15-Minute History

The 15-Minute History team remembers Queen Elizabeth II. 

Join us for part two of our interview with Ray Boomhower about his book, Richard Tregaskis: Reporting under Fire from Guadalcanal to Vietnam . In this special discussion, Mr. Boomhower explains why Tregaskis felt compelled to go to the front, the reasons he felt the burden to tell the story of the soldier in combat, how he saw reporting change during Korea and Vietnam, and more. Ray E. Boomhower i...

Join us for part one of our interview with Ray Boomhower about his book, Richard Tregaskis: Reporting under Fire from Guadalcanal to Vietnam . In this special discussion, Mr. Boomhower explains why Tregaskis is considered one of the bravest war correspondents of all time, what compelled him to take the dangerous assignments, breaks down what drove him to go back to the front lines after being seve...

Join us for part two of our interview with James Philips to discuss his book, Two Revolutions and the Constitution | How the English and American Revolutions Produced the American Constitution . In this discussion, we talk about taxation without representation, what it means to put principles ahead of prosperity, the Articles of Confederation...and more. James D.R. Philips studied at the Universit...

Join us for part one of our interview with James Philips to discuss his book, Two Revolutions and the Constitution | How the English and American Revolutions Produced the American Constitution . In this special discussion, we talk about the origins of the book, the links between the US and British constitutions, the power of personality within history...and more. James D.R. Philips studied at the...

Join us for part two of our interview with the eminent British historian, Dr. Dominic Selwood about his book, Anatomy of a Nation: A History of British Identity in 50 Documents. In this special discussion, Dr. Selwood continues explaining specific historical moments in British history, the importance of not looking for the simple answer to complex problems (historical and current), and tells us wh...

Join us for part one of our interview with the eminent British historian, Dr. Dominic Selwood about his book, Anatomy of a Nation: A History of British Identity in 50 Documents . In this special discussion, Dr. Selwood explains the origins of the book, the power of story in history, and answers some of our questions about the different documents he covers.  Dr. Dominic Selwood is a historian,...

Join us for our final episode of Season Five as we discuss the questions we missed, share some very exciting news, and gear up for interviews and special episodes during the summer. We will being our sixth season on Monday, September 5. 

Join us as we discuss Jack London, his life, his adventures, and his writings.

Join us as we discuss Gene Roddenberry, his life, his influence on science fiction and pop culture, Star Trek, and his vision for humanity.

Eugene Wesley Roddenberry was a legend of Hollywood in his day. He grew up reading science fiction serials and adventure novels like C.S. Forester’s “Horatio Hornblower,” and they inspired him to become a writer. After a career in the US Army Air Force, as a commercial pilot, and as a Los Angeles police officer, he started writing television scripts and shopping them around Hollywood. His antics i...

Join us as we discuss Adam Smith and three of his ideas: Self-Interest, Division of Labor, and the “The Invisible Hand".

This season we have been covering individuals who have had a direct effect on history, in a positive or negative way. Adam Smith is one of those. He is called the “father of modern economics” and “the creator of capitalism”. Rather than walk you through a summary of his life, we will attempt to summarize the possible influences that formed three major concepts which exist in his later and final wo...

Join us as we look at the war in Ukraine through a historical lens, attempt to answer questions on possible outcomes, and gauge the long-term effects on the world now and in the future. 

Join us as we discuss Samuel Colt, Richard Gatling, and John Browning. We talk about their work, their impact on history, and how their names are culturally relevant - beyond the brand - in our world today.

Samuel Colt’s name is forever linked to the company he founded and the revolver he called the “Peacemaker.” Born in Connecticut in 1814, he was steeped in America’s gun culture from an early age. His grandfather had served in George Washington’s army, and Samuel inherited an old flintlock pistol from the family hero when he was only six. At the age of fifteen, while working in his father’s textile...

Join us as we discuss Che Guevara, his life, beliefs, and impact on our world today. 

Join us as we teach you about Che Guevara, his influence, actions, and the effects of his Marxist beliefs. 

Join us in this special episode as we discuss six famous generals, their lives, their methods, and what we can learn from them. 

Join us as we discuss Joseph Stalin, his life, rise to power, effect on world history, and his insanity. 

The great revolutionary's body lay in a red coffin as it wound its way through the streets of Moscow toward the House of Trade Unions. Six men carried it, surrounded by a phalanx of guards, through the gathered throng of mourners—some genuine, others paid. Each hoped to succeed Vladimir Lenin as leader of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, but only one could, and did. The mustachioed man kno...

Join us as we discuss Alexander the Great and how he became the ruler of the known world (with some Star Trek references).

He looked out across the field and then back at his formations. The wind was coming in from the west, throwing dust clouds up into the air on his left side. The brown of the dust blended with the armor of the enemy for a moment, blurring them into a single mass that blanketed the horizon. Alexander turned to confirm the calvary on his left were holding their position and was satisfied to see that...

Join us as we discuss Clive Staples Lewis, his life, his writing, and his lasting legacy.

Three men walked along a tree-covered path in the early hours of a Sunday morning. Their conversation mixed with the sound of water flowing over rocks in a small river and the crunch of leaves beneath their booted feet. The words they spoke were steeped in deep knowledge of literature and philosophy as they wrestled with the nature of the universe and man’s place in it. The two Englishmen believed...