About: Jeff Nilsson

Jeff Nilsson is the director of Post archives and a website editor. He is a specialist in American History, with graduate studies at the University of Wisconsin, University of New Mexico, and Eastern Michigan University. He writes our website's weekly Retrospective feature, and is directing the program of digitally converting the magazine's 190 years of issues.

Posts by Jeff Nilsson:

Family Life in Wartime

A mother of three details the nearly overwhelming task of keeping her family well-fed and healthy on $2,000 a year.... More

Life in the Shadow of a Distant War

Part one of a series on the hopes and disappointments of Americans enduring a lengthy war overseas. ... More

Enemy Agents Strike New York—In 1916

Ever wonder why visitors can stand inside the crown of the Statue of Liberty (reopened in 2009), but the arm and its torch are strictly... More

Learning to Appreciate Liberty

Eternal vigilance, continual maintenance, public support—what's good for a landmark is good for the country.... More

An Unlikely Hero in the Fight for Personal Liberty

Henry David Thoreau didn't look for liberation among other people. He waged his struggle for independence inside himself.... More

When Science Takes You for a Ride

If roller coasters are so terrifying, if they're so good at giving you a sense of imminent death, why do they make so much money?... More

The Old Masters: Gene Sarazen Reinvents His Clubs and Self

Any man who can master his old temper has nothing to fear from a sand trap.... More

The Old Masters: Thoughts on Golf and Life from Bobby Jones

Interviewed in 1958, golf legend Bobby Jones talked about the importance of attitude, dedication, and sportsmanship—on the green and in life.... More

An Author Tries the Royal Scam for Fun

A novice imposter meets one of the greats, and out-nobles him.... More

Royal Deceiver

Of the many varieties of impostors, none gets more credulity more quickly than the fake aristocrat. Harry Prince-Michael-Romanoff Gerguson was one of the most successful.... More

American Imposture

This week, we look at a selection of imposters from American history.... More

Oil Boom and Bust

America's gas gauge kept dropping, but few paid attention.... More

Scandal and Frustration: Teapot Dome and the Call to Reform

A scandal hits Washington in the early 1920s. There's an investigation. Not much is done. Life goes on.... More

The Common Wealth of Oil

Critics called for oil conservation, but they could barely be heard above the noise of a booming oil industry.... More

America’s Century of Oil Problems

This week, we review a century of articles about the oil industry, and explore America's long, troubled relationship with its chief energy supplier.... More

Addressing War in Wartime: Post Editorials from the 1940s

Two editorials, written in the 1940s, reflect some of America's attitudes toward sacrifice and risk during the height of combat in Europe and Asia.... More