Tom Dunkel is a distinguished freelance journalist based in Washington, D.C. He has contributed to numerous prestigious publications, including The Washington Post Magazine, The New York Times Magazine, Sports Illustrated, and Smithsonian. With a diverse range of interests, Dunkel has written about topics such as adventure travel, politics, and sports. His work has been featured in Travel & Leisure, The Wall Street Journal, and George, John Kennedy's politics and culture magazine.
In addition to his work as a freelance journalist, Dunkel has also made his mark as an author. He has written two books of narrative nonfiction, both of which have received critical acclaim. His first book, "Color Blind," tells the story of an integrated semipro baseball team that played in North Dakota during the Great Depression. The team's marquee player was Satchel Paige, a star pitcher and folk hero of the Negro Leagues. "Color Blind" was named one of the Top 10 Sports Books of 2013 by Booklist.
Dunkel's second book, "White Knights in the Black Orchestra," is about some members of the German resistance before and during World War II. This work of narrative nonfiction was supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The New York Post has named "White Knights" one of the 17 best nonfiction reads for Fall 2022, describing it as "a fascinating look at...a loose network of German military officers, diplomats, politicians, and civilians who risked their lives to undermine the Third Reich." Dunkel's writing has been well-received, earning him recognition and respect in the literary world.