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Michael Blanding

Goodreads Author

Born

in The United States

Website

http://www.michaelblanding.com

Genre

Nonfiction, History, Crime

Influences

Erik Larson David Grann Naomi Klein Ted Conover Jon Krakauer Annie ...more

Member Since

January 2008

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/michaelblanding

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Michael Blanding is a Boston-based investigative journalist whose work has appeared in The New York Times, WIRED, Slate, Smithsonian, The Boston Globe Magazine, and Boston magazine. His newest book, The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby: A Billionaire Family's Quest to Craft a Christian Nation, is due out from PublicAffairs in July 2026. It is a revelatory account of how the family behind Hobby Lobby rose to political prominence and used their influence—and fortune—to push a radical religious agenda.

Blanding is also author of In Shakespeare's Shadow: A Rogue Scholar's Quest to Reveal the True Source Behind the World's Greatest Plays (2021), which won the International Book Award for Narrative Non-fiction; and The Map Thief: The Gripping Stor ...more

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Michael Blanding’s books

Average rating: 3.62 · 4,716 ratings · 793 reviews · 18 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Map Thief 3.64 avg rating — 3,795 ratings — published 2014 — 20 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Coke Machine 3.36 avg rating — 667 ratings — published 2010 — 23 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	North by Shakespeare: A Rogue Scholar's Quest for the Truth Behind the Bard's Work 3.87 avg rating — 201 ratings — published 2021 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Map Thief: The Gripping Story of an Esteemed Rare-Map Dealer Who Made Millions Stealing Priceless Maps by Blanding, Michael(June 2, 2015) Paperback 3.63 avg rating — 19 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby: Inside a Billionaire Family's Quest to Craft a Christian Nation 4.14 avg rating — 7 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Moon Vermont (Moon Handbooks) by Michael Blanding (Goodreads Author), Alexandra Hall really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 7 ratings — published 2008 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Moon Spotlight Providence by Michael Blanding (Goodreads Author), Alexandra Hall 4.40 avg rating — 5 ratings — published 2011	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Moon New England (Moon Handbooks) by Michael Blanding (Goodreads Author), Alexandra Hall really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 2007 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Moon Spotlight Massachusetts by Michael Blanding (Goodreads Author), Alexandra Hall 4.67 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2010 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Moon Spotlight Newport by Michael Blanding (Goodreads Author), Alexandra Hall 3.67 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2012	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Michael Blanding…

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Michael Blanding is currently reading

The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby: Inside a Billionaire Family's Quest to Craft a Christian Nation

by Michael Blanding (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: narrative-nonfiction, investigative, christian-nationalism, antiquities-trafficking, art-crime, evangelicals, religious-right, hobby-lobby, currently-reading

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Apr 17, 2026 03:16PM

Michael Blanding is currently reading

Shakespeare and Company, Paris: A History of the Rag and Bone Shop of the Heart

by Krista Halverson

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Aug 15, 2021 03:25PM

Michael Blanding is currently reading

North by Shakespeare: A Rogue Scholar's Quest for the Truth Behind the Bard's Work

by Michael Blanding (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: shakespeare, narrative-nonfiction, thomas-north, currently-reading

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Mar 18, 2021 08:50AM

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Michael Blanding started reading The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby: Inside a Billionaire Family's Quest to Craft a Christian Nation by Michael Blanding (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 17, 2026 03:16PM · like
Michael Blanding liked Sarah's review of The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby: Inside a Billionaire Family's Quest to Craft a Christian Nation:
Apr 16, 2026 06:58AM · see review
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Michael Blanding and 2 other people liked JXR's review of The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby: Inside a Billionaire Family's Quest to Craft a Christian Nation: "Very well-written and insightful tell-all about the secrets of the family behind Hobby Lobby and their political aims. 5 stars. tysm for the E-ARC."
Apr 13, 2026 02:34PM · see review
Michael Blanding has read The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby: Inside a Billionaire Family's Quest to Craft a Christian Nation by Michael Blanding (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 25, 2026 09:30AM · like