s the Australian Romance Readers Award, ARRA. I’ve
When I commanded a Special Forces A-Team in 10th Special Forces Group, two teams in my unit went through something called Trojan Warrior training —
I’ve always been fascinated by the pivotal moments in history where everything hung in the balance. Gettysburg. Little Bighorn. But what if I told you
That question drove me to write The Fifth Floor. I’ve always been fascinated by Julian Jaynes and his radical theory about the bicameral mind —
When I started the Area 51 series, I had one question: what if everything we’ve been told about human history is wrong? What if the
