Roundup

Shaw's women celebrated on 150th anniversary of his birth [audio 8min]

This year is the 150th anniversary of the birth of Irish playright George Bernard Shaw. As well as being a socialist, pacifist and vegetarian, Shaw was also a keen advocate of women's rights. He created a a number of independent-minded female roles for the stage, from Mrs Warren - a successful brothel keeper to Eliza Doolittle, the cockney flower girl who refuses to be dominated by Professor Henry Higgins. Presenter Jenni Murray is joined by actress Diana Quick and Professor Jan McDonald of Glas

History of hair dye begins at dawn of history [audio 4min]

Women have been dyeing their hair for over four thousand years. Assyrian herbals dating back to 2177 BC contain some of the oldest recipes for cosmetic preparations known. One particular recipe for a hair dye uses cassia and leeks. In the next in our series of the history of cosmetics, Anne Emblem, who lectures on cosmetic science at the London College of Fashion, and archaeologist Sally Pointer tell Anna McNamee about the history of hair dye.

Search is on for original Apollo 11 footage [audio 6min]

Almost everyone on the planet who had access to television watched the first moon landing, back on the night of July 20, 1969. What the TV viewers didn't know is that they weren't seeing the best images. The astronauts actually beamed higher-quality footage back to Earth, but it was only seen by a small number of people at three tracking stations. Those original images were recorded and put into storage -- somewhere. Now, a small crew of retirees, space enthusiasts, and NASA employees are search

'The Librettist of Venice' was Mozart's poet [audio 7min]

In this year of celebrations marking Mozart's 250th birthday, we take a few moments to remember the great composer's poet. Lorenzo Da Ponte wrote the librettos for three of Mozart's operas: The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni and Cosi Fan Tutte. And Lorenzo Da Ponte's life played out like a character in the comic opera of his day. Rodney Bolt, the author of a new biography, The Librettist of Venice, says Da Ponte seemed to know what Mozart wanted to say,"and the music almos

'Archimedes Palimpsest' lies beneath medieval prayer book [audio 6min]

Why would anyone pay $2 million for a tattered book of Christian prayers from AD 1200? The anonymous philanthropist who coughed up the sum in 1998 wasn't lured by the holy writings. He was after the faint ink beneath -- mathematical theorems and diagrams from the Greek scholar Archimedes, who lived more than 2,000 years ago. It's the oldest known copy of his work, but the writings were barely legible. But now, a new restoration technique may make it possible to recover all of Archimedes' origina

Deadly Lewis & Clark incident has had long legacy [audio 5min]

Two hundred years ago on July 27th, members of the Lewis & Clark expedition killed at least one Blackfeet Indian during a stopover near the Montana town of Browning. Carolyn Gilman, curator of the Lewis & Clark National Bicentennial Exhibition, talks with Alex Chadwick about the legacy of the incident -- the only fatal clash of the historic expedition.

'The Detonators' recounts 1916 sabotage attack on Manhattan [audio 8min]

On July 30, 1916, saboteurs attacked the city of New York, destroying much of lower Manhattan. ESPN The Magazine senior editor Chad Millman talks about the terrorist attack and his new book The Detonators.

Will socialism survive after Castro? [audio 30min]

Fidel Castro turns 80 next month. Succession, long a taboo subject in Cuba, is now discussed more openly. Could there be a struggle for power? And how will the United States react? Guests: Tom Gjelton, has covered National Security and diplomatic issues for NPR, and he is currently writing a book on Cuba; Brian Latell, Senior research associate, Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies, University of Miami, co-teaches a course with assistant provost Andy Gómez on Cuba after Castro.

Art and history intersect at a Paris shop [audio 7min]

Susan Stamberg reports on the little shop on the Left Bank of the River Seine, directly across from the Louvre museum, that has provided supplies to artists for more than 100 years. Cezanne bought oil paints there. Picasso liked their gray pastels. The shop, Sennelier, is a Paris repository of art history and commerce. Gustave Sennelier opened his art supply store in 1887, just a few blocks from the most famous art school in Paris, Ecole des Beaux-Arts. In the beginning, Sennelier sold paints ma

'Lucifer Box' was Charles Dickens's favourite child [audio 8min]

Katey Dickens was the favourite child of Charles Dickens. She grew up in a famous household, surrounded by genius, to become a celebrity in her own right, as an artist. Nicknamed"Lucifer Box" by her father because of her furious and fiery temper, she went on to become friends with such luminaries as William Thackeray, John Everett Millais, George Bernard Shaw and J.M Barrie. Until now Katey’s life and works have largely been forgotten but her great-great-great niece, Lucinda Hawksley, has redre

Christian psalm book found in Irish bog [audio 3min]

Historian Daibhi O'Cronin outlines how important the find is to the understanding of Irish history.

Wright examines history of diplomacy to 1815 [audio 10min]

Historian Jonathan Wright's new book examines diplomacy and diplomats from antiquity to the Congress of Vienna in 1815. He talks about his latest work, The Ambassadors: From Ancient Greece to Renaissance Europe, the Men Who Introduced the World to Itself. ~Website offers book excerpt.

Al Raby made Civil Rights history in Chicago, quietly [audio 4min]

Chicago's first black mayor, Harold Washington, owed a portion of his success to campaign manager Al Raby, a quiet hero in the early days of civil rights. Commentator Robin Washington (no relation) is editorial page editor of The Duluth News Tribune in Minnesota.

Schama recounts Britain’s abolitionist movement during Revolutionary War [video 54min]

Simon Schama, author of Rough Crossings: Britain, the Slaves, and the American Revolution is interviewed by Edna Medford, Howard University history professor. In Rough Crossings Schama tells the story of Britain’s abolitionist movement during the Revolutionary War. He focuses on slaves that fought for their freedom on the side of Britain and chronicles the fate of those freed on their journeys, first to Nova Scotia and London, and later to a colony in Sierra Leone.

Henriques portrays Washington as 'realistic visionary' [video 50min]

Peter Henriques seeks to humanize President George Washington in his biography Realistic Visionary: A Portrait of George Washington. He describes President Washington's mistakes, his sensitivity to criticism, and his pragmatist way of governing. During his discussion, he examines George Washington's relationships with Founding Fathers Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. Henriques also discusses George Washington's contradictory views on slavery and his lack of religious references. M

Steinman presents oral history of female Vietnam vets [video 54min]

As a part of the Rockville Centre Public Library Distinguished Authors Series, veteran journalist Ron Steinman discusses his latest book, titled Women In Vietnam: The Oral History. The book tells the story of 16 women who served as nurses, USO performers, and soldiers in the Vietnam War. During this event, Steinman discusses how the service of women in Vietnam has been overshadowed by the service of men and reads selections from testimonies found in the book. He also compares the service

Agincourt was battle that made England [audio 9min]

British medievalist and biographer Juliet Barker discusses her new history of Henry V in her book Agincourt: Henry V and the Battle That Made England, and comments on Shakespeare's version of Agincourt.

FBI re-examines 1946 lynching case [audio 6min]

Just off a quiet highway about 50 miles east of Atlanta lies the Moore's Ford Bridge in rural Georgia. Sixty years ago, an angry white mob attacked two black couples near this bridge -- pulling them from a car, beating them and shooting them to death. The victims were George Dorsey, 28, his wife Mae Murray Dorsey, 23, his sister, Dorothy Dorsey Malcom, 20, and Roger Malcom, 24. President Harry Truman called for a federal investigation into the crime, known as the Moore's Ford lynching, but no on

1502 Toledo Summit included finest musicians of the age [audio 30min]

Bridget Kendall looks at three of the most colourful and flamboyant political and royal summits in history, and examines the role music played in such events. Part 1, "The Toledo Summit of 1502": In 1502, three of the most influential courts in Europe converged when Philip the Fair, Duke of Burgundy, arrived in Toledo with his Spanish wife, Juana la Loca, to be sworn in as heirs to the thrones of Castile and Aragon. Over the next four months a whole series of ceremonies took place, pro

70 years on from start of Spanish Civil War [audio 4min]

Danny Wood reports from Madrid on how the 70th anniversary of the start of the Spanish Civil War comes as the Spanish government is preparing to pass legislation designed to rehabilitate the victims of the Franco regime.