Roundup

What's new in Lincoln books? [video 12min]

Lincoln scholars Frank Williams and Harold Holzer discuss recent and upcoming books about President Abraham Lincoln.

Student sparked battle over school prayer [video 87min]

In Ellery's Protest: How One Young Man Defied Tradition and Sparked the Battle Over School Prayer, Stephen D. Solomon chronicles the story of Ellery Schempp who, as a high school student in 1956, objected to the mandatory prayer and reading of Bible verses in his school. The Schempp family sued the Abington School District in Pennsylvania and the case went to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1963. Solomon is joined in this discussion by Ellery Schempp, now a retired physicist, and Ted Mann, a Ph

The politics of audacity [audio 53min]

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. It depends on what the meaning of the word"is" is. From bold declarations to bald-faced lies -- In this hour of To The Best Of Our Knowledge, the audacity of American politics. How did we get from Thomas Jefferson to William Jefferson Clinton in a little over 200 years? And, where are we headed? SEGMENT 1: NPR's Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr talks with Steve Paulson about the audacity of today's politicians. Scho

Was it the Bradley Effect? [audio 9min]

After Hillary Clinton's win in New Hampshire, pundits have been arguing over whether the "Bradley Effect" contributed to Barack Obama's second-place finish. That's the phenomenon of voters telling pollsters they support a black candidate, but changing their minds in the voting booth. Weekend America's Desiree Cooper sits down with author and professor Michael Fauntroy to find out what's going on.

End of slave trade meant new normal for America [audio 11min]

Two hundred years ago this month, the United States abolished the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Eric Foner, a historian at Columbia University, takes listeners inside the historical moment tied to one of America's darkest eras.

Long history of broken campaign promises [audio 17min]

Joseph Ellis, a history professor at Mount Holyoke College, explains his theory of why politicians don't fulfill the promises they make on the campaign trail. His op-ed,"A Promise of Unpredictability," appeared on January 9th in the Los Angeles Times.

'Republic of Suffering' author Drew Gilpin Faust [audio 30min]

Historian Drew Gilpin Faust writes that Civil War deaths -- both their number and their manner -- transformed America. Her new book is This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War. The Civil War death rate was six times that of World War II, when adjusted against the size of the American population, Faust points out."For those Americans who lived in and through the Civil War, the texture of the experience ... was the presence of death," she writes."At war's end this shared

Albert Shanker's national fight for teachers [audio 6min]

In American politics, beating up on teachers unions is a lot like kissing babies. It may not get you more votes, but it can't hurt. This presidential election season is no different. Republican candidates, in particular, blame teachers unions for standing in the way of meaningful changes. Union leaders have usually dismissed this criticism as "pure politics." But the late Albert Shanker, who was president both of the United Federation of Teachers and later the American Federation of Te

Daniel Walker Howe on 'What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815' [video 49min]

Historian Daniel Walker Howe explores the history of the United States from 1815 to 1848. He documents the transformation of the country from a rural landscape to the development of economic centers and expansion to the Pacific. Howe is the American History professor emeritus at Oxford University and University of California, Los Angeles. He is the author of Making the American Self: Jonathan Edwards to Abraham Lincoln.

Victor Davis Hanson on War and History (series of podcasts)

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2007 Chapter 5 of 5: VDH discusses his own future as a military historian, and whether the academic discipline can be revitalized in today’s universities. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2007 Chapter 4 of 5: VDH discusses a nuclear Iran. Can we live with it? Should we launch a preemptive strike? What other options do we have? WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2007 Chapter 3 of 5: VDH discusses his trip to Iraq, his time with General David Petrae

A Japanese attack before Pearl Harbor [audio 7min]

This bit of history may sound familiar: Japanese warplanes stage a surprise attack in December on the U.S. Navy. But this incident occurred four years before Pearl Harbor. The sinking of the USS Panay is pretty much forgotten now. But it was one of the biggest news stories of 1937. In the 1930s, the United States had something that would be unthinkable today -- a treaty with China allowing American gunboats to travel deep up the Yangtze River. It was a major trade route for U.S. commerce

Doris Kearns Goodwin interviewed about Lincoln [audio 53min]

Using stories from her prize-winning book, Doris Kearns Goodwin examines the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln. Goodwin argues that Lincoln's voracious intellect, his kind and generous demeanor, his empathy, and his appreciation for the talents of others led him to assemble what she calls "the most unusual cabinet in history." Goodwin also provides an insider's look into her research methods, as she recounts combing through thousands of pages of letters and diaries.

Who lost the Battle of Trafalgar? [audio 30min]

Former British Conservative politician Michael Portillo presents the final installment in a series revisiting the great moments of history to discover that they often conceal other events of equal but forgotten importance. Nelson's victory of 1805 has lodged itself firmly in Britain's popular imagination, but the British have forgotten that the brunt of the defeat was borne not by France but by one of her allies, Spain.

The Fisher King: The wound that does not heal [audio 45min]

In the world of medieval romance there are many weird and wonderful creatures -- golden dragons and green knights, sinister enchantresses and tragic kings, strange magicians and spears that bleed and talk. And yet, in all this panoply of wonder, few figures are more mysterious than the Fisher King. Entrusted as the keeper of the Holy Grail itself, he resides in a castle made of magic where he lies blighted by a wound that doesn't heal. He is

Avicenna -- Wine, Women & Philosophy [audio 45min]

In the city of Hamadan in Iran, right in the centre, there is a vast mausoleum dedicated to an Iranian national hero. Built in 1952, exactly 915 years after his death, it’s a great conical tower with twelve supporting columns. It’s dedicated not to a warrior or a king but to a philosopher and physician. His name is Ali Al Husayn Ibn-Sina, but he is also known as Avicenna and he is arguably the most important philosopher in the history of Islam. Presenter

Max Boot: Waterboarding ... the other side of the story

Whatever you think of waterboarding and the like, there is another side to this issue which isn’t getting much attention, one that involves the actions of our allies.

The 2007 Cliopatria Awards: Nominations

Look for the winners in January!The Cliopatria Awards recognize the best history writing in the blogosphere. There will be awards in six categories: Best Group BlogBest Ind

Was the U.S. wrong to enter World War I? Peter Beinart vs. Jonah Goldberg

PETER BEINART is editor-at-large at The New Republic, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and the author of The Good Fight (HarperCollins). JONAH GOLDBERG is editor-at-large of National Review Online and a contributing editor to National Review.

Ernest May on surprise attacks through history

The Harvard historian discusses “some of history’s most infamous surprise attacks and the lessons for current policymakers.”

Historian Thomas Sugrue says racial equality in our cities is an unfinished struggle [5:29]

A visiting scholar at Case Western Reserve University's Baker-Nord Center for the Humanities says racial equality in our cities is an unfinished struggle that's holding back not only African-Americans, but our nation as a whole. Thomas Sugrue is a professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania.