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BN+: Shawn Gude, "American Socialist" Oct 27, 2026

Show notes

Eugene V. Debs ran for President of the United States as a socialist five times. The first in 1900, the last in 1920, when he received close to a million votes. Shawn Gude, a native of Iowa, a former editor of Jacobin, and a current resident of New York City, is the author of a Debs biography titled "American Socialist." In his introduction, Gude writes: "The story of Eugene V. Debs' life is the story of one man's radicalization, and of the country he helped radicalize in turn." Debs dropped out of school at age 14. His base of operations and his hometown was Terre Haute, Indiana. Shawn Gude tells about his union activities, his presidential campaigns, and why he was sent to prison twice, once for six months and the second time for over two years, before his sentence was commuted by President Harding in the early 1920s.

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Q&A: Dana Bash, "The Elections That Changed the World" Oct 26, 2026

Show notes

CNN Chief Political Correspondent Dana Bash, co-author of "The Elections That Changed the World," looks at elections going back to ancient Rome that have had an outsized impact on humanity. She discusses the elections of Lincoln, Hitler, Churchill, Nelson Mandela, and others.

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America's Book Club: Newt Gingrich on His Political Career, Congress, and Writing More Than 40 Book Oct 25, 2026

Show notes

Author and former Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (1995-99) joins David M. Rubenstein to discuss his extensive career in Congress and writing more than 40 books on topics ranging from political commentary to alternative history.

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AW: Jill Lepore on "The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State" Oct 25, 2026

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Harvard historian Jill Lepore explores how digital technology is re-shaping society. She was interviewed by WPVI-TV anchor Tamala Edwards at the Free Library of Philadelphia in September.

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Booknotes+: Simon Sebag Montefiore, "The Cauldron" Oct 20, 2026

Show notes

Simon Sebag Montefiore has written nine nonfiction books and three novels. His latest is called "The Cauldron: The Making of the Modern Middle East." The time period covered is from 1900 to the present. In Mr. Montefiore's acknowledgements, he writes: "Family is an important theme in this book, and my own has a slight link to the dynasties that ruled the Middle East. My forebearer Moses Montefiore first met Muhammad Ali the Great, ruler of Egypt, when he visited the Levant in 1827." Author Montefiore focuses on 19 different countries and many more kings, rulers, prime ministers, emperors, and sultans in his book.

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Q&A Podcast: Kerry Kennedy, "Ethel" Oct 19, 2026

Show notes

Lawyer and activist Kerry Kennedy, author of "Ethel," discusses her mother Ethel Kennedy's early life, marriage to Robert Kennedy, and involvement in human rights causes both at home and abroad. Kerry Kennedy also talks about the Kennedy family's long involvement in American politics and the assassination of her father by Sirhan Sirhan in 1968.

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America’s Book Club: Elliot Ackerman & Admiral James Stavridis on War, Global Conflict, and Their Bestselling Thrillers Oct 18, 2026

Show notes

Bestselling authors Elliot Ackerman, a Marine Corps veteran, and retired U.S. Navy Admiral James Stavridis join David M. Rubenstein to discuss their military thrillers, including 2034: A Novel of the Next World War and 2054: A Novel. They explore the future of warfare, emerging technologies, global security threats, and how their military experiences influence their writing.

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AW: "Frenchman Flat: The Rise and Fall of Atomic Bombs" Oct 18, 2026

Show notes

Jon Else explored the lives of the scientists who worked on the atomic bombs, including the health impacts they experienced. He was interviewed by UC Berkeley Journalism Professor, Mark Danner at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco in September.

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BN+: John Ryan, "America's Trial" Oct 13, 2026

Show notes

Only nine men have been convicted, through military commissions at Guantanamo Bay, out of roughly 780 total detainees held there for some time since 2002. However, only 15 prisoners are currently housed at Gitmo. One of those is Khalid Sheikh Mohammed who allegedly said he was the mastermind of 9/11. Mohammed has spent the last 20 years incarcerated and is said to go on trial in June 2028. John Ryan, founder of Lawdragon, has spent the past decade detailing the day-to-day activities at Guantanamo. His book is "America's Trial: Torture and the 9/11 Case on Guantanamo Bay."

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Q&A: Brad Ryan, "Grandma Joy and Me" Oct 12, 2026

Show notes

Brad Ryan and his 96-year-old grandmother Joy recount their visits to all 63 U.S. National Parks. Completed over a 7-year period, the duo visited parks from Alaska to Florida, concluding with a visit to the National Park of American Samoa in 2023 when Joy Ryan was 93. In total they traveled over 100,000 miles together. Brad Ryan chronicled their adventures in real time on social media and now in a book titled "Grandma Joy and Me."

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