On Fertile Ground

I deas for new books bubble to the surface when historian H.W. Brands talks about his work. But that’s no surprise considering Brands, a history professor at the University of Texas, has written more than 30 books on U.S. history, economics, and foreign affairs. With subjects ranging from Benjamin Franklin to the Cold War, Brands’ work examines the building blocks of America as we know it today.

A native of Oregon, Brands moved in 1981 to Austin, where he earned a Ph.D. in history from UT. He toyed with the idea of also pursuing a doctorate in mathematics, building upon the master’s degree in math he had attained at Portland State University. But he decided to focus on history, teaching at Texas A&M from 1987 to 2004 and returning to UT as a faculty member in 2005. Brands’ dedication to the craft has been honored with numerous bestsellers and