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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: 3.63 · 4,969 ratings · 852 reviews · 12 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Map Thief: The Gripping Story of an Esteemed Rare-Map Dealer Who Made Millions Stealing Priceless Maps 3.64 avg rating — 3,874 ratings — published 2014 — 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
	The Coke Machine 3.36 avg rating — 672 ratings — published 2010 — 24 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 3.83 avg rating — 212 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 Gospel According to Hobby Lobby: Inside a Billionaire Family's Quest to Craft a Christian Nation 3.98 avg rating — 184 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 — 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
	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 — 5 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
	Moon Rhode Island (Moon Handbooks) by Michael Blanding (Goodreads Author), Alexandra Hall 4.50 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2011 — 3 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

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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 and 2 other people liked Erin O'Riordan's review of The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby: Inside a Billionaire Family's Quest to Craft a Christian Nation: "In case anyone was wondering, yes, "Thou shalt not steal" does cover antiquities theft, too. Also, if you're going to do Biblical scholarship, do it in an organized way. The Christian nationalism is a given; the poor scholarship is just kicking Ameri" Read more of this review »
Sep 13, 2026 07:19PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby by Michael Blanding. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby by Michael Blanding <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
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Michael Blanding liked Jessica Haas's review of The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby: Inside a Billionaire Family's Quest to Craft a Christian Nation: "incredible reporting"
Sep 07, 2026 06:41PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby by Michael Blanding. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby by Michael Blanding <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Blanding and 1 other person liked Jen Juenke's review of The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby: Inside a Billionaire Family's Quest to Craft a Christian Nation: "This book thread a narrow line between the Green's beliefs about the bible and how to present contradictions to those beliefs. The author does a great job of never belittling the Green's for their beliefs, he lays it out and then will say but bibilic" Read more of this review »
Sep 04, 2026 06:02AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby by Michael Blanding. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby by Michael Blanding <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Blanding liked Alexandria's review of The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby: Inside a Billionaire Family's Quest to Craft a Christian Nation: "Great, extensive reporting. I was already familiar with a lot of Hobby Lobby's efforts but this really lays clear how purposeful the Green family has been in its efforts. There's absolutely no way they didn't know the artifacts they were buying were " Read more of this review »
Aug 31, 2026 03:18PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby by Michael Blanding. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby by Michael Blanding <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
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