The Missing Chapter Podcast

The Egyptians, the Romans, and modern-day architects have all used concrete in their construction from some of the most basic of structures, to the most magnificent buildings in world history.  But one inventor, someone who is widely known for his other inventions, tried to revolutionize how we see and use concrete forever.  His attempts were valiant, but the concrete future never reache...

Often referred to as “America’s Pastime,” few images conjure up a sense of warm summer days more than baseball - the crack of the bat, the smell of popcorn, and the cheer from adoring crowds.  American baseball has been there throughout our nation’s history – from the Civil War to civil rights, from World Wars to 9/11.  One could argue that no other sport in our nation’s history has help...

Our nation's literary history is filled with talented, gifted authors with minds that are blessed with the ability to paint a picture through words.  Many of us have experienced these literary works, almost being a part of their stories.  But one author, who had a profound impact on 20th-Century fiction, isn't your typical writer.  He was not someone who sat in front of a fire and w...

Elections throughout history, have been periods defined by hotly contested debates, where emotions are high and, in some cases, threaten to boil over.  We have seen instances where candidates allow their feelings to get the best of them and they “blow their top.”  It’s like this now and it seems as though it’s always been like this, since the dawn of representative government.  No e...

America in the 1920s is known for being a decade of change - innovation, invention, and pioneering minds came from the need for increased manufacturing and a changing world following World War I.  One inventor during this time period, however, goes unnoticed even though his invention is used on a daily basis.  Find out who this person is, what his invention was, and how it was brought ab...

On this Missing Chapter Chat, the Phils discuss the unknown and bizarre histories of some of the most well-known lullabies in history.  From the odd origins to the obscure uses in modern times, you may rethink, even question, how some of these nursery rhymes ever made it to our children's ears.  Find out more on this episode of The Missing Chapter.

In the early 1800s, Europe was in the grasp of Napoleon's Bonaparte's Grand Army.  A tenured officer in the artillery ranks will develop a unique system to combat a dilemma that has plagued French forces along the front.  Amazingly, his system of code communication will be transformed to shed light for millions of those living in darkness - at the hands of a 13-year old boy.

Who would ever be brave enough - courageous enough - crazy enough - to travel thousands of miles to fight in multiple wars?  A man by the name of James Beckwourth is more than just a mountain man, fur trader, and explorer, he's a pathfinder - some say the real pathfinder to the west.  Find out more about this man and his unbelievable story across the country, and back again, on this epis...

Annie Oakley, one of America's greatest gunslingers and performers, dazzled crowds in the 19th century with her dangerous tricks and amazing feats.  In 1900, Oakley had a chance encounter with a brash, young European royal during a show in Berlin.  What happened next would put Germany on a course that would dictate European, and world, history forever.

A Union Army soldier, who was an incredibly brave emergency surgeon on the Civil War battlefield, had been witness to the horrifying sights and sounds of battle.  Helping soldiers survive more than just battle wounds, but mutilations, amputations, surgeries, this sensitive and courteous man as early documents describe him as, not only left a lasting legacy serving as a Union soldier, but woul...

Francesco Baracca is touted in history as one of the best fighter pilots in Italy's history.  His aerial talent combined with his compassionate personality, he is respected throughout his country and even with his enemies.  His story goes farther into the vehicular side of history, however, when his personal painting on the side of his plane becomes more "emblematic" than he had ever ima...

Part II of Just A Moment details part II of Operation Finale.  The trial of Adolf Eichmann is set to take place in Israel.  What impact would it have on the Jewish community and the world as a whole?  Find out today on this episode of the Missing Chapter.

In 1934, one year after Adolf Hitler was named chancellor of Germany, Adolf Eichmann was assigned to the Jewish portion of the "security services" of the SS.  He worked closely with Hitler in the development, planning, and implementation of the Nazi "final solution" operation.  The Nazi Holocaust conducted during World War II resulted in the mass murder of 11 million Jews, minorities, an...

On today's MC Short - a story about a young man that suffered a near-death accident - but to his amazement, it was this mishap that propelled him to success.  How did this happen?  Through his mother's devout prayer life.  Their combined faith changed the lives of so many people that he became one of the most powerful men in the 19th century.  Find out more about this man on to...

Dr. Joseph Bell, a Scottish surgeon and lecturer, had an uncanny ability to “read” people based on their wardrobes, body language, and simple surveillance and examination.  This gift went well beyond a doctor’s usual skill to observe.  Bell was able to determine what patients did for a living, or what illness they might be suffering from, simply by glancing in their direction or by watch...

The country of North Korea has been riddled with mystery - little is known about this Mississippi-sized country - until fairly recently.  North Korea has been locked down to outsiders, and after miraculous escapes by defectors, and a handful of documentary film crews breaching the borders, we’ve become more enlightened about this Hermit Kingdom and what truly happens on the north side of the...

Thank you for reaching out and providing feedback on Episode 26, Top 5 War Movies!  On today's episode, we take your recommendations and discuss the films that may have been omitted from the original episode.  And we can't forget to give you additional "Missing Chapter" facts as we discuss the sequel to the Top 5 War Movies.

In 1940, after Germany invaded Norway, a 22 year-old named Jan Baalsrud, escaped into Sweden where he would be trained in espionage by British officials. He acted as a courier between Stockholm, Sweden and Oslo, Norway, but was caught by Swedish authorities, tried and convicted of espionage.  He served 3 months of a 5-month sentence and was then expelled from the country.  His journey ov...

Just over a century ago, a young boy was born into a modest family, in the small eastern Montana community of Miles City.  The youngest of 8 siblings, the boy grew up with his aunt and uncle on a farm, that in addition to a variety of different animals, grew chickens.  This boy’s life did not begin without tragedy – his twin sister died at birth and his mother some 2 days later.  Th...

In the 16 months of fame, James Dean arguably became more popular than the movies themselves. However, the fast fame ended just as quickly as it began when his Porsche 550 Spyder crashed into an oncoming driver near Salinas, California.  But the events that happen after his untimely demise, however, further secure his name as an icon when coincidences surround not only the car, but the parts...

War movies have been entertaining and educating people for decades.  At the very least, no matter how factual some of these movies actually are, they have become a conversation-starter for many.  In classic Missing Chapter fashion, hear the stories behind the stories in the making of some of your favorite war movies, and all the factual and not-so-factual scenes that encompass them. &nbs...

If you were to take a walk in lower Manhattan, in New York City's bustling financial district, between the intersection of Wall Street and Broad Street, they may not notice something peculiar in the side of one of the city's most prominent buildings.  Ranging in size from small, missing chunks of limestone to deeper, baseball-size pits, the J.P. Morgan building's stone façade is scarred with...

Sarah Emma Edmonds may be one of the greatest masters of disguise in military history, as she was able to switch from being a betrothed 17-year old girl in New Brunswick, to a 21-year old male volunteer named Frank Thompson, to a male slave and then to a female Irish peddler woman, and then back to a woman and survived to tell the tale. Sit back and listen to the latest episode “The Tombs of the U...

In 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, a black woman gets on a bus, sits down, and is eventually told by the bus driver to give up her seat for a white person. She calmly refuses to surrender her seat but then was forcefully removed from the bus and eventually arrested.  It was her act of civil disobedience that sparked legal action which led to the end of Alabama's segregated bus laws and empowered...

We have seen the destructive force of water, the devastation of our natural environment from oil spills, but let’s imagine, just for a second, what kind of disaster would take place if we took the force of a wave with the devastating elements of oil...what would that be like?  Well, we actually don’t have to imagine it, we can read about it because it actually happened...except the destructiv...