Best Evan Axelbank Podcasts (2024)

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#157: Lindsay Chervinsky - "Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents that Forged the Republic" 59:36

2d ago59:36

59:36

George Washington is often given the lionshare of the credit when it comes to establishing the tradition of a peaceful transfer of power in the United States. But in her new book, "Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents that Forged the Republic," Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky argues that the second president also deserves a healthy portion o…

1
#156: Dr. Andrea Balis & Elizabeth Levy - "Witch Hunt: The Cold War, Joe McCarthy, and the Red Scare" 47:24

16d ago47:24

47:24

From the publisher, Roaring Book Press: Witch Hunt: The Cold War, Joe McCarthy, and the Red Scare provides a gripping account of one of the most tumultuous periods in American history. Authors Dr. Andrea Balis and Elizabeth Levy delve into Senator Joe McCarthy's infamous hunt for communists during the 1950s Red Scare. Originally written for young a…

1
#155: Julie Satow - "When Women Ran Fifth Avenue: Glamour and Power at the Dawn of American Fashion" 48:09

1M ago48:09

48:09

At the dawn of the 20th Century, the center of city life could be found at department stores. One could find the latest fashion, meet friends for a cup of coffee, mail a letter, and escape the hustle of every day life. Julie Satow shows how three women made department stores not just the place to be, but into an engine of cultural change. She also …

1
#154: Adam Higginbotham - "Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space" 50:53

2M ago50:53

50:53

On this episode, Adam Higginbotham brings us back to the moment that many say they will never forget, but also to a moment that is filled with misconception and myth. When the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded in 1986, seven astronauts lost their lives and NASA was confronted with its biggest failure. Higginbotham shows us how the space program cho…

1
#153: Edward O'Keefe - "The Loves of Theodore Roosevelt" 47:50

2M ago47:50

47:50

Teddy Roosevelt is thought of as the quintessentially masculine American president. He is known for going to war, for fighting buffalo with his bare hands, and sailing down the River of Doubt. But as Edward O'Keefe, the CEO of the Teddy Roosevelt Presidential Library explains, TR is more a product of the women in his life than the men. His mother, …

1
#152: Paul Sparrow - "Awakening the Spirit of America: FDR's War of Words with Charles Lindbergh - And the Battle to Save Democracy" 55:02

3M ago55:02

55:02

Paul Sparrow argues that Franklin Roosevelt is the quintessential American president, not just of the 20th Century, but in all of American history. FDR's ability to rally the nation from the Great Depression, and then carry it into a devastating but essential World War showed not just his talent, but his understanding of the stakes the country face…

1
#151: Gary Cross - "Free Time: The History of an Elusive Ideal" 39:59

3M ago39:59

39:59

What does it mean to have "free time" and is it ever enough? In "Free Time: The History of an Elusive Ideal," Dr. Gary Cross explains how free time is both precious and deceptive. Why are people on vacation already searching the web for their next one? What counts as free time? Does technology help or hurt our experience with time spent away from w…

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#150: Susan Tate Ankeny - "American Flygirl: The True Story of Hazel Ying Lee" 40:37

3M ago40:37

40:37

In "American Flygirl" Susan Tate Ankeny shows how a young girl with a fascination for flying became the first female Asian-American pilot to fly for the military. Hazel Ying Lee was born in Portland, but came of age at a time when the deck was stacked against people like her. Hazel never let discrimination or expectation shatter her dreams of flyin…

1
#149: James Swanson - "The Deerfield Massacre: A Surprise Attack, a Forced March, and the Fight for Survival in Early America" 50:51

4M ago50:51

50:51

Though few remember it, James Swanson argues the Deerfield Massacre of 1704 played a critical role in the shaping of early America. He explains how Native tribes and French soldiers brutalized a small outpost of colonists in western Massachusetts and set off a continental effort to find the missing victims and establish forces to protect the coloni…

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#148: Jason Lantzer - "Dwight Eisenhower and the Holocaust" 55:52

4M ago55:52

55:52

Up until the very end of World War II, even Dwight Eisenhower did not grasp the extent of the devastation the Holocaust had inflicted to the Jewish people. It wasn’t until he was among the liberators at the Ohrdruf concentration camp where the Americans found thousands of dead bodies and starving Jews when Eisenhower finally had his full call to ac…

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#147: Harold Holzer - "Brought Forth on This Continent" 52:23

5M ago52:23

52:23

Abraham Lincoln is often thought of as the president who kept the union together, or who contributed the legal basis for slaves to be freed in states in rebellion, but Harold Holzer, one of America's renowned Lincoln scholars, explains how Lincoln harnessed the power of immigrants to make both achievements possible. Holzer's new book, "Brought Fort…

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#146: David Head & Timothy Hemmis - "A Republic of Scoundrels" 48:54

5M ago48:54

48:54

The Founding Fathers are often thought of as the pathbreaking generation that fought with dignity, wrote with moral clarity, and bound the colonies together with one goal. Except, in their new edited collection, “A Republic of Scoundrels: The Schemers, Intriguers and Adventurers who Created a New American Nation,” historians David Head and Timothy …

1
#145: Martyn Whittock - "American Vikings: How the Norse Sailed into the Lands and Imaginations of America" 41:38

6M ago41:38

41:38

From costumes to professional football to a brand of high end ovens, "Vikings" have become a part of American pop culture. In "American Vikings: How the Norse Sailed into the Lands and Imaginations of America," historian Martyn Whittock explains why actual vikings set sail, what they were after, and why the potential for myths to be handed down to …

1
#144: John Reeves - "Soldier of Destiny: Slavery, Secession, and the Redemption of Ulysses S. Grant" 44:38

6M ago44:38

44:38

How did Ulysses S. Grant go from being surrounded by - and benefitting from - slaves to becoming one of the most instrumental American leaders responsible for its downfall? In "Soldier of Destiny," John Reeves shows how Grant's formative years with an anti-slavery father, the challenges of his alcoholism and his experience as a military leader duri…

1
#143: Matthew Algeo - "When Harry Met Pablo" 51:17

7M ago51:17

51:17

Aside from being famous and at the top of their crafts, Harry Truman and Pablo Picasso could hardly have been more different. Matthew Algeo explains how their one-off meeting was used by both men to further their goals in politics and art. In, "When Harry Met Pablo: Truman, Picasso and the Cold War Politics of Modern Art," Algeo explains how modern…

1
#142: Lauren Lassabe Shepherd - "Resistance from the Right: Conservatives and Campus Wars" 48:40

7M ago48:40

48:40

For decades, conservative elected officials, activists and think tanks have argued that college campuses are hostile to them and their ideas. In Dr. Lauren Lassabe Shepherd's book, "Resistance from the Right: Conservatives and Campus Wars," we see how that movement was sprouted, what its arguments are and how successful their efforts have been to c…

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#141: Doug Melville - "Invisible Generals: Rediscovering Family Legacy and a Quest to Honor America's First Black Generals" 49:42

8M ago49:42

49:42

Doug Melville was thrilled to be invited to the screening of a movie about the Tuskeegee Airmen, a movie that he assumed would feature the patriarch of his family tree, Ben O. Davis Jr. He was proud of his family's service to the storied branch of the Air Force, a group of aviators who had fought for their country even though they were ordered to b…

1
#140: Drew McKevitt: "Gun Country" 54:38

8M ago54:38

54:38

In 2021, there were 48,830 people in America who were killed by bullets fired from guns. Some of those deaths were purposeful, others accidental, and still others self-inflicted. The bullets were fired from a share of the 400 million guns owned by - or stolen from - Americans. In "Gun Country: Gun Capitalism, Culture and Control in Cold War America…

1
#139: Richard Aldous - "The Dillon Era" 45:46

9M ago45:46

45:46

The story of the Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson years is one of both incredible struggle and of triumph for the United States. Between 1952 and 1968, America saw pointed racism, political divisions grow, a president assassinated and a war start. But it also saw the end of official segregation, the proof that the world understood nuclear war was no…

1
#138: Douglas Brunt - "The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel" 43:39

9M ago43:39

43:39

Diesel isn't just a type of fuel. It is the name of a man who was at the center of one of the biggest stories of intrigue in the early 1900s. Rudolf Diesel was a German entrepreneur who author Douglas Brunt says was the "Elon Musk" of his day. In 1913, Brunt's body was found floating in the English Channel. Did he die naturally, did he commit suici…

1
#137: Scott Shane - "Flee North: A Forgotten Hero and the Fight for Freedom in Slavery's Borderland" 1:01:21

10M ago1:01:21

1:01:21

An early architect of what became the Underground Railroad was a former slave named Thomas Smallwood. Never heard of him? You're not alone. Former New York Times and Baltimore Sun correspondent and author Scott Shane wants to change that. His book, "Flee North: A Forgotten Hero and the Fight for Freedom in Slavery's Borderland," describes how Small…

1
#136: J. Randy Taraborrelli - "Jackie: Public, Private, Secret" 47:08

10M ago47:08

47:08

Jackie Kennedy's life has almost always been told through the lens of her husband and in-laws. But in, "Jackie: Public, Private, Secret," J. Randy Taraborrelli explains for the first time how her own family paved the way for her to break new ground as First Lady, craft her husband's legacy, enter publishing, and lead a life shrouded in as much noto…

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#135: Adam Lazarus - "The Wingmen: The Unlikely, Unusual, Unbreakable Friendship Between John Glenn and Ted Williams" 55:41

10M ago55:41

55:41

As another baseball season winds down, check out this episode with historian Adam Lazarus, who shows us how Ted Williams was drafted into the military during the Korean War. The unexpected drafting of the baseball mega-star led to his friendship with John Glenn, who was looking for a partner with whom to take flight. Their friendship spanned many d…

1
#134: Colin Dickey - "Under the Eye of Power: How Fear of Secret Societies Shapes American Democracy" 46:37

11M ago46:37

46:37

From the illuminati to the freemasons to the Kennedy assassination, Dr. Colin Dickey shows how conspiracy theories and American government aren't running on parallel tracks. Rather, he argues in his new book, "Under the Eye of Power: How Fear of Secret Societies Shapes American Democracy," our system of government has always worked hand-in-hand wit…

1
#133: Paul Moses - "The Italian Squad" 43:00

11M ago43:00

43:00

Professor Paul Moses takes us on a tour of progressive-era New York City as he explores the life - and death - of famed detective Giuseppe Petrosino. He shows how a hit carried out in Italy in 1909 reverberated through the New York Police Department and led other Italian-American detectives to form the "Italian Squad," in an effort to not only snuf…

1
#132: Laurence Jurdem - "The Rough Rider and the Professor" 56:22

11M ago56:22

56:22

Their friendship is considered one of the most important in American history. Professor Laurence Jurdem argues in "The Rough Rider and the Professor" that if Henry Cabot Lodge had not taken political upstart Teddy Roosevelt under his wing, it's unlikely he ever would have become president. Jurdem pored over thousands of letters between the two men,…

1
#131: Richard Norton Smith - "An Ordinary Man: The Surprising Life and Historic Presidency of Gerald R. Ford" 1:05:27

12M ago1:05:27

1:05:27

Far from being a historical asterisk, an accidental president, or a mere bridge between Nixon's failed presidency and the coming Reagan Revolution, Richard Norton Smith argues that Gerald Ford's life and administration must be understood in order to weigh the last decades of the 20th Century. From a broken home in Michigan to the world's most famou…

1
#130: John Wood Sweet - "The Sewing Girl's Tale" 58:44

12M ago58:44

58:44

At one point in American history, no woman had charged a "gentleman" with rape. That all changed when Lanah Sawyer, a seventeen-year-old seamstress was attacked by a member of New York City's high society. Against all odds - and expectations - Sawyer went to court against the rapist, twice, and forever changed the way the legal system would conside…

1
#129: Matthew Clavin - "Symbols of Freedom" 46:14

1y ago46:14

46:14

In Dr. Matthew Clavin's new book, "Symbols of Freedom: Slavery and Resistance Before the Civil War," he shows how slaves adopted America's signature documents, songs and rallying cries as their own. From the National Anthem, to July 4th, to the phrase, "Give me liberty or give me death," enslaved Americans seized on symbols some cited as evidence t…

1
#128: Jean Pfaelzer - "California: A Slave State" 54:44

1y ago54:44

54:44

In 1850, in exchange for allowing the potential of slavery in New Mexico and Utah, California was admitted to the Union as its 31st state. A free state. The land of beaches, beautiful scenery, bridges and Hollywood. But even to today, Dr. Pfaelzer argues California has not been fully free. While we may not imagine plantation slavery there the way w…

1
#127: Jonathan Eig - "King: A Life" 46:09

1y ago46:09

46:09

In contemporary political discourse, the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. have often been reduced to a snappy soundbite articulating his "Dream" of seeing his children judged, "not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." In his new biography of King, Jonathan Eig uses tons of new sources, including memoirs and recordi…

1
#126: Bob Kealing - "Good Day Sunshine State" 58:35

1y ago58:35

58:35

The biggest-selling musical act of all time isn't necessarily well-known for the time they spent in Florida, but Bob Kealing says they should be. The Beatles stopped in Florida just after their world-changing appearance on the "Ed Sullivan Show," and were exposed to a magical side of America. The Beatles soaked up Miami's beaches, bikinis and sunsh…

1
#125: Nathan Masters - "Crooked" 39:28

1y ago39:28

39:28

How did a suicide help lead to the downfall of one of the most corrupt government officials in American history? In his new book, "Crooked: The Roaring Twenties Tale of a Corrupt Attorney General, A Crusading Senator and the Birth of the American Political Scandal," Nathan Masters describes how Harry Daugherty went too far to protect his friends an…

1
#124: Helene Stapinski & Bonnie Siegler - "The American Way" 45:41

1y ago45:41

45:41

What do Marilyn Monroe, Superman and... Jules Schulback have him common? Helene Stapinski and Bonnie Siegler say Bonnie's grandfather and the two pop culture icons combine to tell an essential story of the 20th Century in the United States. Jules was walking in Manhattan when he happened upon Marilyn as she filmed the iconic scene for, "The Seven Y…

1
#123: Alex Prud'homme - "Dinner with the President" 42:49

1y ago42:49

42:49

Famed television host Anthony Bourdain said, "Nothing is more political than food." In Alex Prud'homme's book, "Dinner with the President: Food, Politics and a History of Breaking Bread at the White House," shows how presidents and First Ladies have used food to craft public policy, play politics and even alter the course of the presidency. Prud'ho…

1
#122: Richard Goodrich - "Comet Madness" 44:58

1y ago44:58

44:58

In, "Comet Madness: How the 1910 Return of Halley's Comet Almost Destroyed Civilization," Dr. Richard Goodrich shows how science and society collided in sometimes deadly fashion. He explores how the media and those eager to make a quick buck exacerbated fears over what would happen when the comet became visible from Earth's atmosphere. He explains …

1
#121: Christopher Gorham - "The Confidante" 50:06

1y ago50:06

50:06

Every president, every leader, needs someone who they can trust. Who will tell them what is really happening, as opposed to telling them what they want to hear? In short, they need a confidante. Anna Rosenberg was one of the assistants whom FDR kept closest, not only in terms of policy, but as a friend. However, most biographies on FDR have largely…

1
#120: Ed Achorn - "The Lincoln Miracle" 46:26

1y ago46:26

46:26

Abraham Lincoln could never have become president if he didn't win over the stalwarts of his own party. But as the 1860 Republican convention neared, he was barely considered an also-ran. The conventional wisdom held that William H. Seward of Auburn, NY would become the nominee. But as big players in the new political party descended on Chicago, a …

1
#119: Mark Whitaker - "Saying it Loud" 56:01

1+ y ago56:01

56:01

One of the hallmarks of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s is that its leaders preached non-violence. Dr. Martin Luther King said non-violence is the "absolute commitment to the way of love." But by 1966, after several legislative victories that established the right to vote and banned discrimination in places of public accommodation, young Bla…

1
#118: Gautam Mukunda - "Picking Presidents: How to Make the Most Consequential Decision in the World" 59:02

1+ y ago59:02

59:02

When you vote for president, Gautam Mukunda says you are making the most important decision in the world. With the power presidents wield over the US and the world, picking the wrong person can bring disaster - or wonderful things - to billions of people. On this episode, Gautam Mukunda explains how we can spot candidates that will do well in offic…

1
#117: Kate Andersen Brower - "Elizabeth Taylor: The Grit and Glamour of an Icon" 48:31

1+ y ago48:31

48:31

There are four women who shaped the 20th Century: Queen Elizabeth II, Jacqueline Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor. In the first biography of the hard-nosed, beautiful, iconic movie star that draws on Taylor's massive trove of personal correspondence and photographs, best-selling author Kate Andersen Brower explains how Taylor evolved fr…

1
#116: Kelly Weill - "Off the Edge" 45:47

1+ y ago45:47

45:47

One of the biggest myths in the history of human discovery is that the idea of a spherical earth is new. In fact, it is the opposite. The incorrect idea that the world is flat is what's new. In this discussion with Daily Beast reporter Kelly Weill, we discuss her book, "Off the Edge: Flat Earthers, Conspiracy Culture, and Why People Will Believe An…

1
#115: Lindsay Chervinsky - Mourning the Presidents 1:01:09

1+ y ago1:01:09

1:01:09

When a president dies, it often feels as though a piece of the nation is gone with them. Americans are often witness to days of memorial services, eulogies, processions and burial ceremonies. But as Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky and Dr. Matthew Costello argue in their co-edited book, "Mourning the Presidents: Loss and Legacy in American Culture," the way …

1
#114: David Marchick - "The Peaceful Transfer of Power" 40:10

1+ y ago40:10

40:10

For decades, it was a given in American news media and political leadership that those who held power, upon the selection of new leaders, would give up their positions. Until 2020, the American presidency had an unbroken string of over 225 years of transferring power peacefully. Despite personality or political party, the outgoing president always …

1
#113: Philip Bump - "The Aftermath" 41:56

1+ y ago41:56

41:56

In "The Aftermath: The Last Days of the Baby Boom and the Future of Power in America," Washington Post correspondent Philip Bump explains how America's largest generation became America itself. Their considerable demands on schools, infrastructure, culture and communication defined the second half of the twentieth century, and set up a generational…

1
#112: Stacy Schiff - "The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams" 44:18

1+ y ago44:18

44:18

If you Google "Samuel Adams," the first result that pops up is about beer. Centuries after Thomas Jefferson called Adams, "the man" of the Revolution, Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Stacy Schiff reclaims the history of perhaps the key force behind American independence. In "The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams," she explains how Adams built a shadow …

1
#111: Adam Mendelsohn - "Jewish Soldiers in the Civil War" 58:29

1+ y ago58:29

58:29

Until now, the story of Jews who served in the Civil War has been incomplete. Dr. Adam Mendelsohn's book aims to showcase their contributions and sacrifices while explaining how their time in the Civil War differed from that of other soldiers. From rations that were not kosher, to lack of opportunity to fully celebrate holidays, to relatively few c…

1
#110: Natalia Petrzela - "Fit Nation" 52:04

1+ y ago52:04

52:04

Why does exercise come with an outfit, a soundtrack, a gimmick and a social media post? In her book, "Fit Nation: The Gains and Pains of America's Exercise Obsession," scholar and fitness coach Dr. Natalia Petrzela explains the history behind exercise, the inequalities the fitness industry has created, and how America has been shaped by the social …

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#109: Neal Gabler - "Against The Wind: Ted Kennedy and the Rise of Conservatism" 58:38

1+ y ago58:38

58:38

Biographer Neal Gabler argues Ted Kennedy's life can be divided into two sections. The first is when Kennedy catches the tide of liberalism and used that momentum to advance liberal policy goals. And the second is when he pushes against the prevailing feeling that the government should no longer protect the New Deal as stringently as before. Gabler…

1
#108: Keri Leigh Merritt - "After Life" 49:33

1+ y ago49:33

49:33

In this episode, historian Keri Leigh Merritt explores how a pandemic exacerbated simmering inequalities in American society to produce mass death at an unprecedented scale. The book she co-edited with Rhae Lynn Barnes and Yohuru Williams, "After Life: A Collective History of Loss and Redemption in Pandemic America," is a collection of essays where…

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