Welcome to A LITTLE HISTORY, where I bring you the latest in timeworn tales of murder, mayhem, scandal, spycraft, warfare, invention, adventure, and more.

You can click here for a more detailed “what is this newsletter all about” post, but in a nutshell, you’ll get:

• Pub Day: A first-Tuesday-of-the-month roundup showcasing the latest books in the genre at hand.

• Source Notes: A monthly interview series in which I gab with top historical nonfiction authors about how their books came together. (The conception, the process, the research, the scouring of dusty archives, etc.)

• Periodic updates on my work and other miscellany.

• As often as I can manage I’ll send out roundups/link-dumps like, say, this or this.

• Did I mention all of this is free? (Although I’d like to incorporate a paid component down the line.)

As for me… I’m a critically acclaimed narrative nonfiction author and award-winning magazine journalist, most recently as a senior correspondent for Vanity Fair. My first book, BLOOD & INK: The Scandalous Jazz Age Double Murder That Hooked America on True Crime (HarperCollins/William Morrow), was a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice and a top pick for the Review’s Best True Crime of 2022. It got a starred review in Publisher’s Weekly and raves from The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and elsewhere. Criminal adapted it for a riveting podcast episode and Jeff Glor did a really nice segment for CBS Saturday Morning. Buy it here in hardcover or expanded paperback. The book has been optioned for podcast/film/TV. (Stay tuned!) My second book is in the works. (Also stay tuned!) More at joepompeo.net.

I previously worked at publications including Politico and The New York Observer, and I’ve also written for The New York Times, The New Yorker, New York, Bloomberg Businessweek, Town & Country, Air Mail, and many other outlets. Click here for samples of my writing. Follow me on Instagram, Twitter, Threads, and (obviously) Notes.