Fred Kaplan

Fred Kaplan — described by the New York Times as "a rare combination of defense intellectual and pugnacious reporter" — is the War Stories columnist for Slate and the author of six critically acclaimed and bestselling books. In his columns, essays, interviews, and public speeches, Kaplan brings more than 40 years of experience as an observer and analyst of the foreign- and defense-policy scene, honing an insider’s grasp of its intricacies and an outsider’s sense of its broad contours, opportunities, and dangers. ‍

His most recent release, "The Bomb: Presidents, Generals, and the Secret History of Nuclear War", was called "jaw-dropping" by George Will and "surprisingly entertaining" by the New York Times. Richard Rhodes praised as follows: "With its stunning, new, in-the-room revelations, and with Kaplan’s deep knowledge of nuclear strategy, The Bomb is the best overview yet of the world’s continuing struggle to come to terms with the threat of nuclear war." Referenced by nearly all who cover the subject, The Bomb is pivotal to informed discussions on nuclear warfare. ‍

Earlier publications were equally well-received with The Wizards of Armageddon winning of the Washington Monthly Political Book of the Year; "The Insurgents: David Petraeus and the Plot to Change the American Way of War" becoming both a New York Times bestseller and a Pulitzer Prize Finalist; and "Dark Territory: The Secret History of Cyber War" being hailed by The Times Literary Supplement as "the best account to date" on the subject. ‍

Kaplan is renowned not only for his historical perspective and analytical skills, but also for his storytelling prowess. James Fallows likened The Insurgents to the narrative styles of Robert Caro and David Halberstam. John le Carre, the supreme spy novelist of our era, praised Dark Territory as “a book that grips, informs and alarms, finely researched and lucidly related.” Malcolm Gladwell, one of our finest storytellers, said of The Wizards of Armageddon, "I read that book when I was researching (The Bomber Mafia). Oh, my God, it is just a delight! What a great book!" ‍

Before joining Slate in 2002, Kaplan was a staff reporter for the Boston Globe, working as the paper’s defense correspondent (1983-91, during which he was part of the team that won a Pulitzer Prize for a special Sunday magazine on the nuclear arms race), Moscow Bureau Chief (1992-95), and New York Bureau Chief (1995-2002). He has also written for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, New York Times, Washington Post, The New Yorker, The New York Review of Books, among other publications. He has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, BBC, NPR, and many other news networks and podcasts. He has held fellowships at the Council on Foreign Relations and New America. He was elected to the Society of American Historians, in recognition of his works’ "narrative power and scholarly distinction." He also writes about the arts, especially jazz, and reviews high-end audio equipment for The Tracking Angle. He graduated from Oberlin College and has a Ph.D. in political science from M.I.T. ‍

His twice-weekly Slate column covers the waterfront in national-security affairs — their roots in Washington’s internecine politics and their outcomes in policies toward Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, and other hot spots. He speaks at length, and with authority, on the news of the moment.