Into That Silent Sea: Trailblazers of the Space Era, 1961–1965 by Francis French and Colin Burgess “Francis French and Colin Burgess don’t have any special hooks or other gimmicks in Into That Silent Sea; instead, they simply offer a well-written account about the Americans and Russians who were the first to fly into space. . . . The book . . . offer[s] some excellent profiles of these individuals that are accessible to both newcomers to space history and well-read enthusiasts alike.”—The Space Review Click here to read previous praise for Into That Silent Sea Continue reading More Praise for Into That Silent Sea

It’s been 15 years now since the University of Nebraska Press and I set off together on the venture of publishing a comprehensive, detailed, difficult, controversial and confounding history of the Hanford Site in southeast Washington.  We published the first hardback edition in autumn 1992, and it immediately became the best-selling book in the Hanford region.  I’m told that work nearly stood still on the vast desert site, as thousands of employees, subcontractors, site watchers and regulators, and site neighbors pored through the pages—in some cases scarcely believing what they were reading.    Some could not grasp that they had lived and labored at Hanford for many years and not known of the events taking place all around them.  Some were angry, some confused, some sad, some inspired to go out and work on cleanup and education, some in denial.  Some thought much of the material in the book must be classified.

I knew I had consulted only open sources, and had never tried to access secret information.  I had also been meticulously careful to check and re-check measurements and calculations taken from old documents, and I even took statistics and chemistry classes to understand the material I was reading.  I had made sure that every one of my thousands of references was scrupulously accurate.         

Continue reading “Why Hanford’s History Is Still Compelling”

As a journalist, I learned a long time ago to roll my eyes when I got a phone call or email from someone claiming to have “inside” information on a topic or person I’d written about. Oh, right. Sure thing.

Last February, when the LA Times published a story about my forthcoming book, “The Enigma Woman: The Death Penalty of Nellie May Madison,” I got an email from a man purporting to be the nephew of Nellie’s last husband, John Wagner. I’d spent months scouring all available sources, looking for information on Wagner and, out of the blue, here it was. Oh, right. Sure thing.

I wrote him back — polite but distant. “Thanks so much for your email. Glad you enjoyed the story.” I couldn’t be too rude though; I wanted him to buy the book.

Continue reading “Inside Info on Uncle John’s Nellie”

Under the Boards: The Cultural Revolution in BasketballBy Jeffrey Lane “Lane [has] developed a keen eye for the racial, generational and power dynamics at play in his favorite pastime, which is evident in his new book. . . . Lane proves that the culture of basketball not only influences American life but accurately reflects wider social patterns and what transpires in the locker room, the press box or the owner’s office is worth as much examination as the action on the hardwood.”—WireTap Read previous praise for Under the Boards Continue reading More Praise for Under the Boards