Roundup

Scouting movement still reflects Baden-Powell's influence [audio 30min]

Arthur Smith presents the fascinating story of 100 years of the Scouting movement and its idiosyncratic creator, Robert Baden-Powell. Smith is an English comedian and writer. 1st of 2 parts.

Invention of Childhood, 6th of 6 [audio 60min]

In six hour-long episodes, Michael Morpurgo, former Children's Laureate of Great Britain, examines the stories of the lives of British children over the last thousand years, epoque by epoque. Episode 6: Up to Date. Bringing his long story up to the present with the last compilation of Radio 4's major series"The Invention of Childhood", Michael Morpurgo traces how the immense economic and cultural changes of the last 50 years have affected the lives of British children. Do such changes herald the

Gerald Ford -- the 'accidental president' -- hailed as public servant, remembered for integrity [audio various]

President Gerald Ford, who assumed the presidency after the resignation of Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal, died December 26th at the age of 93 and is being praised as a steady leader during a time of national turmoil. NPR correspondents and analysts have filed over a dozen reports on Ford and his legacy, including interviews with such as Former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy, journalists James M. Cannon and Richard Reeves, speechwriter Robert Orben

The Siege of Constantinople -- The end of a thousand years of the Byzantine Empire [audio 45min]

When Sultan Mehmet II rode into the city of Constantinople on a white horse in 1453, it marked the end of a thousand years of the Byzantine Empire. After holding out for 53 days, the city had fallen. And as one contemporary witness described it:"The blood flowed in the city like rainwater in the gutters after a sudden storm". It was the end of the classical world and the crowning of an Ottoman Empire that would last until 1922. Constantinople was a city worth fighting for -- its position as a br

Invention of Childhood, 5th of 6 [audio 60min]

In six hour-long episodes, Michael Morpurgo, former Children's Laureate of Great Britain, examines the stories of the lives of British children over the last thousand years, epoque by epoque. Episode 5: Into the 20th century. As his story of British childhood moves into the first half of the twentieth century, Michael Morpurgo explores the impact of the Empire on children -- the ones in Britain, the ones sent away to start new lives in Canada and Australia, and the ones who came from elsewhere t

Britain pays off WWII debt [audio 1min]

On December 29th, Britain will pay the U.S. its final installment on a 61-year-old loan. But the Brits aren't thrilled about it, Stephen Beard reports.

Invention of Childhood, 4th of 6 [audio 60min]

In six hour-long episodes, Michael Morpurgo, former Children's Laureate of Great Britain, examines the stories of the lives of British children over the last thousand years, epoque by epoque. Episode 4: The 19th Century. Moving into the 19th century, Michael Morpurgo recalls the profound impact of the new Public Schools on children from better off backgrounds, while other children worked in mills, down mines or up chimneys, and the least well-off were living on the streets. All this before the i

Legendary rifle cartridge turns 100 [audio 4min]

It's the 100th anniversary of a rifle cartridge known as the .30-06 -- or, thirty-aught-six, in common parlance. The U.S. military used the rounds in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and many other conflicts. It soldiered on through a century that included space travel and the rise of computers. Today, the ammunition also known as the 30-06 Springfield remains one of the most popular hunting cartridges. Wyoming Public Radio's Elsa Heidorn reports.

Historian Hutton evaluates rise of Wicca [audio 12min @40:40]

Ronald Hutton is the preeminent historian of Wicca or Neo-paganism, and author of Triumph of the Moon (Oxford Univ. Press). Wicca began as a movement to recreate pre-Christian nature religions. It turns out to be just what a lot of scientists are looking for. Reporter Anne Strainchamps prepared this report on the growing popularity of Wicca. Besides hearing from Hutton, we hear from Margot Adler, NPR's New York Bureau Chief and author of Drawing Down the Moon (Penguin), and from Wi

Eisenhower biography emphasizes service as WWII Supreme Allied Commander [video 71min]

In remarks at Schuler Books & Music in Okemos, Michigan, John Wukovits discusses his book Eisenhower: A Biography, the third short biography in Palgrave Macmillan's Great Generals Series. The book includes a foreword by series editor Wesley Clark. Its focus is Dwight Eisenhower's military career, particularly his service as Supreme Allied Commander during World War II. Wukovits is also the author of One Square Mile of Hell: The Battle for Tarawa; Devotion to Duty; and Pacific Al

Americans joined RAF before US entered WWII [video 54min]

In his book, The Few: The American Knights of the Air Who Risked Everything to Fight in the Battle of Britain -- the first-ever Military Book Club Editor’s Book of the Year -- author Alex Kershaw tells the tale of Americans who joined Britain's Royal Air Force prior to the US entry into World War II. The American pilots defied their own country's neutrality laws and risked their citizenship in order to support the British in their battles with the German Luftwaffe. Kershaw is the author o

James Brown remembered [audio 60min]

The "Godfather of Soul" passed away on December 25, 2006. Brown is considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, blending gospel, rhythm and blues, and funk. His many hits include "Get Up Offa That Thing," "Funky President," "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," "Super Bad," and "I Got You." The self-proclaimed "Hardest Working Man in Show Business" received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award and was one of th

Local portrait photographer was accidental historian of LaPorte, Indiana [audio 9min]

For more than 25 years, Frank Pease was the primary portrait photographer in LaPorte, Ind. -- a town of about 20,000 just south of Lake Michigan. Starting in the mid-1940s, Pease took tens of thousands of black-and-white photos at his Muralcraft Studio. He took engagement photos, baby pictures and family portraits -- all of the people of LaPorte. Pease kept thousands of uncollected proofs in boxes. When he died in 1970, they were forgotten, left to collect dust. The new owner of a restaurant dow

Invention of Childhood, 3rd of 6 [audio 60min]

In six hour-long episodes, Michael Morpurgo, former Children's Laureate of Great Britain, examines the stories of the lives of British children over the last thousand years, epoque by epoque. Episode 3: The 18th century. Pulling together the stories of childhood in the 18th century, Michael Morpurgo tells of the first Foundling Hospital, the impact of two great parenting gurus -- John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau -- and their battle over the nature and purpose of childhood, and he looks into

Walter Scott denied his authorship of 'Waverly' novels [audio 15min]

One of the most extraordinary literary archives in the world is about to be revealed to the public. The John Murray publishing house saved more than 150,000 documents, manuscripts and letters from writers including Walter Scott, Disraeli, Darwin and Livingstone. Part 4 of 5: Vanessa Collingridge uncovers remarkable material surrounding Walter Scott, whose Waverley novels were originally printed anonymously. When the publisher John Murray guessed the identity of the man behind the blockbusters, S

Antikythera Mechanism is 2000-year-old astronomical computer [audio 29min]

In the first of a new series of "Unearthing Mysteries", Professor Aubrey Manning -- distinguished English zoologist and radio/TV presenter -- travels to Athens to find out about the secrets of a finding which has astonished its investigators. The Antikythera Mechanism is an intricate bronze device of wheels, dials and gears created more than 2000 years ago by the Ancient Greeks. Found at the bottom of the sea by sponge divers on the wreck of a Roman cargo ship, it has fascinated astron

Shakespeare's tragic King Lear celebrates unhappy birthday [audio 60min]

On Boxing Day 1606, the entertainment offered to King James I and his guests at Whitehall Palace was a new play by William Shakespeare -- King Lear. Four hundred years on, Francine Stock brings to life every aspect of that momentous opening night with her studio full of guests, including actors Fiona Shaw and Oliver Ford Davis; scholars Jonathan Bate, Richard Dutton, Brett Dolman and Tiffany Stern; food historian Ivan Day; and musicians Passamezzo (along with some distinguished contributo

Black Panther reunion looks back 40 years [audio 8min]

Earlier this year, former Black Panthers gathered in Oakland, Calif., for a 40th anniversary reunion. Report by Christopher Johnson.

60s Black Panthers seen again in photo collection [video 124min]

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Black Panther Party, photographer Stephen Shames delivers a PowerPoint presentation and discusses some of the images in his new book, The Black Panthers, at Cooper Union in New York City. Shames is joined by Bobby Seale, co-founder of the Black Panther Party, Leslie Johnson-Seale, wife of Bobby Seale and former member of the party, and Charles Jones, founding chair of the African American Studies Department at Georgia State Uni

Richard Norton Smith sees George Washington as mediator between opposing factions [video 58min]

The book Patriarch: George Washington and the New American Nation documents George Washington's years as president, between 1789 and 1796. Author Richard Norton Smith describes the first president of the fledgling US government as an incorruptible man and a powerful mediator between opposing political groups. During his term, he contends that Washington acted as a mediator between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton and skillfully dealt with foreign and domestic policy. Presidential h