Age of Confusion
With the fate of the world hanging in the balance, the 1972 Presidential election comes down to an epic duel between two charismatic politicians.
info_outline Episode 19: Come to JesusAge of Confusion
An explosive political showdown begins for the 1972 Republican Presidential nomination, as the sharks circle to finish off George Romney's wounded administration.
info_outline Episode 18: The Atlanta DoctorAge of Confusion
Lawrence McEnery, an Atlanta physician and activist in the John Birch Society, begins his meteoric political career after a chance meeting with Ronald Reagan in 1968.
info_outline Episode 17: SummitAge of Confusion
President Romney tries to come to terms with the Soviets in a high-stakes summit meeting with Shelepin. Are the Russians sincere, or is it another trick?
info_outline Episode 16: War ScareAge of Confusion
The Soviets make an all-out bid to take over West Berlin, pushing the world closer to the brink of nuclear war than it has ever been before.
info_outline Bonus Episode: Mid-Season 2 Recap and ExplainerAge of Confusion
Here is a recap of Episodes 11-15 and some commentary on the real history that it's based on.
info_outline Episode 15: China Bleeds RedAge of Confusion
In 1966, Communist China undergoes a political and cultural upheaval as the aging Mao Zedong seeks to ensure his continued relevance, with disastrous results.
info_outline Episode 14: The New PurgesAge of Confusion
Following the example of his mentor Stalin, new Soviet leader Alexander Shelepin ruthlessly purges the Russian government, military and Communist Party.
info_outline Episode 13: Age of AquariusAge of Confusion
The worlds of music, pop culture and religion in America undergo profound changes in the transition from the hopeful 1960s to the cynical '70s.
info_outline Episode 12: Blood in the SandAge of Confusion
The Middle East erupts in violence between Israel and the Arab states, setting up a tense confrontation between the Cold War superpowers.
info_outlineThe culture and fabric of American life is changing rapidly in the late 1960s. A rock band called Refraction becomes bigger than the Beatles, and helps launch a popular movie, based on a classic of Beat literature, that becomes a cultural sensation. A host of new religious movements begin to challenge the orthodoxy of conservative American religious life; one of them, Scientology, benefits from the involvement of one of the highest-profile celebrities in the world. Meanwhile the Soviets beat the U.S. to the moon, which becomes just one more disillusionment in a confusing decade whose promise of change and renewal seems to be continually thwarted by depressing events.
Length: 22:07
Next Episode: September 12, 2021