C-SPAN Bookshelf

BN+: Sean McMeekin, "July 1914" Feb 18, 2025

A little over 100 years ago was the beginning of what's often been called the Great War. World War I had military casualties of over nine million and millions more of civilians. Professor Sean McMeekin of Bard College, located in New York State, has written 9 books since 2003 on subjects that include German history, Russian history, the Ottoman Empire, communism, World War II, and one titled "July 1914." This last book is the focus of our conversation with Professor McMeekin. World War I was triggered in late June of 1914 by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie in Sarajevo, Bosnia. They were gunned down by a Serbian 19-year-old by the name of Gavrilo Princip.

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Q&A: Louis Ferrante, "Borgata: Clash of Titans" PART 1 Feb 17, 2025

Former mafia associate Louis Ferrante talks about "Borgata: Clash of Titans," volume two of his history of the American mafia that covers the years 1960-1985. In part one of a two-part interview, he gives a history of the mafia in America, discusses Attorney General Robert Kennedy's war against organized crime and the involvement that he says the mafia had in the 1960 election and 1963 assassination of President John Kennedy. Mr. Ferrante also shares stories about his time as a heist expert for the Gambino crime family, which led to his imprisonment in 1994.

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AW: Anson Frericks, "Last Call for Bud Light" Feb 16, 2025

Former president of Anheuser-Busch Sales & Distribution Company Anson Frericks offers his insight to the Bud Light controversy, declining sales & its future. He was interviewed by the Competitive Enterprise Institute senior fellow Richard Morrison.

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BN+: David Levering Lewis, "The Stained Glass Window" Feb 11, 2025

David Levering Lewis is an American historian and retired professor from New York University. He's the author of 12 books and the winner of two Pulitzer Prizes for his two volumes on the life of W.E.B. DuBois. At 88 years old, Prof. Lewis has written a memoir that, as he says, focuses on "a past I barely knew." He a native of St. Louis, MO, with degrees from Fisk, Columbia, and the London School of Economics. The title of Prof. Lewis' latest book is "The Stained Glass Window: A Family History as the American Story, 1790-1958." In his prologue, he writes: "Africans in America had been both unique victims and unimpeachable critics of a nation corrupted at its inception by a political economy anchored to slavery."

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Q&A: Reginald Dwayne Betts on Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" Feb 10, 2025

Reginald Dwayne Betts originally read Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1963 "Letter from Birmingham Jail" – King's defense of the use of nonviolent civil disobedience in the fight for civil rights – while in solitary confinement in prison. Mr. Betts, who served over 8 years for a carjacking he committed when he was 16, went on to become an award-winning poet and graduate of Yale Law School. He has written the Afterword for a new commemorative edition of Dr. King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail." Mr Betts talks about the book and the work done by Freedom Reads, an organization he founded that builds libraries in prisons.

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AW: Omo Moses, "The White Peril - A Family Memoir" Feb 09, 2025

Omo Moses, son of civil rights organizer Robert Moses, talks about being Black in America through the voices of three generations of the Moses family. He's interviewed by University of Maryland, Baltimore County emeritus president Freeman Hrabowski.

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BN+: Jane Calvert, "Penman of the Founding" Feb 04, 2025

John Dickinson is one of the most significant founders of the United States who is not well known by the American public. Author Jane Calvert is trying to change that with her new biography "Penman of the Founding." John Dickinson is known for his 9 essays under the title Fabius, published anonymously in newspapers during the time that the states were deciding on whether to approve the new Constitution. John Dickinson of Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania was the only founding figure present and active in every phase of the American Revolution, from the Stamp Act Crisis to the ratification of the Constitution.

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Q&A: Judge Frederic Block, "A Second Chance" Feb 03, 2025

U.S. District Court judge Frederic Block (Eastern District of New York) talks about the application of the 2018 First Step Act, under which federal prisoners who have served decades in prison can petition the court for reductions in their sentences. The bi-partisan act, signed into law by President Trump during his first term, was created to address the excesses in federal sentencing during the 1980s and 90s, reduce the size of the federal prison population, and promote rehabilitation. In his book, "A Second Chance," Judge Block discusses the outcomes for 6 defendants – including mafia hitmen, a child pornographer, and a rogue policeman – who petitioned him for their release.

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After Words: Eva Dou, House of Huawei - The Secret History of China's Most Powerful Company" Feb 02, 2025

The Washington Post's Eva Dou explains how Huawei became China's most powerful company & what that means for its global competitors. She was interviewed by author and Council on Foreign Relations emerging technologies and national security chair Adam Segal.

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BN+: Robert Kaplan, "Waste Land" Jan 28, 2025

For In his latest book titled "Waste Land," author Robert Kaplan focuses on the importance of technology in determining the world's future. Kaplan, author of 24 books, holds the chair in geopolitics at the Foreign Policy Institute. In Chapter 3 of his 177-page book, he claims: "…civilization is now in flux. The ongoing decay of the West is manifested not only in racial tensions coupled with new barriers to free speech, but in the deterioration of dress codes, the erosion of grammar, the decline in sales of serious books and classical music, and so on…all of which have traditionally been signs of civilization."

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Q&A: Nigel Hamilton, "Lincoln vs. Davis" PART 2 Jan 26, 2025

Military historian and presidential biographer Nigel Hamilton talks about the military face-off between two American presidents – Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis – during the Civil War. He discusses the early months of the war, the decision to move the Confederate capitol to Virginia, Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, and more. This is part two of a two-part interview with Mr. Hamilton about his book "Lincoln vs. Davis."

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BN+: John Berendt, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" Jan 21, 2025

For 216 weeks, a record, John Berendt's book "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" sat on the New York Times best sellers list. It was published in 1994. It sold more than 1.5 million copies. Mr. Berendt, a Syracuse native, is today 85 and lives in New York City. A musical based on the book opened in Chicago in 2024 and will open on Broadway in 2025. During this episode of the podcast, an interview with John Berendt from 1997, when he appeared on the original "Booknotes" television program to talk about the book and its success.

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Q&A: Nigel Hamilton, "Lincoln vs. Davis" PART 1 Jan 20, 2025

Military historian and presidential biographer Nigel Hamilton talks about the military face-off between two American presidents – Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis – during the Civil War. He discusses the background of both men, their rise to the presidencies of the Union and the Confederacy, respectively, and the events that led up to attack on Fort Sumter by Confederate forces on April 12, 1861, not long after both men were inaugurated. This is part one of a two-part interview with Mr. Hamilton about his book "Lincoln vs. Davis."

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Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), "It Takes Chutzpah - How to Fight Fearlessly for Progressive Change" Jan 19, 2025

Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) shares his thoughts on having the tenacity to pursue progressive goals through strong alliances, hard work, & focus.

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BN+: Lincoln Scholar Harold Holzer on His Life & Work Jan 14, 2025

Since his first interview on C-SPAN on Booknotes in 1993, Harold Holzer has appeared on the network close to 200 times. Up to that year he had written or edited 6 books on Abraham Lincoln. Since then, Harold Holzer has added another 50 books to his name. C-SPAN viewers and listeners have had the opportunity to hear Mr. Holzer talk about Lincoln's life, from his birth in Kentucky in 1807, until his assassination in Washington, DC, in 1865. The following conversation, which is just over 5 hours, is meant to be extensive. The center of attention is Mr. Lincoln, but in this case, also the life of Harold Holzer, a New Yorker for the past 75 years.

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Q&A: Sharon McMahon, "The Small and the Mighty" Jan 13, 2025

Former high school government teacher and host of the "Here's Where It Gets Interesting" podcast, Sharon McMahon, author of "The Small and the Mighty," profiles lesser-known Americans who have changed the course of American history. During the interview, Ms. McMahon talks about the contributions of retail pioneers Richard Sears and Alvah Roebuck, former slave and philanthropist Clara Brown, Japanese American politician Norman Mineta, Founding Father Gouverneur Morris, and others.

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AW: Adam Chandler, "99% Perspiration - A New Working History of the American Way of Life" Jan 12, 2025

Journalist Adam Chandler argues that hard work is not enough to obtain the American dream. He's interviewed by author Alissa Quart.

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BN+: Michael Tackett, "The Price of Power" Jan 07, 2025

Kentucky senator Mitch McConnell has spent 40 years in the United States Senate, 17 of those as leader of his Republican colleagues. That's the longest any senator has been at the top of the leadership rung in either political party. Sen. John Thune (R-SD) was elected a few weeks ago to head up the Republican majority in the Senate in 2025. Journalist Michael Tackett's book, a profile of Senator McConnell, is called "The Price of Power: How Mitch McConnell Mastered the Senate, Changed America, and Lost His Party." Mr. Tackett, deputy Washington bureau chief of the Associated Press, conducted over 50 hours of interviews and was granted access to never-before-released oral histories.

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Q&A: Stuart Eizenstat, "The Art of Diplomacy" Jan 06, 2025

Stuart Eizenstat, former Domestic Policy Adviser to President Carter and U.S. Ambassador to the European Union under President Clinton, talks about his political career and his new book, "The Art Of Diplomacy," in which he discusses the work done to achieve agreements like the Camp David Accords, the Kyoto Protocols, and the Iran nuclear agreement. Mr. Eizenstat also talks about growing up in the South during the Civil Rights Era and how that experience changed him.

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AW: Rep. Mark Green (R-TN), "We Before Me" Jan 05, 2025

Congressman Mark Green (R-TN) discusses division in America and the advantages of putting others before self. He's interviewed by Military Times deputy editor Leo Shane.

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Brion McClanahan, "9 Presidents Who Screwed Up America" Dec 31, 2024

Brion McClanahan has a PhD in history from the University of South Carolina. Several years ago, he wrote a book titled "9 Presidents Who Screwed Up America: And Four Who Tried to Save Her." His view on the presidency is not the traditional one you get from most historians. On the back of his book, published by Regnery History, the liner notes claim: "The worst presidents are the ones who want to 'reform' the country through the power of the federal government, which usually means usurping the power of Congress or the people." Brion McClanahan focuses a negative spotlight on Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama, and others."

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Q&A: Speaker Don Scott (D), Virginia House of Delegates Dec 30, 2024

"For every young kid that makes a mistake, they can look at Don Scott and say, 'I'll never give up. I can still be what I want to be in America.'" That was former Republican governor Bob McDonnell of Virginia speaking about our guest this week, the state's newly elected Democratic speaker of the House of Delegates. Don Scott talks about the hurdles he overcame, including spending almost eight years in prison, to become Virginia's first Black speaker in 405 years.

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BN+: Peter Osnos, "LBJ & McNamara" Dec 24, 2024

In his latest book, "LBJ & McNamara," Peter Osnos's dedication reads this way: "To those on the Vietnam Wall on the Mall and their countless Vietnamese counterparts. It did not have to happen." In his role as publisher at PublicAffairs Books, Osnos spent numerous hours working with former Defense Secretary Robert McNamara for his 1995 book, "In Retrospect: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam." Osnos writes: "This book describes what happened in the years between 1963 and McNamara's last day as Secretary of Defense in February of 1968. Robert McNamara died in 2009 at the age of 93.

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Q&A: Christina Swarns, Innocence Project Executive Director Dec 23, 2024

Since its founding in 1992, the Innocence Project has been responsible for getting hundreds of wrongfully convicted people in the United States out of prison. Attorney and Innocence Project executive director Christina Swarns joins us to talk about the history of the organization, the root causes of wrongful convictions, and some of the clients the Innocence Project has successfully represented over the years, including the two men convicted of killing of Malcolm X in 1965.

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AW: Andy Puzder, "A Tyranny for the Good of Its Victims" Dec 22, 2024

Andy Puzder, former CEO of CKE Restaurants, took a critical look at stakeholder capitalism, which he argues is a form of socialism that will hurt the middle and lower classes in America.

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BN+: Edward Aldrich, "The Partnership" Dec 17, 2024

In an earlier conversation in this series, Evan Thomas discussed his 1986 book, "The Wise Men." There were 6 of them: Messrs. Acheson, Bohlen, Harriman, McCloy, Lovett, and Kennan. In this episode, we asked Edward "Ted" Aldrich to discuss his book titled "The Partnership: George Marshall, Henry Stimson, and the Extraordinary Collaboration That Won World War II." Mr. Aldrich writes: "FDR paired Stimson, as Secretary of War, with Gen. George Marshall, Chief of Staff of the Army, in the summer of 1940 in anticipation of the global war into which all three men knew the United States could shortly be drawn."

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Q&A: Larry Silverstein, "The Rising" Dec 16, 2024

New York City real estate developer Larry Silverstein, author of "The Rising," shares stories about the rebuilding of the World Trade Center complex following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Mr. Silverstein - who acquired a 99-year lease on the World Trade Center just weeks before the attacks - talks about his memories from that day and discusses the business, political, and engineering challenges he faced during his 20-year rebuilding effort.

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AW: James Rickards, "MoneyGPT - AI and the Threat to the Global Economy" Dec 15, 2024

Economist and investment advisor James Rickards spoke about the potential threats that AI poses to the global economy and national security. He was interviewed by George Mason University Distingushed University Professor J.P. Singh.

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BN+: James Bradley, "Martin Van Buren" Dec 10, 2024

James M. Bradley's biography of Martin Van Buren is the first full-scale portrait of the 8th president in 4 decades. Mr. Bradley is co-editor of the Martin Van Buren papers and teaches in the public history program at the State University of New York at Albany. In his introduction, he writes: "As this biography will show, reaching the nation's highest office was not Van Buren's greatest achievement. He built and designed the party system that defined how politics was practiced and power wielded in the United States." Van Buren is known as the principal founder of the Democratic Party.

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Q&A: Malcolm Gladwell, "Revenge of the Tipping Point" Dec 09, 2024

Twenty-five years ago, author Malcolm Gladwell published "The Tipping Point," about how ideas and behavior spread in a society to create positive change. The book was an international bestseller, having since sold over 2 million copies in the U.S. alone. In his follow-up, "Revenge of the Tipping Point," Mr. Gladwell looks at the downside of social epidemics, including the rise of opioid abuse and Medicare fraud.

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AW: T.J. English, "Los Muchachos," Dec 07, 2024

Journalist T.J. English spoke about the rise and fall of "Los Muchachos," one of the most successful cocaine empires in U.S. history. He was interviewed by author and Brookings Institution senior fellow Vanda Felbab-Brown.

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AB: Glory Edim on the Well-Read Black Girl Book Club Dec 06, 2024

Well-Read Black Girl founder Glory Edim discussed the book club she began in 2015 to celebrate black, brown and indigenous women. She also discussed her latest book, "Gather Me: A Memoir in Praise of the Books that Saved Me."

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BN+: Evan Thomas, "The Wise Men" Dec 03, 2024

A book called "The Wise Men" was first published in 1986. The cover copy says that "it was about six friends and the world they made." The names Harriman, Lovett, Acheson, McCloy, Kennan, and Bohlen are only to be found in the history books today. Co-authors Evan Thomas and Walter Isaacson were in their mid-thirties. In the updated 2012 introduction to the paperback, they wrote: "In their time, the wise men operated largely behind the scenes, little known by the public, but they achieved great things." According to Thomas and Isaacson, those great things included the shaping of the world order today, the creation of international institutions, and the forging of lasting peace in a perilous time. We asked Evan Thomas, now in his 70s: Who are the wise men of today?

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Q&A: Jochen "Jack" Wurfl, "My Two Lives" Dec 02, 2024

Half Jewish and a member of the Hitler Youth who saw Adolf Hitler in person, Jochen "Jack" Wurfl, author of "My Two Lives," talks about surviving in Nazi Germany and his later life and success in the United States. To hide their identities after the Nazis took over in 1933, Mr. Wurfl and his brother were baptized Catholic and later joined the Hitler Youth. His Catholic father, deemed a political enemy by the state, was sent to a concentration camp in Austria, while his Jewish mother was arrested by the Gestapo and sent to Auschwitz, where she perished.

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BN+: Corey Brettschneider, "The Presidents and the People" Nov 26, 2024

According to professor Corey Brettschneider, author of "The Presidents and the People," the following presidents in history threatened democracy: "John Adams waged war on the national press…prosecuting as many as 126 people who dared criticize him…James Buchanan colluded with the Supreme Court to deny constitutional personhood to African Americans….Andrew Johnson urged violence against his political opponents…Woodrow Wilson nationalized Jim Crow by segregating the federal government…Richard Nixon committed criminal acts – ordering the Watergate break-in." Corey Brettschneider teaches constitutional law and politics at the Providence, Rhode Island-based Brown University.

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Q&A: Peggy Noonan, "A Certain Idea of America" Nov 25, 2024

Peggy Noonan, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for the Wall Street Journal and former speechwriter for President Reagan, discusses her book "A Certain Idea of America," a collection of her columns from over the past quarter century. She also talks about her time working in the White House and her career in radio after graduating from college.

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AW: Stephanie Gorton, "The Icon and the Idealist - Margaret Sanger, Mary Ware Dennett, and the Rivalry That Brought Birth Control to America" Nov 24, 2024

Stephanie Gorton looked at the lives & rivalry between two key figures in the early movement for birth control & reproductive rights. She was interviewed by author and UC Davis School of Law professor Mary Ziegler.

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BN+: Talmage Boston, "How the Best Did It" Nov 19, 2024

Talmage Boston considers himself a full-time lawyer and a full-time historian. His latest book is called "How the Best Did It: Leadership Lessons from Our Top Presidents." He chose the first 4 of 8 off the face of Mount Rushmore: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. In addition, Mr. Boston chose 24 distinct leadership traits he says were exhibited by these presidents. The other 4 presidents include FDR, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan. Seventy-one-year-old Talmage Boston lives in Dallas, Texas.

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Q&A: Maureen Callahan, "Ask Not" Nov 18, 2024

Investigative journalist Maureen Callahan talks about the physical and psychological abuse, and worse, that she says was experienced by women and girls connected to the Kennedy family going back to Joe Kennedy, Sr. In her book, "Ask Not," Callahan tells the stories of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy, Martha Moxley, Mary Richardson Kennedy, Jacqueline Kennedy, and others.

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AW: Vince Beiser, "Power Metal - The Race for the Resources That Will Shape the Future" Nov 17, 2024

Journalist Vince Beiser looked at how the race to mine metals and other natural resources needed in technology & renewable energy is impacting geopolitics and the environment. He was interviewed by Wall Street Journal global metals and mining reporter Julie Steinberg.

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AB: James Patterson, "American Heroes" Nov 15, 2024

Bestselling author James Patterson discusses servicemembers from World War II through modern conflicts who have been recognized for valor in combat.

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BN+: Kyla Scanlon, "In This Economy?" Nov 12, 2024

The title of the book is "In This Economy?" The author, Kyla Scanlon, subtitles her 277-page effort: "How Money and Markets Really Work." Ms. Scanlon is a 27-year-old graduate of Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green. The author description in the back of the book says Kyla Scanlon is a writer and a video creator focused on "human-centric economic analysis that demystifies the complex." The author background note continues: "She is the founder of the financial education company called Bread."

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Q&A: Stuart Eizenstat, "The Art of Diplomacy" Nov 11, 2024

Stuart Eizenstat, former Domestic Policy Adviser to President Carter and U.S. Ambassador to the European Union under President Clinton, talks about his political career and his new book, "The Art Of Diplomacy," in which he discusses the work done to achieve agreements like the Camp David Accords, the Kyoto Protocols, and the Iran nuclear agreement. Mr. Eizenstat also talks about growing up in the South during the Civil Rights Era and how that experience changed him.

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AW: Tom Fitton, "Rights and Freedoms in Peril - An Investigative Report on the Left's Attack on America" Nov 10, 2024

Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton argues that the Left is attacking American rights and freedoms. He was interviewed by Washington Times legal affairs reporter Alex Swoyer.

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BN+: Tess Owen, "Inside the Patriot Wing" Nov 05, 2024

For the past 10 years, Tess Owen has covered extremism, disinformation, and politics for several nationally owned publications. In the October 8, 2024, issue of New York magazine, Ms. Owen wrote an article with the title "Inside the Patriot Wing." She talked with several of the over 1,400 January 6 defendants who have been spending time in the District of Columbia Jail, about 2 miles from the U.S. Capitol. This is her story of how she got to know several men who have been convicted of, in her words, "violent crimes." We asked Tess Owen how she got access to these folks behind bars and what they are saying.

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AW: Lina Zeldovich, "The Living Medicine" Nov 03, 2024

Journalist Lina Zeldovich explained how a nearly forgotten lifesaving "healing virus" could be groundbreaking in treating deadly infectious diseases. She was interviewed by USA Today health reporter Adrianna Rodriguez.

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Q&A: Christina Swarns, Innocence Project Executive Director Nov 03, 2024

Since its founding in 1992, the Innocence Project has been responsible for getting hundreds of wrongfully convicted people in the United States out of prison. Attorney and Innocence Project executive director Christina Swarns joins us to talk about the history of the organization, the root causes of wrongful convictions, and some of the clients the Innocence Project has successfully represented over the years, including the two men convicted of killing of Malcolm X in 1965.

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AB: Miranda Devine on the Biden Family Nov 01, 2024

New York Post columnist and "Laptop From Hell" author Miranda Devine discussed her latest book on the Biden family, "The Big Guy: How a President and His Son Sold Out America."

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BN+: Howard Blum, "Night of the Assassins" Oct 29, 2024

In 1943, in the middle of World War II, the Allied leaders FDR, Winston Churchill, and Josef Stalin were planning to meet secretly in Tehran. The Nazis wanted to kill them.

In his book "Night of the Assassins," author Howard Blum tells the story of "Operation Long Jump," the code name for the Nazi plan to assassinate the Allied leaders. In telling this story, author Blum says: "I wanted to write a suspenseful character-driven story of men, heroes, and villains caught up in a tense, desperate time, who needed to find courage and cunning to do their duty for their countries and to fulfill their own sense of honor."

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Q&A: Pamela Toler, "The Dragon from Chicago" Oct 28, 2024

Historian Pamela Toler talks about the life and career of journalist Sigrid Schultz, Berlin bureau chief for the Chicago Tribune from 1925-1941. Schultz provided first-hand accounts of the rise of Adolf Hitler in Germany and was one of the earliest reporters to warn Americans about the dangers of Nazism.

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AW: Rep. Mike Waltz, "Hard Truths - Think and Lead Like a Green Beret" Oct 27, 2024

Congressman Mike Waltz (R-FL) spoke about serving in Afghanistan as a Green Beret and how his military career influences his decision making. He was interviewed by Politico Pentagon and National Security reporter Paul McLeary.

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BN+: Max Boot, "Reagan: His Life and Legend" Oct 22, 2024

Max Boot, in his 836-page book titled "Reagan: His Life and Legend," says that his is the first definitive biography of the 40th president. Boot suggests that Edmund Morris, the president's official biographer, "appeared to be so flummoxed by the complexities of Reagan's character that he produced 'Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan,' that was widely criticized in spite of its acute insights." Max Boot also points out in his introduction: "I am fortunate that Ronald Reagan's story can now be told as never before because we possess far more archival sources and far more historical perspective."

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Q&A: John Mackey, "The Whole Story" & Steven Pinker, "Rationality" Oct 21, 2024

This week on Q&A, Whole Foods co-founder John Mackey and Harvard University psychology professor Steven Pinker discuss their books. John Mackey, author of "The Whole Story," talks about the rise of Whole Foods, the organic foods grocery store chain, and his political and intellectual development. Professor Steven Pinker talks about the role that rationality plays in a functioning society and the growth of irrationality in the United States. These interviews were recorded in Las Vegas at FreedomFest, an annual libertarian conference.

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AW: Stephanie Baker "Punishing Putin" Oct 20, 2024

Bloomberg News' Stephanie Baker looked at the global impact of U.S-led economic sanctions against Russia following Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. She was interviewed by author and Brookings Institution senior fellow Angela Stent.

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BN+: Brenda Wineapple, "Keeping the Faith" Oct 15, 2024

Brenda Wineapple calls them "two gladiators." The year was 1925. She writes that "the ubiquitous politician William Jennings Bryan and the criminal lawyer Clarence Darrow, each of them national celebrities for decades, were going into battle over God and science and the classroom and, not incidentally, over what it meant to be an American." Brenda Wineapple's latest book is titled "Keeping the Faith" and is about the Scopes Trial, held in the small town of Dayton, Tennessee, which focused on the state law that prohibited the teaching of evolution in the schools.

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Q&A: Heath Hardage Lee, "The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon" Oct 14, 2024

Historian Heath Hardage Lee, author of "The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon," talks about the life and times of the former First Lady (1969-74). She says that Pat Nixon, who was voted "Most Admired Woman in the World" in 1972, was largely mis-portrayed by the press, who characterized her as being elusive and "plastic."

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AW: Brigid Schulte, "Over Work" Oct 12, 2024

Journalist Brigid Schulte examined the future of work and explored how to better align workplace culture with the needs of American workers. She was interviewed by Business Insider chief correspondent Aki Ito.

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AB: Kirk Cameron, "Born to Be Brave Oct 11, 2024

Actor Kirk Cameron discussed his latest book, "Born to Be Brave," on American culture and faith. He also discussed his series of children's books and experiences hosting story hours at public libraries.

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BN+: Harvey Mansfield on Presidential Immunity Oct 08, 2024

Harvey Mansfield has been a professor of political philosophy at Harvard for over 6 decades. He retired from the classroom in 2023 at age 91. However, he's not finished thinking and writing about his favorite subject: democracy and how it works. In the Wall Street Journal of September 7, 2024, Professor Mansfield wrote an essay with this opening: "The Supreme Court case of Trump v. U.S. was about more than special counsel Jack Smith’s prosecution of Donald Trump, which continues under a superseding indictment handed up by a federal grand jury in Washington. The decision and the dissents contain a fundamental debate about the presidency that looks beyond the present personalities and campaign."

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Q&A: Francis Collins, "The Road to Wisdom" Oct 07, 2024

Former National Institutes of Health director Dr. Francis Collins, author of "The Road to Wisdom," talks about the milestones in his career, including his work on the Human Genome Project and the COVID-19 vaccine. He also talks about his Christian faith, the importance of engaging with those we disagree with, and the current distrust of science and government in the United States.

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AW: Timothy Snyder, "On Freedom" Oct 05, 2024

Yale University professor Timothy Snyder argued that freedom is often misinterpreted and offered his thoughts on what freedom is and isn't. He was interviewed by George Washington University political science professor and author Elisabeth Anker.

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BN+: Megan Gorman, "All the Presidents' Money" Oct 01, 2024

The book is titled "All the Presidents' Money." It's about how the men who governed America governed their own money. The author, Megan Gorman, is the founding partner of Chequers Financial Management, a San Francisco-based firm specializing in tax and financial planning for high-net-worth individuals. Megan Gorman writes: "The American presidents are a complex group to tackle. While they live in a mud-slinging reality on the way to and through their presidency, the moment their term ends, they become historical figures carved in stone."

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Q&A: Michael & Robert Meeropol, Sons of Julius & Ethel Rosenberg on the Rosenberg Spy Case Sep 30, 2024

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed in 1953 after being convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage for the Soviet Union. Their sons Michael and Robert Meeropol, nee Rosenberg, were 10 and 6 at the time. They are our guests this week. The sons talk about their parents' executions, their lives before and after, the anti-communist climate in the U.S. during the 1950s, the government's case against the Rosenbergs, and their efforts to clear their mother Ethel's record posthumously.

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AW: Paola Ramos, "Defectors -The Rise of the Latino Far Right and What It Means for America" Sep 29, 2024

Journalist Paola Ramos looked at the rise of far-right Latino voters and what it means for America. She was interviewed by New York Times political reporter Jennifer Medina.

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AB: Fall Book Preview 2024 Sep 26, 2024

Associated Press books and publishing reporter Hillel Italie previews some of the non-fiction books being released in Fall 2024.

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BN+: Lindsay Chervinsky, "Making the Presidency" Sep 24, 2024

Lindsay Chervinsky is the brand-new executive director of the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon. Simultaneously, her new book on John Adams has just been published. The book's title is "Making the Presidency." In her introduction, Chervinsky writes that Adams was "guaranteed to fall short in comparison to George Washington." She says the "challenge of the second president, therefore, called for someone to battle the growing partisan divisions without Washington's presence." John Adams served only one term and was defeated by Thomas Jefferson for a second.

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Q&A: James Allen, Jr., "Not My Chair" Sep 23, 2024

James Allen, Jr., murdered Tony Sylvester in Las Vegas during a 1980 home burglary, a crime for which he was found guilty and sentenced to death. Mr. Allen, who was a teenager at the time, spent 26 years in prison, including almost 4 years on death row, before being paroled by the state of Nevada in 2008. Since being released, he has spent his time mentoring at-risk youth and working with the Nevada Coalition Against the Death Penalty. He co-wrote a book about his life titled "Not My Chair: Journey from Death Row to Freedom."

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AW: Brooke Harrington, "Offshore - Stealth Wealth and the New Colonialism" Sep 22, 2024

Dartmouth College professor Brooke Harrington examined the world of offshore finance, how it works and its impact on the U.S. and globally. She was interviewed by Wall Street Journal U.S. tax policy reporter Richard Rubin.

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BN+: Dr. Marty Makary, "Blind Spots" Sep 17, 2024

Dr. Marty Makary is a Johns Hopkins School of Medicine professor. He has published more than 300 scientific research articles. His book is called "Blind Spots: When Medicine Gets It Wrong, and What It Means for Our Health." In his preface, Dr. Makary says he realizes that much of what the public is told about health is medical dogma, an idea or practice given incontrovertible authority because someone decreed it to be true based on a gut feeling. He writes: "This book may change your life, it did mine."

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Q&A: Peter Osnos, "LBJ and McNamara" Sep 16, 2024

Author and publisher Peter Osnos talks about "LBJ and McNamara," a book-length Substack serial and soon to be book about President Johnson and Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara's handling of the Vietnam War. Mr. Osnos, Saigon correspondent for the Washington Post during the war, also talks about publishing Robert McNamara's memoir "In Retrospect" and the meetings he had with McNamara in preparation for that book, which Mr. Osnos recorded.

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AW: Kim Wehle, "Pardon Power - How the Pardon System Works - and Why" Sep 14, 2024

Former assistant U.S. attorney and law professor Kim Wehle looked at how the pardon system works in the United States. She was interviewed by University of Michigan emeritus professor of law and sociology Richard Lempert.

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AB: Patrick Oliver, founder and CEO of Say It Loud! Readers & Writers Sep 14, 2024

Patrick Oliver, founder and CEO of Say It Loud! Readers & Writers, discusses the need for literary arts programs and his efforts to promote reading among children and young adults.

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BN+: Ken Khachigian, "Behind Closed Doors" Sep 10, 2024

The book is called "Behind Closed Doors: In the Room with Reagan & Nixon." It's the title of a memoir by a man who worked closely with both. Ken Khachigian, the author, was a speechwriter and a confidant to former Presidents Nixon and Reagan back in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. Near the end of his book, Khachigian, a lawyer based in California, writes: "I spent a decade and a half in close, confidential contact with these two Presidents." In 1990, when Presidents Reagan and Nixon were together, chatting about history, Khachigian kept notes of their conversation, which he reveals in his memoir.

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Q&A: Steven Ford on Gerald Ford's Presidency Sep 09, 2024

Fifty years ago, on August 8, 1974, President Nixon, who was under threat of impeachment, announced that he would resign from office. The following day, Vice President Gerald Ford was sworn in as the 38th president of the United States. Gerald and Betty Ford's son, Steven Ford, provides a behind-the-scenes look at that tumultuous period in American history and President Ford's term in office, including his decision to pardon Richard Nixon on September 8, 1974.

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AW: Joel Pollak, "The Agenda - What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days" Sep 07, 2024

Breitbart News' Joel Pollak discussed what he thinks a potential second presidential term for Donald Trump should focus on in its first 100 days. He was interviewed by Reason Magazine editor at large Matt Welch.

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BN+: David Roll, "Ascent to Power" – Part 2 Sep 03, 2024

This is the second in a 2-part series with David Roll, a Washington-based attorney, who has written books on Harry Hopkins, George Marshall, and Louis Johnson. Now comes his fourth book, "Ascent to Power," which focuses on Franklin Roosevelt's final days through the sudden transition to the presidency of Harry Truman. Spanning the years 1944-1948, David Roll's newest book looks at the struggles of a relatively unknown Missouri senator, Harry Truman, who had served the U.S. as vice president for only 82 days before FDR's death on April 12, 1945.

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Q&A: Patrick Kennedy, "Profiles in Mental Health Courage" Sep 02, 2024

Former congressman Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) talks about Americans who have struggled with mental illness and the stigma and silence that he says still surrounds it. He shares the stories of the people profiled in his book, "Profiles in Mental Health Courage," including himself and members of his own family.

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BN+: David Roll, "Ascent to Power" – Part 1 Aug 27, 2024

David Roll, a Washington-based attorney, has written books on Harry Hopkins, George Marshall, and Louis Johnson. Now comes his fourth book, "Ascent to Power," which focuses on Franklin Roosevelt's final days through the sudden transition to the presidency of Harry Truman. Spanning the years 1944-1948, David Roll's newest book looks at the struggles of a relatively unknown Missouri senator, Harry Truman, who had served the U.S. as vice president for only 82 days before FDR's death on April 12, 1945. This is the first of a 2-part interview with David Roll. Part two will be posted next week.

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Q&A: Virginia Ali & Bernard Demczuk, "Breaking Barriers with Chili" Aug 25, 2024

We sat down with Ben's Chili Bowl owner Virginia Ali and Ben's Chili Bowl official historian Bernard Demczuk to talk about the history of the Washington, DC, landmark. Opened in 1958 by Ben and Virginia Ali, Ben's Chili Bowl has been a hangout for civil rights activists, politicians, and celebrities for over 65 years. Recently, Bernard Demczuk published a book about Mrs. Ali and Ben's titled "Breaking Barriers with Chili."

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BN+: Tevi Troy, "The Power and the Money" Aug 20, 2024

Presidential historian Tevi Troy has called his latest book "The Power and the Money: The Epic Clashes Between Commanders in Chief and Titans of Industry." Mr. Troy has spent most of his professional life in and around Washington-based government and politics. He is currently a senior fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center. In the introduction to the book, he writes: "For current and future CEOs, this book can be a guide for how to engage with an increasingly powerful and involved federal government, especially in our era in which both Democrats and Republicans target corporations in their rhetoric and, often, in their policy prescriptions."

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Q&A: George Takei, "My Lost Freedom" Aug 19, 2024

Author and actor George Takei talks about growing up in internment camps in the U.S. during World War II, following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Mr. Takei and his family were four of the 120,000 Japanese Americans to be forcibly removed from their homes and relocated to military-run camps during the war on the orders of President Franklin Roosevelt. Mr. Takei has recently published a children's book about his experiences titled "My Lost Freedom."

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BN+: Maureen Callahan, "Ask Not" Aug 13, 2024

Maureen Callahan's book "Ask Not: The Kennedy's and the Women They Destroyed" has been near the top of the New York Times nonfiction bestseller list since its publication in early July. In a review of the Callahan book by Nina Burleigh in the Washington Post, Burleigh writes: "She identifies the wellspring of misogyny in Irish Catholic patriarch Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. in Boston during the Gilded Age, and traces it anecdote by anecdote down through JFK, RFK and Teddy, and the litter of boomer generation men — boys hatched by three Kennedy wives Callahan depicts as humiliated breeders and political props, driven to madness and alcoholism."

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Q&A: World War II Veterans Steven Ellis & Rolf Slen Aug 12, 2024

We sat down with two World War II veterans – former U.S. Navy gunnery officer Steven Ellis and former U.S. Army Air Force B-24 navigator Rolf Slen – to talk about their experiences during the war. Mr. Ellis, age 99, and Mr. Slen, age 100, both served in the Pacific Theater. Of the 16.4 million Americans who served in uniform in World War II, 119,550 were still alive as of 2023.

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BN+: Richard Brookhiser, "Glorious Lessons" Aug 06, 2024

Richard Brookhiser has written and edited for National Review magazine for over 50 years. He has also written books about George Washington, James Madison, John Marshall, Alexander Hamilton, and "gentleman revolutionary" Gouverneur Morris. Now comes his latest, "Glorious Lessons: John Trumbull, Painter of the American Revolution." Trumbull, who lived between 1756 and 1843, was most famous for his 4 very large paintings about the Revolutionary War on the walls of the rotunda in the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, DC.

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Q&A: Steven Conn, "The Lies of the Land" Aug 05, 2024

In "The Lies of the Land," Miami University (Oxford, Ohio) history professor Steven Conn argues that the reality of rural America today is vastly different from the way it is often portrayed by politicians and the media. He says rural Americans have not been left behind or been overlooked and are just as connected to the forces of American modernity – militarization, industrialization, corporatization, and suburbanization – as people living in the rest of the country.

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BN+: Former Washington Post Reporter & Professor Leon Dash Jul 30, 2024

Leon Dash spent over 30 years with the Washington Post from 1966 to 1998. In 1995 series on poverty and survival in urban America. Leon Dash spent 4 years following the life of Rosa Lee Cunningham and her 8 children and 5 grandchildren. He appeared on C-SPAN's Booknotes program in November 1996 to discuss his published book, which focused on the underclass in the United States. In the last 26 years, Leon Dash has been a professor of journalism and African American studies at the University of Illinois. We asked him for an update on his original story.

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Q&A: Tammy Bruce, "Fear Itself" Jul 29, 2024

Columnist and Fox News contributor Tammy Bruce, author of "Fear Itself," argues that progressive Democrats have weaponized fear to increase government control over American citizens. She also argues that the mainstream media helps stoke fear through its biased coverage of topics like COVID-19, climate change, and racism.

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AW: Peter Goodman, "How the World Ran Out of Everything" Jul 27, 2024

New York Times reporter Peter Goodman looked at how the global supply chain works and what happens when it doesn't. He was interviewed by Northeastern University professor and author Nada Sanders.

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BN+: Ronald Feinman, "Assassinations, Threats, and the American Presidency" Jul 23, 2024

This Booknotes+ podcast is a repeat of a Q&A program from November 4, 2015. The featured guest, Ronald Feinman, is the author of the book "Assassinations, Threats, and the American Presidency," in which he examines attempts on the lives of presidents and presidential candidates throughout history.

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Q&A: J.D. Vance, "Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis" Jul 22, 2024

Prior to becoming Donald Trump's VP pick or a U.S. Senator representing Ohio, J.D. Vance was a bestselling author. Over 1.6. million copies of his book "Hillbilly Elegy," a memoir about growing up in a poor, white family that has its roots in Appalachia, have sold to date. After the VP announcement, the book once again shot to the top of the Amazon bestsellers list. This week on Q&A, our 2016 interview with Mr. Vance about his book. He talks about his childhood, his family, his military service in Iraq with the U.S. Marine Corps, his education at Ohio State and Yale Law School, and more.

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AW: Jonathan Turley, "The Indispensable Right" Jul 21, 2024

Law professor Jonathan Turley highlights individuals who've fought to exercise & defend the right to free speech throughout U.S. history. Author and American Civil Liberties Union former president Nadine Strossen interviews him.

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AB: The 2024 Kukula Book Review Awards Jul 19, 2024

Yangyang Cheng and Helen Lewis discussed book reviewing and winning the 2024 Kukula Award, the only journalism prize dedicated recognizing non-fiction book reviews and public affairs book criticism. About Books also reported on new releases and the current books featured on BookTV.

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BN+: Nigel West, "Operation Garbo" Jul 16, 2024

Rupert William Simon Allason was a Conservative member of the British House of Commons from 1987 and 1997. However, he's best known around the world as Nigel West, military historian and journalist specializing in security and intelligence matters. During the recent commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings, Nigel West's name surfaced in relation to his 1985 book on Agent Garbo, the personal story of who, some say, was the most successful double agent of World War II. The agent's real name was Juan Pujol.

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Q&A: Riley Gaines, "Swimming Against the Current" Jul 15, 2024

In 2022, collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines tied for 5th place in the 200m freestyle final at the NCAA Women's Championships. The swimmer she tied with was transgender athlete Lia Thomas. Since then, Riley Gaines has become an outspoken critic of transgender women competing in women's sports and has even testified on the issue before Congress. In this week's Q&A, she talks about her swimming career, her stance on transgender athletes, and the backlash she has received after going public with her views, topics she covers in her new book "Swimming Against the Current."

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AW: Soraya Chemaly, "The Resilience Myth" Jul 13, 2024

Writer and activist Soraya Chemaly offered an alternative view of grit and resilience today in a world of overlapping crises. She was interviewed by University of Pennsylvania Positive Psychology Center Instructor Judith Saltzberg.

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Meg Medina on Reading & Young People Jul 12, 2024

Author Meg Medina, the 8th and current National Ambassador for Young People's Literature at the Library of Congress, discussed her efforts to reach and connect with young readers.

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BN+: Investigative Reporter Brody Mullins on Google & Law Professor Joshua Wright, and "The Wolves of K Street" Jul 09, 2024

On Saturday, June 8th, 2024, the headline in the Wall Street Journal Saturday review section read: "The Hidden Life of Google's Secret Weapon." The author was Brody Mullins, a veteran investigative reporter for the Journal. The series ran over 3 days. The focus was on a man named Joshua Wright, a lawyer and former law professor at George Mason University Law School. Under the Journal headline, the paper declares that: "Joshua Wright cleared a path to domination for the world’s biggest tech companies, keeping regulators at bay while juggling inappropriate relationships and skirting conflict-of-interest standards at every turn." Brody Mullins, with his brother Luke, also has a new book out called "The Wolves of K Street."

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Q&A: David Charter, "Royal Audience" Jul 08, 2024

The Times of London U.S. editor David Charter, author of "Royal Audience," discusses the special relationship that Queen Elizabeth II had with the United States and U.S. presidents over her 70-year reign as Britain's Head of State. Queen Elizabeth, who became queen in 1952 and passed away in 2022, had met and had varying degrees of personal relationships with 13 of the 14 U.S. presidents during her reign going back to Harry Truman.

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BN+: Robert Schmuhl, "Mr. Churchill in the White House" Jul 02, 2024

Robert Schmuhl is the Walter Annenberg-Edmund Joyce Chair Emeritus in American Studies and Journalism at the University of Notre Dame. He has often written about the American presidency. His newest book is "Mr. Churchill in the White House: The Untold Story of a Prime Minister and Two Presidents." Prof. Schmuhl says both Roosevelt and Eisenhower eventually adjusted to the unconventional habits and hours of their White House guest, who not only proposed his visits but almost always, by accident or design, stayed longer than initially intended.

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Q&A: Frank Bruni, "The Age of Grievance" Jul 01, 2024

New York Times opinion columnist Frank Bruni, author of "The Age of Grievance," argues that we are living in a cultural and political era defined by victimhood and perceived injustice. He discusses the causes of this development and offers ways to move past it.

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AW: Ruchir Sharma, "What Went Wrong with Capitalism" Jun 30, 2024

Rockefeller International chairman Ruchir Sharma explains why he believes capitalism is broken and how it can be fixed. He was interviewed by the Cato Institute's Alex Nowrasteh.

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BN+: David Tatel, "Vision" Jun 25, 2024

On January 16, 2024, after nearly 30 years, David Tatel retired as a judge on the Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. On the cover of his new memoir is a photo of Judge Tatel in his black robe with his dog Vixen standing on his left side. The book is titled "Vision: A Memoir of Blindness and Justice." He says he wrote the book together with his wife Edie. "Day in and day out we sat at our long desk overlooking an immense oak tree and the hills beyond, Edie on the left with her laptop and me on the right with my brail computer. We wrote, we debated, we laughed, we deleted words, paragraphs, pages. Slowly but surely, a book emerged."

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Q&A: Virginia Ali & Bernard Demczuk, "Breaking Barriers with Chili" Jun 24, 2024

We sat down with Ben's Chili Bowl owner Virginia Ali and Ben's Chili Bowl official historian Bernard Demczuk to talk about the history of the Washington, DC, landmark. Opened in 1958 by Ben and Virginia Ali, Ben's Chili Bowl has been a hangout for civil rights activists, politicians, and celebrities for over 65 years. Recently, Bernard Demczuk published a book about Mrs. Ali and Ben's titled "Breaking Barriers with Chili."

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AW: Lawrence Ingrassia, "A Fatal Inheritance - How a Family Misfortune Revealed a Deadly Medical Mystery" Jun 23, 2024

Former New York Times editor Lawrence Ingrassia spoke about cancer research and his own family's rare medical history with the disease. He was interviewed by Wall Street Journal health and science reporter Amy Dockser Marcus.

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AB: Cass Sunstein on Campus Free Speech Jun 21, 2024

Harvard Law professor Cass Sunstein discussed his book on freedom of speech and how it applies to students, professors, and administrators on college campuses. About Books also reported on the latest publishing industry news and current non-fiction books.

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BN+: Historian Stacey Schiff at Purdue University Jun 18, 2024

Six-time book author Stacy Schiff made a guest appearance in early April at Purdue University. She was a guest of the C-SPAN Center for Scholarship & Engagement. A large number of questions were asked by the students studying communications and political science. Stacy Schiff's latest book "The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams" was published in 2022. Her 2005 book on Benjamin Franklin has been used as a primary source for an Apple TV series currently available on that streaming service. Students also asked her about her writing and her other books from "Cleopatra" to "The Witches: Salem, 1692."

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Q&A: Christina Swarns, Innocence Project Executive Director Jun 17, 2024

Since its founding in 1992, the Innocence Project has been responsible for getting hundreds of wrongfully convicted people in the United States out of prison. Attorney and Innocence Project executive director Christina Swarns joins us to talk about the history of the organization, the root causes of wrongful convictions, and some of the clients the Innocence Project has successfully represented over the years, including the two men convicted of killing of Malcolm X in 1965.

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AW: Ernesto Londoño, "Trippy - The Peril and Promise of Medicinal Psychedelics" Jun 15, 2024

The New York Times' Ernesto Londono looked at the use of psychedelics in mental health treatment & described his own experience with them. He was interviewed by Politico Health Care reporter Erin Shumaker.

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BN+: Garrett Graff, "When the Sea Came Alive" Jun 11, 2024

"June 6, 1944, is the most famous single day in all human history." Those are the words of Garrett Graff in his author's note in his book "When the Sea Came Alive." This month is the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landing in World War II. As Graff introduces the reader to his oral history of D-Day, he writes: "The official launch of Operation Overlord, the long-anticipated invasion of Western Europe, marks a feat of unprecedented human audacity. A mission more ambitious and complex than anything ever seen, before or since, and a key turning point in the fight for a cause among the most noble humans have ever fought."

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Q&A: George Takei, "My Lost Freedom" Jun 10, 2024

Author and actor George Takei talks about growing up in internment camps in the U.S. during World War II, following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Mr. Takei and his family were four of the 120,000 Japanese Americans to be forcibly removed from their homes and relocated to military-run camps during the war on the orders of President Franklin Roosevelt. Mr. Takei has recently published a children's book about his experiences titled "My Lost Freedom."

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AW: Shefali Luthra, "Undue Burden - Life and Death Decisions in Post-Roe America" Jun 08, 2024

Health reporter Shefali Luthra looks at what impact the 2022 Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is having on patients seeking an abortion.

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AB: Andrea Fleck-Nisbet on Independent Book Publishing Jun 07, 2024

Independent Book Publishers Association CEO Andrea Fleck-Nisbet discussed her trade association's work to promote small and mid-sized presses and author-published books. About Books also reported on the latest publishing industry news and current non-fiction books.

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BN+: Erik Larson, "The Demon of Unrest" Jun 04, 2024

In the first week of publication of Erik Larson's latest book "The Demon of Unrest," sales put it at the very top of the bestseller list. It's about the start of the Civil War, with a focus on the five months between Abraham Lincoln's election and the day of the first shot fired on Fort Sumter which is off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina. That was April 12, 1861. In his introduction, Erik Larson writes: "I invite you now to step into the past, to that time of fear and dissension…I suspect your sense of dread will be all the more pronounced in light of today's political discord…"

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Q&A: World War II Veterans Steve Ellis & Rolf Slen Jun 03, 2024

We sat down with two World War II veterans – former U.S. Navy gunnery officer Steve Ellis and former U.S. Army Air Force B-24 navigator Rolf Slen – to talk about their experiences during the war. Mr. Ellis, age 99, and Mr. Slen, age 100, both served in the Pacific Theater. Of the 16.4 million Americans who served in uniform in World War II, 119,550 were still alive as of 2023.

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AW: Mike Hixenbaugh, "They Came for the Schools" Jun 01, 2024

NBC investigative reporter Mike Hixenbaugh looked at how issues of race and identity are playing out in school districts around the country. He was interviewed by Chalkbeat editor and author Cara Fitzpatrick.

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BN+: Glenn Loury, "Late Admissions" May 28, 2024

Glenn C. Loury is a professor of economics. He teaches at Brown University and is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. He calls his new book "Late Admissions: Confessions of a Black Conservative." His publisher, W.W. Norton, describes Prof. Loury on the flap of the cover: "[He] grew up on the south side of Chicago, earned a PhD in MIT’s economics program, and became the first Black tenured professor of economics at Harvard at the age of 33. He has been, at turns, a young father, a drug addict, an adulterer, a psychiatric patient, a born-again Christian, a lapsed born-again Christian, a Black Reaganite who has swung from the right to the left and back again." In his book, Prof. Loury attempts to explain all of this.

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Q&A: Betty Koed, "Scenes" May 27, 2024

This Memorial Day weekend, retired U.S. Senate Historian Betty Koed shares stories from her book "Scenes: People, Places and Events That Shaped the United States Senate." It's a collection of brief chronicles of Senate history that she presented to Senators during their Tuesday caucus lunches between 2009 and 2023. Some of the stories told include the influence and power of Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson, the story of the first female senator, and when Mark Twain worked as a Senate staffer.

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BN+: Alan Taylor, "American Civil Wars" May 21, 2024

Alan Taylor is the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation professor of history at the University of Virginia. He is only one of 5 history writers who have won the Pulitzer Prize twice. His 11 books focus mostly on the early years of the creation of the United States. His latest book is titled "American Civil Wars: A Continental History, 1850-1873." During these 23 years, North America's 3 largest countries – Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. – all transformed themselves into nations. Professor Taylor includes stories of Black soldiers fighting for the Union, Native Americans struggling to preserve their homelands in the United States and the West, women fortifying the homeland, and newly arrived immigrants thrust into the maelstrom of the Civil War.

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Q&A: Freeman Hrabowski, "The Resilient University" May 20, 2024

Author and president emeritus of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County Freeman Hrabowski talks about the role of college presidents, the handling of campus protests over the war in Gaza, and political involvement in higher education. His new book "The Resilient University" looks at how UMBC dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic and the racial unrest that followed the killing of George Floyd by police in the summer of 2020. Freeman Hrabowski served as president of UMBC from 1992-2022.

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AW: Jim Wallis, "The False White Gospel" May 18, 2024

Theologian Jim Wallis argued that a faith of love, healing and hope must be used to dismantle a false gospel that promotes White Christian Nationalism. He was interviewed by Daily Beast columnist and author Wajahat Ali.

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BN+: Craig Whitlock, "Fat Leonard" May 14, 2024

For over 10 years, Washington Post investigative reporter Craig Whitlock has tracked the story of Malaysian shakedown man Leonard Francis, aka "Fat Leonard," and his collusion with hundreds of U.S. Navy officers, several of whom have spent time in prison. Now comes the book titled "Fat Leonard: How One Man Bribed, Bilked, and Seduced the U.S. Navy." Craig Whitlock writes: "On the surface, with his flawless American accent, Fat Leonard seemed like a true friend of the Navy. What the brass didn't realize, until far too late, was that Francis had seduced them by exploiting their entitlement and hubris."

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Q&A: Ilyon Woo, "Master Slave Husband Wife" May 13, 2024

Ilyon Woo, our guest this week, was recently awarded the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Biography for her book "Master Slave Husband Wife." The book recounts the harrowing journey of self-emancipation made by married slaves William and Ellen Craft in 1848. Disguised as a wealthy disabled white man with his servant, the Crafts left Georgia, avoiding slave traders, law enforcement, and even friends to gain their freedom. This program originally aired in February 2023.

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AW: Johann Hari, "Magic Pill" May 11, 2024

Journalist Johann Hari reported on the success and concerns surrounding the new weight-loss drugs, as well as his personal experience taking Ozempic. He was interviewed by Bloomberg News health reporter Madison Muller.

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AB: Children's Book Author Jonah Winter on Censorship May 10, 2024

Award winning children's book author Jonah Winter discussed his experiences with censorship, and why he believes cancel culture is more dangerous than book banning.

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BN+: Larry Tye, "The Jazzmen" May 07, 2024

Duke Ellington was the grandson of slaves. Louis Armstrong was born in a News Orleans slum so tough that it was called "The Battlefield." William James "Count" Basie grew up in a world unfamiliar to his white fans, the son of a coachman and a laundress. Author Larry Tye says the Duke, the Count, and Satchmo transformed America. The book is called "The Jazzmen" and Mr. Tye writes: "How better to bring alive the history of African America in the early to mid-1900s than through the singular lens of America's most gifted, engaging, and enduring African American musicians."

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Q&A: Patrick Kennedy, "Profiles in Mental Health Courage" May 06, 2024

Former congressman Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) talks about Americans who have struggled with mental illness and the stigma and silence that he says still surrounds it. He shares the stories of the people profiled in his book, "Profiles in Mental Health Courage," including himself and members of his own family.

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AW: David Sanger, "New Cold Wars" May 04, 2024

New York Times correspondent David Sanger spoke about China's rise, Russia's invasion of Ukraine & America's role in the world in the 21st century. He was interviewed by Harvard University Belfer Center senior fellow Paula Dobriansky.

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BN+: Carolyn Eisenberg, "Fire and Rain" Apr 30, 2024

The book "Fire and Rain" is a narrative, according to author Carolyn Woods Eisenberg, about the way national security decisions, formed at the highest level of government, affect the lives of individuals at home and abroad. Her primary focus is on the way the Nixon administration fought and ended the Vietnam War. Early in the book, Hofstra University professor Eisenberg quotes President Nixon's predecessor, Lyndon Johnson, during his 1964 election campaign: "We are not about to send American boys nine or ten thousand miles away from home to do what Asian boys ought to be doing for themselves." However, the U.S. left Vietnam permanently in 1975 and, at the end, the number of U.S. military personnel killed in the war was 58,098.

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Q&A: Jochen "Jack" Wurfl, "My Two Lives" Apr 29, 2024

Half Jewish and a member of the Hitler Youth who saw Adolf Hitler in person, Jochen "Jack" Wurfl, author of "My Two Lives," talks about surviving in Nazi Germany and his later life and success in the United States. To hide their identities after the Nazis took over in 1933, Mr. Wurfl and his brother were baptized Catholic and later joined the Hitler Youth. His Catholic father, deemed a political enemy by the state, was sent to a concentration camp in Austria, while his Jewish mother was arrested by the Gestapo and sent to Auschwitz, where she perished.

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AW: Susan Page, "The Rulebreaker - The Life and Times of Barbara Walters" Apr 27, 2024

USA Today's Susan Page spoke about the life and career of Barbara Walters. She was interviewed by former ABC News White House Correspondent Ann Compton.

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AB: Publishing Analyst Brenna Connor on Book Sales in 2024 Apr 26, 2024

Publishing industry analyst Brenna Connor discussed sales trends and bestsellers in the first quarter of 2024, as well as predictions for the remainder of the year. About Books also reported on the latest publishing news and new releases.

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BN+: Joseph Epstein, "Never Say You've Had a Lucky Life" Apr 23, 2024

Early in his newest of over 30 books, Joseph Epstein, our guest this week, writes: "I feel extremely lucky in all these realms in which I had no real choice: parents, epoch, country, and throw in religion, city, and social class." The 87-year-old Epstein, a longtime essayist for the Wall Street Journal, has written his autobiography called "Never Say You've Had a Lucky Life: Especially If You've Had a Lucky Life." He has spent 20 years as editor of The American Scholar and 30 years teaching in the English department at Northwestern University.

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Q&A: Zachary Treitz & Christian Hansen, "American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders" Apr 22, 2024

Filmmakers Zachary Treitz and Christian Hansen discuss their 4-part Netflix docuseries "American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders," about the events surrounding the death of freelance journalist Danny Casolaro (cas-uh-LARE-oh) in 1991. At the time of his death, officially ruled a suicide, Mr. Casolaro was working on a story about a series of crimes – including drug running, money laundering, and murder – that he argued were connected to a cabal of ex-government officials associated with the Reagan administration and the CIA. He referred to this group as "the Octopus."

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AW: Eddie Glaude, "We Are the Leaders We Have Been Looking For" Apr 20, 2024

Princeton University professor Eddie Glaude spoke about his views on Black politics & how the Black community moves forward in America's democracy. He was interviewed by Harvard University History, Race, & Public Policy Professor Khalil Gibran Muhammad.

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BN+: Chris Moody, "Finding Matt Drudge" Podcast Series Apr 16, 2024

Matt Drudge started his website called "The Drudge Report" in 1995. In those early days, he had just 1,000 e-mail subscribers. Within a short time that number jumped to hundreds of thousands. Up until the mid-2000s, Mr. Drudge was very visible, appearing on television and hosting his own radio show. After that, without notice, he disappeared from public view. Chris Moody, our guest this week, just finished hosting an 8-part podcast series called "Finding Matt Drudge." We asked him to tell us what he found.

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Q&A: Steven Conn, "The Lies of the Land" Apr 15, 2024

In "The Lies of the Land," Miami University (Oxford, Ohio) history professor Steven Conn argues that the reality of rural America today is vastly different from the way it is often portrayed by politicians and the media. He says rural Americans have not been left behind or been overlooked and are just as connected to the forces of American modernity – militarization, industrialization, corporatization, and suburbanization – as people living in the rest of the country.

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AW: Batya Ungar-Sargon "Second Class" Apr 13, 2024

Newsweek’s Batya Ungar-Sargon talks with working class Americans about their lives & policies they believe could help get them to the middle class.

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AB: Danny Heitman on Rereading the Classics Apr 12, 2024

Columnist Danny Heitman discussed the importance of rereading classical literature.

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BN+: Jack McCallum, "The Real Hoosiers" Apr 09, 2024

The book is called "The Real Hoosiers". The author is Pennsylvania-based Jack McCallum. He was a senior writer at Sports Illustrated for 30 years. "The Real Hoosiers" is a book about parts of Indiana, race, and basketball. To tell the story, McCallum focuses on the life of "The Big O," well-known basketball success Oscar Robertson, who is now 85 years old. Oscar Robertson started his career at Crispus Attucks High School in Indianapolis. Author McCallum says his is a story of a city, a state, and a country struggling to come to terms with race.

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Q&A: David Charter, "Royal Audience" Apr 08, 2024

The Times of London U.S. editor David Charter, author of "Royal Audience," discusses the special relationship that Queen Elizabeth II had with the United States and U.S. presidents over her 70-year reign as Britain's Head of State. Queen Elizabeth, who became queen in 1952 and passed away in 2022, had met and had varying degrees of personal relationships with 13 of the 14 U.S. presidents during her reign going back to Harry Truman.

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AW: Annie Jacobsen, "Nuclear War" Apr 06, 2024

Journalist Annie Jacobsen chronicled the sequence of events that would occur at home and around the globe following the launch of a nuclear missile. She was interviewed by author and national security analyst Joe Cirincione.

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BN+: Stephen Puleo, "The Great Abolitionist" Apr 02, 2024

Charles Sumner of Massachusetts was a United States Senator for 23 years. He lived to be 63, from January of 1811 to March of 1874. Stephen Puleo has written the first major, full biography of Sumner since 1960. It's titled "The Great Abolitionist: Charles Sumner and the Fight for a More Perfect Union." Mr. Puleo writes: "His positions cost him dearly. Southerners despised him, sometimes feared him, and celebrated gleefully when Sumner was beaten unconscious in the Senate chamber in May of 1856." Stephen Puleo first published the full story of the caning of Charles Sumner in 2012.

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Q&A: Dr. Uché Blackstock, "Legacy" Apr 01, 2024

Our guest this week is Dr. Uché Blackstock. She and her twin sister, Oni, are graduates of Harvard Medical School, as was their mother, Dr. Dale Gloria Blackstock. In fact, they were the first Black mother-daughter graduates of Harvard Medical School. Dr Blackstock's book, "Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons With Racism in Medicine," looks at some of the issues she sees facing Black doctors and patients today.

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AW: Jonathan Haidt, The Anxious Generation" Mar 30, 2024

NYU professor Jonathan Haidt argued that technology is harming the social development and mental health of children. He was interviewed by Harvard University Center for Digital Thriving co-director and author Emily Weinstein.

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AB: Jonathan Karp on 100 years of Simon & Schuster Mar 29, 2024

Simon & Schuster President & CEO Jonathan Karp discussed the company's 1924 founding, its role in publishing, and some of the authors it has published.

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BN+: Andrew Pettegree, "The Book at War" Mar 26, 2024

Andrew Pettegree is a British historian at St. Andrews University in Scotland. His specialty is the history of the book and media transformations. He has written a great deal about the written word with an emphasis on libraries. His latest book is titled "The Book at War: How Reading Shaped Conflict and Conflict Shaped Reading." In his introduction, Prof. Pettegree writes: "In all nations, once war broke out, writers and libraries were expected to play a full role in forging victory….after the Second World War the Allies would face the problems of how to sanitize, or exploit, the collections of the defeated."

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Q&A: Carlos Lozada, "The Washington Book" Mar 25, 2024

Pulitzer Prize-winning book critic and New York Times columnist Carlos Lozada, author of "The Washington Book," talks about the insights he gleaned from reading the memoirs, political biographies, and official reports written by politicians and government officials in Washington, DC.

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AW: Teresa Ghilarducci, "Work, Retire, Repeat - The Uncertainty of Retirement in the New Economy" Mar 23, 2024

New School economic professor Teresa Ghilarducci offered her thoughts on how to make retirement in the U.S. attainable for more Americans. She was interviewed by Washington Post economics correspondent Abha Bhattarai.

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BN+: Dorothy & Thomas Hoobler, "Are You Prepared for the Storm of Love Making?" Mar 19, 2024

In Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler's latest book, they open with this introduction: "This is a book of love stories. Every one of them involved a president of the United States, and we will tell their stories through letters they wrote. Through this collection of carefully chosen letters, we reveal the writers at their most vulnerable, providing a surprisingly intimate and deeply personal portrait that is often obscured by the public persona." Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler's book is titled "Are You Prepared for the Storm of Love Making?"

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Q&A: Rob Henderson, "Troubled" Mar 18, 2024

Columnist Rob Henderson talks about growing up as a troubled child in the U.S. foster care system, the hurdles he overcame to become successful, and what he learned about class divisions in America as a result. By age 8, after 5 years in the system, Mr. Henderson had lived in 9 different foster homes and attended 6 different schools. He eventually went on to join the military and obtain higher degrees in psychology from Yale and Cambridge universities.

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AW: Jane Marie, "Selling the Dream" Mar 16, 2024

Journalist Jane Marie reported on how multilevel marketing businesses make their profits. She was interviewed by Business Insider senior correspondent Emily Stewart.

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AB: 2024 Spring Book Preview Mar 15, 2024

National Book Critics Circle board member J. Howard Rosier previewed some of the nonfiction books being released this spring.

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BN+: James Traub, "True Believer" Mar 12, 2024

James Traub's latest book is titled "True Believer: Hubert Humphrey's Quest for a More Just America." In the introduction, Mr. Traub writes: "I return to Humphrey in order to explain what liberalism was at its ascendant moment, why it mattered so much to so may people, why it abruptly lost its appeal to the majority of Americans – and, perhaps, how it might rejuvenate itself." Hubert Humphrey served as mayor of Minneapolis, United States Senator, Vice President of the United States under Lyndon Johnson, and a candidate for President in several years, including 1968.

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Q&A: Scott Eyman, "Charlie Chaplin vs. America" Mar 11, 2024

Hollywood biographer Scott Eyman discusses his book "Charlie Chaplin vs. America," about the silent film star's fallout with the U.S. government during the Red Scare. Once a beloved actor and filmmaker, Charlie Chaplin became a target of right-wing politicians and the FBI after World War II because of his liberal political views and sexual interests. He was exiled from the U.S. in 1952 and didn't return until 1972.

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AW: Dr. Elizabeth Comen, "All in Her Head" Mar 09, 2024

Dr. Elizabeth Comen looked at the medical history of women's health and discussed how the narrative around women's bodies was shaped mostly by men. She was interviewed by Muhlenberg College Medical Humanities Program Director Jacqueline Antonovich.

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BN+: Peter Englund, "November 1942" Mar 05, 2024

The year is 1942, the month is November. The subject of Peter Englund's book is "An Intimate History of the Turning Point of World War II." Mr. Englund, who is based in his native Sweden, features close to 40 people from around the world and what they were doing during that month and year of the war. He writes that: "At the start of that [November] many people still believed that the Axis powers would be victorious. By the end of that month it had become clear that it was only a matter of time before [Germany, Japan, and Italy] would lose."

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Q&A: Katie Rogers, "American Woman" Mar 04, 2024

New York Times White House correspondent Katie Rogers discusses her book "American Woman," about the modern evolution of First Ladies of the United States. She talks about the impact and contributions of First Ladies of both parties going back to Hillary Clinton and their changing roles in the 21st century.

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AW: Kara Swisher, "Burn Book - A Tech Love Story" Mar 02, 2024

Journalist Kara Swisher spoke about her career and covering the tech industry and its key players. She was interviewed by author and Financial Times global business columnist and associate editor Rana Foroohar.

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Tony Lyons of Skyhorse Publishing Mar 01, 2024

Skyhorse President & Publisher Tony Lyons discusses the company he founded in 2006, his latest expansion efforts and outlook on the publishing industry.

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BN+: Jim Trusty, Defense Attorney Feb 27, 2024

Jim Trusty, our guest this week, is an attorney with 28 years of experience as a prosecutor, first in the state of Maryland and later with the U.S. Justice Department in Washington, DC. He has worked as an attorney for Donald Trump on several pending cases. In June last year, Mr. Trusty withdrew from representing former President Trump, citing irreconcilable differences. However, in his public appearances, Jim Trusty remains a critic of the different prosecutors and their approach to his former client.

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Q&A: Patti Davis, "Dear Mom and Dad" Feb 26, 2024

Patti Davis discusses her book "Dear Mom and Dad," a memoir written as a letter to her late parents, Ronald and Nancy Reagan. She talks about being in the spotlight after her father entered politics in the 1960s, her complicated relationship with her mother, her views on the Reagan administration's handling of illegal drugs and the AIDS epidemic, and more.

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AW: Marie Arana, "LatinoLand - A Portrait of America's Largest and Least Understood Minority" Feb 24, 2024

Writer Marie Arana shares stories and little-known histories of the diverse Latino population of America, the fastest-growing minority in the U.S.

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BN+: Glenn Kirschner, Former Federal Prosecutor & "Justice Matters" Host Feb 20, 2024

Glenn Kirschner, our guest this week, is an attorney with 30 years of trial experience. For 24 of those years, he prosecuted 50 murder trials for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington, DC. Three years ago, he created for YouTube viewers a daily video analysis of Donald Trump's legal issues and indictments. He calls his show "Justice Matters" and records his remarks from his home in Virginia. We asked him how he puts it all together. As you'll learn, he is not a fan of Donald Trump. Our next episode of Booknotes+ will feature Jim Trusty, a former attorney for the 45th president.

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Q&A: Speaker Don Scott (D), Virginia House of Delegates Feb 19, 2024

"For every young kid that makes a mistake, they can look at Don Scott and say, 'I'll never give up. I can still be what I want to be in America.'" That was former Republican governor Bob McDonnell of Virginia speaking about our guest this week, the state's newly elected Democratic speaker of the House of Delegates. Don Scott talks about the hurdles he overcame, including spending almost eight years in prison, to become Virginia's first Black speaker in 405 years.

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AW: Andrew Curran, "Who’s Black and Why?" Feb 17, 2024

Wesleyan University professor Andrew Curran looked at how the concept of race emerged during the 18th-century Enlightenment period. George Mason University history professor Christy Pichichero interviewed him.

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AB: Daniel Paisner on Ghostwriting Feb 16, 2024

Author Daniel Paisner discusses his ghostwriting career and the recent National Convention of Ghostwriters.

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BN+: Steven Ujifusa, "The Last Ships from Hamburg" Feb 13, 2024

"Between 1881 and 1914, over ten million people crossed the Atlantic from Europe to America, the largest mass migration of people from one continent to another in human history." Those are the words of our guest, Steven Ujifusa, from his introduction to his book "The Last Ships from Hamburg". Over 2.5 million of these immigrants to America were Jews. A significant percentage came from Russia. Mr. Ujifusa focuses mostly on three men to tell the story: Jacob Schiff of Kuhn, Loeb & Company; Albert Ballin, managing director of the Hamburg-American Line shipping company; and J.P. Morgan, mastermind of the International Mercantile Marine trust.

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Q&A: Charles Scribner III, "Scribners: Five Generations in Publishing" Feb 12, 2024

Charles Scribner III, author of "Scribners: Five Generations in Publishing," talks about his family's history at the famous publishing house that was founded by his great-great-grandfather in 1846. He also shares stories about some of the authors published by Scribner over the decades, including Edith Wharton, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Winston Churchill.

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AW: Coleman Hughes, "The End of Race Politics" Feb 10, 2024

Writer and podcaster Coleman Hughes argued that the U.S. should move towards a colorblind approach to politics and race. He was interviewed by the Atlantic staff writer and author Thomas Chatterton Williams.

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BN+: Benn Steil, "The World That Wasn't" Feb 06, 2024

Henry Wallace was President Franklin Roosevelt's vice president during his third term, 1941-1945. FDR then chose Harry Truman as vice president in his fourth and last term. In author Benn Steil's book "The World That Wasn't: Henry Wallace and the Fate of the American Century," he writes, "Wallace loved humankind but was mostly vexed or bored by humans…" Steil takes us through Wallace's life, from Iowa farm boy to presidential candidate on the Progressive ticket in 1948. Wallace preached the supremacy of human rights over property rights yet excused the absence of human rights in Russia.

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QA: Sebastian Thrun, AI Pioneer & Tech Entrepreneur Feb 05, 2024

Tech entrepreneur Sebastian Thrun talks about his work in Silicon Valley and the future of artificial intelligence. Thrun, formerly a vice president at Google, is the founder or co-founder of Google X (R&D), Waymo (self-driving cars), Google Brain (AI), Kitty Hawk (flying vehicles), and Udacity (online learning).

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AW: Ijeoma Oluo, "Be a Revolution" Feb 03, 2024

Writer Ijeoma Oluo looked at how everyday Americans are fighting oppression in our systems and institutions to bring about change in communities. She was interviewed by author and activist Soraya Chemaly.

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AB: Mary Beth Tinker on Book Bans & Free Speech Feb 02, 2024

Free speech activist Mary Beth Tinker discussed Iowa's state law on "age-appropriate" books in public school libraries. About Books also reported on the latest publishing industry news and current non-fiction books.

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BN: H.W. Brands, "Founding Partisans" Jan 30, 2024

Henry William Brands Jr. has written close to 40 books in the past 36 years. The Portland, Oregon, native is a professor of history at the University of Texas at Austin, the same school where he earned his PhD in 1985. His first American history book, written in 1988, was titled "Cold Warriors: Eisenhower's Generation and American Foreign Policy." The list of other books includes one on Lyndon Johnson, Benjamin Harrison, Woodrow Wilson, Andrew Jackson, U.S. Grant, Abraham Lincoln, FDR, and many others. We talked to Prof. Brands about these and his newest offering, "Founding Partisans," about Hamilton, Madison, Jefferson, and John Adams.

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QA: Betty Koed, "Scenes" Jan 29, 2024

ALL NEW EPISODE!!!

Retired U.S. Senate Historian Betty Koed shares stories from her book "Scenes: People, Places and Events That Shaped the United States Senate." It's a collection of brief chronicles of Senate history that she presented to Senators during their Tuesday caucus lunches between 2009 and 2023.

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AW: Donald McNeil, "The Wisdom of Plagues - Lessons from 25 Years of Covering Pandemics" Jan 27, 2024

Journalist Donald McNeil spoke about what he's learned from covering pandemics for 25 years for the New York Times. He was interviewed by Science Magazine senior correspondent Jon Cohen.

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BN: Ep 150 Nigel Hamilton, "FDR at War" Trilogy Jan 23, 2024

When Nigel Hamilton was a student at Cambridge University in Great Britain, he stayed for a brief time with Winston and Lady Churchill at their home at Chartwell in Kent. He also spent hours talking about World War II with Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery. These experiences led to a life as an author about history. Nigel Hamilton first moved to the United States in 1988 and is now a U.S. citizen. He's based in the Boston area and his books include "JFK: Reckless Youth," two volumes on President Bill Clinton, and a trilogy on FDR as Commander in Chief during World War II from 1941 to 1945.

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AW: David Stockman, "Trump's War on Capitalism" Jan 20, 2024

Reagan OMB director David Stockman argued that the economic policies of the Trump administration were a failure. He was interviewed by New York Times Federal Reserve & economy reporter Jeanna Smialek.

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AB: Brad Meltzer's Ordinary People Change the World Series Jan 18, 2024

Author Brad Meltzer discussed the 10th anniversary of his children's series Ordinary People Change the World. About Books also reported on the latest publishing industry news and current non-fiction books.

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BN: Kira Anne West, Defense Attorney Jan 16, 2024

It has been 3 years since the January 6th events at the U.S. Capitol occurred. Since that time close to 300 individuals have been charged with a crime by the U.S. Justice Department. Because of the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and subsequent Supreme Court decisions, defendants have a right to an attorney, paid for by the taxpayers if necessary. Kira (KEER-uh) Anne West, our guest this week, has been one of the defense attorneys involved in the January 6th trials in the United States District Court of the District of Columbia. She's a graduate of Drake University Law School in Des Moines, Iowa.

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AW: Rachel Slade, "Making It in America" Jan 13, 2024

Journalist Rachel Slade looked at the challenges of manufacturing goods in the United States through the lens of a sweatshirt company in Maine. She was interviewed by author and New York Times editorial board member Farah Stockman.

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BN: Amrita Chakrabarti Myers, "The Vice President's Black Wife" Jan 09, 2024

The name of the book is "The Vice President's Black Wife." The author is Amrita Chakrabarti Myers. Prof. Myers teaches history at Indiana University. She explains best what is between the covers of her book in the first paragraph of the introduction: "This is the story of an American family. Set in Great Crossing, Kentucky, in the early nineteenth century, it’s a tale that seems typical at first glance: a plantation owner was sexually involved with an enslaved woman and had children with her. The union of Julia Ann Chinn and Richard Mentor Johnson, a congressman from Kentucky who became vice president of the United States in 1837 under Martin Van Buren is, however, anything but standard."

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Q&A: Cassandra Good, "First Family" Jan 08, 2024

Historian Cassandra Good talks about the lives and complicated legacies of George Washington's heirs. George and Martha Washington never had children together, but they raised Martha's children, and later grandchildren, as their own. Together they made up America's first "first family." This program originally aired in June 2023.

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AW: Peter Biskind, "Pandora's Box - How Guts, Guile, and Greed Upended TV" Jan 07, 2024

Cultural critic and film historian Peter Biskind looked at the changes in television over the past 40 years from the networks to cable to streaming. He was interviewed by Wall Street Journal media and entertainment bureau chief Amol Sharma.

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AB: John Sargent, "Turning Pages" Jan 05, 2024

Former Macmillan CEO John Sargent discussed his memoir about his four decades in the publishing industry. About Books also reported on the latest publishing industry news and current non-fiction books.

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BN: Ross Perot on His Life & Career Jan 02, 2024

With less than a year to go before the 2024 presidential election, there continues to be a lot of chatter about the possible impact of a candidate on the ballot who is not a Republican or a Democrat. Over the years, third party candidates have made a difference in several elections. The third party candidate to get the largest percentage of votes was Teddy Roosevelt in 1912, at 27 percent. Next was Ross Perot at 19 percent in 1992. His campaign didn't start until the same year of the election. Here he is, from March 1992, talking about his life and politics.

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Q&A: Craig Fehrman, "Author in Chief" Jan 01, 2024

Journalist and historian Craig Fehrman analyzes American presidents through the lens of the books they've written. This program originally aired in February of 2020.

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BONUS EPISODE: Convo w/ New Q&A Host Peter Slen Dec 27, 2023

This week a conversation with the new host of Q&A, Peter Slen. We discuss the mission of the program, what to expect, and the best parts of hosting a one-hour conversation with interesting individuals.

All new episodes of Q&A begin on January 28th, 2024.

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BN: R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr., "How Do We Get Out of Here?" Dec 26, 2023

On the cover of R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.'s memoir is a photo of him holding a 3-olive martini. It was obviously his choice and part of a message he chooses to send his readers about his life after 79 years. Mr. Tyrrell founded the American Spectator magazine in 1967. In the author's bio in the back of the book it says: "He has never had another job, though he came terrifyingly close in the late 1960s when the Vice President asked him to join his staff. After strenuous negotiations, the Vice President settled for Tyrrell as a consultant. After that the Vice President resigned." The Vice President was Spiro Agnew.

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Q&A: Kate Bowler, "Everything Happens for a Reason" Dec 25, 2023

Prosperity gospel scholar, Kate Bowler, discusses her memoir, "Everything Happens for a Reason," in which she reflects on being diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer and the age of 35. This program originally aired in February of 2018.

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BN: Nick Bunker, "In the Shadow of Fear" Dec 19, 2023

British-born author Nick Bunker, our guest this week, has written books on the Mayflower Pilgrims, the Revolutionary War, and a biography of Benjamin Franklin. Lately he has turned his attention to America and the world in 1950. His book is titled "In the Shadow of Fear." Nick Bunker, a graduate of King's College, Cambridge, and Columbia University, focuses on names like Joseph McCarthy, Harry Truman, Dean Acheson, Margaret Chase Smith, George Marshall, Robert Taft, Alger Hiss, Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin, and Mao Zedong. In addition, Bunker pays close attention to the Korean War.

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Q&A: Susannah Cahalan, "The Great Pretender" Dec 18, 2023

Journalist Susannah Cahalan discusses her book "The Great Pretender," about a 1973 experiment, led by Stanford psychologist David Rosenhan, that was conducted to test the legitimacy of psychiatric hospitals in America. For the experiment, Prof. Rosenhan and seven other healthy individuals checked themselves into mental asylums claiming that they were experiencing hallucinations. Once inside, they acted normally and told doctors that the hallucinations had subsided, but they weren't allowed to leave until they admitted to having a mental illness and agreeing to take antipsychotic drugs to treat their conditions. Susannah Cahalan talks about the experiment and the impact that the resulting study – "On Being Sane in Insane Places" – had on the psychiatric profession. This program originally aired in November of 2019.

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AW: Tim Alberta "The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory" Dec 17, 2023

The Atlantic staff writer Tim Alberta examined the evangelical movement in America and its intersection with political issues. He was interviewed by Messiah University history professor and author John Fea.

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BN: Michael Bryant (Co-Editor), "Hitler's 'Mein Kampf' and the Holocaust" Dec 12, 2023

Michael S. Bryant, our guest this week, is a professor of history and legal studies specializing in the impact of the Holocaust. He's based at Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island. Among his many writings he co-edited and contributed an essay to a book titled "Hitler's 'Mein Kampf' and the Holocaust." In the introduction, the editors point out that: "When the Bavarian government's copyright to Adolf Hitler's 'Mein Kampf' lapsed on January 1, 2016, the opportunity to reissue the book in German arose for the first time since 1945."

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Q&A: Daryl Davis, Musician & Author Dec 11, 2023

Musician and author, Daryl Davis, who, for over 30 years, has befriended members of the Ku Klux Klan to try to understand their hatred and to convince them that they are wrong. He is the author of "Klan-destine Relationships" and was featured in the documentary "Accidental Courtesy." This program originally aired in November of 2017.

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AW: Jeff Horwitz, "Broken Code Inside Facebook and the Fight to Expose Its Harmful Secrets" Dec 10, 2023

Wall Street Journal technology reporter Jeff Horwitz discusses Facebook's growth as a company and the challenges its platforms have faced. He's interviewed by Bloomberg News reporter Sarah Frier.

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AB: Transit Books with Adam Levy Dec 08, 2023

Adam Levy discusses his publishing company, Transit Books, which focuses on international literature and translated books.

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BN: McKay Coppins, "Romney" Dec 05, 2023

It's not normal to hear what a politician really thinks about his or her colleagues in the United States House and Senate while they are still in office. McKay Coppins of the Atlantic magazine, our guest this week, tried to change that with his bestselling book about Senator Mitt Romney of Utah. The book, called "Romney: A Reckoning," is, according to the publisher, "a redemptive story about a flawed politician who summoned his moral courage just as fear and divisiveness were overtaking American life."

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Q&A: Erik Larson, "In the Garden of Beasts" Dec 04, 2023

Erik Larson talked about the life of William E. Dodd, who became America's first ambassador to Adolf Hitler's Germany in Berlin during 1933.

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AW: Jennifer Burns, "Milton Friedman - The Last Conservative" Dec 03, 2023

Stanford University history professor Jennifer Burns discussed the life and career of economist Milton Friedman. She was interviewed by CATO Institute vice president for economic and social policy studies Alex Nowrasteh.

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BN: Historians Douglas Brinkley, Joanne Freeman, Edna Medford and H.W. Brands on the Experiment of Democracy in America Nov 28, 2023

At the beginning of November, the George Washington Presidential Library in Mount Vernon celebrated its 10th anniversary with a symposium titled, "The Great Experiment – Democracy from the Founding to the Future." Guests on this panel included: Historians H.W. Brands of the University of Texas, Douglas Brinkley of Rice, Joanne Freeman of Yale, and Edna Medford of Howard University. One point of the discussion was the Mount Vernon poll that found that 2/3rds of Americans are pessimistic about the country's direction and dissatisfied with the political climate.

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Q&A: Jesse Holland, "The Invisibles: The Untold Story of African American Slaves in the White House" Nov 27, 2023

Jesse Holland talked about his book, The Invisibles: The Untold Story of African American Slaves in the White House.

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BN: Sarah Ogilvie, "The Dictionary People" Nov 21, 2023

Sarah Ogilvie spent 8 years studying the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary. Her book is called "The Dictionary People." Ogilvie, who has a PhD in linguistics from Oxford University, studied over 3,000 original contributors to the dictionary. In her introduction to the book, she writes: "I was thrilled to discover not one but three murderers, a pornography collector, Karl Marx’s daughter, a president of Yale, the inventor of the tennis-net adjuster, a pair of lesbian writers who wrote under a male pen name, and a cocaine addict found dead in a railway station lavatory."

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Q&A: Gerald Blaine and Clint Hill, "The Kennedy Detail: JFK’s Secret Service Agents Break Their Silence.” Nov 20, 2023

Gerald Blaine and Clint Hill, two former Secret Service agents, spoke about the day that President Kennedy was assassinated. They also talked about the assassination’s conspiracy theories and their lives after retirement from the Secret Service.. Gerald Blaine is author of the new book, “The Kennedy Detail: JFK’s Secret Service Agents Break Their Silence.” Clint Hill wrote the prologue for the book as well as cooperating in interviews for the book’s content.

Gerald Blaine worked for the Secret Service from 1959 to 1964. Blaine worked for several businesses after his time as an agent. Clint Hill was in the U.S. Army for three years before working for the Secret Service from 1958 to 1975. Mr. Hill was the Secret Service agent who jumped onto the trunk of the motorcade seconds after Kennedy was shot. Both men are currently retired.

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AW: Fei-Fei Li, "The World's I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of AI" Nov 19, 2023

Stanford University's Fei-Fei Li spoke about her life and journey to becoming one of the leading scientists in the field of artificial intelligence. She's interviewed by New Scientist technology reporter Jeremy Hsu.

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BTSA: "The Words of Cesar Chavez" with historian Miriam Pawl Nov 17, 2023

Born in Yuma, Arizona, César Chávez began his working life as a manual laborer. After serving in the U.S. Navy, Chávez moved to California to join an organization that helped laborers register to vote. This week's guest is historian Miriam Pawl. He later began organizing strikes among farm workers, calling for better pay and working conditions. Chávez eventually co-founded the labor union that became known as United Farm Workers. In this first published anthology, from 2002, the editors of The Words of César Chávez reveal how the labor leader presented his calls to action and sought to inspire his audiences.

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BN: Martin Gurri, "The Revolt of the Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium" Nov 14, 2023

Martin Gurri is a former CIA analyst who writes about the relationship between politics and media. Gurri was born in Cuba and came to the United States with his parents in the 1950s. In 2014 he self-published an e-book titled "The Revolt of the Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium." It was republished in hardback in 2018. Martin Gurri says his thesis is a simple one: "The information technologies of the twenty-first century have enabled the public, composed of amateurs, people from nowhere, to break the power of political hierarchies of the industrial age."

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Q&A: Rosemary Stevens, "A Time of Scandal: Charles R. Forbes, Warren G. Harding, and the Making of the Veterans Bureau" Nov 13, 2023

Rosemary Stevens talked about her book, A Time of Scandal: Charles R. Forbes, Warren G. Harding, and the Making of the Veterans Bureau.

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AW: Greg Lukianoff, "The Canceling of the American Mind" Nov 12, 2023

Foundation for Individual Rights & Expression president Greg Lukianoff argues that the right to free speech is being threatened by cancel culture. He was interviewed by Reason Magazine's Matt Welch.

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BTSA: "Free to Choose" Milton & Rose Friedman with Prof. Mark Skousen Nov 10, 2023

Milton Friedman was a 1976 Nobel Prize-winning American economist and advisor to President Ronald Reagan and conservative British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, among others. This week, a conversation with his friend and a Professor at Chapman University, Mark Skousen. In 1980, Friedman partnered with his wife, Rose, to create a 10-part television series for PBS titled "Free to Choose." The Friedmans argued that free-market capitalism works best for all members of society, leading to problem-solving where other economic approaches have failed. The companion book to the PBS series, also titled Free to Choose, was among the best-selling non-fiction books of 1980.

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AB: Stephen Friot, "Containing History" Nov 10, 2023

U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Friot discussed his book on Cold War history and how it explains current U.S.-Russia relations. About Books also reported on the latest publishing industry news and current non-fiction books.

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BN: Robert Hartley, "Purpose, Power & Prison" Nov 07, 2023

When you read about the political history of Illinois, you often see the word "corruption." For instance, from January 1961 until January 2009 Illinois citizens elected 8 different men to be their governor. Four of those eventually went to prison, all convicted after they were out of office. Our guest this week, Robert Hartley, has written 11 books about the politicians of Illinois, including one titled "Power, Purpose & Prison." Mr. Hartley writes that these men met their downfall under different circumstances. He asks: "Where did they go wrong?" and "Were they able to recover self-respect in spite of their punishment?"

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Q&A: Randy Barnett and Evan Bernick, "The Original Meaning of the 14th Amendment" Nov 06, 2023

Professors Randy Barnett and Evan Bernick talked about their book, The Original Meaning of the 14th Amendment. They argued that the 14th Amendment, which gave the federal judiciary and Congress new powers over the states, has been misinterpreted by conservative and liberal judges alike since its adoption in 1868.

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AW: Ruth Simmons, "Up Home - One Girl's Journey" Nov 05, 2023

Ruth Simmons spoke about her journey from poverty to academia, serving as president of Smith College, Brown University & Prairie View A&M University. She was interviewed by author Freeman Hrabowski.

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BTSA: "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston w/ Prof. Gary Richards Nov 03, 2023

Zora Neale Hurston brings to life a Southern love story that explores race, gender roles, and identity, which influenced African-American and women's literature. In this episode, we speak with English Professor Gary Richards of The University of Mary Washington. The book is considered a classic of the Harlem Renaissance.

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BN: Ben Stein, "The Peacemaker" Oct 31, 2023

Ben Stein, our guest this week, is close to 80 years old. When he was in his 20s he wrote speeches for Richard Nixon. He wants you to know that he still calls Mr. Nixon his hero. Mr. Stein also tells you in his latest book about what he's done since those early years: "I've worked as a university teacher, a columnist for the Wall Street Journal, a scriptwriter, a novelist, an investigator into financial fraud for Barron's, a columnist for the late greatly lamented Los Angeles Herald Examiner, a writer and a commentator on economics, an actor, a game show host, a talk show host, a father, and a husband." His book is called "The Peacemaker: Nixon – The Man, President, and My Friend."

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Q&A: Tom Cronin, "Imagining a Great Republic" Oct 30, 2023

Professor Tom Cronin talked about his book, Imagining a Great Republic, a survey of American novels that have helped tell the story of the American political experiment.

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AW: Martin Baron, "Collision of Power" Oct 29, 2023

Martin Baron talks about leading the Washington Post as executive editor under the ownership of Jeff Bezos & during Donald Trump’s presidency. He's interviewed by NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik.

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BTSA: "My Antonia" by Willa Cather w/ Historian Richard Norton Smith Oct 27, 2023

Willa Cather's novel, My Ántonia, evokes the Nebraska prairie life of her childhood and pays tribute to the spirit and courage of immigrant pioneers in America. Historian Richard Norton Smith discusses Cather's works, including My Antonia, which was written in 1918. The book tells the story of a girl who arrives on the frontier as part of a family of Bohemian immigrants, and her friendship with an orphaned boy who taught her English. The novel explores issues facing women of the time in that region, and the meaning of success in America.

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AB: Book Bans & School Libraries Oct 27, 2023

Bridgette Exman discussed her actions when she was criticized nationally for her efforts to comply with a state law on "age appropriate" books in Mason City, Iowa, school libraries. About Books also reported on the latest publishing industry news and current non-fiction books.

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BN: Brooke Barbier, "King Hancock" Oct 24, 2023

John Hancock is one of the most famous signatures in the history of the United States. Most people don’t know much more than that about him. Brooke Barbier, our guest this week, who is the founder of Ye Olde Tavern Tours of Boston, wants to change your perception of this American signer of the Declaration of Independence. Barbier's newest book is called "King Hancock." He got that moniker back in the middle of the 1700s. The author writes: "His stature eventually rose so high that he became known by both his friends and enemies by that name."

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Q&A: Elizabeth Papez on Chief Justices of the Supreme Court Oct 23, 2023

Elizabeth Papez talked about the influence of Chief Justice John Roberts and other high-profile chief justices on the direction of the Supreme Court as well as American life. Ms. Papez is a litigator and partner in the firm of Gibson Dunn who previously clerked for Associate Justice Clarence Thomas and served as deputy assistant attorney general during the George W. Bush administration.

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AW: Ryan Reilly, "Sedition Hunters - How January 6th Broke the Justice System" Oct 22, 2023

NBC News' Ryan Reilly chronicled how citizens helped law enforcement find individuals involved in the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. He was interviewed by Politico senior legal affairs reporter Kyle Cheney.

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BTSA: The Life of Mark Twain w/ Professor Matt Seybold Oct 20, 2023

Our guest this week is Elmira College Professor Matt Seybold, who shares insights and introspections into the life of Mark Twain. Named among the great American novels, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been known internationally since its first printing in 1884 and remains popular yet controversial.

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BTSA: "The Common Law" by Oliver Wendell Holmes w/ Historian Stephen Budiansky Oct 18, 2023

Our guest this week is historian Stephen Budianksy, who shares his insights into the late Justice's life and work.

After serving in the Civil War, during which he was wounded, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. became a scholar and jurist, eventually rising to the U.S. Supreme Court after being nominated by President Theodore Roosevelt.

While practicing law in Boston, Holmes summarized a series of lectures he had delivered and had them published in 1881 as a book titled The Common Law. Holmes is known for the maxim, "The life of the law has not been logic: it has been experience," and that the law develops according to the "felt necessities of the time." He served on the high court for nearly 30 years, retiring at age 90, and has been of the most frequently cited justices.

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BN: Diana Henriques, "Taming the Street" Oct 17, 2023

Diana Henriques is the author of 5 previous books including "The Wizard of Lies: Bernie Madoff and the Death of Trust." Originally from Bryan, Texas, and Roanoke, Virginia, Ms. Henriques spent 22 years as a reporter with the New York Times. In her latest book "Taming the Street," she writes in the preface: "My mission is to describe just one of the New Deal's most significant achievements, clearing out the vicious jungle that was the nation's financial landscape in the 1920s and replacing it with a well-tended terrain where ordinary Americans could save and invest with confidence."

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AW: Cameron McWhirter and Zusha Elinson, "American Gun" Oct 15, 2023

Wall Street Journal reporters Cameron McWhirter and Zusha Elinson discuss the history of the AR-15 and how the weapon has influenced American gun culture. They were interviewed by author and journalist Paul Barrett.

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BN: Kenneth Rendell, "Safeguarding History" Oct 10, 2023

Historian Andrew Roberts calls this week's guest Kenneth Rendell the "manuscript whisperer." Rendell's new book is about his travelling the world during his career buying and selling significant historical letters and documents, from the Renaissance to the present day. The title of his book is "Safeguarding History: Trailblazing Adventures Inside the Worlds of Collecting and Forging History." One of the stories he tells is about his role in determining whether the Hitler diaries, published in 1983, were real or fake.

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Q&A: Michael Green, "The Speaker of the House: A Study of Leadership" Oct 09, 2023

Kevin McCarthy earned a place in the history books this week as the first Speaker of the House to be voted out of office. Just 9 months into his term, Speaker McCarthy was challenged by a "motion to vacate" offered by Florida Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz. McCarthy lost by 6 votes; with all Democrats voting against him.

Kevin McCarthy, a California republican, was the 55th Speaker of the House. Second in line to the presidency, the Speaker is the political and parliamentary leader of the House of Representatives, and the de facto leader of the Majority. As Republicans mull their choice for a new Speaker, we look back to a Q&A episode from February of 2018 on the historical power and influence of the House Speaker of. Our guest is Michael Green, author of The Speaker of the House: A study of Leadership. You'll learn about the role of the Speaker and the tenures of Henry Clay, Joe Cannon, Newt Gingrich and Nancy Pelosi.

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AW: Melissa Kearney, "The Two-Parent Privilege" Oct 08, 2023

Economist Melissa Kearney argues that the decline in two-parent married households is a driving factor in many of America's economic issues. She was interviewed by American Enterprise Institute's Center on Opportunity and Social Mobility director Scott Winship.

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BTSA: Life of Frederick Douglas w/ Prof. David Blight Oct 06, 2023

Our guest this week is Pultizer-Prize-winning Yale Professor David Blight. He expounds on the life of Frederick Douglas when he learned to read and write, and his relationship with President Abraham Lincoln.

Born into slavery in Maryland, Frederick Douglass went on to become a writer, orator, statesman, and key leader in the abolitionist movement. After his escape to freedom as an adult, Douglass in 1845 wrote the first of his three autobiographies, titled The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave.

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BN: Fox News Contributor Karl Rove on America's Broken Politics Oct 03, 2023

"America is deeply divided. Our politics is broken, marked by anger, contempt and distrust. We must acknowledge that reality but not lose historical perspective. It’s bad now, but it’s been worse before—and not only during the Civil War." These are the words of Fox News contributor Karl Rove, a longtime political consultant and former senior adviser to President George W. Bush. He wrote them under the headline: "America Is Often a Nation Divided," in a recent Saturday edition of the Wall Street Journal. The piece is historical and starts back when the country began.

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QA: Randall Eliason, On Senator Bob Menendez's First Trial Oct 02, 2023

In a dip into the Q&A archives, an interview from 2017 with former federal prosecutor and George Washington University Law School professor Randall Eliason. He talked about the ongoing trial of Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and other prominent political corruption cases that came before.

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AW: Adam Nagourney, "The Times" Oct 01, 2023

New York Times reporter Adam Nagourney looked at the successes and failures of the last four decades of "the paper of record," The New York Times. He was interviewed by Columbia Journalism Review contributor Jon Allsop.

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AB: The Internet Archive & Digital Libraries Sep 29, 2023

Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle discusses digital libraries, legal disputes over electronic book lending, and copyright laws.

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BTSA: Journals of Lewis and Clark w/ Author Lanny Jones Sep 28, 2023

Our guest this week is author, historian, and magazine editor Lanny Jones. He is the author of "William Clark and the Shaping of the West. His latest work is Celebrity Nation.

Shortly after the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, President Thomas Jefferson commissioned Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore and map the newly acquired territory and to seek a water route to the Pacific Ocean. Lewis and Clark's two-year Tour of Discovery ended in September 1806 as the explorers returned to St. Louis with maps, sketches and journals detailing the region's plants, animal life, geography, and indigenous people.

In 1814, many Americans were able to learn for the first time about the western lands upon the publishing of the book titled History of the Expedition Under the Command of Captains of Lewis and Clark.

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BN: Charlotte Gray, "Passionate Mothers, Powerful Sons" Sep 26, 2023

Author Charlotte Gray, our guest this week, is a Canadian born in Great Britain who now lives in a suburb of Ottawa. Her book "Passionate Mothers, Powerful Sons" is about Jennie Jerome Churchill and Sara Delano Roosevelt. The former Jennie Jerome was born in the United States and was the mother of Winston Churchill. Sara Delano married James Roosevelt and became the mother of FDR in 1882. Charlotte Gray writes that one of the reasons to write about these two women is that: "Their reputations, so different within their lifetimes, have both suffered since their deaths."

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AW: Meg Kissinger, "While You Were Out - An Intimate Family Portrait of Mental Illness in an Era of Silence" Sep 24, 2023

Meg Kissinger spoke about her family's struggle with mental illness and her coverage of mental health care in America as a journalist. She was interviewed by Mindsite News founding editor Rob Waters.

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BTSA: James Madison, Alexander Hamilton & John Jay "The Federalist Papers" Sep 22, 2023

Colleen Sheehan, Arizona State University Professor, discusses the early life and times of the Federalist's three authors. She explains how their lives challenged their writing and thinking. Plus their lasting legacy today.

In September 1787, the newly drafted Constitution of the United States was sent to the states for ratification. Responding to initial public criticism of the document, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay - under the collective pseudonym "Publius" - wrote a series of 85 essays to promote the ratification of the Constitution. The essays were first published in several New York newspapers and were later combined into a book titled The Federalist. Today, the original essays are commonly referred to as The Federalist Papers

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BN: Erec Smith, Co-Founder of Free Black Thought Sep 19, 2023

Erec Smith, our guest this week, is an associate professor of rhetoric at York College of Pennsylvania. He is also the co-founder of Free Black Thought, a website that "seeks to represent the rich diversity of black thought beyond the relatively narrow spectrum of views promoted by mainstream outlets..." In a Newsweek article, Prof. Smith wrote: "We hear endlessly about systemic racism, white supremacy, the black/white income gap, and police brutality. So powerful an ideology has this narrative become that those of us who pose a credible counter-narrative—black anti-woke writers, for example—frequently find our words being misconstrued in an effort to stanch their impact."

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Q&A: Cliff Sloan, "The Court at War Sep 17, 2023

Georgetown University law professor Cliff Sloan, author of "The Court at War," talks about the civil rights and civil liberties cases taken up by the U.S. Supreme Court during World War Two and the influence that FDR had on the justices, the vast majority of whom he appointed.

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AW: Loren Grush, "The Six - The Untold Story of America's First Women Astronauts" Sep 17, 2023

Journalist Loren Grush detailed the history & experiences of the six women selected in 1978 to become America's first female astronauts. She was interviewed by former NASA deputy administrator Lori Garver.

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AB: Fall Book Preview with Colette Bancroft Sep 15, 2023

Tampa Bay Times book critic Colette Bancroft previews some of the most anticipated non-fiction books being released this fall. About Books also reported on the latest publishing industry news.

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BTSA: Professor Richard Bell on "Common Sense" Thomas Paine (1776) Sep 15, 2023

Englishman Thomas Paine arrived in America in 1774 as the conflict between the colonies and Great Britain peaked. Up to that point, the colonies were said to have considered negotiation rather than separating from Britain. This week, University of Maryland history professor Richard Bell joins BTSA to discuss Paine's arguments, his life, and what led him to publish Common Sense.

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BN: Lindsay Chervinsky, "The Cabinet" Sep 12, 2023

Lindsay Chervinsky is a presidential historian who has written what she says is the first book on the presidential cabinet. It's called "The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution." It was on November 26, 1791, that President George Washington convened his cabinet department secretaries: Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, Henry Knox, and Edmund Randolph. It was the first cabinet meeting ever held. Among other things, we asked Lindsay Chervinsky why Washington waited a full two and a half years into his presidency to call everyone together.

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Q&A: Richard Striner, "Ike in Love and War" Sep 11, 2023

Historian Richard Striner talks about his book "Ike in Love and War," about the personal life and career of Dwight D. Eisenhower, covering everything from his upbringing and military service to his two-terms as president of the United States. Mr. Striner also talks about the three women Eisenhower fell in love with over his lifetime: Gladys Harding, Mamie Doud (later Mamie Eisenhower), and Kay Summersby, a Brit who served as Eisenhower's driver during World War Two.

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AW: Cara Fitzpatrick, "The Death of Public School" Sep 10, 2023

Chalkbeat editor Cara Fitzpatrick looked at the school choice movement and the future of education in America. She was interviewed by Washington Post education reporter Moriah Balingit.

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BN: Politico's Kyle Cheney on the January 6 Trials Sep 05, 2023

It has been 32 months since the attack on the U.S. Capitol that disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress in the process of completing the presidential election result. More than 1,100 defendants have been charged in nearly all 50 states and the District of Columbia. More than 110 individuals have been found guilty of felonies. Kyle Cheney of Politico has spent a lot of time during these past months covering the trial in the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia. We asked him to give us an overview of what these court proceedings have looked like up close.

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Q&A: Richard Norton Smith, "An Ordinary Man" Sep 04, 2023

Presidential historian and author Richard Norton Smith discusses his biography of President Gerald Ford titled "An Ordinary Man." He talks about Ford's personal life, anti-establishment politics, and post-presidential years. He also talks about the efforts made by President Ford to heal the country following the Watergate scandal and his controversial decision to pardon Richard Nixon.

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BN: Matthew Delmont, "Half American" Sep 03, 2023

The title of Dartmouth history professor Matthew Delmont's latest book is "Half American: The Epic Story of African Americans Fighting World War II at Home and Abroad." Prof. Delmont, our guest this week, writes in his introduction that: "Nearly everything about the war – the start and end dates, geography, vital military roles, home front, and international implications – looks different form the African American perspective." He points out that ultimately, over one million Black men and women served in World War II.

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AB: Max Miller, "Tasting History" Sep 01, 2023

YouTuber Max Miller discussed his cookbook which explores history through recipes. About Books also reported on the latest publishing industry news and current non-fiction books.

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BN: Luke Nichter, "The Year That Broke Politics" Aug 29, 2023

Chapman University professor Luke Nichter is the author of the book "The Year That Broke Politics: Collusion and Chaos in the Presidential Election of 1968." Professor Nichter is also the creator of nixontapes.org, the "only website dedicated solely to the scholarly production and dissemination of digitized Nixon tape audio and transcripts." Nichter's book focuses on the 1968 presidential race and the contentious battle between Vice President Hubert Humphrey, Richard Nixon, and George Wallace.

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Q&A: Jean Twenge, "Generations" Aug 28, 2023

San Diego State University psychology professor Jean Twenge discusses her book "Generations," about the differences between the six generations – The Silents, Baby Boomers, Gen. X, Millennials, Gen. Y and "The Polars" – currently living in the United States. She argues that technological advances shape generations more than anything else and talks about the impact this will have on the country in the future.

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BN: Craig Nelson, "V Is For Victory" Aug 22, 2023

Craig Nelson, in his book "V Is For Victory," reports on the number of casualties from World War II. He writes that, according to the U.S. Department of Defense, the military casualties were 1,870,000 (405,000 killed and 673,115 wounded). Then, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were over 8.9 million American war industry worker casualties (75,400 dead and over 8.8 million wounded) between 1942 and 1945. Author Craig Nelson, our guest this week, further says: "Across history, the 'arsenal of democracy' has come to mean this miracle of American manufacturing. When Roosevelt used the term, however, he meant the miracle of the American people."

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Q&A: Shahan Mufti on the 1977 Siege of Washington, D.C. Aug 21, 2023

Our guest is Shahan Mufti's, who's new book, American Caliph, recounts an event that's been lost to history-- the March 9th, 1977 Hanafi Muslim siege in Washington, D.C. That day, three buildings in Washington, D.C. were seized by 12 Hanafi Movement gunmen and were held for two days.

The group took 149 hostages, killed a young radio reporter named Maurice Williams, and shot then-councilman and future Washington D.C. mayor Marion Barry. Mr. Mufti describes the background of the group's leader, Hamas Abdul Khaalis, the blood feud between him and the Nation of Islam, a movie about the prophet Muhammed that fueled the hostage-taking, and the tense negotiations that ultimately ended the siege.

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AB: Goodreads and "Review-Bombing" Aug 18, 2023

New York Times books reporter Elizabeth Harris discusses the review website Goodreads and how the platform can help and hurt sales, especially for lesser-known authors.

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BN: Alan Philps, "The Red Hotel" Aug 15, 2023

The Metropol Hotel is located near the Bolshoi Theatre in downtown Moscow. When it opened in 1901 it was the symbol of Russia's growing prosperity. After the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, it was often used by Lenin to give speeches at so-called party congresses. During World War II, the Metropol became a home and office for almost all foreign journalists allowed to work in the U.S.S.R. British journalist Alan Philps, our guest this week, has written a book about those days titled "The Red Hotel: Moscow 1941, the Metropol Hotel, and the Untold Story of Stalin's Propaganda War."

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Q&A: James Rosen, "Scalia" Aug 14, 2023

By advancing his judicial philosophies of "originalism" and "textualism," Antonin Scalia became one of the 20th century's most influential justices. This week, James Rosen talks about Book One of his two-part biography of Antonin Scalia, titled "Scalia: Rise to Greatness, 1936-1986," Rosen who is Newsmax's Chief White House Correspondent examines Justice Scalia's life prior to the Supreme Court. We talk about Nino Scalia's early years, the importance of his Catholic faith, his first years as a corporate lawyer, his teaching career at the University of Chicago and UVA, his time in government during the Nixon and Ford administrations, and his appointment to the U.S. Court of Appeals.

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BN: Adam Andrzejewski, OpenTheBooks.com Aug 08, 2023

Adam Andrzejewski is the founder of OpenTheBooks.com and lives in Hinsdale, Illinois. OpenTheBooks.com says it is "the largest private repository of U.S. public sector spending." The mission is to post "every dime, online, in real time." In their 2022 annual report on government spending, Alexander Fraser, a 19th century Scottish professor of history is quoted saying: "A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. Democracy will continue to exist until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury." Mr. Andrzejewski is our guest this week on the Booknotes+ podcast.

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Q&A: Ilyon Woo on the Self-Emancipation of William and Ellen Craft in 1848 Aug 07, 2023

In this episode, you'll meet Ilyon Woo, author of a new bestseller-- "Master Slave, Husband Wife." She recounts the harrowing journey of self-emancipation made by two enslaved Georgians--William and Ellen Craft -- in 1848. Disguised as a wealthy disabled white man traveling with his enslaved servant, the Crafts left Georgia via public conveyances, avoiding slave traders, law enforcement, and curious fellow passengers in their successful effort to gain freedom. Becoming popular speakers on the lecture circuit, they found themselves hunted by slavecatchers after the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law in 1850.

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AW: Matt Lewis, "Filthy Rich Politicians" Aug 06, 2023

Daily Beast 's Matt Lewis explored how American politics is fueled by wealth & offered reforms on how to hold elected officials more accountable. He was interviewed by RealClearPolitics columnist and associate editor A.B. Stoddard.

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AB: Cormac McCarthy & the Publishing Industry Aug 04, 2023

Emory University professor Dan Sinykin discusses the late novelist Cormac McCarthy and how his career was nurtured by the publishing industry.

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BN: Katherine Clarke, "Billionaires' Row" Aug 01, 2023

Wall Street Journal reporter Katherine Clarke, in her book "Billionaires' Row," admits that: "Part of my motivation for writing this book was that as a reporter I can't help but observe that the colorful characters who've made the New York real estate world so dynamic are increasingly few and far between…In some ways, this book memorializes that dying breed of New York real estate kingpins who took big swings and risked losing it all." The subtitle of the book describes its focus: "Tycoons, High Rollers, and the Epic Race to Build the World's Most Exclusive Skyscrapers." These supertall buildings that house $100 million apartments are located on 57th Street at the southern end of Central Park in Manhattan.

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Q&A: Rachel Louise Martin, "A Most Tolerant Little Town" Jul 31, 2023

A year before Arkansas' Little Rock Central High School was desegregated, 12 Black students in Clinton, Tennessee, enrolled, by court mandate, in Clinton High School's 1956 Fall semester. Historian Rachel Louise Martin, author of "A Most Tolerant Little Town," talks about the experiences of the students who desegregated the first school in the south following Brown v. Board of Education and the violent reaction by the extremist White Citizens Council and others in town who championed a segregated America.

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AW: Judge Amul Thapar, "The People's Justice - Clarence Thomas and the Constitutional Stories that Define Him" Jul 30, 2023

U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Amul Thapar discussed the judicial philosophy of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas & recounted some of Thomas's key opinions. He was interviewed by USA Today Supreme Court correspondent John Fritze.

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BN: Rebeccah Heinrichs, Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Jul 25, 2023

In the past 18 months, since the start of the Russia-Ukraine War, the threat of a possible nuclear war is mentioned in the media almost every day. There are 9 countries in the world that reportedly have nuclear weapons, over 13,000 in all, 89% of which are controlled by the United States and Russia. Rebeccah Heinrichs of the Hudson Institute spends most of her professional time thinking, speaking, and writing about national security and defense. We asked her to give us her analysis of the nuclear weapons issue.

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Q&A: Felix Salmon, "The Phoenix Economy" Jul 24, 2023

Axios chief financial correspondent Felix Salmon, author of "The Phoenix Economy," talks about the long-term social and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. He argues that while the pandemic was devastating, many of the outcomes that have resulted from it have been surprisingly positive.

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AW: Wesley Lowery, "American Whitelash - A Changing Nation and the Cost of Progress" Jul 23, 2023

Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Wesley Lowery argued that moments of progress in race matters in the U.S. are often met with acts of violence. He was interviewed by Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism Dean Jelani Cobb.

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AB: Artificial Intelligence and the Publishing Industry Jul 21, 2023

Publishing analyst and consultant Thad McIlroy talked about the impact artificial intelligence might have on the publishing industry. About Books also reported on the latest publishing industry news and current non-fiction books.

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BN: Benjamin Lorr, "The Secret Life of Groceries" Jul 18, 2023

As we begin the 2024 presidential campaign, we hear the word "inflation" in almost every candidate's speech. One issue that is always mentioned is the price of food. Benjamin Lorr spent several years travelling the United States and the world to investigate how the food supply chain works. His book is titled "The Secret Life of Groceries: The Dark Miracle of the American Supermarket." He writes that: "Most people shop for groceries with clueless abandon."

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Q&A: Joshua Zeitz, "Lincoln's God" Jul 17, 2023

Historian and Politico contributing writer Joshua Zeitz, author of "Lincoln's God," talks about the impact of faith on America's 16th president. Zeitz contends that as a young man, Abraham Lincoln was skeptical of organized religion but later, as president, came to embrace the power of evangelical Protestantism, both personally and politically.

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AW: Elizabeth Currid-Halkett, "The Overlooked Americans" Jul 16, 2023

USC public policy professor Elizabeth Currid-Halkett argued that rural & urban America have more in common than what Americans have been led to believe. She was interviewed by former Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND).

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BN: Martha Hodes, "My Hijacking" Jul 11, 2023

On January 6, 1970, TWA flight 741 from Israel to New York was hijacked and flown to the Jordanian desert. Historian Martha Hodes, at the time 12 years old, was on that plane along with her sister Catherine, who was 13. A group called the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine was behind the hijacking. For years, Martha Hodes, who teaches 19th Century history at New York University, only had fuzzy memories of those 6 days and nights in the desert as a hostage. In the past couple of years, Prof. Hodes decided to try to piece together her experience. The result is her book titled "My Hijacking: A Personal History of Forgetting and Remembering."

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Q&A: Tania Branigan, "Red Memory" Jul 10, 2023

Guardian newspaper editorial writer and former China correspondent Tania Branigan, author of "Red Memory," talks about China's Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), during which millions of Chinese were killed and tens of millions were persecuted by the Chinese government for being enemies of the state. In the book, Ms. Branigan profiles several people who were targeted during this period and discusses the lasting impact of the Cultural Revolution in China today.

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AB: Graphic Artist Jerry Craft on Book Bans Jul 07, 2023

Author and illustrator Jerry Craft discusses attempts to remove his graphic novels from school libraries.

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BN: C.W. Goodyear, "President Garfield" Jul 04, 2023

C.W. Goodyear was born in New Orleans. He's a graduate of Yale University and now lives in the Washington, DC area. He's also a first time biographer, having just published a book about James Garfield titled "President Garfield: From Radical to Unifier." Garfield, America's 20th president, took office on March 4, 1881. His time as president lasted only 200 days. Garfield was assassinated by Charles Guiteau in a Washington, DC train station at the corner of 6th and Pennsylvania Avenue on July 2, 1881. Mr. Goodyear has written a full life biography of James Garfield, from the years he grew up in Ohio through his generalship in the Civil War and his 17 years in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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Q&A: Mark Clague, "O Say Can You Hear?" Jul 03, 2023

This July 4th weekend, University of Michigan musicology and American culture professor Mark Clague discusses his book, "O Say Can You Hear?," about the history and cultural impact of the Star-Spangled Banner. He talks about how the 1814 poem written by Francis Scott Key became the U.S. national anthem, its widespread use today at sporting events, and renditions of the song performed by Jimi Hendrix, Whitney Houston, Roseanne Barr, and others.

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AW: Jason Del Rey, "Winner Sells All - Amazon, Walmart and the Battle for Our Wallets" Jul 02, 2023

Business journalist Jason Del Rey looks at the rise of Amazon and Walmart and their economic impact on the U.S. and the world. He's interviewed by Insider chief tech correspondent Eugene Kim.

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BN: William Hazelgrove, "The Last Charge of the Rough Rider" Jun 27, 2023

Former president Theodore Roosevelt died on January 6, 1919. He was 60 years old. Author William Hazelgrove, in his new book about Roosevelt, chose to focus mostly on the last two years of TR's life. It's titled "The Last Charge of the Rough Rider," and it's the focus of this week's podcast. Mr. Hazelgrove takes us through TR's feud with President Woodrow Wilson over wanting to create another Rough Rider soldier regiment to fight in Europe. Wilson turned him down in spite of the fact that both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives had approved Roosevelt's request.

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Q&A: Cassandra Good, "First Family" Jun 26, 2023

Historian Cassandra Good talks about the lives and complicated legacies of George Washington's heirs. George and Martha Washington never had children together, but they raised Martha's children, and later grandchildren, as their own. Together they made up America's first "first family."

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AW: Rebecca Grant, "Birth - Three Mothers, Nine Months, and Pregnancy in America" Jun 25, 2023

Journalist Rebecca Grant reported on maternal healthcare in the U.S. & discussed how social & political dynamics impact pregnancy & motherhood. She was interviewed by New York Times reporter Alisha Gupta.

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AB: Brian O'Leary on Upgrading the Publishing Industry Supply Chain Jun 23, 2023

Book Industry Study Group executive director Brian O’Leary discusses how his organization is working to improve the production and distribution of print and digital books in the United States.

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BN: Simon Sebag Montefiore, "The World" Jun 20, 2023

Simon Sebag Montefiore is a British historian. He's 57 and lives in London with his wife Santa and their two children. He's written 12 books - 9 nonfiction and 3 novels. His latest effort is titled "The World: A Family History of Humanity." Including the index, it's 1,304 pages. In his preface, Montefiore writes: "I have always wanted to write an intimate human history like 'The World' – in some ways a new approach, in some ways a traditional one – which is the fruit of a lifetime of study and travels."

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Q&A: Rev. Wheeler Parker Jr. on the Murder of Emmett Till and the Search for Justice Jun 19, 2023

Emmett Till's cousin Rev. Wheeler Parker Jr., who accompanied Till on his trip to Mississippi in 1955, talked about the fateful events leading up to Till's murder by two white men and his efforts to get justice for his late cousin.

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Booknotes+: Robert Kaplan, "The Tragic Mind" Jun 13, 2023

Robert Kaplan's 21st book, "The Tragic Mind," revolves around what he has learned over the years from Greek philosophers and William Shakespeare. Yale University Press says that Kaplan "employs the works of ancient Greek dramatists, Shakespeare, German philosophers, and the modern classics to explore the central subjects of international politics: order, disorder, rebellion, ambition, loyalty to family and state, violence, and the mistakes of power." Mr. Kaplan, 70, was born in New York City and graduated from the University of Connecticut.

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Q&A: Henry Grabar, "Paved Paradise" Jun 12, 2023

Slate magazine staff writer Henry Grabar, author of "Paved Paradise," talks about the evolution of parking in the United States and the consequences of that development today. He argues that the decades-long importance given to parking has negatively impacted housing costs and development, city traffic, the environment, and more.

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AW: David Bernhardt, "You Report to Me - Accountability for the Failing Administrative State" Jun 11, 2023

Former Trump Administration Interior Secretary David Bernhardt argued that the administrative state has amassed unaccountable power over the last twenty years. He was interviewed by American Enterprise Institute senior fellow Adam White.

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AB: Former FBI Director Comey on Writing Crime Novels Jun 09, 2023

Former FBI Director James Comey discussed his legal thriller "Central Park West" and why he decided to start writing novels. About Books also reported on the latest publishing industry news and current non-fiction books.

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TRAILER: What is the C-SPAN Bookshelf? May 30, 2023

Nonfiction book lovers, we are making it easy to find all of the C-SPAN podcast episodes with authors in one place. Each week we will post episodes from the different C-SPAN podcasts that feature non-fiction authors and books to make it easier for you to find the episodes and listen. Subscribe to this week so you'll never miss a C-SPAN podcast on books!

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