The Quest for a Global Nation; America's Stuggle for Survival after Yorktown; Lincoln Douglas Debates; Gamble & Huff
The Quest for a Global Nation
What is a nation? Strobe Talbott joins Larry Mantle to tackle the question. In his new book, "The Great Experiment," the author and president of the Brookings Institutions looks back to the consolidation of tribes into nations – starting with Israel – and the absorption of those nations into the empires, through incessant wars of territory and religion, to modern alliances and the global conflagrations of the twentieth century. Talbott concludes his narrative with a biting critique of the worldview and policies of George W. Bush, whose presidency he calls a "consequential aberration" in the history of American foreign policy. Then, looking beyond the war in Iraq and the battle for the White House, he argues that the United States can regain the trust of the world by leading the effort to avert the perils of climate change and nuclear catastrophe.
America's Stuggle for Survival after Yorktown
On October 19, 1781, Great Britain's best army surrendered to General George Washington at Yorktown. But the future of the 13 former colonies was far from clear. A 13,000 man British army still occupied New York City, and another 13,000 regulars and armed loyalists were scattered from Canada to Savannah, Georgia. Meanwhile, Congress had declined to a mere 24 members, and the national treasury was empty. The American army had not been paid for years and was on the brink of mutiny. In his riveting new book, "The Perils of Peace," Thomas Fleming moves elegantly between the key players in this drama and shows that the outcome we take for granted was far from certain. Not without anguish, General Washington resisted the urgings of many officers to seize power and held the angry army together until peace and independence arrived. With fresh research and masterful storytelling, Fleming breathes new life into this tumultuous but little known period in America's history. He joins Larry Mantle to talk about America's struggle for survival after Yorktown.
Lincoln Douglas Debates
Larry Mantle talks with Allen Guelzo, author of the new book, "Lincoln and Douglas: The Debates that Defined America" (Simon & Schuster). This year marks the 150th anniversary of the debates, and this book is the first narrative history of the Lincoln-Douglas debates and the campaigns that shaped them. Guelzo draws on newspapers, letters, diaries and vote ledgers of the time, and shows how these debates were the most momentous in American history and how they shaped today's elections and debates.
Gamble & Huff
Song writers and producers, and the creators of "Philly Soul," Gamble & Huff join Larry to talk about their extraordinary careers in the music industry, and about their pending induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.