On the Edge of Armageddon Part II (Dwight D. Eisenhower)

Dwight D. Eisenhower, hardened by years of war, now seeks to lead American a decade of peace. But the logic of the Cold War forces him to go to the brink of nuclear destruction to attain it.

On the Edge of Armageddon Part I (Dwight D. Eisenhower)

Few people today can recall the major events or accomplishments of Eisenhower’s presidency. To many, he is a mere transitional figure, the president who served during the stale and cookie cutter 1950s, between years of war under FDR and Truman and social upheaval under Kennedy and Johnson. But Eisenhower was no mere interlude. Like Truman, his presidency was one of crises—when American credibility and nuclear war were constantly at stake. Every decision he made involved the delicate balance of terror that could mean either peace or annihilation. How Eisenhower maintained that peace and avoided Armageddon is the subject of this episode of This American President.

Pandemics, Presidents, and Prophets

Richard Lim and Joey Brown talk about the coronavirus pandemic, the 1918 flu, and life under lockdown.

The Power of the Universe Part II (Harry S. Truman)

World War II was over and America and the world now looked to an era of peace. But new problems were on the horizon. The victorious allies were now forging a new world order, but couldn’t agree on what that order should look like. The world had suffered through two world wars and desperately feared a third one, especially now that the atomic genie was out of the bottle. How President Truman handled these challenges is the subject of this episode of This American President. Back our Kickstarter for a podcast studio at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thisamerpres/podcast-studio-0?ref=20g1q0

State of the Podcast + Kickstarter Project

Richard and Michael answer questions from listeners including the origin story of the podcast and what goes into making an episode. They also announce a Kickstarter Project to fund a podcast studio. To become a backer of our Kickstarter visit: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thisamerpres/podcast-studio-0 or search “This American President Podcast Studio” on Kickstarter.com.

The Power of the Universe Part I (Harry S. Truman)

How did a haberdasher from Missouri end up changing the world? Upon FDR’s death, Harry Truman was thrust into the presidency in the middle of WWII. Soon he would face the hard decision of how to use the atomic bombs. Harry S. Truman, April 19, 1945, one week after beginning his presidency.

Nigel Hamilton on FDR

Interview with Nigel Hamilton regarding his new FDR book, War and Peace: FDR’s Final Odyssey: D-Day to Yalta, 1943–1945.

Apollo 11 Splashdown with Navy Frogman John Wolfram

When John Wolfram joined the US Navy in 1967, he didn’t imagine he would become the first frogman in the water to rescue the Apollo 11 astronauts after the moon landing. John tells us about the Apollo 11 rescue, serving in Vietnam, and his incredible life. John Wolfram on top of Apollo 11 Command ModuleColumbia Read more about John Wolfram’s life and ministry at www.johnwolfram.com

A Gulf of Civil Horror (George Washington)

For over 200 years, the US military has subordinated itself to civilian authority. But in 1783, that authority was challenged. This is the story of how George Washington restored that civilian rule and saved the young republic. Read Transcript

Presidential Fight Club with Scott Rank

Scott Rank visits to discuss his podcast Presidential Fight Club, which seeks to answer the question “If all of the presidents fought each other one-on-one, who would win?” Scott Michael Rank, Ph.D., is the editor of History on the Net and host of theHistory Unplugged podcast. Ahistorian of the Ottoman Empire and modern Turkey, he is a publisher of popular history, a podcaster, and online course creator.