One wide angle is that there’s more we don’t know about history than we do know—by a lot. It’s possible that 90 or even 99 percent of everything ever written historically has disappeared. Paper decomposes. The victors write history and scrub it clean.

For much of history, the vast majority of women who ever lived were illiterate due to institutional sexism, which renders female voices largely invisible to us today. Soldiers didn't write accounts. To me, all of this is irresistible.

History too often strips away triumphs, tragedies, loves, and losses. It becomes castles, cannons, and crowns. But like a good novel or movie, history is really about people and their stories. This event has fascinating characters—Lincoln, Grant, Lee, and Jubal Early, who is foul-mouthed, grumpy, tough, and devilish.

We’ve also lost much of what makes us distinctly human—love letters, poems, recipes, games. I try to bring in the weather, the food, the clothing, and the exhaustion to put readers in people’s shoes. That allows empathy for those who are otherwise forgotten, anonymous people.

I love what I do. Research feels like a kid in a candy store. Even not finding something is a finding. My role is to find stories we’ve missed. That’s my calling. The past is prelude to the future. In every book, lecture, or tour, I try to explain what’s going on today. There are always lessons—foolishness, hate, racism, political corruption. The key is telling the story with integrity and facts so people can see its relevance today.

A Close-Up

The publisher, Bloomsbury distributes everywhere books are sold. My goal is for people to read it—anybody. I write for a general audience. Writing only for specialists is condescending. The title, Rebels at the Gates is intriguing and factual. Rebels were literally at the gates of Washington. History is full of such moments. For the cover, we chose a battlefield at dusk or dawn with a solitary Civil War cannon—a sentinel protecting the city. The title and cover matter. I hope people continue to read and want books in their hands. I just want people to read it.

Many people are historically illiterate, especially in the United States. Leaders, too. If you don’t learn the lessons of the past, you repeat them. The past is prelude to the future. When I need answers to public policy problems, I look to history. Over time, I’ve realized all stories are the same, only the names change. I hope people develop a passion for history and understand its relevance. What we are going through has already happened. The lessons are there if you look.