Episodes

In 1956, a movie about the life of Genghis Khan was released. The actor who played Genghis Khan? Wait for it.... John Wayne! And the result was... well... even worse than anyone could have imagined. The Conqueror is widely considered one of the worst films ever made and the decision to cast virtually all white actors and actresses has not aged well. This movie is so bad... it's BAD. Filmmaker William Nunez has just written, directed, and produced a documentary on this monstrosity of a film, titl...

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of his passing, we are rebroadcasting our series on President Ronald Reagan________ When Ronald Reagan was elected president, his critics worried he would escalate the Cold War--maybe even provoke World War III. Reagan, however, was planning the exact opposite: yes, he wanted to defeat the Soviet Union but he had an audacious plan to work with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and abolish nuclear weapons from the face of the earth. In this episode, we discuss R...

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of his passing, we are rebroadcasting our series on President Ronald Reagan _________ “Ronald Reagan, the actor?!” exclaimed Doc Brown in the film Back to the Future when he learned that Ronald Reagan was President of the United States in 1985. Indeed, to many, the idea of the former B-movie actor as leader of the free world was an absurd idea. Few, however, would predict that this unlikeliest of presidents would alter the course of American history. In this ...

The vice presidency of the United States is not an easy job. As its first occupant, John Adams reportedly said, "I am nothing, but I may be everything." Another vice president, John Nance Garner, was even more blunt, saying the office was "not worth a bucket of warm spit" (and that's the clean version of what he said). Even worse, the Constitution doesn't give the vice president much to do. So why does America even have a vice president? The truth might surprise you. In this episode, legal schol...

Americans often revere the Founding Fathers as heroes, but who were the Founding Fathers' heroes? In this episode, we interview Jeffrey Rosen about how men like George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson studied, imitated, and took inspiration from the figures of antiquity. THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS: HOW CLASSICAL WRITERS ON VIRTUE INSPIRED THE LIVES OF THE FOUNDERS AND DEFINED AMERICA https://www.amazon.com/Pursuit-Happiness-Classical-Inspired-Founders/dp/1668002477 JOIN PREMIUM...

War, Conflict, Victory & Defeat. These are all aspects of life that some may have to face. This was true for the various groups of the Sioux Tribes. On today's bonus episode from "Key Battles of American History" join host James Early as he discusses the multiple wars that took place between 1862-1890, collectively known as "The Sioux Wars" See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is no greater test of leadership in the world today than the presidency of the United States. In this episode, we interview Talmage Boston about leadership lessons we can learn from America's greatest chief executives. HOW THE BEST DID IT: LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM OUR TOP PRESIDENTS https://www.amazon.com/How-Best-Did-Leadership-Presidents/dp/1637586973/ JOIN PREMIUM Listen ad-free for only $5/month at www.bit.ly/TAPpremium FOLLOW US www.linktr.ee/thisamericanpresident CREDITS Host: Richar...

Abraham Lincoln once described democracy as "government of the people, by the people, for the people," but what exactly did that mean? In this episode, renowned Lincoln scholar Allen Guelzo explains our 16th president's vision for America. OUR ANCIENT FAITH: LINCOLN, DEMOCRACY, AND THE AMERICAN EXPERIMENT https://www.amazon.com/Our-Ancient-Faith-Democracy-Experiment/dp/0593534441/ JOIN PREMIUM Listen ad-free for only $5/month at www.bit.ly/TAPpremium FOLLOW US www.linktr.ee/thisamericanpresiden...

Few presidents have been as mocked and vilified as Warren G. Harding, but few have examined the difficult circumstances he faced upon entering office -- an economic depression, social unrest, and violent extremism. During the 1920 election, Harding had pledged to address these problems and lead America into an era of "normalcy." In this episode, we examine how successful was in fulfilling that promise. JOIN PREMIUM Listen ad-free for only $5/month at www.bit.ly/TAPpremium FOLLOW US www.linktr.e...

Franklin Roosevelt, the only president to serve more than two terms, is one of the most popular and beloved leaders in American history. At the same time, he is also one of the most hated. Critics often point to what they consider to be his many violations of Americans' civil liberties. In this episode, we interview David Beito about some of FDR's most controversial decisions. THE NEW DEAL’S WAR ON THE BILL OF RIGHTS: THE UNTOLD STORY OF FDR’S CONCENTRATION CAMPS, CENSORSHIP, AND MASS SURVEILLA...

There are few things more nostalgic than a train. Politicians know this all too well, so it's no surprise that trains have played a prominent role in American political campaigns. In this episode, Edward Segal explains how presidents have used trains to connect with the American people. WHISTLE-STOP POLITICS: CAMPAIGN TRAINS AND THE REPORTERS WHO COVERED THEM https://www.amazon.com/Whistle-Stop-Politics-Campaign-Reporters-Covered-ebook/dp/B0CDJV4XTV JOIN PREMIUM Listen ad-free for only $5/month...

America has an unmatched record when it comes to the peaceful transfer of power. According to legal scholar Roy E. Brownell II, however, our country is not that far off from a presidential succession crisis. In this episode, Mr. Brownell covers the history of presidential succession and the flaws in the current system. HOW TO AVOID A PRESIDENTIAL SUCCESSION NIGHTMARE https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-to-avoid-a-presidential-succession-nightmare-9cb9610d JOIN PREMIUM Listen ad-free for only $5/mo...

To his critics, he was a drunkard and a butcher who failed his way upward in life. To his admirers, he was nothing less than the savior of the nation. Few presidents have had their reputation fluctuate so dramatically as Ulysses S. Grant. In this episode, we interview author John Reeves to find out who the real Ulysses Grant was. SOLDIER OF DESTINY: SLAVERY, SECESSION, AND THE REDEMPTION OF ULYSSES S. GRANT https://www.amazon.com/Soldier-Destiny-Slavery-Secession-Redemption/dp/1639365273 JOIN P...

In 1920, Warren G. Harding was elected president in one of the greatest landslides in American history. His margin of victory* over his opponent James Cox exceeded those of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, and Barack Obama. In this episode, we explore how this former newspaperman rose to become a popular figure and the 29th president of the United States. JOIN PREMIUM Listen ad-free for only $5/month at www.bit.ly/TAPpremium FOLLOW US www.linktr.ee/th...

Theodore Roosevelt is often described as America's first modern president, setting a standard by which future presidents would be judged. In this episode, we interview historian Michael Patrick Cullinane about how Roosevelt transformed both the nation and its highest office. REMEMBERING THEODORE ROOSEVELT: REMINISCENCES OF HIS CONTEMPORARIES https://www.amazon.com/Remembering-Theodore-Roosevelt-Reminiscences-Contemporaries/dp/3030692957 JOIN PREMIUM Listen ad-free for only $5/month at www.bit.l...

Original Title: The Septuagint – It Really is Greek to MeOriginal Release Date: 6/30/2023Transcript URL: https://share.descript.com/view/S74PWXbhjWZ Description: The Septuagint is the most important translations you’ve never heard of. In this episode of the 10th Anniversary of the History of the Papacy series, Steve Guerra and his special guest Garry Stevens lay out the basics of the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament. They talk about the issues of translation and the process of transla...

Jimmy Carter has lived a remarkable life. He was on his way to becoming a Navy admiral, but instead became a peanut farmer. He had one of the unlikeliest rises to the presidency, but saw his popularity plummet and was voted out of office in a landslide. He then had one of the most active retirements in American presidential history. In this episode, we interview Jonathan Alter about the surprising life story of America's longest-lived chief executive. HIS VERY BEST: JIMMY CARTER, A LIFE https:/...

Ulysses S. Grant is famous as the victorious general of the Civil War, but as president, he successfully waged another war -- one to defeat the infamous Ku Klux Klan. In this episode, we interview Fergus M. Bordewich about this forgotten chapter in American history. KLAN WAR: ULYSSES S. GRANT AND THE BATTLE TO SAVE RECONSTRUCTION https://www.amazon.com/Klan-War-Ulysses-Battle-Reconstruction/dp/0593317815 JOIN PREMIUM Listen ad-free for only $5/month at www.bit.ly/TAPpremium FOLLOW US www.linktr...

When Woodrow Wilson left office in 1921, the first era of American progressivism came to an end. By then, however, he and former President Theodore Roosevelt had forever altered the course of American history. They had transformed the federal government and America's role in the world. In this episode, we examine their legacies and how they impact our nation today. JOIN PREMIUM Listen ad-free for only $5/month at www.bit.ly/TAPpremium FOLLOW US www.linktr.ee/thisamericanpresident Facebook: face...

It's one of the great what-ifs in American history: had President John F. Kennedy not been assassinated, would he have escalated involvement in Vietnam in the same way his successor Lyndon Johnson did? Some say yes, while others say that JFK would have pulled out, sparing the nation the trauma of the war. In this episode, we interview Marc J. Selverstone about this fascinating question. THE KENNEDY WITHDRAWAL: CAMELOT AND THE AMERICAN COMMITMENT TO VIETNAM https://www.amazon.com/Kennedy-Withdra...

Today is the 60th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. To commemorate this pivotal event in American history, we are releasing this excerpt from our episode "The Price of Ambition Part 3 | John F. Kennedy". Follow Website: thisamericanpresident.com Twitter: twitter.com/ThisAmerPres Facebook: facebook.com/ThisAmerPres Support Patreon: patreon.com/thisamericanpresident Paypal: paypal.me/thisamerpres Credits Produced by Richard Lim and Michael Neal Art by Nip Rogers: NipR...

Few Americans know much about William McKinley, but one could argue he did more for civil rights than almost all of his predecessors. In this episode, we interview Benjamin R. Justesen about the 25th president's forgotten crusade for racial equality. FORGOTTEN LEGACY: WILLIAM MCKINLEY, GEORGE HENRY WHITE, AND THE STRUGGLE FOR BLACK EQUALITY https://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-Legacy-McKinley-Struggle-Equality/dp/0807173851 JOIN PREMIUM Listen ad-free for only $5/month at www.bit.ly/TAPpremium FOLL...

SHOW NOTES: In this episode of Key Battles of American History, host James Early and Sean follow a long-established Key Battles tradition by giving brief overviews of the postwar lives and careers of the major leaders, Axis and Allies, discussed in...

We tend to see events like the founding of America as inevitable, but as Bret Baier observes, it was anything but. It took a great deal of blood and treasure and even a little bit of luck to establish the United States. No less important was the wisdom, character, and leadership of George Washington. In this episode, we interview Mr. Baier about his new book, To Rescue the Constitution, and learn how Washington literally saved America from collapse. TO RESCUE THE CONSTITUTION: GEORGE WASHINGTON...