Hudson Valley/Capital Region people: I'll be speaking tomorrow at the Chatham (N.Y.) Public Library, 1:30 pm, about the great political backstory behind the Erie Canal, whose bicentennial we'll be celebrating next month. Hope to see you there ...

I'm thrilled to announce that my next book, a biography of Thomas Cooper (1759-1839), has been accepted by LSU Press as part of its distinguished Southern Biography Series. Cooper was ...

It's flattering to see that the Sex and the City people think that middle-aged historians look like this shirtless:

I really enjoyed being a guest on Evan Axelbank's excellent history podcast, though I revealed a few embarrassing childhood stories about presidential figurines and American Heritage books: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1... @evanaxelbank.bsky.social

And I was thrilled to be a guest!

Some placards from today’s protests #nokings

The only piece you'll ever read about unions, Martin Van Buren, Jerry Brown, Christopher Hitchens and Milton Friedman: jamesbradley.substack.com/p/when-the-l...

The Wikipedia entry on the presidential election of 1796 refers to John Adams as "Lucifer" and his wife as "Lilith," the "first human woman in existence, and the Queen of Hell." Need a laugh? Read this ...

On most days my role model is not another historian or writer but a fictional character. My new Substack post. jamesbradley.substack.com/p/my-worldan...

In my latest Substack I write about being a "best-selling author" and hitting the road to talk Van Buren: substack.com/inbox/post/1...

Self-promotion feels a bit unseemly these days, but we must get on with our lives, of course. I'll be speaking at Cumberland tonight, on MVB's 1848 run for president on the Free Soil ticket. You can watch on YouTube, 7pm CST, 8pm, EST. www.youtube.com/live/7WGyzFp...

A new MVB biography was released a few weeks ago. The subtitle's illiterate and the text (from the sample I saw) isn't much better. The cover image looks nothing like him. If this is what I suspect it is, I thought Amazon was cracking down on AI books?

Had a fun time chatting with Matt Chorley of the BBC this morning. He's the first interviewer to ask for my take on Trump and today's party system. Q&A is about 8 minutes. I come on at the 50:30 mark. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Calling all Van Buren fans in the UK ... My book is now out in your country. MVB was a committed Anglophile, and I wrote a great deal about his time in London. Also, I'll be interviewed on Matt Chorley's BBC show tomorrow morning, 9:30 EST. Here's the link: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Tonight I'll be talking at Cumberland University about MVB's run for president with the Free Soil Party in 1848. Don't live in Nashville? Don't worry! You can catch it on YouTube. 7pm CT, so it's 8pm on the east coast. Hope you can watch ... www.youtube.com/live/lt8N1KH...

If, for some reason, you were preoccupied last night and missed my interview with Al Vuona on WICN, Worcester Public Radio, I have good news. It will be rebroadcast this evening at 6:30. Here's the link: wicn.org/shows/public...

To all my fans in the Nashville area ...

I see there's a new biography of James Alexander Hamilton coming out. This brave writer actually read his letters. She deserves special recognition for this. He had the worst handwriting—and my colleagues at @vanburenpapers.bsky.social will back me up on this. www.amazon.com/James-Alexan...

I really enjoyed discussing my new book on Xavier Bonilla's terrific Converging Dialogues podcast. You can listen here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/3...

The fine writer (and JQA biographer) James Traub gave my a book a nice write-up in the estimable Washington Monthly, a publication that comes out ... every two months. washingtonmonthly.com/2025/01/05/p...

The audio version of my book is out, and @paulwoodson.bsky.social's golden, sonorous narration is a sheer delight! (I know, I'm not exactly impartial here.) Now I know "Southwick" is pronounced "suth-ick." The info is here: rbmediaglobal.com/audiobook/97...

I had a blast talking about MVB and early US history with @bobcrawfordbass.bsky.social and @bensawyer.bsky.social on their excellent Road to Now podcast. You can listen here: theroadtonow.com/episodes/mar...

This is the year I do it! Check in with me in 12 months.

This is William Leuchtenburg. He has a new book out called Patriot Presidents, which I'm reading now. It's the first of a multivolume history of the presidency. He's 102. "I recognize that this project maybe be too ambitious," he writes. "But I am resolved to carry it through." An inspiration.

I was 11 when Jimmy Carter was elected. It's the first POTUS campaign I have memories of. It was called late. My parents had sent me to bed since it was a school night. "Carter won!" I heard my father cry. I then went to sleep smiling, knowing my parents were happy.

From today's New York Times. Right now I would like to institutionalize many in our government.

The official cutoff point for Christmas music on radio/streaming stations should be noon on Christmas Day.

Step aside, Obama. (I should add that Bill O'Reilly, Pete Hegseth, Roger Stone, and a few crackpot conspiracists are topping both of us)

I'm excited to announce that tomorrow at noon I'll be talking with the great Russell Shorto for the Live From New Amsterdam podcast. It's free but you need to register. Perfect to go with your lunch. www.nyhistory.org/programs/liv...

Spit it out, fella.

You guys, Brian Lamb interviewed me on his Booknotes+ podcast. Brian Freaking Lamb! Of course he asked unusual questions, because he's Brian Lamb. It was great fun and an absolute thrill. Check it out here: www.c-span.org/podcasts/sub...

Striking an unfortunate William F. Buckley pose at tonight's terrific talk at the FDR library with my Coe-host @alexiscoe.bsky.social.

Calling all history lovers in NY's Hudson Valley: Tomorrow I will be speaking at the Henry Wallace Center at the FDR house in Hyde Park at 6pm. My interlocutor will be the excellent @alexiscoe.bsky.social. It's free to the public but you need to register.

Do your part, everyone. Adam's the only historian on social media who says something wise and moving in one post and completely goofy in the next.

This morning I learned that Juan Soto has joined the Mets from @adamrothman.bsky.social. Bluesky really has arrived.

Do I have *another* public appearance to announce? Why, yes, I do. This one's a biggie. It's in Van Buren's hometown of Kinderhook. A talk, book signing, cake, drinks—a veritable bacchanal. Details below.

To those in the New York capital region, I'll be speaking tomorrow, Dec. 6, at the Albany Institute with Akum Norder of the Albany Times Union. We start at 5:30, and it's free. Followed with a book signing. Hope to see you there. www.albanyinstitute.org/events/educa...

Hi, everyone! It's release day. I've been up since 4. I'm driving my wife crazy. I have no idea how seriously to take this, but this is pretty neat.

A not altogether unfavorable review of my book in the Wall Street Journal. (MVB would have liked my double negative there ...) www.wsj.com/arts-culture...

I also have a Substack column, where I write about US history and other pressing topics. Please consider subscribing. I don't post very often. Here I review the fine but flawed new biography of John Quincy Adams by Randall Woods. jamesbradley.substack.com/p/john-quinc...

This line from Colm Toíbín's excellent new book on James Baldwin really struck me. I think every historian feels the same way. It all starts with our grandparents.

One week from release day! I'm excited and terrified. I have several public events lined up for December, and I'll keep you all posted. I picked the wrong week to give up sniffing glue.

I needed a break from nonfiction, so I've been reading new novels lately, some of them highly praised. Only one has really stood out: Joseph O'Neill's Godwin. Best novel I've read in ages.

I'm putting together a panel for Biographers' International Organization's annual conference next June in Washington, DC. Details below.

I had a marvelous time talking with Mark Koblas on the @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social about Martin Van Buren and his life and times. newbooksnetwork.com/martin-van-b...