My 2025 reading list leans hard into the big, difficult stuff - atomic fire over Japan, mass graves in Rwanda and Bosnia, the Molly Maguires, Irish soldiers in blue, and one unforgettable novel about a single patch of New England ground. These are the books that shaped his thinking this year about memory, violence, grief, and how we tell stories. Read the full story.
The Wynning History website just crossed a big milestone: 11 years online and more than 1 million views. What began as a small personal blog has grown into a community curious about Pennsylvania’s past and its place in the American story. Here’s what’s next for the project—and for me. Watch the update.
"A House of Dynamite" feels like "The Day After" for our time - twenty minutes to impact, systems failing, human flaws laid bare. I trace its terror, from COG bunkers at Raven Rock to nuclear war scenarios, and why this film should jolt us toward reform like "The Day After" did in the 1980s. Read the full story.
Netflix’s upcoming miniseries Death by Lightning takes on one of America’s most tragic presidential stories—the 1881 assassination of James A. Garfield and the medical blunders that doomed him. Starring Michael Shannon, Nick Offerman, and Matthew Macfadyen and based on Candace Millard’s Destiny of the Republic, this one hits close to home for me. Read the full story.
I recently reflected on Stanley Tucci’s “Tucci in Italy,” where each episode blends history, regional culture, and mouthwatering cuisine - from Lazio’s vineyards to Adriatic fishing villages. Tucci’s passion and storytelling took me back to my own Italian travels and inspired anew. Read the full story.
On Saturday June 14, I was asked to give remarks about the history and context of the American flag over the last 250 years of history. These are the words I shared in historic Mullinix Park in Frederick, Maryland.
George Clooney’s "Good Night, and Good Luck" revisits Edward R. Murrow’s brave challenge to McCarthy’s Red Scare—and feels eerily relevant as today’s press faces political attacks and lawsuits. In this week's Monday Dispatches, I reflect on why Murrow’s steadfast defense of truth reminds us why an independent media matters. Read the full story.
Dive into a compelling podcast episode where writer Derek Thompson interviews historian Richard J. Evans about his book "Hitler’s People." Hear fresh research on Nazi support, Weimar politics, and antisemitism as Evans debunks myths and reveals how ordinary Germans enabled Hitler’s rise to absolute power. Read my full reflection and listen to the podcast.
Discover how one photograph from 1940, featuring my great-grandfather in the independent mines of Williams Valley, reflects my own lifelong interest in Pennsylvania’s anthracite heritage. Learn how his passion for mining lore became part of my own. Read the full story.
Discover how Rick Steves’ new memoir On the Hippie Trail reignited my passion and need for travel - tracing his 1978 trek from Istanbul to Kathmandu and exploring how adventure breaks down fear and builds bridges. My latest Monday Dispatch reflection on wanderlust and cultural connection, with some love for the late Anthony Bourdain. Read the full story.