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Miles J. Unger – Michelangelo Aug 08, 2016

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August 8, 2016 - This week, our time machine whisks us back to meet the great master, Michelangelo: Sculptor, painter, architect, poet, and engineer. He was also the original brooding artist, who for the first time connected the artist to the work, a link we consider essential today. Our guide is Miles J. Unger, here to explore what the great artist is whispering to us across the centuries with his new book, Michelangelo: A Life in Six Masterpieces. The title calls this great master down from his Renaissance perch on the scaffold and brings him to a more human level, so we can better understand his genius through: the Pietà, the Last Judgment, the David, the Medici tombs, the story of Creation on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, and the soaring dome and vaults of St. Peter's Basilica. Miles J. Unger currently writes for the Economist, and lived in Florence for five years, deepening his knowledge of Italian culture and language. He also served as Managing Editor of Art New England, and has published in numerous other places including the New York Times. You can learn more about him at Miles J. Unger.com -- that's Miles, the letter J, Unger Dot Com -- or by tossing a like to his Facebook.

Geoff Griffin – Brooklyn Bat Boy: A Story of the 1947 Season that Changed Baseball Forever Aug 01, 2016

Show notes

August 1, 2016 - In this episode, our time machine takes us out to the ballgame, where we'll root, root, root for the Brooklyn Dodgers. The year is 1947, and Dem Bums just signed Jackie Robinson, the first African-American player in Major League History. Sitting next to us in the 50¢ grandstand seats, is Geoff Griffin, author of the children's book, Brooklyn Bat Boy: A Story of the 1947 Season that Changed Baseball Forever. In it, young readers will witness the challenges Robinson faced through the eyes of 12-year-old Bobby Kelly -- the bat boy in the title. For more, visit BrooklynBatBoyDot.com, Facebook.com/BrooklynBatBoy, @BrooklynBatBoy on Twitter and Instagram.

Hildegarde Mahoney – Journey Interrupted: A Family Without a Country in a World at War Jul 25, 2016

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July 25, 1016 - This week, Hildegarde Mahoney shares her memoir, Journey Interrupted: A Family Without a Country in a World at War. In 1941, seven-year-old Hillie and her family left home in New York City and set off for their native Germany. They planned to take the safe and scenic route: Across the U.S., the Pacific, and Eurasia via the Trans-Siberian Railway. But then Hitler betrayed his alliance with Stalin, the family found themselves stranded in Yokohama, Japan -- and when the empire attacked Pearl Harbor, there was no going back. Today, Hildegarde Mahoney has worn many hats in her life -- and one crown. She was Miss Rheingold, 1956. Today, she is the chairman of the Harvard Mahoney Neuroscience Institute. You can sign up for their free, quarterly newsletter right here, and be on the cutting edge of brain science when you or someone you love is impacted. As Mrs. Mahoney says, "No family goes untouched."

Jack Kelly – Heaven’s Ditch: God, Gold, and Murder on the Erie Canal Jul 18, 2016

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July 18, 2016 - This week, we strapping our time machine to a canal boat, and sail down the modern marvel of early American commerce: The Erie Canal. The 360-mile slash between Lake Erie to Albany, and down the Hudson River to New York Harbor isn't just one of engineers and back-breaking, dangerous manual labor, but of fascinating human drama and America itself. The book is Heaven's Ditch: God, Gold, and Murder on the Erie Canal. By the time the canal opened 1825, the nation had fallen in love with this man-made waterway. Now, you can fall in love with it, too, thanks to Jack Kelly -- journalist, novelist, and New York Foundation for the Arts fellow. His previous books include Band of Giants, which earned the Daughters of the American Revolution's History Award Medal. You can see him everywhere from the Wall Street Journal to the History Channel, or by clicking over to HeavensDitch.com.

Roger Boas – Battle Rattle: A Last Memoir of World War Two Jul 11, 2016

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July 11, 2016 - Today, we travel back in time to World War Two, and hear from a veteran who served on the front lines. Our guest is Roger Boas, and his book is Battle Rattle: A Last Memoir of World War II. It focuses not only on the fighting, but the scars it left on the inside. Roger Boas was born in San Francisco, 1921, so he's just five years from celebrating his centennial. That long life -- denied so many of his generation -- has given him time to reflect on the meaning of his four years in uniform, including eleven months fighting in Europe as a field artillery forward observer with Gen. George S. Patton's Fourth Armored Division. For his service, Roger Boas earned both a Silver Star and a Bronze Star. And raised a Christian Scientist but of Jewish ancestry, he was among the first American soldiers to find and enter a Nazi concentration camp. Experiencing so much brutality left scars on the young Roger Boas. The result, is what we today call Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). But in the Second World War they called it, "battle rattle." For more of Roger Boas discussing his experiences, visit BattleRattleMemoir.com. You can also follow @BattleRattleMem on Twitter, and like Facebook.com/BattleRattleMemoir. Update: Lt. Roger Boas passed away a few months after our interview at the age of 95. It was an honor to meet him, and to play a small role in sharing his story. He is home at last, with no more nightmares of the war's horrors, which plagued him up to the end of his long life. Rest in peace, sir.

David O. Stewart on American Emperor – Aaron Burr: The Man Who Shot Alexander Hamilton Jul 08, 2016

Show notes

July 8, 2016 - On Monday, July 11, 2016, we'll commemorate the tragic death of one Founding Father -- Alexander Hamilton -- at the hands of another, Vice President Aaron Burr. With "Hamilton: An American Musical" racking up Tonys on Broadway, the face on the $10 bill is more popular than he has been in 200 years. But in this episode, David O. Stewart introduces us to the man who pulled the trigger. Mr. Stewart is president of the Washington Independent Review of Books and author of American Emperor: Aaron Burr's Challenge to Jefferson's America. And since we are looking ahead to the 212th anniversary of the Burr-Hamilton Duel, those of us in the Greater New York City area won't want to miss the annual gathering at the Hamilton Memorial overlooking the Weehawken Dueling Grounds in New Jersey, just across the Hudson from Manhattan. The Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society (AHA!) will commemorate the event at 6PM, with the theme of Celebrating the New Generation of U.S. Currency. Douglas Hamilton, 5th great-grandson of Alexander, will speak at the Hamilton Memorial Bust, a year after his successful call to preserve Alexander's place of honor on the $10 bill. If you can't get enough of our charismatic first Treasury Secretary, enjoy our previous interview with Stephen F. Knott, co-author with Tony Williams of Washington & Hamilton: The Alliance that Forged America. You can also find the man of the hour in our previous chat with David O. Stewart about Madison's Gift: Five Partnerships that Built America. We also sat down with Daniel L. Mallock on his book, Agony and Eloquence: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and a World of Revolution. And if you're still hungry for more, visit the Old '76 House with us in Tappan, New York, the oldest bar and restaurant in the U.S. where Alexander Hamilton lived upstairs and Benedict Arnold's British conspirator was held before his execution. We also shared history news of our own: Amanda has earned a James Madison Memorial Fellowship. The scholarship that will enable her to complete a master's degree in history with a focus on Constitutional studies. She's also been noodling with producing a film series on visiting the key year of 1787. You can book your ticket at Facebook.com/PastimeSeries, and visit the period in print through David O. Stewart's: The Summer of 1787: The Men Who Invented the Constitution. Hamilton was so much more than the man who "wound up on the wrong end of a gun," as the Allman Brothers Band sang it, and Aaron Burr was so much more than man who pulled the trigger. Thanks to David O. Stewart for joining to paint the full picture of the man who would be American Emperor.

Jim Leeke – Nine Innings for the King: The Day Wartime London Stopped for Baseball – July 4, 1918 Jul 04, 2016

Show notes

July 4, 2016 - On this Independence Day, our time machine takes us out to the ball game, on a July 4th neither side of the Revolutionary War could possibly have envisioned during the conflict. The place is Chelsea, England. The time: The Great War. The book is titled, Nine Innings for the King: The Day Wartime London Stopped for Baseball, July 4, 1918. We've chatted previously with today's author, Jim Leeke, about his Civil War novel for young adults: Matty Boy. Jim is a contributor to the Society for American Baseball Research Baseball (SABR) Biography Project, the writer or editor of several books on U.S. and military history, and the creative director of Taillight Communications. We'll also be hearing about the Anglo-American Baseball Project. It's an ambitious plan to recreate the King's Game for its centennial: July 4, 2018. Pitch in to help at AABaseball.org, or by following Jim @9Innings4King on Twitter. For more on baseball players in the Great War, enjoy our interview with Charles Leerhsen, author of the award-winning, Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty. Cobb -- the victim of malicious slander falsely depicting him as a selfish, belligerent racist -- not only signed up to serve his country, he enlisted in the dangerous chemical warfare unit rather than a cushy behind-the-lines job. In the aftermath of the Brexit vote, the special relationship between the United States and Britain as trading partners will have real-world impacts on millions of people around the globe. In a small, early way, the King's Game started us off then, to where we stand now, shoulder to shoulder in good times and bad, with George Washington honored with a statue in London, gazing straight at the Parliament against which he rebelled.

Chris Stevenson – Drum of Destiny Jun 27, 2016

Show notes

June 27, 2016 - Today, we jump through the Guardian of Forever and into New York City during the American Revolution -- just in time for Independence Day 2016. Once there, we meet twelve-year-old Gabriel Cooper, an orphaned patriot who sets out to join the Continental Army. Our guest is Chris Stevenson, and his book is The Drum of Destiny, historical fiction for readers 9-12 years of age. You can find a teacher's guide at ChrisStevensonAuthor.com, and also on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Chris also hosts a blog that focuses on the Revolution and Colonial period. You can also get the Teaching Guide at Chris's website.

Neal Bascomb – The Winter Fortress: The Epic Mission to Sabotage Hitler’s Atomic Bomb Jun 14, 2016

Show notes

June 20, 2016 - Our Monday, June 20th interview is with award-winning author Neal Bascomb. We're airing our conversation a few days early because his book -- The Winter Fortress: The Epic Mission to Sabotage Hitler's Atomic Bomb -- is a perfect gift for Father's Day. If you think the book might be right for Dad, History Author Show listeners can enjoy a free sample chapter of The Winter Fortress right here. Meet the Norwegian patriots -- from schoolteachers to plumbers -- who dared defy the Nazis, and endured starvation and harsh winter conditions, to deny Hitler the power to rain nuclear fire on London, New York, and other Allied cities. Our thanks to author Jay Atkinson for pointing The Winter Fortress our way. You can listen to our interview with Jay on his book, Massacre on the Merrimack: Hannah Duston’s Captivity and Revenge in Colonial America. You can follow today's guest on Twitter @NealBascomb, like him at Facebook.com/NealRBascomb, and pay him a visit at NealBascomb.com. So put on your winter camouflage suits, wax up your skis, let's head back to Nazi-occupied Norway and assault, The Winter Fortress...

Candice Shy Hooper – Lincoln’s Generals’ Wives Jun 13, 2016

Show notes

June 13, 2016 - Today, we're spinning back in time to the days when America tore itself apart: The Civil War. But we'll be talking about a different sort of union, exploring the bond between the men who led the northern armies, and the women by their sides in Lincoln's Generals' Wives: Four Women Who Influenced the Civil War -- for Better and for Worse. With 70,000 books on the war produced since its end, it's incredible that Candice Shy Hooper is the first author to map the wartime travels of Julia Grant, Nelly McClellan, Jessie Fremont, and Ellen Sherman. But to borrow the chapter title from today's book: "The woman who is known only through a man is known wrong." Candice is just the person to give us the full picture of these engaging figures, and how they interacted with their powerful husbands and Abraham Lincoln as president. You can learn more at CandiceShyHooper.com.

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