The Story Behind TR's Man in the Arena Speech
Few speeches have endured like The Man in the Arena. Its most famous lines have been quoted by presidents, athletes, soldiers, and entrepreneurs for more than a century. But the story behind the speec...
16 Jun 13min
France's SS and the Men Who Fought for Hitler
In the final months of World War II, as Nazi Germany collapsed on all fronts, one of the last units defending Berlin carried a surprising distinction: many of its soldiers were French. In this episode...
15 Jun 12min
How Roman Military Logistics Conquered the Ancient World
The Roman legions are remembered for their swords, shields, and battlefield victories. Yet behind every conquest stood something far less glamorous—but far more important: logistics. In this episode o...
14 Jun 12min
How the Blizzard of 1888 Built the New York Subway
In March 1888, one of the most devastating storms in American history slammed into the Northeast. The Great Blizzard of 1888 buried New York City under massive snowdrifts, paralyzed transportation, sn...
13 Jun 13min
A Day in the Life of a Gladiator, w/ Harry Sidebottom
In this episode of Friday Conversations, host Peter Zablocki sits down with Oxford historian and bestselling novelist Harry Sidebottom to explore his gripping new book, Those Who Are About to Die: Gla...
12 Jun 26min
The 1897 Ghost Who Solved Her Own Murder
In January 1897, a young woman named Elva Zona Heaster Shue was found dead inside her home in rural Greenbrier County. Her death was quickly ruled natural, despite troubling questions surrounding her ...
11 Jun 12min
The Complicated History of Miss America
For more than a century, the Miss America Pageant has reflected America's changing ideas about beauty, femininity, ambition, and culture. What began as a tourist attraction in Atlantic City evolved in...
10 Jun 11min
How Medieval Guilds Invented Modern Commerce
The next time a package arrives at your doorstep—tracked, inspected, and delivered by a company whose reputation depends on reliability—you can thank a group of people who lived hundreds of years befo...
9 Jun 12min
