Roundup

Carnaby Street and All That [audio 1hr]

Lulu presents a documentary about Carnaby Street, London, in the swinging 60s.

Cassandra Pybus on Runaway Slaves of the American Revolution [video 57min]

Historian Cassandra Pybus chronicles the travels of runaway slaves who joined the British Army in search of freedom during the American Revolution. In her book, Epic Journeys of Freedom, the author traces the paths of several former slaves, including those of George Washington, as they fled to British colonies in Sierra Leone, Botany Bay, Australia, and Africa. This event was hosted by the Shrine of the Black Madonna Cultural Center and Bookstore in Atlanta, Georgia.

Robert Remini in Depth [video 3hr]

Historian Robert Remini has written biographies of Martin Van Buren, Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, John Quincy Adams, and Joseph Smith. He is also the author of a number of books on the life and times of Andrew Jackson, one of which, Andrew Jackson & the Course of American Democracy, 1833-1845, was awarded the National Book Award. Professor Remini was appointed by the Library of Congress to research and write a history of the U.S. House of Representatives. The result of that project is his

Juliet Eilperin interviewed by Richard Cohen [video 56min]

Juliet Eilperin, staff writer for the Washington Post, explains her observations from covering Congress for six years. In her opinion, the"people's house" has drifted from its roots of being the body of government closest to ordinary Americans. It is her belief that in recent years its members have become solely focused on maintaining power inside the Beltway. Her book is titled Fight Club Politics: How Partisanship is Poisoning the House of Representatives. She is interviewed by R

Diana Preston on the Lusitania Tragedy [video 58min]

On May 7, 1915, a German submarine sank the British passenger ship Lusitania, killing 1,200 people, including business man Alfred Vanderbilt and author Elbert Hubbard. In her book, Lusitania: An Epic Tragedy, Ms. Preston examines the events of that day and its aftermath.

Joe Klein interviewed by Walter Shapiro [video 60min]

Time magazine's political columnist Joe Klein traces the influence of political consultants' influence on campaigns in his new book, Politics Lost: How American Democracy Was Trivialized By People Who Think You're Stupid. He is interviewed by Walter Shapiro, Washington Bureau Chief for Salon, and author of One-Car Caravan: On the Road with the 2004 Democrats Before America Tunes In.

Empire (61st of 90) -- The Empire in the 1860s [15min]

By the start of the 1860s, the empire was quite different from what it had been at the start of the previous decade. The 1852 Sand River Convention for the moment strengthened British authority in southern Africa. By the 1860s with the discovery of diamond and more gold in Dutch held Africa, Britain was heading for inevitable conflict in that continent. "This Sceptred Isle: Empire" is a narrative history of the British Empire from Ireland in the 12th century to the independence of Indi

If Genocide Doesn't Spark a 'Just War,' What Does? [3min]

The crisis in Darfur points to the need for a new way to prevent genocide and other human-rights abuses says commentator Joe Loconte. Two years ago, the United Nations reported on the reign of terror in Darfur, but it's taken until now for peace accords to be signed. Loconte says that a new policy, based on the Christian "just war" tradition, should be developed to use force to prevent genocide.

Remembering the Early Days of 'Gay Cancer' [4min]

Commentator Joe Wright spent more than 10 years doing AIDS community work in San Francisco. He says that back in 1981 and '82, before AIDS was called AIDS, it was called "gay cancer." At the time, cancer was the most dreaded disease in the United States. But for some of the men who had the mysterious new illness, calling it "cancer" was a form of hope. Joe Wright is a student at Harvard Medical School.

'War of Nerves': A History of Chemical Weapons [36min]

The U.S. military searched without success for chemical weapons in Iraq. But author Jonathan Tucker says chemical warfare is still a serious threat. Guest: Jonathan Tucker, author of War of Nerves: Chemical Warfare from World War I to Al-Qaeda; senior fellow at Center for Nonproliferation Studies.

After Welfare [52min]

In August 1996, President Bill Clinton signed a landmark law that fulfilled his promise to "end welfare as we know it." The law killed the 60-year-old Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program. Instead, Congress gave the states money to run their own programs and required them to move many welfare recipients into the workforce. Supporters declared it a new day, the beginning of self-sufficiency for poor families. Others warned the action would push women and children into

Trading in Tulips [29min]

Trading in Tulips has been a Dutch mainstay since the 1500s, when the first tulip bulb arrived from Turkey. Since then the Dutch have created a multi-billion dollar industry. Now, scarcity of land, new pesticide regulations and vastly improved air transportation are pushing the Dutch to grow their bulbs elsewhere, including Turkey and China. Producer Michelle Ernsting of Radio Netherlands brings you the story of one family, who has almost completely moved their operations overseas. This will be

8 May -- On This Day [multiple clips]

Video and audio from the BBC news archive, WWII and 1950-2004, include 1945: Rejoicing at end of war in Europe; 1984: Moscow pulls out of US Olympics.

Celebrating the History of Appalachia [7min]

The birthplace of entertainers (Lucille Ball), musicians (Patsy Cline), authors (Cormac McCarthy) and scholars (Henry Louis Gates Jr.), Appalachia offers a rich slice of American history. But it is often steeped in mythic lore and stereotyped as backward, uncultured and poor. Two new books seek to change these perceptions. The United States of Appalachia, by Jeff Biggers, and The Encyclopedia of Appalachia, co-edited by Rudy Abramson and Jean Haskell, both try to get past the negat

'Irish News' Publishes Confidential British Papers [7min]

Steven McCaffrey, News Editor of Northern Ireland's Irish News, discusses the importance of the papers, which he says confirm the long-denied collusion between the British authorities and loyalist paramilitaries.

Europe Rises Again [60min]

What's the biggest threat to American supremacy? Islamic fundamentalism? China? How about Europe? Today Europe has more people, more trade, and more wealth than the U.S. And the European welfare state offers a potent alternative to American capitalism -- and what government's supposed to do. In this hour of "To the Best of Our Knowledge," how Europe has emerged as the great counterweight to American power. Also, Europe's own struggle with radical Muslims.SEGMENT 1:

The Search for Sepharad, 2nd of 4 -- Exodus [45min]

Broadcaster and film-maker Dennis Marks travels across the Mediterranean in the footsteps of the Sephardic Jews expelled from Spain in 1492. The journey takes Dennis, via Portugal and Italy, to the creation of a refuge under the protection of the former Ottoman Empire, where today Sephardic communities still cling tenaciously to their roots.

Paul Cezanne & Mont Sainte Victoire [30min]

Some of Cezanne's most famous paintings are those of Mont Sainte Victoire, which he painted time and again throughout his life. Geologist Iain Stewart and leading author Michele Roberts walk in the footsteps of Cezanne. They scale the ancient rocky layers of the mountain, visible in Cezanne's paintings, and track the life he led in the small town of Aix. We talk to students avidly painting in the landscape, visit Cezanne's studio where a class of children are painting apples, and ask artists and

7 May -- On This Day [multiple clips]

Video and audio from the BBC news archive, WWII and 1950-2004 include 1945: Germany signs unconditional surrender; 1965: Huge Rhodesia election win for Smith; 2001: Thousands greet Pope in Syrian visit.

5 May -- On This Day [multiple clips]

Video and audio from the BBC news archive, WWII and 1950-2004 include 1980: SAS rescue ends Iran embassy siege; 1981: Bobby Sands dies in prison; 1961: Shepard becomes first US astronaut; 2005: Blair secures historic third term; 2001: Sun shines on foot-and-mouth crisis; 1955: Dr Salk promotes polio vaccine in UK; 1967: First all-British satellite 'Ariel 3' launched.