Serendipity in the Archives

Archives have a rather dull reputation. Boxes of dusty papers guarded by rigid access rules are unappealing to many people. However, there are exceptions to that preconception, notably the Hoover Institution Library and Archives. Hoover Archives has been a place of serendipity for me personally since 2009 when I was a graduate student. What began as a class project became a master's thesis and launched a career as an independent historian. An astonishing collection of virtually unknown records combined with a wonderful array of people led the way to many adventures and publications. This is the story of how books and public histories are born - one person and one discovery at a time.