World War II – Audibly Speaking: A Site of History and Memory

Presidential Leadership 101 holds that no President should enter a war without first cultivating the support of the American people. Efforts to do so without securing public support–the Mexican War, Vietnam–have been disasters.  No president should just suddenly and unconstitutionally attack another country without Congressional consultation, approval or public education, like the...

World War II was a change agent in history like no other.  It can best be understood in pieces, barely grasped as a whole.  In this audio narration of Chapter 24 of The American Yawp, a U.S. History Textbook available as a free, modifiable educational resource, I narrate the American history piece.  The chapter sets … Continue reading NEW! An Audio Narration of “World Wa...

Here is my review of the blockbuster movie by Christopher Nolan, “Oppenheimer.”  It is a tour de force for so many reasons, but gaps in Oppenheimer’s biography still remains, as I try to show in this review.

In 1940, American democracy was gravely threatened as never before, and only the American people stood against it as a reliable line of defense.  Could we say the same today if American democracy were similarly threatened?  Here is an analysis of the famous “Arsenal of Democracy” speech, annotated by your host,  Rick Reiman

The shocking attacks against Asian Americans in 2021 are outgrowths of a long history of bigotry against these, our fellow citizens. Besides bringing shame to America’s claim of “liberty and justice for all,” these attacks flow from the ignorance of too many Americans in this history of bigotry, especially of the worst violation of civil … Continue reading The Need to Remem...

Our minute biography series continues with this reflection on the life of Anne Frank, Holocaust victim and diarist non pareil. Many people regard her diary as the most famous “Holocaust book.” Yet the diary is not a book about the Holocaust nor was it written by one who was, at the time she wrote it, … Continue reading New in our “Minute Biographies” series: Anne Fran...

Here is my five-minute review on the remarkable, recent book by Philippe Sands on the intersection of four individual lives and the sweeping changes in international law brought about by World War II and the Holocaust, today in “Hijacking HIstory.”

   Watch for my 4-part podcast series on “The Politics of Disbelief: America’s Response to the Holocaust, 1929-1945,” coming in March 2019.  They will be the best episodes I have created thus far. Here is a trailer for the podcast series coming in March. Topics covered in trailer: What are the difficulties in understanding America’s … Continue reading C...