Res Obscura is an essayist's newsletter on the history of technology, medicine, science, art, drugs and empire, with a recurring focus on how AI can be used in historical research. Readers get detailed accounts of archival methods, historical episodes such as Mark Twain's ruinous investment in the Paige Compositor, and frank assessments of what frontier models can and cannot do for historians.
Website: https://resobscura.substack.com
Long-form essays on the history of innovation and the causes of the British Industrial Revolution, drawing on archival research. Recent issues cover the salt trade, Scotland's outsized role in invention, and Tudor labour laws and trade.
Helen Castor's personal newsletter offers behind-the-scenes glimpses of her history writing, including short essays on medieval London and royal history. It also runs a reader-led read-along of the fifteenth-century Paston Letters, with transcriptions and guidance.
A weekly newsletter offering three consequential China-focused stories plus occasional essays linking current events to their historical roots. It covers Chinese politics, technology policy and US-China geopolitics, with analysis from a historian and former US government official.
A Jewish-interest books and ideas publication offering long-form reviews and essays on history, politics, culture and Israel. Readers get critical engagement with new books and current debates, including anti-Zionism and Israeli politics.
One short email a week with hand-picked newsletters from the index. Free, no spam, unsubscribe anytime.
