Sunday, August 12, 2007

Topic #20 Kennedy to the Present

John F. Kennedy
Talking History's host, Bryan Le Beau, will discuss the life of John F. Kennedy with Robert Dallek, author of John F. Kennedy: An Unfinished Life. Airdate: November 17, 2003.

Kennedy and the Promise of the Sixties
Talking History's Linna Place, a new addition to our team of interviewers, takes a look at President Kennedy and the decade of the sixties with W.J. Rorabaugh. Rorabaugh is professor of history at the University of Washington. Airdate: November 22, 2004.

1968: The Year That Rocked the World
According to Bryan Le Beau's guest this week, Mark Kurlansky, "There has never been a year like 1968, and it is unlikely that there will ever be one again." Kurlansky discusses his reasons for this statement and his latest book, 1968: The Year That Rocked the World. Airdate: July 25, 2005.

Topic #19 The Cold War

United Nations
The United Nations was established October 24th, 1945, and it is fitting that this week Talking History should air an interview with Stephen Schlesinger. Schlesinger is the Director of the World Policy Institute and the author of Act of Creation: The Founding of the United Nation. Airdate: October 24, 2005.

U.S. Grand Strategy and the Cold War
Our final show--while programming is suspended pending further funding--features a conversation with guest Melvyn Leffler and host Bryan Le Beau. Leffler spoke to Bryan Le Beau while attending a Cold War conference in Kansas City in March 2006. Their discussion focused on Leffler’s conference paper, titled: "Truman, US Grand Strategy, and the Cold War, 1945-1952." Leffler is a professor of history at the University Virginia. Airdate: June 26, 2006.


Einstein

Einstein's reputation as a genius rests to a large extent on his publication of five major papers in 1905. Talking History marked the centennial by taking up the subject of those papers--and the rest of Albert Einstein's life--with Assistant Professor of Physics, at the University of Missouri Kansas City, Elizabeth Stoddard. The program originally aired the week of April 18th, 2005. Airdate: August 8, 2005.


Cold War, Cool Medium

The Cold War was a period of international, fear and anxiety. And, much of the Cold War was covered on television literally brought into the homes of millions of Americans. Our guest this week, Thomas Doherty, the author of Cold War, Cool Medium, examines one aspect of that phenomenon, television and McCarthyism with Talking History's Linna Place . Airdate: June 13, 2005.

Topic #18 World War II

American Prometheus
J. Robert Oppenheimer was hailed as a hero for the success of the atomic bomb project in 1945, only to fall from favor a few years later, accused of communist sympathies. Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin, coauthors of American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, join Talking History's John Herron to discuss the complexities and nuances of the life of the physicist. Airdate: April 17, 2006.

Pearl Harbor
Talking History's Jim Madison and Emily Rosenberg discuss how memories of Pearl Harbor have changed since December 7th, 1941. Emily Rosenberg is the Dewitt Professor of History at Macalester College and author of A Date Which Will Live. Airdate: December 6, 2004.

World War II Soldiers
Talking History's Jim Madison will discuss the experiences of American soldiers in Asia and the Pacific during WWII with Peter Schrijvers, author of The GI War Against Japan. Airdate: November 10, 2003.

Topic #17- #18 Roaring 20's and the Great Depression

Warren G. Harding
To many, Warren G. Harding was an ineffective philanderer whose presidency became entangled in scandal. Fred Nielsen's guest, John Dean, sets the record straight, arguing that Warren G. Harding was a far better president than popular opinion allows. John Dean served for three years as White House counsel in the Nixon administration. His new book, Warren G. Harding is part of The American Presidents series, edited by Arthur Schlesinger Jr. Airdate: December 13, 2004.

The Tulsa Riot
In 1921 a black man in Tulsa, Oklahoma was accused of sexually assaulting a white woman. The charge sparked one of the worst riots in US history – which was all but lost to history until publication of Reconstructing the Dreamland by Alfred Brophy, our guest this week, on Talking History. Airdate: December 9, 2002.



The Crash of '29
In October 1929 what many people thought would be an unending period of prosperity in America came to an end. A decade of unbridled optimism gave way to the collapse of the stock market and its devastating effect on the national economy. Our guest this week, Maury Klein, has written a new book on the Crash. Airdate: October 6, 2003

The Scopes Trial
During the next three weeks, we offer three of our favorite shows from 2005, while we take a short break and prepare a new season of interviews and commentaries from some of the best people working in the field. Airdate: January 16, 2006.
On July 10th, 1925, the case of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes, better known as the Scopes Monkey Trial opened in Dayton, Tennessee. It was a public clash between proponents and opponents of teaching evolution in the schools. According to John Herron's guest this week--Edward Larson--the trial took on a life and meaning of its own. Edward Larson, is Professor of History and Law at the University of Georgia, and the author of Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America’s Continuing Debate Over Science and Religion.



Seabiscuit

Talking History's Eileen Dugan will discuss the story of the race horse, Seabiscuit, who became a cultural icon, with Lauren Hillenbrand author of Seabiscuit: An American Legend. Airdate: May 12, 2003


NEW 4.8.08 Rudolf Valentino
Talking History’s Eileen Dugan and author Emily Leider discuss what made the matinee idol Rudolf Valentino such a sensation in life and death. Emily Leider is author of Dark Lover: The Life and Death of Rudolf Valentino. Airdate: February 14, 2005.

Topic #16 World War I

The Illusion of Victory
Talking History's Bryan Le Beau and historian Thomas Fleming discuss some fresh perspectives on Woodrow Wilson and World War 1. Thomas Fleming is author of The Illusion of Victory. Airdate: February 16, 2004.


Influenza
Talking History's Fred Nielsen and author John M. Barry discuss the flu epidemic of 1918 that swept across the world killing an estimated 100 million people worldwide. According to our guest, it was the world's most lethal epidemic- responsible for the deaths of more people in 24 weeks than the Black Death killed in a hundred years. John Barry is author of The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History. Airdate: November 14, 2005.

Topic #15 The Progressive Era

The Progressive Movement
Our guest this week, Michael McGerr, has written a book on what many historians believe is the greatest reform movement in American history--the Progressive Movement. President Theodore Roosevelt referred to the time as a period of "fierce discontent with evil." McGerr is interviewed by Talking History’s Jim Madison. Airdate: March 1, 2004.


W.E.B. DuBois
This month marks the 100th anniversary of publication of Souls of Black Folk by W. E. B. DuBois. Our guest this week, David Levering Lewis, a DuBois biographer, tells us about the man and his famous book. Airdate April 21, 2003

Topic #13 Urbanization and Immigration

The Chinese in America
Several months before her death, author Iris Chang joined Bryan Le Beau in conversation about her work. This week we air the second part of that discussion on her book: The Chinese in America. On November 12th, 2004, Iris Chang was found dead in her car of a self-inflicted gunshot. She was 36. Airdate: January 31, 2005.

White City
We begin our "Best of Talking History" series this week with "White City." The show originally aired the week of August 4th, 2003 and included an interview with Talking History's Bryan Le Beau and Erik Larson, author of "The Devil in the White City." Larson's book explored the killings during the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893 by H.H. Holmes. Airdate: August 2, 2004.