The John Batchelor Show is a hard news-analysis radio program on current events, world history, global politics and natural sciences. Based in New York City for two decades, the show has travelled widely to report, from the Middle East to the South Caucasus to the Arabian Peninsula and East Asia.
AMERICAN CIVIL WAR - Religious Pulpits Shaping Lincoln's Union - RICHARD-CARWARDINE-RIGHTEOUS-STRIFE PART 1
Oct 05, 2026
Show notes
2855 HENRY WARD BEECHER Religious Pulpits Shaping Lincoln's Union Richard Carwardine, author of Righteous Strife: How Warring Religious Nationalists Forged Lincoln's Union, Part One: Carwardine examines how conflicting religious ideologies shaped political discourse during the American Civil War. The hour opens with President James Buchanan's January 1861 national fast day, an effort to unite a fracturing country that ultimately highlighted deep ideological divides among conservative, anti-slavery, and pro-slavery nationalists. Church pulpits served as vocal battlegrounds where ministers debated the moral purpose of the American republic. President Abraham Lincoln later utilized fast days to gauge public sentiment, navigate Northern political factions, and manage the rising pressure for emancipation following General John C. Frémont's controversial military order in Missouri. (1)
NEW HOLLAND - Revolutionary Life Of Angelica Schuyler - MOLLY-BEER - ANGELICKA
Oct 05, 2026
Show notes
1636 NEW AMSTERDAM Revolutionary Life Of Angelica Schuyler Molly Beer, author of Angelica: For Love and Country in a Time of Revolution: Beer explores the remarkable life of Angelica Schuyler Church during the turbulent era of the American and French Revolutions. Born into the prominent Dutch Schuyler family in Albany, Angelica received an unusual education and secretly eloped with English businessman John Barker Church. Following the Revolutionary War, the couple relocated to London and Paris, where Angelica cultivated influential relationships with major founding figures, including Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and the Marquis de Lafayette. In her later years, Angelica returned to New York and ventured into the wilderness to help found the town of Angelica. (1)
AUSTRALIA - Controversies Disrupting International Cricket Matches - JEREMY ZAKIS
Oct 04, 2026
Show notes 1912 Controversies Disrupting International Cricket Matches Jeremy Zakis joins John Batchelor to discuss disciplinary issues roiling international cricket. He begins with Englandplayer Brydon Carse, who faces sanctions following a pub altercation. Zakis then details a new International Cricket Council rule aimed at gamesmanship in the women's game: teams that deliberately slow down play to disrupt the rhythm of the opposing bowling side will now be penalized five runs. He considers how such tactics test cricket's traditions of sportsmanship. (3)
AUSTRALIA - Australian Wildlife Emerges In Spring - JEREMY-ZAKIS NSW 2
Oct 04, 2026
Show notes Australian Wildlife Emerges In Spring Jeremy Zakis joins John Batchelor to report on springtime Australian wildlife activity as animals emerge across New South Wales. In one alarming episode, a deadly eastern brown snake was discovered hiding behind a young girl's mouse cage. Zakis also shares updates from his own backyard, where his dog Dallas interacts with local birds and a resident blue-tongue lizard. He observes that the season's chaotic weather patterns have confused local wildlife, disrupting their usual spring behavior. (2)
AUSTRALIA - Unpredictable Spring Weather Hits Australia - JEREMY ZAKIS NSW 1
Oct 04, 2026
Show notes
1913 BRISBANE Unpredictable Spring Weather Hits Australia Jeremy Zakis joins John Batchelor to discuss unpredictable spring weather in New South Wales caused by a super El Niño. Instead of the warm, dry conditions forecasters expected, the region has endured unseasonal cold, heavy rains, and powerful coastal storms. Flash flooding struck both Sydney and Canberra, and a rare tornado touched down in Ulladulla. Zakis notes that these extremes have repeatedly defied the Bureau of Meteorology's forecast models, leaving residents bracing for further surprises. (1)
BOOKSHELF - President Roosevelt Modifies Neutrality Laws - H-W-BRANDS-AMERICA-FIRST PART 2
Oct 04, 2026
Show notes 1939 NYSE President Roosevelt Modifies Neutrality Laws H. W. Brands, Part Two: Following the September 1939 German invasion of Poland, the debate over American neutrality intensified between President Roosevelt and Charles Lindbergh. Roosevelt sought to modify congressional neutrality laws to allow Cash and Carry assistance to Britain and France, while Lindbergh argued that European democracies were launching a war they could not win. Conscious of public opposition, Roosevelt carefully shaped public opinion rather than overreaching. After the fall of France and the evacuation at Dunkirk, Roosevelt pushed aid further by orchestrating the destroyers-for-bases deal with Winston Churchill, while Lindbergh continued his national campaign warning against executive overreach. (2)
BOOKSHELF - Aviation Hero Opposes Foreign Intervention - H-W-BRANDS AMERICA-FIRST PART 1
Oct 04, 2026
Show notes 1931 Aviation Hero Opposes Foreign Intervention H. W. Brands, author of America First: Roosevelt versus Lindbergh in the Shadow of War, Part One: In April 1939, aviation hero Charles Lindbergh returned to the United States as war loomed across Europe. Possessing technical knowledge of European military air fleets, Lindbergh advocated strongly against American foreign intervention, believing another war in Europe would repeat the tragic mistakes of 1917. President Franklin D. Roosevelt attempted to co-opt Lindbergh into his administration to neutralize isolationist opposition, but Lindbergh refused in order to maintain his political independence. Utilizing national radio broadcasts, Lindbergh warned the public that European powers were entering an unwinnable conflict and argued that entering the war would entangle the United States indefinitely. (1)
BOOKSHELF - British Armor Repels Panzer Counterattack - XMAX-HASTINGS-SWORD-BEACH PART 2
Oct 04, 2026
Show notes JUNE 6, 1944 SWORD BEACH Max Hastings, Part Two: As British forces advanced inland from Sword Beach toward Caen, severe traffic jams, minefields, and cautious responses by inexperienced troops slowed operational momentum. Heavy German resistance at strongpoint Hillman created additional delays. However, veteran tank crews of the Staffordshire Yeomanry decisively defeated a major afternoon counterattack by the German 21st Panzer Division. Exploiting German command confusion and Rommel's absence, infantry elements from the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry fought toward Caen. Halting at Lebisey Wood as night fell, the Allies secured the beachhead, even though Caen remained uncaptured on day one. (2)
BOOKSHELF - Glider Assault Secures Allied Landings - MAX-HASTINGS-SWORD-BEACH PART 1
Oct 04, 2026
Show notes JUNE 6 1944 Max Hastings, author of Sword Beach: D-Day Baptism by Fire, Part One: On D-Day, June 6, 1944, British glider-borne troops commanded by Major John Howard executed a precise night attack to capture the crucial Orne River bridge. Allied planning expanded the landings across five assault beaches, assigning Sword Beach to the British 3rd Infantry Division. Despite chaotic airborne drops and troops scattered across coastal swamps, British forces secured vital flanks. Specialized armored vehicles known as "Hobart's Funnies"—including mine-flailing and swimming tanks—were deployed onto Sword Beach, providing essential support to suppress German defenses and clear exit lanes for infantry pushing inland. (1)
BOOKSHELF - Hindenburg Line Falls Ending War - NICK LLOYD
Oct 04, 2026
Show notes 1917 DECLARING WAR Hindenburg Line Falls Ending War Nick Lloyd, Part Two: The final phase of World War I saw British forces breach the formidable Hindenburg Line at the St. Quentin Canal while American troops pressed through the Meuse-Argonne. Facing military collapse and domestic political unrest, General Erich Ludendorff was ousted, and German leadership sought an armistice with Woodrow Wilson. Following the November 11 Armistice, returning German officers cultivated the false "stab-in-the-back" myth, alleging that the army was betrayed by home-front civilians rather than defeated on the battlefield—a toxic narrative that profoundly impacted interwar European politics. (2)
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