Late To Class: Recent Episodes
Late To Class
Join the Late To Class podcast every Tuesday as we interview experts about things we should all know. Host Hank Sanders sits down with professors and thought leaders on a wide variety of topics to help communicate complicated ideas that all matter today. We explain today by learning about yesterday, in 20 minutes or less.
Charles Lister is a Syria and Middle East Politics expert at the Middle East Institute. He joins LTC to tell us about the Syrian Civil War. Who is on whose side? What are the motives? How did we get here? Where will it go from here? All that and more on this Thanksgiving week episode. Also, happy 6 months! Thank you :0
The author of the ultimate Hemingway biography joins the podcast to talk about the great American writer. What made him so great? What was the life that he led? What was his impact on society? All that and more, in E26.
Sandakan was a Japanese-controlled POW camp that turned into a death camp for British and Australian forces as WW2 trudged on. Hear the stories and history behind this camp from author Paul Ham who wrote one of the definitive books on the topic.
Demetra Kasimis has spent her career studying the history of democracy. Where did that take her? To ancient Greece.
In this discussion, Demetra and Hank discuss the origin of democracy, how Greek democracy influenced American democracy, and dispels some misconceptions about Democracy overall.
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How did COVID start? Why was it so deadly? How was it different than Ebola? The answers to these questions may surprise you. So listen to this interview with NY Times best selling author and journalist David Quammen. Let's get smarter.
Spencer tells us about the formation of The Black Panthers, their controversies, and their impact on our world today.
Professor Maria Sobolewska tells us about Brexit. How did it happen? What does it mean? And what is in store for the future of Europe?
Jack Weatherford wrote one of the premier books about Genghis Khan and his impact on our world today. In this interview, we talk about how Khan became one of the greatest military leaders in history and how his empire shaped the modern world.
Professor and economic advisor to Trump from 2018-2019 Casey Mulligan joins the podcast to talk about socialism. I know, he's not the most balanced perspective, but an important perspective nonetheless. We also talk about Mulligan's time in the White House and his biggest mistake.
John Man sits down and talks about Marco Polo. We discuss not only what Marco did and what he's known for but also how he changed history. Like forever. Unreal. Listen to the end. Oh and shoutout to Instacart! Our first sponsor :)
Professor Jenny Chan - and author of "Dying for an iPhone" joins the show to talk about the factories where our favorite products are made.
Journalist and author Joshua Prager joins the show to discuss his book The Family Roe which he spent a decade researching and writing. This story tells the background of Jane Roe, the plaintiff at the center of Roe v. Wade. Join us as we talk history, politics, and tell a fascinating story about a controversial life. Also, we talk Dobbs and current events.
In this episode, Hank interviews two time Pultizer Prize-nominated historical writer H.W. Brands. Brands wrote the ultimate Reagan biography and he joins the show to talk about Dutch's greatest achievements and how he changed conservatism. We also talk Trump and current events. Go to latetoclasspodcast.com to sign up for the LTC membership and get the full, uncut interview. Thanks!
The Quran is the most important book in the world today. Harvard Professor Shady Nasser joins LTC to explain why. Also, why is Islam seen as a more violent religion than Christianity and Judaism in the eyes of 21st-century Americans?
Shady also helps us better understand news stories like the attack on author Salman Rushdie. Why did this attack happen? Who is Rushdie? What did he write? Part history, part news show. What we do best.
When Berry Gordy came back from serving in the Korean War, he knew two things: he loved music and he wanted to be rich. Over the next 40 years, he created one of the biggest labels in music history. Motown Records signed Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight, Diana Ross, Jackson 5, and many other incredible talents. Journalist and author Gerald Posner tells listeners about the rise and fall of one of the most consequential men in music history.
How did we get here? That was the big question on everyone's mind when we got out of the 2008 financial crisis. UChicago Economics Professor Allen Sanderson joins the podcast to help us break down the causes and effects of The Great Recession.
Dimitri Tsefandas is a unique story about a murderer who assassinated a head of state and became a hero. Why did he do it? What was the fallout? And how did this action affect history? Join us this week as we answer those questions and much more with scholar Harris Dousemetzis who has written one of the leading texts on the topic.
You probably go through your life and only think about Hercules once or twice a year. If that. But unbeknownst to you, Greek mythology has a much bigger impact on your life than you make realize. Its stories have infiltrated The Bible, American Democracy, and even science. Cornell Professor Michael Fontaine joins the podcast to tell us everything the average human must know about Greek mythology and its impact on our society. Oh, and we talk a little Percy Jackson too. Cause, obviously.
Havana Syndrome took the world by storm when an essay in the Journal of the American Medical Association wrote about the first 21 patients. All high-ranking U.S. Governmental officials, these patients suffered a wide range of symptoms including nosebleeds, dizziness, and even brain damage. What was the cause of these symptoms? The FBI and CIA decided an enemy government must have access to a secretive weapon. Dr. Robert Bartholomew thinks otherwise and wrote about it in the leading study that contradicts the CIA's hypothesis.
As someone who has gone through many years of public and private education, it is rare I find a major historical event that I absolutely have never once heard about. Do I need to dig deeper on most topics? Certianly. But my education has at least brushed past most of the topics that we've looked into on this show.
This episode is an exception. I had no idea about what happened at No Gun Ri until I picked up Martha Mendoza's book. What I learned was one of the most shocking stories I've ever read. Join us as we talk to Marth about the Korean War, No Gun Ri, and how she discovered this earth-shattering story.
The War of 1812 is one of those things that everyone pretends to know about but truly has no idea what it was who fought in it, or any defining factors of this conflict. Because of that, I wanted to talk to an expert. Professor John Stagg has written one of the most popular books about the war of 1812. So I invited him on and got to the bottom of this war. Thanks for listening, please subscribe and tell a friend!
What is Marxism? I don't know except I probably should because the labor is getting thrown around just about everywhere these days. AOC? Marxist. Bernie Sanders? Total, flaming Marxist. But are they though? University of Chicago Professor Sunit Singh helps us break down one Marx's Communist Manifesto. And let me tell you. Everything you probably thought you know about the guy and his writings? Wrong.
In this episode, we talk to world-renowned young adult author Todd Strasser about his book, The Wave. This is a story of Nazism, populist movements, and the impact of losing critical thought. This remarkable true story is one that every person should be aware of. We learn about it and break down the story. Join us. Learn more at latetoclasspodcast.com
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In this episode, we sit down with a leading Haitian history writer and professor. Garrigus teaches at UT and has devoted his career to this topic. We ask him about the biggest impacts of the Haitian Revolution. Not only that, but we also dig in deep and discuss what the hell even happened during this time. You probably didn't learn much about this in high school or college, so it's time to get educated on the biggest slave revolution in human history.
Erik M. Freedman is one of the leading Habeus Corpus and early Constitution professors in the country. A professor at Hofstra University, Freedman has taught courses, written books, and spoken widely about this topic. Today, we sit down with Freedman and discuss the Articles of Confederation. Why were they important? What did they do? Why did they fail? All that and more, on this Episode 3.
Join us as we sit down with former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul. Ambassador McFaul updates us on the war that is raging right now between Russia and Ukraine. Not only do we give you a 40,000 feet analysis of the main events, but McFaul also gives you an inside scoop about discussions you won't read about in the papers. 25 minutes later and you will realize you are now an expert on one of the most cataclysmic events of the 21st century.
In this episode, Hank sits down with world-renowned professor Robert Bjork. Prof. Bjork has written some of the most widely read books and articles about Beowulf. Once Hank breaks down the major plot points of Beowulf, we then interview Bjork who helps us digest one of the most important texts ever discovered. Why should we care about Beowulf? What are the main messages that this poem contains? What are the biggest mysteries that keep us guessing about this story?
Become an expert on Beowulf with us in 29 minutes.