Roundup

Philatelist Makes $3 Million Trade

Donald Sundman, president of the Mystic Stamp Co., has traded a rare and valuable stamp -- an obscure "Z-grill" -- for a block of airmail error stamps from 1918 worth nearly $3 million. The stamp's new owner, private collector Bill Gross, now has a complete collection of 19th-century U.S. stamps. Sundman bought the 1-cent Z-grill at an auction in 1998 for $935,000. It's one of two known copies of the 1868 stamp featuring Benjamin Franklin (the other is held by the New York Public Libra

John Hope Franklin

John Hope Franklin, professor emeritus at Duke University, is a prize-winning historian, Presidential Medal of Freedom honoree for his civil rights work, and has served on presidential committees for FDR and Bill Clinton. Now 90 years of age, he joins Diane to talk about his new autobiography, Mirror to America (Farrar Straus & Giroux).

America is Undermining the Global Legal Order... Or Not?

Philippe Sands and John Yoo debate America's role in global law. Sands, Professor of Law, University College London; International Lawyer representing British detainees at Guantánamo and author of Lawless World argues,"Recent American actions are undermining the global legal order established after WW2 and promoting its economic interests at the expense of human rights and the environment." Yoo, Professor of Law, University of California at Berkeley, the former Deputy Attorney General, U.

Britain Quizzing Prospective Citizens

Britain is administering a new citizenship test for immigrants. Experts and callers weigh in on the question: What does it mean to be a citizen? Guests are Sir Bernard Crick, political theorist and author of the book Life in the United Kingdom: A Journey to Citizenship, which forms the basis for the new citizenship test; and Joe Queenan, author of Queenan Country: A Reluctant Anglophile's Pilgrimage to the Mother Country.

Former Pres, Carter Warns of 'Endangered Values'

Blurring the line between church and state threatens civil liberties and privacy, says former President Jimmy Carter. That's the case he makes in his new book, Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis, which draws on Carter's experiences as a president and a Christian. Carter was the 39th president of the United States. In addition to his work to help ensure the fairness of elections around the world, he founded the Carter Center, a conflict resolution organization. In 2002, Carter w

Marek Belka, Outgoing Polish PM

In a HARDtalk interview broadcast on 1st November, Stephen Sackur talks to Marek Belka, the outgoing Prime Minister of Poland. After weeks of political wrangling, a new Polish minority government has taken office. Poland is one of several EU countries going through political upheaval. And the European Union itself is seeking to find its way after failure to agree on a new constitution earlier this year revealed public unease at the EU's direction. Stephen Sackur talks to Marek Belka about whethe

Why Do Britons Still Celebrate Guy Fawkes Day?

After sociologist Dr Gerda Reith, of Glasgow University, discusses why gambling is such a cultural flashpoint, presenter Laurie Taylor welcomes James Sharpe, Professor of History at the University of York and author of a new book, Remember, Remember the Fifth of November (Profile Books Ltd), to analyse Britain's celebration of Bonfire Night and how it has changed over the centuries. Why is it that, in Britain's modern, multicultural society, crowds still turn out every November 5th to com

Geography of Heaven: Vrindavan

Radio Expeditions explores how shared beliefs of the afterlife shape thge life of the faithful. The journey begins in Vrindavan, the Indian city where the Hindu faithful believe the god Krishna once took human form. (1)"The Streets of a Holy Hindu City." Among the constellation of Hindu deities, Krishna is the truest expression of God. The faithful believe Krishna assumed human form in Vrindavan thousands of years ago and lived a single life as a man. For countless generations since, the

Brazen Women: Chicago May & Wild Rose

Irish writer Nuala O'Faolain talks to Steve Paulson about her book The Story of Chicago May (Riverhead Books), the true story of a 19th century Irish immigrant who became an American con-woman and crook instead of a maid or factory worker and lived an extraordinary, operatic life (12:55-24:04). And reporter Ann Blackman, author of Wild Rose: Rose O'Neale Greenhow, Civil War Spy: A True Story (Random House), tells Jim Fleming how Rose, a Southerner by birth and conviction, became a

Rosalind Franklin -- Her Role in the Discovery of DNA

In 1962 Francis Crick, James Watson and Maurice Wilkins were awarded the Nobel Prize for their pioneering work on the structure of DNA. At the time there was little mention of a molecular biologist and crystallographer whose work provided some of the key evidence for their discovery -- Rosalind Franklin. Since then there has been much debate about Rosalind's role in biology's greatest 20th centure discovery and whether she had been unfairly left out of history. Martha Kearney is joined by Debora

Stumps of the Northwest: History, Old and New

Enormous stumps in the Pacific Northwest tell the tale of vanished old-growth forests and a logging industry once enriched by giant trees. Member station KUOW's Harriet Baskas visits some old stumps put to new and creative uses. Helen Starr, 92, the daughter of a lumberman, volunteers at the Stillaguamish Valley Pioneer Museum in Arlington, Wash. "I remember when my dad would take me hiking in the woods. He would say, 'Now, those trees could make so many houses,'" she says. Arlington,

Little-Known Women of the Civil Rights Movement

Since the death of Rosa Parks, many famous women paid tribute to the headway made by the late civil rights leader. However, many unacknowledged women also played an instrumental role in the civil rights movement.

The Age of Anxiety: McCarthyism to Terrorism

For five long years in the 1950s, Senator Joseph McCarthy and his anti-Communist crusade dominated the American scene, terrified politicians, and destroyed the lives of thousands of our citizens. In The Age of Anxiety: McCarthyism to Terrorism, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Haynes Johnson tells this monumental story through the lens of its relevance to our own time, when fear again affects American behavior and attitudes, for he believes now, as then, that our civil liberties, our Con

A Look at Suicide Bomber Networks

A suicide bomb often seems to be the work of one person, motivated by religious fervor. After his study of suicide bombings worldwide, Robert Pape at the University of Chicago argues that they are the product of organizations more connected by strategic objectives than religious fervor; Pape is author of Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism. Joining the discussion are Aparisim Ghosh, Time senior Baghdad correspondent; and Hany Abu-Assad, Palestinian director of th

Black South Dakota Pioneers

Jim Kent profiles Joyce Jefferson, an amateur actress and retired federal employee who's spent seven years educating audiences about black South Dakota pioneers.

The Lessons of Murrow and 'Good Night'

Critic John Powers comments on how the coming age of TV news"infotainment" is foretold in the film Good Night, and Good Luck, set in the 1950s. The film tells the story of newsman Edward Murrow's fight against Communist-hunting Sen. Joe McCarthy. But we also see how Murrow's hard-hitting news coverage is not as popular as his interviews with celebrities. Powers makes the point that the film's"real theme is the inherent debasement of mass news in a commercial culture."

Dresden Church Reopened After World War II Destruction

When the Allies bombed Dresden, Germany, during World War II, much of the city was left in ruins. The Church of Our Lady -- a grand baroque building -- fell after burning. Now, 60 years later, the famous church has been rebuilt and a national celebration was held this weekend.

The Final Journey -- Lenin

In Russia, politicians are calling for Lenin to be moved from his mausoleum in Red Square, and buried elsewhere. Lenin wanted to be buried in St Petersburg. So is the final resting place about to be decided? Emma Simpson reports.

Marie Antoinette -- Wanton or philanthropic and brave?

Marie Antoinette was the beautiful Queen of France who became a symbol for the wanton extravagance of the 18th century monarchy. She was stripped of her riches and finery, imprisoned and beheaded by her own subjects during the French Revolution that began in 1789. Woman's Hour marks the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of her birth with a discussion of her legacy and the myths that surround her.

Duelling

Duelling began with swords but soon progressed to pistols, increasing the number of deaths from the sport -- but was it really worth dying for your honour? James Landale is the descendent of a dueller, and in tracking the story of his ancestor, he also followed the origins of the duel. He discusses the legal niceties, the rules of the duel and keeping your honour intact. Duel is published by Canongate. Also taking part in the round-table discussion are writer and broadcaster Isabel Hilton