A special episode on the Election of 1800 is now available!

Interviews Episodes

Feb. 18, 2024

Interview with Fergus Bordewich, Klan War

Year(s) Discussed: 1865-1877 The history of the Reconstruction era has in the past been deliberately misconstrued to downplay the achievements of Black Americans and the inhumanity of self-described white supremacists. In…
Jan. 7, 2024

Interview with Laurence Jurdem, The Rough Rider and the Professor

Year(s) Discussed: 1850-1924 US presidential history is filled with notable friendships and partnerships, and arguably one of the most impactful was that between President Theodore Roosevelt and Senator Henry Cabot Lodge.…
Dec. 17, 2023

Interview with David T Beito, The New Deal's War on the Bill of Rights

Year(s) Discussed: 1933-1945 The presidency of Franklin D Roosevelt was faced with major challenges in terms of the Great Depression and World War II, and over the years, many decisions had to be made in order to navigate…
Guest: David T Beito
Oct. 30, 2023

Interview with Kate Andersen Brower

Year(s) Discussed: 1961-2023 For this episode, I'm joined by author and journalist Kate Andersen Brower to discuss her research on modern First Ladies from Jackie Kennedy on and how the role of First Lady changed in the m…
Sept. 3, 2023

Interview with Kevin R C Gutzman, The Jeffersonians

Year(s) Discussed: 1801-1825 In this episode, I am joined by Kevin R C Gutzman, author of The Jeffersonians: The Visionary Presidencies of Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe, to discuss this near quarter century where the thr…
Sept. 3, 2023

Interview with Peter Stark, Gallop Toward The Sun

Year(s) Discussed: 1773-1815 For this episode, I am joined by Peter Stark, author of Gallop Toward the Sun: Tecumseh and William Henry Harrison's Struggle for the Destiny of a Nation. In the course of our conversation, in…
Guest: Peter Stark
July 2, 2023

Interview with C W Goodyear, President Garfield

Year(s) Discussed: 1831-1881 On this episode, I am joined by C W Goodyear, author of the new biography President Garfield, to talk about the man who he described as "a pathologically reasonable person" and his navigation …
Guest: C W Goodyear
June 4, 2023

Interview with Paul Brandus, Countdown to Dallas

Year(s) Discussed: 1939-1994 As we've seen in the podcast, certain circumstances coming together at just the right time can change the course of history for good or ill. In this episode, I am joined by author, historian, …
Guest: Paul Brandus
June 5, 2022

Interview with Peter Shea, In the Arena

Year(s) Discussed: 1812-2016 We often examine the lives and legacies of those select few who win the US presidential elections every four years, but what about their opponents? What might we learn from their unsuccessful …
Aug. 16, 2020

Interview with Jeffrey Einboden, Jefferson’s Muslim Fugitives

Year(s) Discussed: 1776-1863 Interactions between people from various parts of the globe are a common occurrence in the 21st century, but though more infrequent in the late 18th and early 19th century, cross-cultural interac…
May 10, 2020

Interview with Lindsay Chervinsky

Year(s) Discussed: 1789-1809 George Washington established many precedents during his tenure of office, but one that had arguably the greatest impact was his establishment, not by law but by practice, of what we now know of …
April 12, 2020

Interview with Thomas Balcerski (Bosom Friends)

Year(s) Discussed: 1786-1868 Political partnerships are nothing new to American politics, but what happens when the domestic world and the political realm overlap? To examine that question and learn more about one of the mos…
March 22, 2020

Interview with Jon Finkel (Jocks in Chief)

Year(s) Discussed: 1789-2020 The term “fit for office” is often bandied about when talking about the US presidency, but how exactly does physical fitness relate to the office or to presidential campaigning? To explore that q…
July 21, 2019

V004 – Interview with Zacharie Kinslow

Year(s) Discussed: 1795-1891 On the anniversary of James K Polk’s death, I spoke with Zacharie Kinslow of the President James K Polk Home and Museum in Columbia, TN about the 11th President and his wife Sarah Childress P…
May 26, 2019

V003 – Interview with Jared Cohen, Accidental Presidents

Year(s) Discussed: 1835-2009 In this episode, I talk with Jared Cohen, author of Accidental Presidents: Eight Men Who Changed America, about the presidents who came to the office due to the untimely demise of their predecess…