Conversations in World History

Modern Society with Dario Montero

I speak with Dario Montero de Caso, professor of sociology at Universidad de Chile in Santiago. Dario is an old friend of mine and the author of the recently published book La Formación de la Sociedad Moderna. Tomo I”: Nacionalismo e individualismo (Formation of Modern Society. 1st Volume: Nationalism and Individualism).
 
It is a fantastic conversation with a great friend and brilliant scholar. I hope you enjoy it!

Alexander the Great's last years with Rachel Kousser

I speak with Rachel Kousser, a professor of Greek and Roman Art and Architecture at Brooklyn College and the CUNY Graduate Center. She is also the author of the recent book, which received widespread rave reviews, Alexander at the End of the World -- about the last seven years of the life of Alexander the Great.
 
In addition to this great new book, Rachel recommends:
Plutarch's Biography of Alexander the Great
Stacey Schiff's book Cleopatra

Displaced Persons after WWII with David Nasaw

I speak with Professor Emeritus David Nasaw of the CUNY Graduate Center. We discuss his fantastic book The Last Million about the displaced persons and DP camps after WWII. I read this book to learn more about the four years my grandparents spent as refugees in Germany after the war and to learn how and why they came to the USA when they did. David Nasaw has also written award-winning biographies of Andrew Carnegie, William Randolph Hearst, and Joseph Kennedy. 

Invention of Prehistory with Stefanos Geroulanos

I speak with Stefanos Geroulanos, professor of history at NYU, about his new book The Invention of Prehistory and how humans have thought, written, and discussed our deepest past.

Cecilia Penifader with Judith Bennett

I speak with Professor Emeritus Judith Bennett about medieval women. Judith was a professor at USC-Dornsife as well as UNC Chapel Hill and she wrote the wonderful book A Medieval Life: Cecilia Penifader of Brigstock among others. 

Korean History with Eugene Park

Eugene Park is a professor of East Asian and Korean history at the University of Nevada-Reno. He earned his PhD from Harvard University in 1999 and has published numerous books and articles including the recent Korea: A History, which is the subject of our discussion.

Morality of Israel and Gaza with Karen Stohr

In this episode, I speak with Karen Stohr about issues of ethics and morality involved in Hamas' terrorist attacks on Israeli citizens and Israel's retaliation. We discuss a variety of topics and questions in the abstract (or via other examples) to zoom away from the current crisis in order to discuss larger principles. Karen is a professor of metaphysics and moral philosophy at Georgetown University. Among other books, she has written Choosing Freedom: A Kantian Guide for Life, which I loved. 
 
Here are some websites and podcasts Karen recommends:
Elucidations podcast
Unmuted podcast
War (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
Why We Argue | Humility & Conviction in Public Life (uconn.edu)

Teaching Israel and Palestine with Max Lazar

Dr. Max Lazar is a social studies teacher and department chair at the Abraham Joshua Heschel School in NYC. He earned his doctorate in history from U.N.C. Chapel-Hill. His dissertation focused on Jewish integration in Frankfurt between 1914-1938. Max teaches a course called "Dual Narratives" at the Heschel School and he shares his insights and experience providing a balanced historical approach to the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict to students at a pluralistic Jewish high school.
 
Resources recommended by Max:
Zionism: A Short History of a Big Idea by David Engel
The Third Way: A Journal of Life in the West Bank by Raja Shehadeh
The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: What Everybody Needs to Know by Dov Waxman
City on a Hilltop by Sara Yael Hirschhorn
 

Vietnam: A New History with Christopher Goscha

Christopher Goscha is a professor of history at Université du Québec à Montréal, specializing in the Cold War in Asia as well as questions of colonisation and decolonisation in the Afro-Asian world. Chris  has published several books including The Road to Dien Bien Phu: A History of the First War for Vietnam (Princeton University Press, 2022), The Penguin History of Vietnam (Penguin/Random House, 2016), Vietnam, A New History (Basic Books, 2016, American version of the preceding book and winner of the 2017 John K. Fairbank Prize – American Historical Association finalist for the The Cundhill History Prize).
 
We speak about his book Vietnam: A New History, specifically discussing Vietnam in the ancient, medieval, and early modern world as well as Vietnam after the Vietnam War. For many who know only about America's involvement in Vietnam, there will be much of interest and much to learn here.

British Anti-Slavery Movement with Adam Hoschild (re-airing)

Yesterday was the anniversary of the death of the great British Abolitionist Thomas Clarkson who died on September 26, 1846. In recognition and remembrance of Clarkson's monumental and tireless work to end the slave trade and slavery in the British Empire, I am re-airing my fascinating conversation with the journalist Adam Hoschchild, author of one of my favorite history books: Bury the Chains: Prophets and Rebels in the Fight to Free an Empire's Slaves. We also just listened to this episode in my class and I hope other teachers and students can benefit from it!