Roundup

Intelligent Designs on Evolution [52min]

Questions about our origins as a species have been plaguing us as humans, prodding us as scientists and dividing us as Americans for more than a hundred years, if not for all time. Gallup polls show that nearly half of Americans believe God created man 10,000 years ago, as the Bible says, and another third believe man evolved, but God had a hand in it. At the same time, only a third of the American public believe Darwin's theory of evolution is supported by evidence. Yet nearly all scientists an

Reason Behind the Rhyme: 'Little Jack Horner' [4min]

Host Debbie Elliott and Chris Roberts dissect the meaning of the nursery rhyme"Little Jack Horner." It's about a real estate swindle in 16th-century England. Roberts is the author of Reason Behind the Rhyme: Heavy Words Lightly Thrown.

Agincourt, 1st of 5 [15min]

Exploring the kingdom Henry V inherited from his father, Henry IV. Jane Lapotaire reads Juliet Barker's book about the battle of Agincourt and the events leading up to it, Agincourt: The King, the Campaign, the Battle.

Recruiting the Reich [30min]

Uncovering evidence of Britain 's secret deals with senior Nazis at the end of World War 2. A trail of specially released documents lead to a tale of prisoners of war, tortured and then turned all in the name of King and Country. A file dated"February 1948" has been specially released to the BBC Radio 4 programme"Document" under The Freedom of Information Act; it makes disturbing reading, with allegations of abuse, and torture committed by British intelligence officers soon after World Wa

Dust Bowl Stories from 'The Worst Hard Time' [9min]

During the Great Depression, many people fled the drought-stricken region that stretched from Nebraska to the Texas panhandle. The struggles of those who stayed are the subject of a book by New York Times reporter Timothy Egan.

Celebrating the Battle of New Orleans [4min]

On this day [January 8th] 191 years ago, American troops commanded by Gen. Andrew Jackson defeated British soldiers in the Battle of New Orleans. Chalmette Battlefield, the site of the battle, is in one of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina. The National Park Service reopened the battlefield for the first time since the storm on Saturday.

The History of Blacksmithing, Pt 1 -- The Making of the Tongs [15min]

Artist and blacksmith David Petersen explores the history behind this skilled craft. The early history of iron working, from weapons made from meteorites to the skills of the Celtic blacksmiths.

Lucinda Lambton at Kederminster Library [15min]

Lucinda Lambton finds some magical sights in extraordinary places. 1/5. The Kederminster Library. Concealed inside the walls of a church in Slough is a gorgeously-decorated Jacobean library. According to Wikipedia, Lambton"is a British writer, photographer, television presenter and producer. She specialises in taking a quirky view of architectural history."

My Lai Pilot Hugh Thompson [4min]

Hugh Thompson Jr., a former U.S. Army helicopter pilot honored for rescuing Vietnamese civilians from his fellow GIs during the My Lai massacre, has died at age 62. Early in the morning of March 16, 1968, Thompson, door-gunner Lawrence Colburn and crew chief Glenn Andreotta came upon U.S. ground troops killing Vietnamese civilians in and around the village of My Lai. They landed the helicopter in the line of fire between American troops and fleeing Vietnamese civilians and pointed their own guns

Lou Rawls Leaves Rich Musical, Philanthropic Legacy [4min]

Singer, songwriter and philanthropist Lou Rawls died early Friday morning at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Rawls was being treated for lung and brain cancer. According to his family, he was 72. Rawls was born in Chicago, and his career spanned gospel, blues, jazz, pop and disco. For the last quarter century of his life, Rawls -- in addition to performing and recording -- devoted himself to educating black youth and raising money for the United Negro College Fund.

Velvet-Voiced Crooner Lou Rawls Dies at 72 [4min]

Karen Grigsby Bates offers an appreciation of late R&B singer and philanthropist Lou Rawls. The singer sold more than 40 million albums and earned three Grammys in his long career, and founded a popular telethon to raise money for the United Negro College Fund. He fought a losing battle with brain and lung cancer.

American Jazz Musicians Played as Cold Warriors? [24min]

In the late '50s the world was a very different place. East and West were on a collision course. Many nations around the world were critical of the United States. The Americans were worrying about the foreign oil supply while at home, race relations were a big deal. Alright, maybe not so different. But the cold war had the Americans and the Soviets locked in a struggle for influence, and even culture was a battlefield. The USSR sent out its Bolshoi Ballet and classical musicians to demonstrate S

Putting the Bush Presidency into Historic Perspective [37min]

Yale Professor Stephen Skowronek says there have been presidents like George W. Bush before -- he calls them orthodox innovators. But then things tend to go wrong. Professor Skowronek and author James Mann take a historical look at the Bush presidency. Guests: Stephen Skowronek, professor of political and social science at Yale University; his article on the Bush presidency appeared in the December issue of the journal Perspectives on Politics; and James Mann, author of Rise of the Vul

The History of the Classified Ad [3min]

Sara Bader, author of Strange Red Cow: and Other Curious Classified Ads from the Past, looks back at the history of the classified ad with host Lisa Napoli.

Sharon's Bold History in Israeli Politics [4min]

The massive stroke threatening the life of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon comes as his country prepares for an election. Steve Inskeep talks to Israeli writer David Grossman, who describes Sharon's controversial and influential history in Israeli politics.

Marlene Dietrich: A Look at Her Film Career [11min]

Sporting a tuxedo and top hat Marlene Dietrich made her first film appearance in Hollywood -- an image that's endured for nearly 80 years. A new book looking at Dietrich's films argues that she's been misunderstood and her work denigrated or dismissed, often by feminists. Jenni Murray talks with the author Dr Catherine Constable, Senior Lecturer in Film at Sheffield Hallam University and author of Thinking in Images: Film Theory, Feminist Philosophy and Marlene Dietrich (BFI).

True Stories of the American West [51min]

There are few places on Earth as evocative as the American West. From ancient native nations of the desert south to the wide-open romance of the plains cowboys, the American West has inspired countless stories handed down through generations. Doug Bernard and his guests explore just a few of the myths and true-life stories of this remarkable landscape. Guests: Bob Boze Bell, Western humorist, author, and Executive editor of True West magazine; and Patricia Nelson Limerick, Director, Cent

Rajmohan Ghandi Interview [26min]

Rajmohan Ghandi carries one of the most famous names in Indian history. In "The Interview" this week, he tells Owen Bennett-Jones what it's like living with this name, and what his grandfather, Mahatma, taught him and the world. Following a career which included politics and editing a newspaper, Rajmohan now devotes his energy to promoting his grandfather's philosophy of non-violence. He says it offers solutions to some of the world's biggest problems.

Victorian 'Rock Bands' [30min]

During the reign of Queen Victoria, several families from Cumbria travelled the country advertising themselves as 'rock bands'. These bands were not playing some primitive version of rock and roll music, but performing music on instruments made of rock. Britain's leading solo percussionist, Evelyn Glennie, has always been fascinated by these instruments and the people who created them. She travels to Cumbria to locate and play surviving examples of the strange musical instruments known variously

Cornish History in the Landscape [29min]

Brett Westwood presents a series of puzzles involving links between local history and the countryside. 1/6. Looe in Cornwall: A six mile hedge fifteen hundred years old, the origin of Britain's longest long distance footpath, and the link between smuggling and pilchards. Brett Westwood is back with more puzzles in the landscape, unearthing the lines that have linked people and places over the centuries. The programmes are researched with the help of local historians and residents, and out on loc