Paul Dickson

I'm a freelance writer of more than 50 non-fiction books and countless articles on a wide variety of subjects from toasting to ice cream to baseball to slang to Sputnik. I hope you'll explore the site to find out more about my work. Please keep in mind that it's a work in progress which I'll be updating as necessary.

Here's the latest news:

Sputnik Mania will be shown on the History Channel at 10pm (est) on November 29, 2008. It's a documentary film, based on my Sputnik book, which I
co-wrote with filmmaker David Hoffman (see the hoffman collection.com. The film premiered in New York City on March 14, had a two week run and got some great reviews including a very positive one in the NY Times. A distribution company has been taking it around the country to as many theaters as it can find that will show it. Click on the link at left to go to the film's website for more information.

I've got a new website up about toasting. It's Toastsbook.com and tells you all you need to know about the history of toasting, what makes a good toast and how and when to make one. It also gives lots of examples by occasion. Click the link on the left and take a look and click the link on the right for information about my book TOASTS.

In more book news:


A new expanded edition of Baseball's Greatest Quotations was published by Harper Collins in April 2008.

My co-author, Douglas Evelyn, and I have a newly revised edition of On This Spot: Pinpointing the Past in Washington, DC coming out in August, 2008.

The hardback version of Sputnik: The Shock of the Century was republished by Walker & Company, with a handsome new cover, in time for the 50th anniversary of the launching of Sputnik on October 4, 2007.

Walker & Company has also republished The Joy of Keeping Score, in a good looking new cover with a new introduction by Tim Kirkjian of ESPN.

If you want to be hip and "in the know" check out an updated and expanded version of my book, Slang: The Topical Dictionary of Americanisms, also published by Walker & Company, now available in bookstores.

Updated and expanded versions of another of my books is now available as well. It's, Family Words, published by Marion Street Press of Oak Park, Illinois. Click on the title under "Selected Works" to the right for more information.

For The Bonus Army: An American Epic, written with Thomas B Allen, also see "Selected works" to the right. We're very pleased that the book was chosen as a selection by the History Book Club and very excited that a documentary based on the book which originally aired on PBS stations around the country on Memorial Day 2006 continues to air from time to time and did so as recently as January 14, 2008. PBS stations around the country have the right to air the program anytime within the next four years so, if you miss it, ask your local PBS station to repeat it. DVD or VHS tapes of the program are also for sale at PBS Home Video.

For a list of all the books I've written, many of which are still available in bookstores, click on "All My Books." Though a lot of the older ones are now out of print, I have extra copies of many of them and would be happy to sell them directly--autographed if you wish. Simply e-mail me for a list of available titles and prices.

Check out the "Events" section for information about other upcoming opportunities to "meet the author" at a book signing or speaking engagement.

My literary agent is Deborah Grosvenor, Director KNEERIM and WILLIAMS @ Fish and Richardson in Washington, DC

If you have comments or questions please e-mail me and I'll reply as soon as I can.