John Monsky - Historian

John Monsky is the creator, writer, and narrator of the American History Unbound series. His reverence for historical ephemera is at the core of his productions, with his meticulous research of flags and other tangible objects driving his narratives that explore landmark events in our history. His productions at Carnegie Hall include The Vietnam War: At Home and Abroad (2018), We Chose to Go to the Moon (2019), The Eyes of the World: From D-Day to VE Day (2021), and The Great War and The Great Gatsby (2023 and 2025). Most recently, he was asked to bring his acclaimed performance of The Eyes of the World to the White House for a special performance in December 2024.

In 2019, Monsky was honored by The New York Historical, where he has developed and workshopped many of his lectures and serves as co-vice chair. He has appeared on CNN, CBS, and NBC. He is on the board of directors of The Rockefeller University and YaleUniversity Art Gallery. His flag collection—which he began in his boyhood—is nationally recognized and has been featured in The NewYorker, Art & Antiques Magazine, and other publications. His historical research on George Washington has been published by the Winterthur Portfolio.

Monsky graduated from Yale College as a history major, where he was awarded the White Prize in History and the Deforest OratoryPrize. After attending Harvard Law School and working as a law clerk, he served as an attorney for the US Senate Congressional Committee that investigated the Iran-Contra affair. Monsky, an historian and lawyer, is a senior partner of Oak Hill Capital, an investment firm. He lives in New York City with his wife, Jennifer Weis. They have four children—Harrison, Annabel,Gillian, and Caitlin—and a dog, Flyer.