Talking History: Shows from 2001

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Celebrating Christmas: Talking History traces the development of the Christmas holiday as it is celebrated today in the U.S. in a conversation with art historian Karal Ann Marling. Marling is the author of Merry Christmas: Celebrating America's Greatest Holiday. Air date: Dec. 24, 2001

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    The commentary by Rev. Ian Bradley looks at the history of Christmas carols. Bradley is church historian at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and the author of The Penguin Book of Carols.

Patriotism: Cecilia Elizabeth O'Leary, author of To Die For: The Paradox of American Patriotism, talks about patriotism in the U.S. before and after September 11. O'Leary is a professor of history at California State University and co-director of the Oral History and Community Memory Institute. Dec. 17, 2001 air date

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    The commentary by David Greenberg looks at the meaning of terrorism, past and present. Greenberg is a professor of history at Columbia University.

Greatest Generation Part 4: In the final segment of our four-part series on Greatest Generations we talk with David Farber about the Baby Boom generation. Farber is a professor of history at the University of New Mexico and author of The Age of Great Dreams. Dec. 10, 2001 air date

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    The commentary by Laurie Fendrich looks at the impact of September 11 on the baby boomers.

Greatest Generation Part 3: In part 3 of our four-part series on Greatest Generations we talk with David Kennedy about the Depression and WWII generation. Kennedy is the author of Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression which received the Pulitzer Prize. Dec. 3, 2001 air date

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    The commentary by Robert Stinnett looks at whether Admiral Husband Kimmel and Lt. General Walter Short were guilty of failing to anticipate the attack on Pearl Harbor. Stinnett is the author of Day of Deceit: The Truth About FDR and Pearl Harbor. Also, Dr. America offers his views on buying gifts for Christmas.

Greatest Generation Part 2: In part 2 of our four-part series on Greatest Generations we talk with James McPherson about the Civil War generation. McPherson is a professor at Princeton University and the pre-eminent historian of the Civil War. He is the author of several books including The Battle Cry of Freedom which won the Pulitzer Prize. Nov. 26, 2001 air date

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    The commentary by Stephanie Coontz looks at whether defining people by generation is really a useful way to look at the past. Coontz is a professor of history at Evergreen State College.

Greatest Generation Part 1: Part 1 of a four-part series on Greatest Generations. In this program Joyce Appleby, a professor of history at UCLA, talks about the generation of the founding fathers. Appleby is the author of Inheriting the Revolution: The First Generation of Americans. Nov. 19, 2001 air date

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    The commentary by Char Miller looks at Tom Brokaw's claim for the greatest generation. Miller is the chairman of the Department of History at Trinity University and his most recent book is Gifford Pinchot and the Making of Modern Environmentalism.

Cheerleading: A look at the distinctly American tradition of cheerleading and how it has evolved over the years with Mary Ellen Hanson, author of Go! Fight! Win! Cheerleading in American Culture. Hanson is a professor at the University of New Mexico. Nov. 12, 2001 air date

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    The commentary by Sherman Dorn looks at whether the very act of being at war against a common enemy will provoke disagreements over various domestic issues. Dorn is a professor of history at the University of South Florida and author of Creating the Dropout.

Whaleship Essex: Nathaniel Philbrick talks about his book In The Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex, which received the National Book Award. The tragic story of the Essex inspired the climactic scene in Herman Melville's Moby Dick. Philbrick is the director of the Egan Institute of Maritime Studies. Nov. 5, 2001 air date

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    The commentary by Dr. America--James Farrell of the wholly imaginary American Studies Museum-- looks at the Thanksgiving Holiday and what it really means.

Arming America: Michael Bellesiles has written one of the most controversial books on the origins of gun culture in the United States. We talked with him about his book, Arming America: The Origins of the National Gun Culture, which received the Bancroft Prize. Oct. 29, 2001 air date

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    The commentary provided by historian William Lambers looks at whether history has any insight to the best path to take in the debate over the plans by the U.S. to withdraw from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. Lambers is the author of Nuclear Weapons.
Race and Reunion: We take a look at myths and legends surrounding the American Civil War with Amherst College professor David Blight. Blight is the author of Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory. Oct. 22, 2001 air date
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    The commentary by Robert Gellately considers how much ordinary Germans may have known about the Nazi persecution of Jews during World War II. Gelletely is the Strassler Professor of Holocaust History at Clark University, and author of Backing Hitler: Consent and Coercion in Nazi Germany.

Slave Petitions: Historian Loren Schweninger talks about his latest project involving slave petitions, The Southern Debate Over Slavery: Petitions to Southern Legislatures, 1777-1864. Schweninger is a professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Oct. 15, 2001 air date

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    The commentary by William Freehling talks about southern anti-Confederates, black and white, who contributed to the defeat of the South. Freehling is Singletary Endowed Chair in the Humanities at the University of Kentucky.

Orphan Train: We hear about a 1904 drama involving 40 Irish orphans from New York who were adopted by Mexican families, and the conflict that followed. Linda Gordon, professor of history at New York University, is the author of The Great Arizona Orphan Abduction. The book has received the Bancroft Prize, the American Historical Association's highest award. Oct. 8, 2001 air date

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    The commentary by Christian Science Monitor film critic David Sterritt looks at the film Apocalypse Now Redux and offers insights into how the film reflects the decade of the 1970s. Sterritt is Professor of Theatre and Film at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University.

The Lindbergh Case: Criminal Justice Professor James Fisher of Edinboro University in Pennsylvania talks about the continuing controversy surrounding the conviction and execution of Bruno Hauptmann for the kidnapping and murder of the Lindbergh baby. Fisher, a former special agent for the FBI, is the author of two books on the Lindbergh case including the recent The Ghosts of Hopewell: Setting the Record Straight in the Lindbergh Case. Oct. 1, 2001 air date

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    The commentary by "Dr. America"--James Farrell of the wholly imaginary American Studies Museum--discusses one of the leading spectator sports in America--Monday Night Football. Farrell is a professor of history at St. Olaf College in Minnesota.

Public Vows: A look at government's influence on both the private and public institution of marriage with Nancy Cott, professor of history and American Studies at Yale University. Her latest book is Public Vows: A History of Marriage and the Nation. Sept. 24, 2001 air date

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    The commentary by historian Michael Richards examines Adolph Hitler's decision to invade the Soviet Union in 1941. Richards is a professor of history at Sweet Briar College in Virginia and is the author of Twentieth-Century Europe: A Brief History.

The American Family: Author and historian Steven Mintz talks about how Americans tend to romanticize the past when it comes to perceptions of the "traditional" family. Mintz is senior associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and Moores Professor of History at the University of Houston. He's the author of Domestic Revolutions: A Social History of the American Family. Sept. 17, 2001 air date

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    The commentary provided by Shephanie Coontz addresses how our memories of the family in the past have been mythologized. Coontz is a family historian at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington and the author of The Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia Trap.

American Girls: An interview with Valerie Tripp, the principal author of the American Girl books, a popular series of historical fiction for children. Sept. 10, 2001 air date

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    The commentary provided by Elizabeth Reis talks about why 17th century Puritans were suspicious of angels. Reis is the author of Damned Women: Sinners and Witches in Puritan New England and professor of history at the University of Oregon.

Public Schools: Documentary producer and director Sarah Mondale talks about her latest project, Schools: The Story of American Public Education, which aired on PBS during the first week of September. Sept. 3, 2001 air date

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    James Farrell, better known as "Dr. America," provides the commentary on Labor Day and the contributions of American unions. Farrell is a professor of history at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota and the curator of the magnificent--but wholly imaginary--American Studies Museum.

Mildred Harnack: Historian Shareen Brysac talks about the only American woman executed for treason during World War II on Hitler's orders. Mildred Harnack's heroism was once well known, but Brysac says after the war her story was forgotten. Brysac is the author of Resisting Hitler: Mildred Harnack and the Red Orchestra. Aug. 27, 2001 air date

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    The commentary provided by Ernest Freeberg says that Laura Bridgman--not Helen Keller--was the first blind and deaf young woman to learn the use of language. Freeberg is the author of The Education of Laura Bridgman.

Education Reform: An interview with author Diane Ravitch on the history of reform in public education. Ravitch was an assistant secretary at the U. S. Department of Education from 1991-93 and currently holds the Brown Chair in Education Studies at the Brookings Institution. Ravitch is the author of Left Back: A Century of Failed School Reforms. Aug. 20, 2001 air date

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    The commentary provided by Arnita Jones, executive director of the American Historical Association, looks at the impact of the call by Congress for improved teaching of American history on professional historians.

Groucho: An interview with author Stefan Kanfer on how Groucho Marx and his brothers were able to succeed with their radical form of comedy. Kanfer is the author of Groucho: The Life and Times of Julius Henry Marx. Aug. 13, 2001 air date

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    The commentary provided by Kevin Dettmar gives proof that rock and roll is not dead. Dettmar is the co-editor of Reading Rock and Roll: Authenticity, Appropriation, Asthetics.

Dayton Accords: A look back to see if the Dayton Accords have accomplished their purpose in an interview with David Chandler. Chandler is a research fellow at the Policy Research Institute at Leeds Metropolitan University in England. Aug. 6, 2001 air date

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    In the commentary by Jeffrey Pasley we find out why Alexander Hamilton is the least known and least loved of all our founding fathers. Pasley is a professor of history at the University of Missouri, Columbia and is the author of The Tyranny of Printers: Newspaper Politics in the Early American Republic.

American Places, Part 4: The final segment of the four-part series on the book American Places includes an interview with T.H. Breen about a monument in Barre, Massachusetts, that he wrote about in his chapter of American Places. Breen is the William Wrath Professor of American History at Northwestern University. The commentary by Kevin Starr takes us to the Musso and Frank Grill in Hollywood. Starr is the State Librarian of California and a professor at the University of Southern California. July 30, 2001 air date

American Places, Part 3: The third installment in the four-part series on the book American Places includes an interview with Kenneth Jackson on his chapter about Main Street, Memphis. Jackson is the Jacques Barzun Professor of History and Social Sciences at Columbia University. The commentary by Joel Williamson talks about his chapter in American Places on Graceland. Williamson is the Lineberger Professor in the Humanities at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. July 23, 2001 air date

American Places, Part 2: The second in the four-part series on the book American Places includes an interview with John Demos on his chapter about Fenway Park. Demos is the Samuel Knight Professor of History at Yale University. The commentary by Jules Tygiel talks about his chapter on the Polo Grounds. Tygiel is a professor of history at San Francisco State University and is the author of Baseball's Great Experiment: Jackie Robinson and His Legacy. July 16, 2001 air date

American Places, Part 1: The first in a four-part series on the book American Places includes an introduction by William Leuchtenburg, editor of American Places. The interview with James Cobb is about his chapter on the American Cemetery and Memorial at Normandy. July 9, 2001 air date

Stephen Foster: An interview with Ken Emerson, author of Doo-Dah: Stephen Foster and the Rise of American Popular Culture. July 2, 2001 air date

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    This program contains an op-ed by Andrew Burstein, professor of history at the University of Tulsa, on America's Jubilee. He is the author of America's Jubilee: How in 1826 A Generation Remembered 50 Years of Independence.

Out of the Darkness: An interview with the authors of Out of the Darkness: The Story of Mary Ellen Wilson. Eric Shelman and Steven Lazortitz talk about one of the most brutal cases of child abuse in american history. Shelman is the author of several short stories, screenplays and three books. Lazoritz is a doctor whose specialty is the care and treatment of abused and neglected children. He is currently affiliated with Children's Hospital in Omaha, Neb. June 25, 2001 air date

Heavy Metal Music: An interview with Robert Walser, Chair of Musicology at UCLA. Prof. Walser is the author of Running With the Devil: Power, Gender, and Madness in Heavy Metal Music. June18, 2001 air date

  • Listen Now:   Real Audio 28.8 This program contains an op-ed by Fred Migliore, host of the syndicated radio program "FM Odyssey," about why FM radio doesn't seem to sound as good as it used to.

Tiananmen Papers: An interview with Andrew Nathan about the documents chronicling the Communist Party's decisions during the 1989 pro-democracy rally. Nathan is the co-editor of The Tiananmen Papers: The Chinese Leadership's Decision to Use Force Against Their Own People-In Their Own Words. Nathan is a professor of political science at Columbia University. June 11, 2001 air date

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    This program contains an op-ed by Ira Chernus on the spector of a second "Cold War." Chernus is a professor of religious studies at the University of Colorado.

A People's History: An interview with Howard Zinn about his book,   A People's History of the United States. June 4, 2001 air date

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    This program contains an op-ed by Michael Richards on the use of analogies throughout history. Richards is a professor of history at Sweet Briar College.

Lessons of Vietnam: A look at the lessons the U.S. Army took away from its experience in Vientnam with Jim Willbanks, professor of National Security Policy at the Army's Command and General Staff College. He is also the author of Vietnamization: Neither Peace nor Victory. May 28, 2001 air date

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    This program contains an op-ed by H. Bruce Franklin on the myths surrounding the Vietnam experience. Franklin is the author of Vietnam and Other American Fantansies and a professor of American Studies at Rutgers University.

Baseball: A look at the history of the game of baseball and how it reflected American culture with historian Jules Tygiel, author of Past Time: Baseball as History. May 21, 2001 air date

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    This program contains an op-ed by Neil Sullivan on the "stadium game." Sullivan is the author of The Dodgers Move West.

Tulip0mania -- About 400 years ago, tulips were worth more than   gold. Author Mike Dash talks about Tulipomania: The Story of the World's Most Coveted Flower and the Passions it Aroused. May 14, 2001 air date

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    This program contains an op-ed by Stephen Allen on why President Bush should consider normalizing relations with Cuba.

Chautauqua III -- Louisa May Alcott: For the conclusion of our Chautauqua series, a talk with writer Louisa May Alcott...as performed by Anne Howard. May 7, 2001 air date

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    This program contains an op-ed by professor Ruth Rosen, author of The Women's Movement: An Unfinished Revolution, about Mother's Day and its roots in public activism.

Chautauqua II -- Booker T. Washington: In the second program of our Chautauqua series, a talk with Booker T. Washington...as performed by Charles Pace. April 30, 2001 air date

Chautauqua I -- Thomas Jefferson: In the first of a 3-part series in the Chautauqua traditon of presenting the voices of history's leading figures, a talk with Thomas Jefferson...as performed by Clay Jenkinson. April 23, 2001 air date

The Ecological Indian: A talk with anthropologist Shepard Krech about the image of American Indians as natural conservationists. April 16, 2001 air date

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    The program contains an op-ed by Stewart Udall, Secretary of the Interior from 1961-69, giving an overview of the development of our country's environmental policy.

Tattooing: A talk with Dr. Margo DeMello, author of a number of scholarly works on tattoo culture. April 9, 2001 air date

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    The program contains an op-ed by professor Jane Caplan of Bryn Mawr College about the bad reputation tattoos have received over the years.

Censorship In Russia: A talk with professor Marianna Tax Choldin, about how post-Soviet Russia has dealt with information on topics such as religion and sex. April 2, 2001 air date

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    The program contains an op-ed by professor Michael Creswell of Florida State University about how effective President Bush may be concerning foreign policy.

African American Golfers: A talk with University of Miami professor Marvin Dawkins, co-author of African American Golfers During the Jim Crow Era. March 26, 2001 air date

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    The program contains an op-ed by former golf pro Scott Juengel about Lee Elder's breakthrough for African Americans in professional golf.

Galileo's Daughter: A talk with author Dava Sobel, about the personal side of the famous astronomer. March 19, 2001 air date

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    The program contains an op-ed by University of Colorado professor Ira Chernus, about "political stablility" concerning U.S. presidential elections.

James Madison: A talk with Madison biographer Lance Banning, author of The Sacred Fire of Liberty. March 12, 2001 air date

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    The program contains an op-ed by professor Edward O'Donnell of Hunter College in New York City about that city's St. Patrick's Day parades.

"Third Wave" of Democratization: A talk with professor Larry Diamond of Stanford University's Hoover Institute, about the concerns over this growing phenomenon. Diamond is the author of Developing Democracy. March 5, 2001 air date

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    The program contains an op-ed by Harvard University professor Susan Ware, giving us her list of the 20th century's most influential women.

Jack the Ripper: A talk with professor William Rubenstein of the University of Wales in Aberystwyth and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, about the infamous serial killer. Feb. 26, 2001 air date

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    The program contains an op-ed by Paul Begg, editor of Ripperologist magazine, about how much people DON'T know about Jack the Ripper.

Founding Brothers: For Presidents Day a talk with professor Joseph Ellis about the lives of the major figures of our nation's founding generation. Feb. 19, 2001 air date

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    The program contains an op-ed by Bruce Craig, Director of the National Coordinating Committee for the Promotion of History, about what may ultimately become of Florida's controversial presidential election ballots.

China & Taiwan: A talk with professor Caleb Clark of Auburn University, co-editor of The ROC on the Threshhold of the Twenty-First Century. Feb. 12, 2001 air date

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    The program contains an op-ed by professor Arthur Waldron of the University of Pennsylvania about future prospects for a free and democratic China.

Morgan's Run: A talk with writer Colleen McCullough--author of The Thorn Birds--about her latest book. Feb. 5, 2001 air date

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    The program contains an op-ed by professor James Williams about the repercussions of California's deregulation of electricity. Williams is the author of Energy and the Making of Modern California.

Modern Computing: A talk with Dr. Paul Ceruzzi of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, and author of A History of Modern Computing. Jan. 29, 2001 air date

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    The program contains an op-ed by author Kevin Baker about the possibility of placing some blame for the bombing of Pearl Harbor on the American military.

Super Bowl: A talk with Richard Goldstein, executive editor of the Village Voice, about the increasing importance of this annual American event. Jan. 22, 2001 air date

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    The program contains an op-ed by John Sayle Watterson, author of College Football: History, Spectacle and Controversy.

Cold War: A talk with professor Roger Kanet of the University of Miami, co-editor of the book The Cold War As Cooperation. Jan. 15, 2001 air date

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    The program contains an op-ed by professor Robert Pace about whether college students today are any more wild than those of 150 years ago.

James Bond: A talk with professor James Chapman, author of Licence To Thrill: A Cultural History of the James Bond Films. Jan. 8, 2001 air date

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    The program contains an op-ed by historian James Banner about how the recent election in Mexico is reminiscent of an election in American history 200 years ago.

The Stork Club: A talk with New York Times reporter Ralph Blumenthal, author of Stork Club: America's Most Famous Nightspot and the Lost World of Cafe Society. Jan. 1, 2001 air date

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    The program contains an op-ed by Robin Catchpole, Senior Astronomer of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England about observing the start of the new millennium.