Roundup

Jimmy Carter seeks peaceful, comprehensive solution to Israeli-Palestinian conflict [video 3½hr]

Former President Jimmy Carter is the guest on Book TV's December"In Depth." He is the author of a new book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, and more than 20 others.

Niall Ferguson examines 20c's 100 years of conflict [video 64min]

Historian Niall Ferguson examines the conflicts of World War I to the Cold War and how they influenced the 20th century. In The War of the World: Twentieth Century Conflict and the Descent of the West, he argues that globalization, wealth and technological breakthroughs led to much of the violence, genocide and fanaticism of the 20th century. The talk was hosted by the World Affairs Council in Washington, DC. Includes Q&A.

Karen DeYoung publishes first full Colin Powell biography [video 56min]

With her book, Soldier: The Life of Colin Powell, author Karen DeYoung of the Washington Post, provides the first full biography of Powell. The book begins with Powell's childhood in the Bronx and follows his rise through the military ranks, finally ending with his role as Secretary of State in the Bush administration. While not an authorized biography, Powell participated in six on the record interviews and also provided DeYoung with unrestricted access to his personal and profess

Thomas Fleming examines FDR's leadership on eve of WWII [video 57min]

In an interview from 2001, historian and author Thomas Fleming discuses his book on the WWII policies of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in an interview from 2001. The New Dealer's War examines FDR's leadership as the nation entered and fought World War II. Fleming contends that FDR's insistence on Germany's unconditional surrender prolonged the war for at least a year, at the cost of thousands of lives. Fleming is a historian and the author of several books, including Duel: Alexan

19c prefab buildings were made of tin [audio 7min @1:22]

Dylan Winter reports on the pre-fabricated, corrugated iron buildings that were thrown up to meet the demands of a rapidly urbanising society in the 19th century and which still survive to this day. Largely used to provide places of worship, they are sometimes referred to as 'tin tabernacles'. Dylan speaks with Ian Smith, author of Tin Tabernacles: Corrugated Iron Mission Halls, Churches & Chapels of Britain (Camrose).

Darwin, Livingstone, Disraeli, Walter Scott, Byron papers to be released [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. Biographer Vanessa Collingridge discovers how these great writers would meet at Murray's home each day, forming a group they called The 4 O'Clock Friends. In 1st of 5 weekly parts, she discovers how Byron's memoirs were burned in John Mu

1920s distance runner ran coast-to-coast [audio 30min]

Mark Whitaker tells the story of a man who might have been Britain's greatest distance runner, whose name has been forgotten because he was a professional at a time when athletics was dominated by an amateur elite. Peter Gavuzzi, the son of an immigrant Italian chef, took part in two of the most extraordinary foot races ever held -- from one side of the American continent to the other in 1928 and 1929.

Crematoria popularity grew significantly in 20c [audio 14min @14:24]

Presenter Laurie Taylor is joined by Kate Berridge, author of Vigor Mortis (Profile Books); and Leonie Kellaher, Director of the Centre for Environmental and Social Studies in Ageing at the London Metropolitan University and co-author of"Blowing in the Wind? Identity, Materiality and the Destinations of Human Ashes" (Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute Dec 2006), to discuss new research that highlights a huge rise in the use of crematoria in the 20th century and debate n

Stories from the Great American Dust Bowl [audio 30min]

Timothy Egan is the author of the book The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl. Now out in paperback, the book was awarded the National Book Award for nonfiction. Egan is a national enterprise reporter for the New York Times, and was part of the team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2001 for a series on race in America.

Why have we forgotten British victories of 1918? [30min]

Former British Conservative politician Michael Portillo presents a series revisiting the great moments of history to discover that they often conceal other events of equal but forgotten importance. Close to 100 years after World War I began, the popular memory of the conflict is of mud, blood and futility. We remember the incompetent Generals of Oh! What a Lovely War, the doomed youth of the War Poets, fields of poppies, the stal

Victorian John Snow proved cholera was water-borne disease [10min @10:12]

Award-winning journalist Andrew Marr starts the week by discussing Victorian John Snow, who proved cholera was a water-borne disease, with writer Steven Johnson. In late August 1854 a virulent outbreak of cholera struck Soho in London which would eventually lead to a countrywide epidemic that would kill 50,000 men, women and children in England and Wales. This was not all that unusual in Victorian Britain, where cholera epidemics were a regular occurrence. What made this epidemic so singular is

18c Londoners celebrated themselves through satirical engravings [12min @19:52]

Award-winning journalist Andrew Marr starts the week by discussing 18th-century Londoners' sense of London itself with Vic Gatrell, Professor of British History at the University of Essex. Gatrell has written a book that gives us an insightful look into London of the late 18th, early 19th century. Looking at satirical prints from this period, joyfully unearthed from the British Museum's archive, we find that behind the wigs and satin fans lies a world of ribaldry, outrageous behaviour and exuber

World War I Museum opens in Kansas City, Mo. [audio 5min]

World War I was a cataclysm that destroyed the old world order, killed at least 9 million combatants, and vaulted the United States into world prominence. But the conflict, with its trench warfare and devastating new weapons, has been largely overshadowed by World War II. The hard lessons of the "Great War" are on display at the National World War I Museum in Kansas City, Mo., which opened this weekend.

Confederate Navy's new historical ite is in England [audio 5min]

This past week, the Civil War Preservation Trust designated a new historical site -- in England. The shipyards there supplied the Confederate Navy with some of its ships, including the CSS Alabama. Edwin Bearss, the Chief Historian Emeritus of the National Park Service, talks with Andrea Seabrook.

Poisoning deaths throughout history [audio 5min]

The ancients didn't use radioactive Polonium-210 to take out their enemies, but poisoning has long associated with the deaths of the powerful -- though not always through assassination. Classics commentator Elaine Fantham reminds Scott Simon of some historic poisoning cases, starting with Socrates.

Jane Austen inspires historical travel guide [audio 11min @1:08]

From Kent in the east to Bath in the west, from London down to Southampton, Jane Austen could scarcely be considered a globe trotter. But presenter Sandi Toksvig meets Caroline Sanderson, a modern traveller who wanted to see the places Jane Austen lived in and wrote about, and compiled them in a new book entitled A Rambling Fancy: In the Footsteps of Jane Austen (Cadogan Guides). Caroline is a writer and reviewer for the Bookseller and Mslexia and has written a travel book for chil

'Joy of Cooking' marks 75th year [audio 6min]

Benefitting from such practical advice as"stand facing the stove," millions of Americans have cooked up dishes and stories with The Joy of Cooking, which has been around for 75 years this week. A Kitchen Cabinet of prominent chefs and food watchers talk about the book.

Stonehenge manuscript discovered in France [audio 5min @9:36]

It has stood there, north of Salisbury in England, for centuries. It has inspired theories, music, and even the occasional rave. Not bad for a bunch of big rocks. Stonehenge is without a doubt one of the finest and most celebrated pre-historic monuments in existence. And yet, it remains shrouded in mystery. Of course, fascination with the megalithic monument is not a new phenomenon -- but, while it certainly intrigued people centuries ago, medieval images of the standing stones are extremely rar

Silent-film star Louise Brooks was 20th-century icon [audio 16min]

Between 1925 and 1938 Louise Brooks appeared in 24 films but ironically she is perhaps least remembered for what she was -- a gifted actress. This year marks the centenary of the birth of this rebellious and independent-minded 20th century icon. Her dark, 'Dutch bob' and luminous beauty created a screen image that remains stylish and influential to fashion today. Presenter Martha is joined by the actor Paul McGann, a Louise Brooks fan, and Erica Carter, the curator of a season of her films at Br

Fighting the Mexican wave [audio 30min]

In the 1930s, during the Great Depression, over a million people of Mexican origin were driven out of the US, forced to head south for Mexico. It was called the 'Mexican Repatriation' and it aimed to keep jobs for 'real' Americans. Seventy years on there are fears that history could repeat itself. In "Crossing Continents", Linda Pressly travels to California to meet some of the people who were expelled in the 1930s and who have since returned, and hears how attempts are now being made