Episode 20: Reagan vs. Kennedy
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.
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Episode 19: Come to Jesus
Age 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.
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Episode 18: The Atlanta Doctor
Age 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.
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Episode 17: Summit
Age 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?
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Episode 16: War Scare
Age 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.
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Bonus Episode: Mid-Season 2 Recap and Explainer
Age of Confusion
Here is a recap of Episodes 11-15 and some commentary on the real history that it's based on.
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Episode 15: China Bleeds Red
Age 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.
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Episode 14: The New Purges
Age of Confusion
Following the example of his mentor Stalin, new Soviet leader Alexander Shelepin ruthlessly purges the Russian government, military and Communist Party.
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Episode 13: Age of Aquarius
Age 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.
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Episode 12: Blood in the Sand
Age 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_outlineLawrence McEnery, an emergency room doctor from Atlanta and passionate advocate for the ferociously anti-Communist John Birch Society, begins his career and life trajectory with an air crash in 1956, a political awakening in the early 1960s and eventually nascent aspirations for public office. A chance meeting with Ronald Reagan in an L.A. hotel room launches his political career. McEnery's anti-Communist fervor and his unlikely involvement with the rock band Refraction (discussed in Episode 13) inject new uncertainty into the political landscape for the upcoming 1972 Presidential election, and the future of American politics.
Length: 24:02
Next Episode: November 21, 2021