Roundup

Author searches for relatives who survived Holocaust [audio 34min]

Daniel Mendelsohn's new book is The Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million. As a child, his old Jewish relatives told stories of family members killed in the Holocaust. Medelsohn undertook a worldwide search for surviving members of his family's town. During his investigation, Mendelsohn discovered letters from the family begging their relatives in the United States to help them get out of their Ukrainian town.

Tuskegee Airman's harrowing WWII tale [audio 12min]

In commemoration of Veterans Day, Tuskegee Airman Alexander Jefferson describes his service in World War II and the difficult adjustment that followed when he returned to a segregated United States. In 1941, America's skies were segregated, like everything else in the nation. Though the United States and its allies were at war with the Axis powers of Japan and Nazi Germany, the Army Air Corps refused to train black pilots. It took an act of Congress to change that, and the legend of the Tuskegee

Large collection of black memorabilia goes public [audio 5min]

Dr. Mayme Clayton owned one of the world's largest collections of black memorabilia. The retired librarian died recently of cancer in Southern California. Jenee Darden surveys her life and her collection's future.

Mandela friend pens authorized biography [audio 7min]

Farai Chideya talks with Mac Maharaj, who served 12 years in prison with Nelson Mandela. Maharaj is one of two editorial consultants on the new book Mandela: The Authorized Portrait and is also a board member of the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

What happened to the millions allocated to rebuild Iraq? [audio 5min & 6min]

In the first year after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in Iraq, the US-led Coalition Provisional Authority was in charge of $20 billion of what was essentially Iraqi cash, mainly past oil revenues in a fund set up by the United Nations. The money was spent. Part 1: The problem is that nobody really knows how the money was spent. There are no records for what happened to nearly half the cash. As part of a documentary series on Iraq reconstruction, BBC World Service business correspondent Mark Gr

Former captive Terry Waite examines captivity of Allied POWs in WWII Asia [audio 45min]

Terry Waite pieces together the stories of those held in prisoner of war camps in the Far East during World War II. He talks to veterans who served so far from home.

Susanna Centlivre was only 2nd to Shakespeare on 18c London stage [audio 11min]

Susanna Centlivre was one of the most performed playwrights of the 18th century, with over 1200 performances of her plays being staged. Only Shakespeare was performed more. She was also a political playwright, and a supporter of the Whig cause. Her play The Wonder! A Woman Keeps a Secret is now being performed in London, at The White Bear Theatre, for the first time in 150 years. Dr Gilli Bush-Bailey, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Drama at Royal Holloway and Dr Jane Milling, from t

Presidential lives and legacies after the White House [video 55min]

In his book Second Acts, author Mark Updegrove describes how ex-presidents since Truman have dealt with the loss of power when leaving office. He describes how former presidents once faded into the background but now are living longer, doing more, and wielding greater influence. Updegrove is an executive with Yahoo! Previously he served as Los Angeles manager for Time magazine and as president of Time Canada. While at Time, he conceived the traveling exhibit"Time

Eastern Germans feel themselves 2nd-class citizens despite reunification [video 57min]

In After the Wall: Germany, the Germans, and the Burdens of History, Marc Fisher examines the relationship between eastern and western Germany after 1990. Fisher, who served as the Washington Post's bureau chief in Bonn and Berlin from 1989 to 1994, draws on personal interviews to conclude that the country is sharply divided. Fisher is a staff writer for the Washington Post.

Nasser's autocratic leadership overshadowed his political achievements [audio 30min]

Stephen Sackur presents the 2nd installment in a 2-part profile of President Gamal Abdel Nasser, still regarded by many Egyptians as the father of modern Egypt and inspiration to the Arab nationalist cause. Stephen talks to both champions and critics of Nasser's legacy, including Nasser's daughter Hoda, and members of his close political circle. After his victory over Suez, Nasser became a hero to the Egyptian people and a figurehead of the Arab nationalist cause. But did his increasingly autocr

The Rise and Fall of the Habsburgs, 1st of 3 [audio 29min]

Misha Glenny, former BBC Eastern Europe correspondent, presents the incredible story of Europe's most influential dynasty. From humble origins in the lowlands of Switzerland, the Habsburgs emerged to become kings of Spain, Portugal, Hungary and Croatia; archdukes of Austria; grand princes of Transylvania; grand dukes of Tuscany; and Holy Roman Emperors for centuries on end. Some were remarkably intelligent, some rather less so.

History shows adults adapting childhood to serve their own ends [audio 15min]

This is the 30th and final episode "Invention of Childhood", a major 30-part narrative history series exploring British childhood and the experience of British children over the last thousand years, with one 15-minute programme each weekday since 25th Sept. As he looks back over our thousand-year history, Michael Morpurgo reflects on the impact of adults on children's lives -- the ways that parents, teachers, ministers of religion and politicians have so often adapted childhood to serv

This week in business history [audio 1min]

This week back in 1920, Pittsburgh radio station KDKA broadcast the results of the presidential race between Warren G. Harding and James Cox. It was the nation's first major public news broadcast. Report by Stacey Vanek-Smith.

After 1926 General Strike, NE England village became known as 'Little Moscow' [audio 30min]

Commentator Alexei Sayle journeys to North East England, to the village of Chopwell, 80 years after it became known as Little Moscow. In the aftermath of the 1926 General Strike, the small mining village became notorious for its association with communism. Portraits of Marx and Lenin appeared on the miners' banner, streets were named after communists, and its militant mineworkers were on strike for over 17 months. The press ran a series of sensational reports with headlines such as 'Spectre of a

Exiting Iraq: Frederick Kagan's View [audio 7min]

In the 2nd in a series of discussion on the U.S. end game in Iraq, military historian and scholar Frederick Kagan of the American Enterprise Institute says the U.S. needs more troops in Iraq to defeat the insurgency. "Exiting Iraq: A Discussion" July 22, 2006.

Stardust casino shines one last time before demolition [audio 3min @18:10]

Ah, the late 1950s! A more innocent time -- even in terms of sin and indulgence. Back in those days of post-war intemperance and hedonism, the Stardust Resort and Casino was a Las Vegas supernova of glitz and flash. The Stardust exploded onto the Las Vegas scene at noon on July 2nd 1958 -- literally, with the detonation of several bombs. At the time, it was the largest resort ever built on Planet Earth -- a $10-million complex comprising more than 1,000 rooms, a 32-metre-long swimming pool calle

World sees 'imperialism' in American reach, strength [audio 8min]

In the 4th report in a 5-part series exploring the political language of our times, Guy Raz considers the word imperialism. A few weeks ago, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez spoke at the United Nations. He used the word imperialist about every 45 seconds during the speech, always in reference to the United States. Around the same time, Hezbollah spiritual leader Sheik Muhammad Husayn Fadlallah told a crowd in Beirut, Lebanon, that"the real danger to the entire world comes from the

King Memorial to join crowded D.C. Mall landscape [audio 6min]

As history marches on, space for memorials on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., is shrinking. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, which officially begins construction on Nov. 13, may perhaps be the last monument to be built on the parcel. The King memorial will be built on one of the Mall's prime pieces of real estate, across from the Jefferson Memorial and just behind the cherry blossom trees that ring the Tidal Basin. They bloom in April, the month when King was assassinated. The site fo

Officials attempt to recover stolen Native American artifacts [audio 3min]

This week, federal officials announced the largest-ever investigation into the theft of Native American remains and artifacts. Methamphetamine addicts are accused of looting archaeological sites across central Oregon. Ann Dornfeld reports.

Painting stolen during WWII returned to France [audio 5min]

The National Gallery of Canada has been investigating art works with unclear histories. Thanks to meticulous Nazi bookkeeping of art stolen during World War II, a French painting in their collection was traced to its rightful owners in France. Report by Genevieve Oger.