With history, you can live in tune with a changing world.
On the Burning Archive, I share stories from the whole world’s past, so you can live in tune with the changing modes of the world today.
Wisdom is to live in tune with the mode of a changing world
—Thiruvalluvar (ancient Tamil poet and philosopher)
Transform Your Understanding of the Changing World, One Story at a Time
Imagine having a personal guide to navigate the complex landscapes of global history, literature, and culture—delivered directly to your inbox. The Burning Archive isn't just a newsletter. I am your personal tour guide to deeper understanding of the "foreign country" of the past and the changing world of power.
What You'll Get:
Exclusive Insights: Deep-dive analyses of major world powers, from the USA and Europe to China, India, Russia and beyond
Literary Journeys: Immersive slow reads of modern Nobel Prize-winning literature and epic classics from the world’s traditions
Curated Access: Unlock my entire curated archive of historical research, commentary, video content, and guides to history and culture
Membership Levels:
Free: Weekly book recommendations and brief insights to change your perspective
Paid ($5.00 USD month/$50 USD year): Everything above, plus:
In-depth historical analyses
Complete history and slow reads guides
Access to my entire content library
Angels of History ($250/year): Experience the search for wisdom from the past:
Monthly live discussions
Personalized reading recommendations
Exclusive in-depth history guides
Don't just read history—learn from it. Live in tune with it. Subscribe now and transform how you live in the changing world.
My Story: from boring office to burning archive
On the Burning Archive, I share my search to live in tune with this changing world - as writer, historian, ex-government official and compassionate observer.
I trained as a historian with a PhD from Australian National University in 1993. I then worked for three decades as a government official in fields such as mental health, education, social policy, and many other aspects of contemporary government. But I never stopped reading history to make sense of this puzzling world.
I always sought to empathise with the lives of strangers across the entire world around me. I never stopped writing — poetry, essays, history and more — to share my curiosity about the world and its history.
I hope the Burning Archive can help you do the same.
A Decade of the Burning Archive
2025 marks the tenth anniversary of the Burning Archive, which began life as a blog of that name in 2015. It has grown from a barely read blog to include this substack, books, essays, poetry, courses, videos on YouTube, podcasts, audiobooks, and collaborations with other content providers.
Thank you for your support. In 2025 I want to make all that I have learned over that decade more accessible to you so you can live in tune with a changing world. I am streamlining how I share my content with you and encourage you to join this community of intelligent conversation.
The Burning Archive is a place where you can share your thoughts about how the world is changing, how we can learn from history, and what we love in the world’s many cultures that can help us all live well and at peace today.
Samples of my work
If you would like to sample some of my work, here are some freely available examples of my older deep dives into history and literature.
Myths of the Post-1945 World Order (April 2024)
The Singer at the Enigmatic Death of Ivan IV (‘the Terrible’) (July 2023)
My popular articles on Pearls and Irritations at johnmenadue.com:
My audio minibook podcast series began with Isaiah Berlin, Political Judgment
My series on Russian History on my original Burning Archive podcast began with The Black Legend of Russian History
My most popular video on YouTube on Yuval Noah Harari (closing in on 200,000 views!)
My books
I have also published three books on three aspects of my life: government, history, and poetry. If you are curious, you can learn a lot more about my story in those books.
