The Preamble

Latest Episodes:

How Women Won WWII: Sabotage and a Jewish Spymaster Feb 06, 2023

Show notes

Today in our series, we return to the art of espionage. During World War II, Prime Minister Winston Churchill understood that boots on the ground were only one piece of the puzzle to drive out the enemy. In order to sabotage German operations across Europe, he knew Britain needed to build an army of secret agents. And one of its most successful leaders was a Romanian-born Jewish woman named Vera Atkins.

Hosted by: Sharon McMahon

Executive Producer: Heather Jackson

Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder

Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Sharon McMahon, Valerie Hoback, and Amy Watkin

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Women Won WWII: The Booming Work of Women Scientists Feb 03, 2023

Show notes

In a previous episode of our series, we had a conversation about the combined efforts of the Allied science community to beat Germany in the race to understand and build atomic weapons. It was a team effort, and you know what? We barely scratched the surface. Today, we’ll peek into the minds of some of the greatest women scientists during World War II.

Hosted by: Sharon McMahon

Executive Producer: Heather Jackson

Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder

Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Sharon McMahon, Valerie Hoback, and Amy Watkin

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Women Won WWII: British Wrens at War Feb 01, 2023

Show notes

Today in our series, How Women Won WWII, let’s head to Great Britain and learn about a military organization that recruited women into the war effort all across the country. Women volunteered in great numbers and, throughout the war, thousands of women participated. You might even call them…a flock.

Hosted by: Sharon McMahon

Executive Producer: Heather Jackson

Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder

Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Sharon McMahon, Valerie Hoback, and Amy Watkin

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Women Won WWII: By the Glow of Radium Jan 30, 2023

Show notes

Today on Here's Where It Gets Interesting, we talk about how the United States successfully produced and detonated the first atomic bomb. That success happened through a combination of random events and intricately planned schemes that fed into the speeding train that was atomic technology. The U.S. pops up along those tracks, but the spark that would lead to the bomb began across the Atlantic.

Hosted by: Sharon McMahon

Executive Producer: Heather Jackson

Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder

Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Sharon McMahon, Valerie Hoback, and Amy Watkin

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Women Won WWII: A Starlette Spies for France Jan 27, 2023

Show notes

In today's episode, let’s talk about a person–a larger than life woman–who utilized her fame and charm to secretly gather intel for the Allies during World War II. She put herself in danger, fought for freedom, saved countless lives… and she did it all while she shimmied her way across Europe in tiny sequined costumes.

Hosted by: Sharon McMahon

Executive Producer: Heather Jackson

Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder

Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Sharon McMahon, Valerie Hoback, and Amy Watkin

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Women Won WWII: The Women of the Secret Cities Jan 25, 2023

Show notes

Today, on How Women Won WWII, we talk about The Manhattan Project. The top-secret program ran for three war-filled years and employed over 120 thousand people. Most of those people had no idea that they were working on one of the most powerful projects of all time: creating nuclear weapons.

Hosted by: Sharon McMahon

Executive Producer: Heather Jackson

Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder

Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Sharon McMahon, Valerie Hoback, and Amy Watkin

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Women Won WWII: Rosie the Riveter Was Just the Beginning Jan 23, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to our new series, How Women Won World War II. Over the next few weeks, we’ll explore the incredibly varied and complex roles women stepped into during World War II. No, they weren’t GIs. They didn’t land at the beach on Normandy on D-Day, or face military combat, but without a doubt, the roles they performed shaped the way the war was both fought and won.

Hosted by: Sharon McMahon

Executive Producer: Heather Jackson

Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder

Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Sharon McMahon, Valerie Hoback, and Amy Watkin

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Don’t Underestimate the Power of the State with Melissa Walker Jan 20, 2023

Show notes

On today’s episode, Sharon talks about the importance of state legislatures with Melissa Walker, an expert from The States Project. Melissa, and The States Project, aims to educate the public on the very real powers that our governing state bodies hold. Don’t like a new law in your state? Don’t blame your senator, hold your state legislators accountable. And the same goes for the reverse: if you want to create real change, you may want to concentrate on influencing your state leaders.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The High Stakes of Haaland v. Brackeen with Rebecca Nagle Jan 18, 2023

Show notes

Today on Here’s Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon speaks with award-winning journalist Rebecca Nagle. Sharon and Rebecca talk about an important case that SCOTUS will rule on later this spring: Haaland v. Brackeen. Learn about the history of the Indian Child Welfare Act and how the Brackeen case was built. Rebecca uses easy-to-follow language to break down the intricacies of the lawsuit, from its beginnings as an adoption case in family court to its gathering legal momentum and multiple appeals. If ICWA is ruled unconstitutional, what dominos will start to topple?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Humanity Archive with Jermaine Fowler Jan 16, 2023

Show notes

On today’s episode of Here’s Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon talks to author and public library advocate, Jermaine Fowler. Jermaine and Sharon talk about the value of seeing history outside of the binary of either unflawed or unredeemable. We, and our children, need access to a well-rounded history that’s free from white-washing or censorship.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.