Historically Speaking Podcast: Recent Episodes

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Legend has it that there once was a King named Arthur who allegedly lived in the late 5th and early 6th centuries and who, with his many companions, successfully fought off numerous enemies in Britain. But was there actually an historical Arthur of real flesh and blood? The Arthurian stories are arguably the greatest legends in Western history, and here in our 50th Episode we explore how the fabled Arthur compares with the historical one.

Books:

• De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae by Gildas
• Historia Brittonum by Nennius
• The New Arthurian Encyclopedia Edited by Norris Lacy
• Historia Regum Britanniae by Geoffrey of Momouth
• Le Morte d’Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory
• Anglo-Saxon England by Sir Frank Stenton

Film:

• Excalibur (1981) with Nigel Terry and Helen Mirren
• Monty Python and The Holy Grail (1975) with John Cleese and Eric Idle
• Camelot (1967) with Richard Harris and Vanessa Redgrave

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It was a political scandal that rocked France to its core and proved to be a watershed event for European antisemitism. A French officer, Alfred Dreyfus, was accused of passing military secrets to the Germans. He was found guilty by a military tribunal and sent to Devil’s Island, one of the most notorious penal colonies in the world. What happened next will shock and appall you as it did not only France but the entire world. Here in Episode 49, we explore just how far the French military went to cover up their colossal mistake in what would become known as The Dreyfus Affair.

Books:

• Five years of My Life: 1894-1899 by Alfred Dreyfus
• The Man on Devil’s Island: Alfred Dreyfus and the Affair That Divided France by Ruth Harris
• The Dreyfus Affair: “J’Accuse and Other Writings of Emile Zola
• The Dreyfus Affair: The Scandal That Tore France in Two by Piers Paul Read
• The Collapse of The Third Republic by William Shire

Film:

• I Accuse (1958) with José Ferrer as Captain Alfred Dreyfus
• Papillon (1973) with Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman

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There have been many impostors throughout history and in this 48th episode we deal with six of them, two related to English history and four related to Russian history. All at one time or another had many who believed in them (or at least tried to use them for advantage). All six went a long way to pulling off their ruse and we discuss many of the details in this episode.

Episode Notes:

• Ivan IV (the Terrible) was Grand Prince of Moscow from 1533 to 1547 and Czar of Russia from 1547 to 1584.

Books:

• The Earlier Tudors by J.D. Mackie
• Henry VII and the Tudor Pretenders by Nathen Amin
• A Short History of Russia's First Civil War: The Time of Troubles of and the Founding of the Romanov Dynasty by Chester S.L. Dunning
• A History of Russia by Nicholas V. Riasanovsky
• A Romanov Fantasy: Life at the Court of Anna Anderson by Frances Welch

Film:

• Ivan the Terrible (2014) Documentary
• Anastasia (1956) Starring Ingrid Bergman

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After a six-week hiatus, we’re back and with a fast-paced adventure story that rivals even the best of Hollywood. It’s the story of Hannibal Barca. When outnumbered by the Roman military two to one, this fearless Carthaginian general, complete with eye patch and riding atop a black stallion, defied all odds in one of the bloodiest battles in all of antiquity, thus becoming one of the greatest military commanders the world has ever known. Join us as we delve into the life and times of this extraordinary man.

Episode Notes:

• The immediate predecessor of Hannibal in Spain was his brother-in-law, Hasdrubal the Fair (not to be confused with Hannibal's brother, Hasdrubal), who ruled from 229-221 BC., after which Hannibal in 221 at the age of 26 took over Carthaginian Spain.
• According to some ancient sources, Hannibal did marry an Iberian woman named Imilce and they had a son, but we do not know this for certain.

Books:

• The Punic Wars by Adrian Goldsworthy
• A History of Rome by Michael Grant
• Hannibal: The Military Biography of Rome’s Greatest Enemy by Richard Gabriel
• The Histories by Polybius
• A History of Warfare by John Keegan

Film:

• Hannibal (2006) BBC Film
• Hannibal: A March on Rome (2018) Documentary
• Hannibal in the Alps (2018) PBS Documentary

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Imagine being hung three times… unsuccessfully. That’s exactly what happened to Englishman, John “Babbacombe” Lee in 1885. Or in the case of Herman Göring, being slipped a cyanide pill just hours before you were scheduled to be hung. Or foiling your pursuers by killing yourself first and being laid out in full regalia upon their arrival. Here in Episode 46, we explore seven individuals who cheated the hangman one way or another.

Books:

• Antony and Cleopatra by Adrian Goldsworthy
• Queen Elizabeth I by J.E. Neale
• Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution by Nathaniel Philbrick
• "Babbacombe" Lee: The Man They Could Not Hang by John Lee
• Jack the Ripper: The Definitive Casebook by Richard Wittington Egan
• Inside the Third Reich by Albert Speer

Film:

• Cleopatra (1963) with Elizabeth Taylor
• Benedict Arnold: Hero Betrayed (2021) Documentary
• Jack the Ripper (2017) Documentary with Trevor Marriott
• Judgement at Nuremburg (1961) with an all-star cast
• Downfall (2005) with Bruno Ganz as Hitler

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“Let them hate me, so they but fear me.” ~ Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (aka Caligula)

Caligula, the third Julio-Claudian emperor of the great Roman Empire, was known as a cruel, erratic, sex-crazed and delusional tyrant. Not only did he decree that his horse was a Roman consul, but he also marched his troops all the way to the English Channel only to have them pick up seashells, and he’s also said to have committed incest with all three of his sisters. Was he a madman or a victim of an undiagnosed medical condition? Here in Episode 45, we take an in-depth look at not only Caligula, but all five of the emperors who reigned during the Julio-Claudian Dynasty, including Claudius and the famed Nero.

Books:

• From the Gracchi to Nero: A History of Rome from 133 BC to AD 68 by H.H. Scullard
• History of Rome by Michael Grant
• The Twelve Caesars by Suetonius
• Roman History by Dio Cassius

Film:

• I, Claudius (1976) 12 Episodes by BBC
• Caligula (1979) terrible cult film, but incredible cast including Peter O’Toole, Helen Mirren & Malcolm McDowell

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South Africa has a fascinating, complex, and often tragic history. From the migration of the Bantu to the settlements by the Dutch and British; from the Boar Wars to the fight to abolish apartheid, here in Episode 44, we explore the history of this geologically and culturally rich nation - a nation that is still striving to reach its full potential.

Books:

• A History of South Africa by Frank Welsh
• Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela
• Hero of The Empire by Candice Millard
• Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton

Film:

• Zulu (1964) with Michael Caine
• Breaker Morant (1980) directed by Bruce Beresford

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What do Georgetown University, St. Joseph’s University, and Loyola University have in common (besides basketball)? They were all founded by the Jesuits, and the Jesuit order of the Catholic Church was highly instrumental in the phenomenon known as the Counter Reformation. Once Luther, Calvin and others challenged the authority and teachings of the Catholic Church, the Church had no choice but to respond to these accusations and alternative beliefs. Here in Episode 43, we dive into the Counter Reformation which began in the 1540’s under Pope Paul III and ushered in many lasting changes in the Catholic Church.

Episode Notes:

· Peter O’Toole played Pope Paul III in the Showtime series, The Tudors.
· Yes, a Jesuit did become Pope. He is the present pontifex maximus, Pope Francis I.

Books:

• The Counter Reformation by A.G. Dickens
• The Reformation Crisis edited by Joel Hurtsfield
• The Penguin Dictionary of English and European History, 1485-1789 by E. Williams
• Keepers of the Keys of Heaven: A History of the Papacy by Roger Collins

Film:

• Black Robe (1991) directed by Bruce Beresford

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The Protestant Reformation was one of the single greatest events in the history of Western Civilization. Led by Martin Luther, this protestation against the Catholic Church altered all of Western history. Here in Episode 42, we take a closer look at this exceptional, though conflicted man, as well as other early protestant reformers like Ulrich Zwingli and the formidable John Calvin, who together rocked the very foundation of western Europe and even led to the founding of America itself.

Books:

• Young Man Luther: A Study in Psychoanalysis and History by Erik Ericson
• Europe: From the Renaissance to Waterloo by Robert Ergang
• The Penguin Dictionary of English and European History, 1485-1789 by E.N. Williams
• The Reformation Crisis Edited by Joel Hurstfield

Film:

• Martin Luther (2003) PBS Documentary

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"Into the valley of death rode the six hundred." Here in Episode 41, we take a closer look at the events that inspired Lord Alfred Tennyson to write those words in his epic poem "The Charge of the Light Brigade". We also explore both the long-term and short-term causes of the Crimean War and why it was a "first" in many areas of modern warfare, interrupting as it did a largely peaceful 19th century Europe between 1815-1914.

Episode Edit:

• Just to be clear, the antagonists in the Crimean War were the British, French, Turks and Piedmontese on the one side and the Russians on the other side. Kim was thinking a little too far ahead at the 2:48 mark as well as the 5:38 mark.

Books:

• The Ottoman Centuries by Lord Kinross
• Dictionary of Modern History: 1789-1945 edited by Duncan Townson
• The Charge of the Light Brigade by Lord Alfred Tennyson
• The Crimean War by Orlando Figes
• Florence Nightingale: The Making of an Icon by Mark Bostridge
• Notes on Nursing: What it is and What it is Not by Florence Nightingale

Film:

• The Crimean War (2018) documentary
• Florence Nightingale (1985) staring Jaclyn Smith
• Charge of the Light Brigade ((1936) staring Errol Flynn
• The Charge of The Light Brigade (1968) staring Trevor Howard

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Lawrence of Arabia is the stuff of legend. There have been numerous books written and films made about him, but who was T.E. Lawrence actually? What made this man with so many talents, who was also immensely brave and resourceful, act and think as he did? Our 40th Episode explores some of the possible reasons.

Books:

• Seven Pillars of Wisdom by T.E. Lawrence
• Lawrence of Arabia: The Authorized Biography of T.E. Lawrence by Jeremy Wilson
• T.E. Lawrence by His Friends edited by Arnold Lawrence
• The Letters of T.E. Lawrence edited by David Garnett

Film:

• Lawrence of Arabia (1962) Starring Peter O’Toole
• Lawrence of Arabia: The Battle For The Arab World (2003) PBS Documentary

Edits:

• T.E. Lawrence is buried in the churchyard of St. Nicolas’ Church in Moreton, Dorset, but there is a memorial bust of Lawrence located in St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.
• Even though we mentioned it, we never did get around to discussing the Allenby Rule. Per the 1962 film, when in Damascus and a large fire broke out, one of General Allenby’s subordinates asked him, “What should be done?” to which Allenby replied, “Nothing, it’s usually best.” So, when a problem arises and you’re faced with a myriad of options, often your best choice is to do nothing, i.e., the Allenby Rule.

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Many diseases throughout history have wiped out entire families, villages or even towns, but nothing even comes close to the death and destruction that would become known as the Black Death. It made periodic appearances throughout the centuries, dying out for some and reemerging for others. Today, modern medicine can cure this disease, but even so, hundreds of people still die from this disease every year, even in America. So, what is it and how did it shape world history? We cover all that and more here in Episode 39.

Books:

• Medieval Europe: A Short History by Judith M. Bennett and C. Warren Hollister
• Death in the Middle Ages by T.S.R. Boase
• The Black Death by Philip Ziegler
• The Waning of the Middle Ages by Johan Huizinga
• A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Dafoe

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Imagine sitting in a 97-degree court room in the middle of July while you’re being prosecuted for a crime you’re not even sure you committed. This is exactly the situation twenty-four-year-old John T. Scopes found himself in during the summer of 1925. Almost overnight this trial became a national sensation and put the small town of Dayton, Tennessee on the map. It would involve two of the most famous attorneys of the day going head-to-head over a newly passed Tennessee State law called the Butler Act. What was the crime? Teaching evolution in the classroom.

Books:

• The Memoirs of William Jennings Bryan by William Jennings Bryan and Mary Baird Bryan
• Trying Biology: The Scopes Trial, Textbooks, and the Antievolution Movement in American Schools by Adam Shapiro
• Six Days or Forever? Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes by Ray Ginger
• Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America’s Continuing Debate Over Science and Religion by Edward Larson

Film:

• Inherit The Wind (1960) with Fredrich March, Spencer Tracy, and Gene Kelly

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Napoleon, was he hero or villain? An enlightened genius or supreme egotist? Superb diplomat or an immoral usurper? All of the above? Continuing with Part II of our Napoleon series, we take a closer look into his greatest achievements as well as his greatest mistakes. From his coronation as Emperor at Notre-Dame in 1804 to his loss at Waterloo in 1815, this man’s story is seemingly inexhaustible. Has the world ever seen his equal either before or since? We’ll leave that for you to decide.

Notes:

• Though buried at St. Helena's when he died in 1821, by 1840 Napoleon's legacy was such that some two decades later he was brought back to France in 1840 with great ceremony of state and placed in the Hotel des Invalides where he still resides.

Books:

• The Congress of Vienna: A Study of Allied Unity: 1812-1822 by Harold Nicolson
• Dictionary of the Napoleonic Wars by David C. Chandler
• Europe: From the Renaissance to Waterloo by Robert Ergang
• The Napoleonic Wars by Richard Holmes
• Napoleon: A Life by Andrew Roberts
• Napoleon: A Concise Biography by David A. Bell

Film:

• Napoleon (2003 TV Miniseries) staring Christian Clavier

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Are great leaders made or just born that way? It seems that in the case of Napoleon, he truly was born to lead. It is said that his troops would have followed him into the gates of hell. But how good or bad was he and what is his legacy? Here in Episode 36, we explore these questions and take a closer look into the early life of Napoleon from his upbringing on the island of Corsica through his early victories in Italy and elsewhere as well as his marriage to Josephine. Get ready because we packed a lot into this 36-minute episode.

Books:

• Dictionary of the Napoleonic Wars by David G. Chandler
• Europe: From the Renaissance to Waterloo by Robert Ergang
• The Napoleonic Wars by Richard Holmes
• Napoleon: A Life by Andrew Roberts
• Napoleon: A Concise Biography by David A. Bell

Film:

• Napoleon (2003 TV Miniseries) staring Christian Clavier

Also Mentioned in Episode 36:

• A Tale of Two Cities: The Musical by Jill Santoriello

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“A leader is a dealer in hope.” —Napoleon BonaparteHere in Episode 35, we take a closer look at two perhaps lesser-known great leaders in history. When all hope was lost and the odds were stacked against them, they defied all probability and led their men safely home. These are two of the most fascinating adventure stories ever told. Sir Ernest Shackleton and Xenophon did the extraordinary and both lived to tell their tales.

Episode Notes:

• Shackleton's final Antarctic expedition of 1921-22 had imprecise goals but one of them was a possible circumnavigation of the continent.

Books:

• Anabasis by Xenophon
• A History of Greece to the Death of Alexander the Great by J.B. Bury and Russell Meiggs
• Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing
• South! The Journey of Shackleton’s Last Expedition 1914-1917 by Sir Ernest Shackleton

Film:

• Shackleton (2012) with Kenneth Branagh

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There are a handful of people in history who seem to have had an uncanny ability to escape death. Whether evading a lone assassin, dodging friendly fire during the heat of battle, or simply defying the laws of nature by smoking over 200 cigarettes a day, these four historical figures featured in Episode 34 proved they were all Hard to Kill.

Books:The Reign of Elizabeth by J.B. Black

Washington: The Indispensable Man by James Thomas Flexner

King Zog: Self-Made Monarch of Albania by James Tomes

The Double Life of Fidel Castro by Juan Reinaldo Sanchez & Alex Gyldén

Film:

Elizabeth I and Her Enemies (2017) Documentary

Washington (2020) Documentary

The Fidel Castro Tapes (2014) Documentary

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The Restoration period is known as probably the most bawdy era in English history. And who was it that ushered in this remarkable age? Why, the Merry Monarch himself, Charles II. In addition to having a great fondness for the ladies and the good life, Charles had many remarkable qualities. Here in our first episode of Season 2, we take a closer look at this loveable rogue and the times in which he lived.

Episode Edits:

• Charles had a stroke not months before his death but only about a week before his death.
• The William Penn Statue on top of City Hall in Philadelphia is the largest freestanding statue atop any building in the world.

Books:

• The Later Stuarts by Sir George Clark
• Royal Charles by Antonia Fraser
• The Columbia Companion to British History by Juliet Gardiner & Neil Wenborn
• The Pageant of Stuart England by Elizabeth Burton

Film:

• Charles II: The Power and the Passion (2003) with Rufus Sewell
• Forever Amber (1947) with George Sanders and Linda Darnell

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The years 1692-1693 were some of the darkest times in American history. They were the years when mass hysteria ruled the land and young girls were inexplicably stricken with fits of screaming, barking, shaking, and crying. It was a group of roughly 9 girls in Salem Village, Massachusetts, who were taken at their fantastical word of being physically tormented by certain members of their own village which eventually led to over 200 people being accused of witchcraft. Nineteen of those accused were hung and one was pressed to death. Here in our last episode of our first season, we take an in-depth look at the fascinating yet heart-breaking time in our history known as The Salem Witch Trials.

Books:

• A Modest Enquiry into the Nature of Witchcraft by Rev. John Hale
• The Salem Witch Trials: A Reference Guide by K. David Goss
• Salem Story: Reading the Witch Trials of 1692 by Bernard Rosenthal
• A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience by Emerson W. Baker

Films:

• Three Sovereigns for Sarah (1986) with Vanessa Redgrave
• The Crucible (1996) with Daniel Day Lewis and Winona Ryder

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During the late summer and fall of 1888, a district in East London was being terrorized by an unknown Victorian serial killer. In a September 25th letter addressed to the Central News Agency, the yet to be identified murderer boasted of his recent killings and signed the letter “Jack the Ripper”. That name has endured for over 133 years, and the case remains open to this day. Why are we still fascinated by this case? With over 100 suspects, why was it never solved? Here in Episode 31, we walk you through the facts of what is known about the most notorious murderer the world has ever known.

Books:

• Jack the Ripper: The Definitive Casebook by Richard Whittington-Egan
• The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper by Maxim Jakubowski
• The Complete History of Jack the Ripper by Philip Sugden
• The Complete Jack the Ripper by Donald Rumbelow

Film/Documentary:

• Jack the Ripper (1988) with Michael Caine and Jane Seymour
• Jack the Ripper: Tabloid Killer (2015) Documentary
• Jack the Ripper (2017) Documentary with Trevor Marriott

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Everyone has their favorite holiday, but do you know how your favorite holiday came into being? The answers may surprise you. For instance, in 12th century England, New Year’s Day was celebrated on March 25th, but the ancient Celts celebrated their New Year (Sumhain) on November 1st. So why do we now celebrate the New Year on January 1st? And why do we now use the Gregorian Calendar as opposed to the Julian Calendar? Also, did the Druids really use human sacrifices during their celebrations? And why would shepherds be tending their flocks in the middle of December? Did slavery still exist after June 19, 1865? Here in our 30th episode we answer every single one of those questions and much more!

Episode Notes:

• King Numa Pompilius (c. 700 BC) is credited with adding January and February to the old 10-month Roman calendar, but March 1st remained New Year’s Day for Romans until the Julian calendar was developed around 45 BC.
• President Abraham Lincoln did not, in August of 1862, write to Horatio Seymour, former and future Governor of New York, about slavery and the Union, but rather to Horace Greeley, editor of The New York Tribune.
• As promised, here is Rebecca’s Spotify playlist, “October Songs”.

Books:

• A Brief History of the Calendar by David Harper, PhD, FRAS
• New Year’s Day Wikipedia article
• The Civil War Day by Day by E.B. Long
• Lincoln by David Herbert Donald
• Halloween by Ruth Edna Kelley
• A Brief History of the Druids by Peter Berresford Ellis
• The Christmas Encyclopedia by William Crump
• Historical Dictionary of Catholicism by William J. Collinge

Film:

• The Wicker Man (1973) – with Edward Woodward, Diane Cilento

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Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a fascinating figure- resourceful, brave, insightful, reflective, but it’s his inordinate ambition that leads to his downfall. Can the same be said of Scotland’s real Macbeth? Here in Episode 29, we unpack the characters in Shakespeare’s play Macbeth alongside their historical (or mythical) counterparts including Banquo, Malcolm, McDuff, even the witches. We also let you in on a few theatre traditions involving “The Scottish Play” as well as why you can never say the word Macbeth in a theatre.

Episode Notes:

• The word Bard means poet and because William Shakespeare was from the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, he was known as the Bard of Avon. Even though the title was never officially bestowed, in 1769 the Shakespearean actor David Garrick is credited with organizing the Shakespeare Jubilee for which he wrote a song referring to Shakespeare as the Warwickshire Bard which seems to have eventually morphed into The Bard of Avon. Here is a link to Garrick's original song, https://www.bartleby.com/333/77.html
• Sir Laurence Olivier played the title role in Macbeth at the Old Vic Theatre in London in 1937.

Books:

• Macbeth by William Shakespeare
• Holinshed’s Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland by Raphael Holinshed
• Scotland: The Story of a Nation by Magnus Magnusson
• The Reign of Elizabeth 1556-1603 by J.B. Black
• The History of Scotland by Sir Walter Scott

Film:

• Macbeth (1948) Directed by and starring Orson Welles
• The Tragedy of Macbeth (1971) Directed by Roman Polanski, starring John Finch
• The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021) Directed by Joel Cohen, starring Denzel Washington

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Almost six centuries have come and gone and we’re still talking about an illiterate peasant girl who only lived to be nineteen years old. Why? Not only did she inspire her nation by leading thousands of men into battle, but she also ushered in the end of the Hundred’s Year War thus saving her nation of France from English rule. Was she divinely inspired or was she a schizophrenic who heard the voices of martyred saints in her head? We may never know the answer to that question, but here in Episode 28 we unpack a lot about Joan of Arc.

Episode Edit:

In the interest of accuracy and fairness, in 1450, almost twenty years after Joan's death, King Charles VII did himself have a retrial of Joan which vindicated her. This was before Pope Calixtus III (1455-1458) also had a retrial. To Charles' credit, he couldn't have the retrial until he did because it wasn't until late 1449 that he and French forces were able to take Rouen where Joan's trial and burning occurred and where all the papers and documents related to the trial were located.

Books:

• The Hundred Years War by Edouard Perroy (translated from the French)
• Joan: The Mysterious Life of The Heretic Who Became a Saint by Donald Spoto
• The Life of Joan of Arc by Anatole France (translated from the French)
• The Fifteenth Century 1399-1485 by E.F. Jacob
• Joan of Arc: A Military Leader by Kelly DeVries

Film:

• The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) silent film with Renée Falconetti
• Joan of Arc (1948) with Ingrid Bergman

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In October of 1492, Christopher Columbus landed on an island in the Caribbean Sea and christened it “Juana” in honor of Prince Don Juan, son of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. From there, Cuba would remain under Spanish rule for over 400 years. Eventually, the United States would help the Cuban people overthrow their colonial rulers just as America had done a century before. Thus began a long and contentious relationship between America and Cuba. Ironically, it was America who also assisted a young Cuban revolutionary named Fidel Castro to overthrow a corrupt government and set up his own government. That was 1959 and Castro would remain in power for over 50 years while surviving more than 600 assassination attempts and outlasting 11 American presidents. With his death in 2016 and the resignation of his brother, Raul, in April of 2021, there have been new rumblings in Cuba. Will the Cuban people finally demand freedom, or will they continue under Communist rule? Will America once again involve herself in Cuban affairs? It seems there is more Cuban history yet to be written.

BOOKS

• Cuba: A History by Hugh Thomas
• The History of Cuba by Clifford Staten
• Thirteen Days: A Memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis by Robert Kennedy
• Modern Times by Paul Johnson
• America: A Narrative History by George Tindall and David Shi

FILM

• Cuban Missile Crisis: Three Men Go to War (2012) Documentary
• JFK: A President Betrayed (2013) Documentary with Morgan Freeman narrating
• Fidel (1971) Documentary
• The Fidel Castro Tapes (2014) Documentary

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Spy: (noun) “A person employed by one nation to secretly convey classified information of strategic importance to another nation.” When someone says the word spy, the image that pops into most people’s minds is James Bond (for us here at Historically Speaking that would be Sean Connery, the original,) but the father of modern-day espionage can be traced all the way back to the court of Queen Elizabeth I. But no matter what century you are playing your deadly game, spying often times isn’t as glamorous as it seems. Yes, you may be hobnobbing with the elites of society, but in order to not reveal your cover you have to be tough enough to survive some extraordinarily perilous circumstances, while at the same time being clever enough to convince your adversaries that you’re truly on their side. John le Carré, Ian Fleming and Frederick Forsyth had to base their novels on someone, could it possibly be one of these three gentlemen that we discuss here in Episode 26? We’ll let you decide.

BOOKS

Sir Francis Walsingham:

• The Reign of Elizabeth: 1558-1603 by J. B. Black
• Queen Elizabeth I by J.E. Neale
• Elizabeth’s Spymaster: Francis Walsingham and the Secret War That Saved England by Robert Hutchinson

Wilhelm Canaris:

• Canaris: The Life and Death of Hitler’s Spymaster by Michael Mueller
• The Secret War: Spies, Ciphers and Guerrillas, 1939-1945 by Max Hastings

Richard Sorge:

• An Impeccable Spy: Richard Sorge, Stalin’s Master Agent by Owen Matthews
• Stalin’s Spy: Richard Sorge and the Tokyo Espionage Ring by Robert Whymant
• The Oxford Companion to World War II

FILM

• Richard Sorge: Master Spy (2019) – Russian miniseries 12 episodes

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Imagine being the most renowned woman in the world only to face a French firing squad for simply repeating the latest gossip, or having every one of your toenails ripped out one by one at the hands of a demonic Nazi interrogator, or filing down your own teeth in order to change your appearance so you could operate as a harmless old woman and pass Allied secrets right under the Nazis’ noses. Hard to imagine, right? Well, the trio of women featured in Episode 25 did exactly that and more. Three fearless, extraordinary women who operated in a world of war, espionage, and men. Were they effective? Did they change the course of history? Tune in and find out.

Books:

• Mata Hari: Eye of the Day by Charles Rammelkamp
• Femme Fatale: Love, Lies and the Unknown Life of Mata Hari by Pat Shipman
• Hall of Mirrors: Virginia Hall: America’s Greatest Spy of WWII by Craig Gralley
• A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win WWII by Sonia Purnell
• Odette: World War Two’s Darling Spy by Penny Starns
• Code Name: Lise by Larry Loftis

Film/Documentary:

• Mata Hari The Naked Spy (2019) – Documentary
• A Call to Spy (2020) – with Sarah Megan Thomas as Virginia Hall

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You may have heard the phrase, “Marxism in theory has a lot of merit,” or “True Marxism has never really been tried.” Well, here in Episode 24, we break it all down as we explore the 6 principals of Marxism laid out by Karl Marx himself. We also delve into the life of Karl Marx along with his friend and co-author of the Communist Manifesto, Friedrich Engels, and take a closer look at the rise of the Frankfurt School and Critical Theory. Get ready, we packed a lot into this 36-minute episode.

Episode Edits:

1. When referring to Felix Weil, who funded the Institute of Social Research, we incorrectly called him Max Weil.

Books:

• The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
• Das Kapital (3 vol.) by Karl Marx
• The Condition of The Working Class in England by Friedrich Engels
• The Practice and Theory of Bolshevism by Bertrand Russell
• The Critique of Pure Tolerance by Herbert Marcuse, Robert Wolff, Barrington Moore
• The Penguin Dictionary of Modern History, 1789-1945 by A.W. Palmer

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“Keep Cool with Coolidge” was one of the presidential campaign slogans for the 1924 election. What was so cool about Coolidge? Here in Episode 23, we give you our reasons why Calvin Coolidge gets our vote for the most underrated president in American history. Here’s a few teasers – he was the first president to appoint a woman to the Federal Judiciary, he extended American citizenship to Native Americans, he proposed the first federal anti-lynching laws, he was the last president to pay down the national debt, and so much more. A man of very few words (a.k.a. Silent Cal,) who experienced heartbreaking personal tragedy while in office, Coolidge is the only president to be sworn into office by his own father and the only one to be sworn in at 3 o’clock in the morning.

Books:

• The Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge by Calvin Coolidge
• Why Coolidge Matters: Leadership Lessons from America’s Most Underrated President by Charles C. Johnson
• A Puritan in Babylon: The Story of Calvin Coolidge by William Allen White
• Coolidge: An American Enigma by Robert Sobel
• A History of the American People by Paul Johnson

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The Korean War is the fifth most deadly war in American history, and it ranks among the top ten of any war in human history for the most casualties. So why is it called the Forgotten War? Technically, it wasn’t a war at all, but rather a U.N. “police action” which involved 1.8 million American soldiers and lasted from 1950-1953. Officially, the Korean War never ended, but rather an armistice was signed in 1953 ensuring a complete cessation of hostilities. Today, the only thing standing between Communist North Korea and Democratic South Korea is a thin, red dividing line located around the 38th Parallel and the hope that Kim Jong-un doesn’t repeat the same mistakes his grandfather did.

Books

• American Caesar: Douglas MacArthur 1880-1964 by William Manchester
• Encyclopedia of Military History from 3500 B.C. to The Present by Richard Ernest Dupuy & Trevor N. Dupuy
• Modern Times by Paul Johnson
• A History of the Twentieth Century by Martin Gilbert

Film

• MacArthur (1977) with Gregory Peck
• Unforgettable: The Korean War - Documentary

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In 1932, a newly minted phrase was on the lips of most Americans… “The New Deal.” It was first uttered by Franklin D. Roosevelt to an audience in Chicago during his acceptance speech for the Democratic nomination for President. It would soon become an American phenomenon and the largest governmental spending plan to date. Its intention – to put Americans back to work and revive the economy following a depression unleashed by the stock market crash of 1929. It was hailed as a huge success and won FDR the Presidency in 1932, 1936, 1940 and 1944. But, was it really as successful as everyone lauded it to be? Did it really pull America out of the Great Depression? History is somewhat divided on this topic, after all, hindsight is 2020. So, why is history repeating itself in 2021 with Covid Relief which is now the largest government spending/American bailout plan to date? We discuss it here in Episode 21 so you can decide for yourself.

Books

• The Age of Roosevelt (3 Vols.) by Arthur Schlesinger, Jr
• Franklin D. Roosevelt and The New Deal by William E. Leuchtenburg
• FDR’s Folly: How Roosevelt and His New Deal Prolonged the Great Depression by Jim Powell
• A History of the American People by Paul Johnson

Documentary

• The Roosevelts (2014) by Ken Burns

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Economic depression, social unrest, a general discontent among the population – these are just a few of the reasons why Hitler happened. Charisma, personal drive, and bigger than life ideas for a better future for the country and the world at large – these are just a few of the reasons why it was Hitler. They said his eyes could draw you in, his persona was magnetic, and when he promised you something, you believed him. Instead of using his innate talents for good, Hitler chose to use them for evil, dominating not only his nation, but most of Europe. Why wasn’t he stopped sooner? Why didn’t anyone see him coming? How do we keep this from ever happening again? Here in Episode 20, which is Part II of "How Hitler Happened", we explore these questions and many more.

Books

• The Rise and Fall of The Third Reich by William L. Shirer
• Inside The Third Reich by Albert Speer
• Modern Times by Paul Johnson

Film

• The King’s Choice (2017) in Norwegian with subtitles
• Downfall (2005) with Bruno Ganz as Hitler
• Patton (1970) George C. Scott’s Oscar winning performance as General Patton
• Judgement at Nuremburg (1961) with an all-star cast

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Lately, there have been headlines and comments among celebrities, news commentators and politicians to the effect – “This is how Hitler got into power!” or “This is why Nazism took over Germany!” So where is the truth? Are there analogies to be made between modern day America and the rise of Nazism? Can socialism and democracy co-exist? Is the term democratic socialist an oxymoron? Get ready for a deep dive into some cold, hard historical facts as we explore the answers to these difficult questions and most important, how Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers’ Party, or Nazi Party, rose to power.

Books

• The Rise and Fall of The Third Reich by William L. Shirer
• Mein Kampf (My Struggle) by Adolf Hitler
• Modern Times by Paul Johnson

Documentaries

• Hitler (2016)
• The Life of Adolf Hitler (2014)

Weimar Films

• The Blue Angel (1929 in German) with Marlena Dietrich
• Metropolis (1927 Silent) directed by Fritz Lang
• The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920 Silent) with Conrad Veidt

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Tet: a word which has two very different meanings depending on who you ask. To the Vietnamese, it means the festival celebrating the Lunar New Year. To the American GI, it means hell and the turning point for America in the Vietnam War. On January 31, 1968, over 100 cities and villages in south Vietnam were attacked by the communist Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese People’s Army of Vietnam. By the end of 1968, over 14,000 American soldiers were dead as well as hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese. The Tet Offensive was considered a devastating military failure for the communists, however, today Vietnam is a communist country, ruled by The Socialist Republic of Vietnam. So, who really won?

Episode Edits:

1. This is our 18th episode, not our 19th as was erroneously put forward in this episode. We are, however, taking ideas for our upcoming 20th episode (after we do the 19th, of course,) so, please reach out either through our website, historicallyspeakingpodcast.com or at historicallyspeakinghosts@gmail.com
2. For clarity, 5,000 American soldiers died in the first phase of the Tet Offensive. The number of 14,000+ includes the entire year of 1968 and all three phases of the Tet.

Books:

• America’s Longest War: The United States and Vietnam, 1950-1975 by George Herring
• The Best and The Brightest by David Halberstam
• The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Vietnam War by Phillip Jennings
• Vietnam: A History by Stanley Karnow
• The Oxford Companion to American Military History edited by John Whiteclay Chambers II

Film:

• Battlefield – Vietnam TET (2010) – Narration by Gavin McFayden, with war footage.
• The Vietnam War: A Film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick (2017) 10 Episodes.

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What do John Ford, Moe Berg, Julia Child and Nelson Eddy have in common? They all stepped away from their respective careers during WWII and joined a newly formed organization called The Office of Strategic Services a.k.a. the OSS. In short, they were spies for a group that was the forerunner to both the CIA and the Army’s Special Forces. From Julia’s special recipe for shark repellent, to John Ford’s undercover training films for secret agents, to Moe’s training of Slavic-American recruits to go on parachute drops into Yugoslavia, and Nelson Eddy’s “singing tour” of the Middle East, these extraordinary individuals risked their lives and their careers to secretly serve their country during its time of crisis. But for the OSS, would the Allies have even won the war? It's certainly a question worth asking and a great reason to dig a little deeper into this secret organization that only officially existed during WWII.

Books

• Operatives, Spies, and Saboteurs: The Unknown Story of the Men and Women of World War II's OSS by Patrick K. O’Donnell
• OSS: The Secret History of America’s First Central Intelligence Agency by Richard Harris Smith
• The OSS and Ho Chi Minh: Unexpected Allies in the War against Japan by Dixee Bartholomew-Feis
• James Bond: Original Series (14 Books) by Ian Fleming

Film

• Casablanca (1943) with Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains & Paul Henreid
• The Conspirators (1944) with Hedy Lamarr, Paul Henreid & Peter Lorre

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The Supreme Court agrees to hear about 100-150 of the more than 7,000 cases that it is asked to review each year. Decisions made by the 9 Justices that sit on the Court are considered final… unless overturned by a subsequent decision. For many seeking justice, it is their last hope. From Dred Scott to Brown vs Board of Education to Obergefell vs Hodges, here in Episode 16, we take a look at a handful of Supreme Court decisions that, for better or worse, changed America. 

Episode Edits

1. Dred Scott was inherited by Dr. John Emerson's widow, not his sister.

Books

• Black’s Law Dictionary 11th Edition
• America: A Narrative History 11th Edition by David Emory Shi
• The Supreme Court 13th Edition by Lawrence Baum
• Without Precedent: Chief Justice John Marshall and His Times by Joel Richard Paul
• The Oxford Companion to The Supreme Court of The United States by Kermit L. Hall

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Alcoholism, depression, suicide… you think you know the Adams family? There’s a few details about this family that you may not have heard in history class. Here in episode 15, we explore four generations of Adams from our second US President to the Pulitzer Prize-winning Henry Brooks Adams. With their extraordinary intellect and iron resolve, these men (and the women behind them) made immeasurable contributions not only to the founding of this country, but also to international relations and to the abolishment of slavery. In spite of heart-breaking personal tragedies that plagued every generation of Adams, this family is a fascinating study in patience and perseverance. 

Episode Edits:

1. Technically, the United Kingdom did not exist until 1801. From 1707-1801 the correct term is Great Britain.
2. There are several illustrations depicting the collapse of John Quincy Adams in Congress on February 21, 1848. One engraving hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in DC and another, by Nathaniel Currier, resides in the Library of Congress.

Episode Resources:

Books:

• John Adams by David McCullough
• John Quincy Adams: American Visionary by Fred Kaplan
• The Education of Henry Adams by Henry Adams
• The Last American Aristocrat by David S. Brown

Movies:

• John Adams (2008) starring Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney
• Amistad (1997) starring Morgan Freeman, Anthony Hopkins and Matthew McConaughey

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Do you know which president holds the record for presidential pardons? The answer may not be as clear cut as you might think. How about which president signed almost as many executive orders as all his predecessors combined? And just for the record, do you know which President implemented the most proclamations? Presidential powers are complex and fascinating; some are enumerated in the Constitution while some are not. Here in Episode 14, we take you on a whirlwind tour of the powers wielded by the Executive branch of our government. 

Episode Edits:

1. Muhammad Ali was convicted of avoiding the draft in 1967 but did not go to jail due to the appeal process. His conviction was overturned in 1971 by the Supreme Court.

Episode Resources:

Books:

• The Black Frontiersman: The Memoirs of Henry O. Flipper by Theodore D. Harris
• My Life in the Ring and Out by Jack Johnson
• The Presidential Pardon Power by Jeffrey P. Crouch
• Executive Order 9066 by Charles River Editors
• The Life of Samuel A. Mudd by Nettie Mudd
• 31 Days: Gerald Ford, the Nixon Pardon and a Government in Crisis by Barry Werth

Film:

• The Prisoner of Shark Island (1936) – Directed by John Ford
• Unforgiveable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson (2005) – PBS Documentary
• The Last American Hero (1973) – Jeff Bridges plays Junior Johnson, the NASCAR driver pardoned by Ronald Reagan.

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Maverick: (noun) an unorthodox or independent minded person. Most people know him as our 26th president and the man who uttered the phrase, “Speak softly and carry a big stick,” but there’s far more to Theodore Roosevelt than meets the eye. From sickly, asthmatic child to conservationist, cowboy, boxer, explorer, author, orator, and perpetual adventure seeker, here in Episode 13, we take a closer look, not just at “President” Roosevelt, but the Renaissance man who stirred an entire nation to patriotism and the maverick who inspired many people’s favorite childhood friend, the Teddy Bear. 

Episode Resources

Books About Theodore Roosevelt:

• The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt (book 1 of 3) by Edmund Morris
• Theodore Rex (book 2 of 3) by Edmund Morris
• Colonel Roosevelt (book 3 of 3) by Edmund Morris
• The River of Doubt by Candice Miller
• America: A Narrative History by George Brown Tindall and David Emory Shi

Books By Theodore Roosevelt:

• The Naval War of 1812
• Ranch Life and The Hunting Trail
• Thomas Hart Benton
• The Winning of The West (4 Volumes)
• Oliver Cromwell

Documentaries:

• The Indomitable Teddy Roosevelt (1983) Narrated by George C. Scott
• Ken Burns: The Roosevelts – An Intimate History (2014)

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Don’t take candy from strangers! That phrase came into being in 1874 because little Charley Ross, age 4, took candy from two men in a horse-drawn carriage and was never seen again. The kidnapping case of Charles Lindbergh, Jr. took the entire nation by storm in 1932 and became known as the crime of the century leading to the execution of German immigrant, Bruno Richard Hauptman. Here in Episode 12, we take a closer look into these cases as well as three other high profile kidnapping cases.

Episode Resources

Books

• The Father’s Story of Charley Ross, The Kidnapped Child by Christian Kunkel Ross
• Cemetery John: The Undiscovered Mastermind of the Lindbergh Kidnapping by Robert Zorn
• Lindbergh by A. Scott Berg
• Frank Sinatra: An American Legend by Nancy Sinatra
• Kidnapped: The Tragic Life of J. Paul Getty III by Charles Fox
• American Heiress: The Wild Sage of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst by Jeffrey Toobin
• Patty Hearst: Her Own Story by Patricia Campbell Hearst and Alvin Moscow

Film

• The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case (1976) Made for TV Movie with Anthony Hopkins
• Stealing Sinatra (2004) with David Arquette and William H. Macy
• All The Money in the World (2017) with Mark Walberg, Christopher Plummer & Michelle Willimas
• Trust (2018) FX Series with Harris Dickinson, Donald Sutherland & Hillary Swank
• Guerrilla: The Taking of Patty Hearst (2004) Documentary

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When a German Zeppelin burst into flames over Lakehurst, New Jersey, speculation began almost immediately that it was sabotage, but was it? How is it possible for 5,000 men to simply disappear in a country the size of South Carolina with their only trace being a stone inscription dated 108 AD? Why would a captain and his crew abandon a perfectly sound ship that contained 6 months of food and supplies? These are some of the unexplained historical events that baffle historians to this day. Here in Episode 11, we take a closer look into these fascinating mysteries.

Episode Edits

1. Hadrian's Wall measures 73 miles in length.

Episode Resources

Books

• Hindenburg: An Illustrated History by Rick Archbold and Ken Marschall
• Empires of The Sky by Alexander Rose
• J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement by Arthur Conan Doyle
• Ghost Ship by Brian Hicks
• A Kingdom Strange: The Brief and Tragic History of the Lost Colony of Roanoke by James Horn
• Set Fair for Roanoke by David Beers Quinn
• Professor Galindez: Disappearing From Earth by Stuart A. McKeever
• Trujillo: The Death of a Dictator by Bernard Deiderich
• The Fate of The Ninth by Duncan B. Campbell
• A History of Roman Britain by Peter Salway

Film

• The Hindenburg (1975) with George C. Scott and Anne Bancroft
• Mystery of the Mary Celeste (1936) with Bela Lugosi
• The True Story of The Mary Celeste (2007) Documentary
• The Eagle (2011) with Channing Tatum and Donald Sutherland

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History is full of winners and losers, but rarely do you come across an individual who is a winner 100% of the time. Sometimes faced with insurmountable odds, these five military leaders always found a way to win. Whether facing Hannibal’s elephants in Zama, battling across the breadth of a river in Worcester or commencing a battle at 11pm to take their Ottoman enemies by surprise, these military geniuses of the Western world were the original action heroes not just of their time, but throughout the ages.  

Episode Resources:

Books

• The Campaigns of Alexander by Arrian
• The Age of Alexander by Plutarch
• Scipio Africanus: Soldier and Politician by H.H. Scullard
• Scipio Africanus: Greater Than Napoleon by Sir Basil Henry Liddell Hart
• The History of Rome by Michael Grant
• Plutarch’s Lives: Life of Julius Caesar by Plutarch, John Dryden (Translator)
• Battles That Changed History by DK and Smithsonian Institution
• Cromwell, Our Chief of Men by Lady Antonia Fraser
• God’s Executioner Oliver Cromwell and the Conquest of Ireland by Michael Siochru
• The Reader’s Companion to Military History by Robert Cowley and Geoffrey Parker
• Eagles Over The Alps: Suvorov in Italy and Switzerland by Christopher Duffy

Film

• Alexander Revisited: The (Unrated) Final Cut (2016) Directed by Oliver Stone
• Julius Caesar (1953) Shakespeare’s version with Marlon Brando, directed by Mankiewicz
• Rome (2005) HBO Series
• Cromwell (1970) with Richard Harris and Alec Guinness
• Patton (1970) with George C. Scott

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Imagine being uninvited to perform at a presidential inauguration because of whom you just married or buying a baby carriage for an infant who, 21 years later, would become your spouse, or how about finding out the person you just married wasn’t actually divorced from their previous spouse. Without a doubt, history is full of sensational marriages and here, in episode 9, we explore a handful of them. Get ready, these are some unusual and fascinating stories.

Episode Edits:

1. Any background noise you may hear in this episode is actually an excavator being used by our neighbors. Many apologies if you find it distracting.
2. Geoffrey Rush was an Academy Award nominee for best supporting actor for The King’s Speech. Colin Firth, who played King George VI, won the Academy Award for best actor.

Episode Resources:

Books

• Justinian and Theodora (Annotated) by William Gordon Holmes
• History of the Byzantine State by George Ostrogorsky
• American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House by Jon Mecham
• Grover Cleveland by Henry F. Graff
• Frank: The Story of Frances Folsom Cleveland, America’s Youngest First Lady by Annette B. Dunlap
• King Edward VIII: A Biography by Philip Ziegler
• Wallis in Love by Andrew Morton
• Yes I Can: The Story of Sammy Davis Jr by Sammy Davis Jr & Jane & Burt Boyar

Films

• The President’s Lady (1953) with Susan Hayward & Charlton Heston
• The King’s Speech (2010) with Colin Firth & Geoffrey Rush
• Sammy Davis Jr. – I’ve Gotta Be Me (2019) Documentary
• Ocean’s 11 (1960) with Sammy Davis, Jr., Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin
• Robin And The 7 Hoods (1964) with Sammy Davis, Jr., Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin
• Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All (1994) Miniseries

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Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum was invented by one of Hollywood’s greatest beauties. An Associate Justice of the Minnesota State Supreme Court was also known by millions as a Purple People Eater. A record 11 Academy Awards were given to a film based on a book written by a Civil War general. Who were these people? In this episode, we explore 6 individuals who had surprising hidden talents that were wildly different from what they were ultimately known for.

Episode Edits:

1. Alan Page played in the NFL for 14 seasons. 11 years with the Minnesota Vikings and 3 years with the Chicago Bears.
2. Ben-Hur was nominated for 12 Academy Awards and won 11.

Episode Resources:

Books

• Hedy’s Folly by Richard Rhodes
• Ecstasy and Me: My Life as a Woman by Hedy Lamarr
• Painting as a Pastime by Winston Churchill
• Sir Winston Churchill: His Life and His Paintings by David Coombs and Minnie Churchill
• Lewis Carroll: A Biography by Morton N. Cohen
• Alice in Wonderland: All Four Books by Lewis Carroll
• All Rise: The Remarkable Journey of Alan Page by Bill McGrane
• Hirohito: A Life From Beginning to End by Hourly History
• The Sword and The Pen: A Life of Lew Wallace by Ray E. Boomhower
• Ben-Hur: A Tale of The Christ by Lew Wallace

Film

• Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story
• Samson and Delilah (1949) – with Hedy Lamarr
• Alice in Wonderland (2010) – Tim Burton Version
• Ben-Hur (1959) - with Charlton Heston

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Warren G. Harding did what in a White House Closet? Who was FDR with when he died? JKF had how many women while he was president? These are just a few of the questions that get answered in this week’s episode as we delve into secrets that could have brought down political careers, administrations, and even entire governments (and some secrets that actually did!) This may be our best episode yet, and who doesn’t love an intriguing, salacious scandal or two? 

Episode Edits:

1. John Profumo resigned in June of 1963, not July as stated in the episode.
2. In 1975, John Profumo was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire which he received personally from Queen Elizabeth II.

Episode Resources:

Books

• Modern Times: The World From the 20’s to the 90’s by Paul Johnson
• Florence Harding: The First Lady, The Jazz Age, and The Death of the Most Scandalous President by Carl Sferrazza Anthony
• Eleanor and Franklin by Joseph P. Lash
• Dear Senator: A Memoir by the Daughter of Strom Thurmond by Essie Mae Washington-Williams
• The Dark Side of Camelot by Seymour M. Hersh
• A Thousand Days by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.
• Secrets and Lies: The Autobiography by Christine Keller

Films/Documentaries

• The Maltese Falcon with Humphry Bogart
• The Bride of Frankenstein with Valerie Hobson (John Profumo’s wife)
• Kind Hearts and Coronets with Valerie Hobson
• Ken Burns: The Roosevelts – An Intimate History - Documentary
• The Indomitable Teddy Roosevelt - Documentary
• Scandal – the film about the Profumo Affair

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From the very founding of the United States to the Whisky Rebellion to John Brown’s raid at Harper’s Ferry, Americans have always had a voracious drive to fight for what they believe – even if that means treason. In the words of Benjamin Franklin, "We must all hang together, or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately." What galvanizes people to fight for their cause even if it means the hangman’s noose? Here we explore some of America’s earliest rebellions from Fries Rebellion over taxes to Aaron Burr’s insatiable quest for power to the treasonous plot to kidnap Abraham Lincoln.

Episode Edits:

1. Colonel Robert E. Lee was commissioned by President James Buchanan to lead the forces against John Brown at Harper’s Ferry.

Episode Resources:

• Shays' Rebellion: The American Revolution’s Final Battle by Leonard L. Richards
• The Whisky Rebellion by Thomas P. Slaughter
• The Impending Crisis – America Before the Civil War 1848-1861 by David Potter
• Burr: A Novel by Gore Vidal
• My Theodosia: A Novel by Anya Seton
• To Purge This Land with Blood: A Biography of John Brown by Stephen Oates
• John Brown by Frederick Douglas
• Ralph Waldo Emerson Praises John Brown
• Frederick Douglas: Autobiographies by Frederick Douglas
• Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
• Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination That Changed America Forever by Bill O'Reilly
• The Conspirator – 2011 film about the assassination trial of Abraham Lincoln.
• The Good Lord Bird – 2020 series starring Ethan Hawke as John Brown

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Since its very inception, America has always had to be on the lookout for spies not just from foreign adversaries, but also from its own citizens. Alger Hiss, along with Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, all American citizens, were former members of the Communist Party (a party that still exists in America today.) They were all accused of passing American secrets to the U.S.S.R. in the 1940’s and were brought to trial in the early 1950’s. In this episode, we take a deep dive into what those three were accused of, what they were found guilty of, and what their ultimate sentence was.

Episode Edits:

1. While most federal crimes have a five-year statute of limitations, acts of espionage generally carry a 10-year statute of limitations.
2. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were married in 1939, the same year Julius graduated from City College of New York.
3. Julius Rosenberg was fired from the Army Signal Corps in 1945 because they found out he was a Communist.

Episode Resources: Alger Hiss (1904-1996)

• Witness by Whittaker Chambers
• Secrecy: The American Experience by Daniel Patrick Moynihan
• Alger Hiss: Why He Chose Treason by Christina Shelton
• Interview with Christina Shelton – video by Simon & Schuster Books (She spent twenty-two years working as a Soviet analyst and a Counterintelligence Branch Chief at the Defense Intelligence Agency.)
• Hiss and Chambers Face to Face in 1948 – actual video footage
• Alger Hiss Interview 1970 – video by British Pathé

Episode Resources: Julius Rosenberg (1918-1953) and Ethel Rosenberg (1915-1953)

• The Rosenberg Trial by Jake Kobrick (Research Historian, Federal Judicial History Office, Federal Judicial Center) This is the motherload of reference material.
• Final Verdict by Walter and Miriam Schneir the rebuttal to their own 1965 book.
• Invitation to an Inquest by Walter and Miriam Schneir
• Heir to an Execution: A Granddaughter’s Story – Film Documentary
• Excerpt from David Greenglass obituary in NY Times by Robert D. McFadden
• Rebuttal to Greenglass obituary in the NY Times

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You can find quotes in most places these days, on cards, shirts, magnets, hanging in offices or you may even have one hanging over your fire place. In this episode, we explore some of the most famous historical quotes from "Let them eat cake!" to "When going through hell, keep going." and we also do some fact checking as to whether the famous people they're attributed to actually said them.  We also take a look into the times and circumstances in which they may (or may not) have been said because in the words of Yogi Berra, "I really didn't say everything I said."

Episode Resources:

Farnsworth's Classical English Rhetoric by Ward Farnsworth

Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Fraser

Fart Proudly: A Letter to a Royal Academy by Benjamin Franklin

Churchill By Himself: The Definitive Collection of Quotations by Richard Langworth

All About Eve starring Bette Davis

Bette Davis on The Sexes - Interview with Shirley Eder

Quote Investigator - Website by Garson O'Toole

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Everyone knows the Hollywood Cleopatra, but what about the woman trying to preserve her family’s 275-year-old dynasty, the woman trying to keep Egypt safe from the ever-reaching grasp of Roman rule? Were her bedroom alliances with Caesar and Mark Anthony done out of love for these powerful Roman men or to save herself and her country? Would her first-born child by Caesar be strong enough to continue the Ptolemaic Dynasty and ally himself with Rome? This episode is jam packed with fascinating facts about Cleopatra and the times in which she lived.

Episode Edit:
*The comment regarding chess and checkers mentioned at about 8 minutes into the episode is purely satirical. As far as we can tell, neither of those games were around in the 1st century BC.

Episode Resources:

Anthony and Cleopatra by Adrian Goldsworthy

From Gracchi to Nero by H. H. Scullard

Plutarch’s Lives (Volume I and II)

Clues to Cleopatra’s Tomb Discovery (Travel & Leisure Magazine)

Cleopatra’s Real Appearance (Express UK)

Gal Godot’s New Cleopatra Movie (BBC)

Cleopatra (1963 film with Elizabeth Taylor)

Cleopatra (1934 film with Claudette Colbert)

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If you think politics has never been as controversial as it is today, wait until you hear this episode. For example, in the 1876 election 20 electoral votes were in dispute, Tilden needed only one of those votes and Hayes needed all 20. Guess who became president? We cover 4 different types of elections from America’s past to try to shed some light on the possibilities that may be just around the corner.  

Episode Edits:  
* Bush won the 2000 election by 537 votes, not the 567 mentioned in the episode. The percentage remains unchanged at .009%.

Episode Resources:

Modern Times by Paul Johnson

Truman by David McCullough

Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow

Jefferson and His Time by Dumas Malone (6 Volumes)

Hamilton Broadway Cast Recording

Dewey defeats Truman Photo

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Oliver Cromwell died on September 3, 1658, but his head didn't reach its final resting place until March 25, 1960. Where was it during that 302 year stretch in between? In this episode we not only cover Cromwell, but also Mary Queen of Scotts and Lord Nelson in addition to exploring the various peregrinations of the bodies of Eva Peron and Charlie Chaplin. Who they were, why they died and what happened to their corpse - all in time for Halloween!

• Cromwell's head was placed on a spike and displayed above Westminster Hall.

Link to Mary Queen of Scots (Biography by Antonia Frasier)

Link to Oliver (Biography of Oliver Cromwell by Antonia Frasier)

Link to Nelson's Trafalger: The Battle That Changed The World (by Roy Adkins)

Link to Evita (the Original Broadway Cast Album)

Link to The Great Dictator (Charlie Chaplin Film)