A sterling moment for Ronald Reagan historian Craig Shirley, author of the intense, patriotic and exquisitely researched book “December 1941: 31 Days that Changed America and Saved the World,” released Dec. 6 byThomas Nelson, a Christian publisher: Mr. Shirley made the New York Times best-seller list on Sunday, debuting at No. 20 for print and e-books combined, and No. 8 for e-books alone.

The takeaway: some traditional values and experiences transcend everything, including the New York Times.

“The month in 1941 he has chosen to chronicle did indeed change the way we live now, the way we will live as long as liberty is the organizing principle and animating spirit of America,” says Jon Meacham, formerNewsweek editor, now executive editor of Random House.

Mr. Shirley’s work is in the Amazon top 10 for historical books, incidentally. The industrious author’s shrewdly titled “Citizen Newt: The Rise, Fall and Future of Speaker Gingrich” will be published in late January.