History
Civil War, 1896 Tsunami, Mau Mau, Yuri Gagarin, Bay of Pigs
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In the last week alone we’ve had at least three big anniversaries: 150th anniversary of the start of the (American) Civil War; 50th anniversary of the first human being into space; 50th anniversary of the Bay of Pigs. So we’ll look back at each of those moments. Plus Lisa Mullins interviews an archivist at National Geographic about an American writer and photographer, Eliza Scidmore, who documented the aftermath of a tsunami in northeast Japan more than a century ago. And we have two segments on the history behind the trial unfolding in London right now over alleged British atrocities in Kenya during the counterinsurgency campaign against Mau Mau rebels in the 1950′s. Download MP3
The Fear by Peter Godwin
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This is the long version of Marco’s interview with Peter Godwin, author of The Fear: Robert Mugabe and the Martyrdom of Zimbabwe. Godwin is a journalist and writer who grew up in Zimbabwe when it was still Rhodesia. He returned once more in 2008 expecting to celebrate the end of Mugabe’s rule. Instead he witnessed an orchestrated campaign of terror that allowed Mugabe to cling to power. The Fear is Godwin’s account of that time. It is both a catalogue of human rights abuses and a lyrical, angry, deeply personal narrative about going home to a shattered dream. Download MP3
Chernobyl, Abd-El Krim, Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
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This week’s history podcast showcases three unrelated but timely radio features. In light of the nuclear crisis in Japan, Brigid McCarthy reminds us what happened at Chernobyl in 1986. Gerry Hadden introduces us to a Berber hero in Morocco and explains where he fits in the contemporary political landscape. And Jason Margolis retells the story of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire a century ago and explains why it’s still relevant today.Download MP3The Italian Occupation of Libya
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The World’s Marco Werman interviews historian Ronald Bruce St John about the Italian occupation of Libya in the first half of the 20th century and its ramifications today. St John is the author of Libya: From Colony to Independence and Libya: Continuity and Change. Download MP3
Robert Fatton on Jean-Bertrand Aristide
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On this edition of How We Got Here, political scientist Robert Fatton of the University of Virginia helps us understand Jean-Bertrand Aristide’s place in Haitian politics and history. Ever since former dictator Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier returned to Haiti in January there’s been speculation that former President Aristide would return as well. His lawyer even flew to Port au Prince to collect a passport for him. So far there’s no sign of his return though, and it’s clear the United States and the Haitian government would prefer him to stay away at least until Haitians have voted in presidential runoff elections on March 20th. But all the speculation got us thinking about Aristide again, and wondering about the historical currents that led to his overthrow and exile, not just once, but twice, in 1991 and again in 2004. Download MP3
Dirk Vandewalle on Gaddafi and Libya
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Dirk Vandewalle of Dartmouth College and author of A History of Modern Libya tells us about the life and times of Muammar Gaddafi. Also we hear eyewitness accounts of the 1969 Coup in Libya from the BBC World Service program Witness. Download MP3
Mona Russell on Women in Egypt
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How We Got Here #61 looks at the role of women in Egypt and in Egyptian protest movements. Historian Mona Russell of East Carolina University, author of Creating the New Egyptian Woman, underscores the central place of women in Egyptian society. Also The World’s Lisa Mullins interviews historian Mike Rapport, author of 1848: Year of Revolution. Lots of parallels between Europe in 1948 and the uprisings we’re witnessing in North Africa and the Middle East today. Download MP3
Robert Springborg on the Egyptian Military
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We continue our coverage of Egypt on How We Got Here, The World’s history podcast. On this episode Lisa Mullins interviews Robert Springborg of the Naval Post-Graduate School in Monterey about the role and structure of the Egyptian military. All the coverage and analysis suggests the military will play a key role in any transition of power. Robert Springborg says it may appear that the military sides with “the people” but in fact, President Mubarak is still very much in control, for now. Download MP3Fighting for Darfur
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Marco Werman interviews Rebecca Hamilton, about her new book Fighting for Darfur: Public Action and the Struggle to Stop Genocide. Download MP3
Change in Egypt
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Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has said he will not stand for re-election in September, as protests against his rule grow. In the latest episode of ‘How We Got Here’, Michael Wahid Hanna of the Century Foundation (pictured) discusses the historical context behind events in Egypt. Download MP3Drones – The New Normal
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P.W. Singer the author of Wired for War tells us about the use of drones (robotic or unmanned or remotely-piloted aircraft) in war. He says the fact that pilots can engage in war from thousands of miles away and without risk to themselves represents a fundamental change in the nature of warfare as its been waged for thousands of years. He also likens the development of drones to the development of airplanes themselves–that each followed similar stages of evolution. As for the political and legal and ethical dilemmas they pose–he points out that the technology is moving far faster than the ability of human organizations to keep up with the implications. Just as it has been with the computer. This week’s How We Got Here is a fascinating primer from a scholar who realizes drones are no longer the futuristic stuff of science fiction; they are the new normal. Download MP3
Remembering Richard Holbrooke
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The tributes poured in after Richard Holbrooke’s death on Monday at the age of 69. His career spanned from the Vietnam War to the current war in Afghanistan but it’s probably true that he will be most remembered for his role in brokering the Dayton Peace Accords for Bosnia. We’ll take this episode of How We Got Here (#56) to remember him and his work and to look back at the end of the war in Bosnia. (Photo: Martha Stewart/Harvard’s Institute of Politics)Download MP3
Yael Hersonski’s A Film Unfinished
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Jeb Sharp interviews Israeli filmmaker Yael Hersonski about her documentary A Film Unfinished. It’s about the Nazi propaganda footage shot in the Warsaw Ghetto in 1942. Hersonski pieces together the backstory to the reels of film found after the war and in so doing challenges our assumptions about memory, history and reality. (photo by Steven Davy) Download MP3
Reflections on Serving in Iraq
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Former U.S. Army Captain Blake Hall reflects on his time in Iraq. A shorter version of this interview ran on the radio show on August 19, 2010.
Denial: A Memoir of Terror by Jessica Stern
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On this episode of How We Got Here we delve into personal history with terrorism expert Jessica Stern. Stern is perhaps best known for her work interviewing terrorists about their motivations, research that culminated in the acclaimed book Terror in the Name of God: Why Religious Militants Kill. She’s now written a very different book called Denial: A Memoir of Terror. It is a deeply personal account of the childhood traumas that have shaped her life and work. Stern discusses the book in detail on this week’s history pod which runs about 30 minutes.Download MP3
www.jessicasternbooks.com
Jeb Sharp’s radio interview with Jessica Stern
The Chronicle of Higher Education article on Denial: A Memoir of Terror
New York Times review
Washington Post Op-Ed
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