Gerd Schroth: From Child of Nazi Germany to American Citizen
The Road to Now
The Nazi regime that came to power in Germany in 1933 unleashed the most brutal and comprehensive war that humanity has ever seen. The horrors of the Nazis and the destruction they left behind is something most of us learned about in history class, but for Gerd Schroth it is the story of his childhood. Born in Germany in 1938, Gerd came of age on the scorched earth left behind by the German war machine. Gerd’s father had joined the Nazi party because he thought Hitler could restore Germany’s greatness, but he bequeathed to his children a world in ruins. More than seven decades after the...
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#324 Martin Van Buren: America’s First Politician w/ James M Bradley
The Road to Now
Martin Van Buren served just one term as President from 1837 to 1841, but as the architect behind the founding of the Democratic Party, his legacy lives on in the US today. In this episode, we speak with James M. Bradley, author of the new book , to learn how Van Buren helped reshape politics in the 19th century and laid the groundwork for America’s two-party system. You can learn more about the work being done to preserve the papers of Martin Van Buren at . This episode was edited by Gary Fletcher.
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#323 In With The New (2025) w/ Ben & Bob
The Road to Now
Ben & Bob recap 2024, what they learned this year and what might be in store for 2025. Happy New Year! This episode was edited by Ben Sawyer.
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The History of Santa Claus & Christmas Around the World w/ James Cooper
The Road to Now
It’s Christmas time and this week we’re resharing the original RTN Christmas Classic! Christmas expert James Cooper joins Bob and Ben to explain how Santa Claus, Christmas trees, and other Christmas traditions made their way into popular culture. He also shares stories of lesser known traditions, such as setting fire to the giant Swedish straw goat known as the Gävlebocken! You can find out more about the history of Santa Claus and Christmas at James Cooper’s website This is a rebroadcast of RTN #82, which originally aired on December 18, 2017. This reair was edited by Ben...
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It's a Wonderful Life: The Story Behind America's Favorite Christmas Movie w/ Eric Smoodin
The Road to Now
Dr. , film historian at the University of California- Davis and author of , joins Bob and Ben for the history of the people, the industry, and law that made Frank Capra’s 1946 film It’s A Wonderful Life into one of America’s quintessential Christmas films. This is a rebroadcast of episode 292 which originally aired on December 11, 2023. This reair was edited by Ben Sawyer.
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#322 Mitch McConnell: The Price of Power w/ Michael Tackett
The Road to Now
Journalist joins Ben & Bob to discuss his new book (Simon & Schuster, 2024). Tackett, who wrote the biography with McConnell’s consent, was granted unprecedented access to McConnell’s vast personal archives, his staff, and even the Senator himself, who sat for about 50 hours of interviews. If you’ve ever wondered how Mitch McConnell rose to power, how he's stayed there despite challenges from both parties, or what makes the man tick, this conversation has the answers. Michael Tackett covers . His work has earned him multiple awards, including the Pulitzer Prize and the...
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#321 The Circus Continues w/ Mark McKinnon
The Road to Now
Mark McKinnon is former chief media advisor to George W. Bush & John McCain, cocreator of , and current writer at Vanity Fair. In this episode, he joins Ben & Bob to recap the 2024 election and what they think might come next. This episode was edited by Ben Sawyer.
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Miss America's Secret Past w/ Amy Argetsinger
The Road to Now
The Miss America pageant has always had its critics, but the stories of the organization and those who participated in it are far more dynamic than most people recognize. In this episode, Bob & Ben speak with Amy Argetsinger whose new book There She Was: The Secret History of Miss America explains Miss America’s origins, how the pageant both shaped and was shaped by American society, and why it might be okay that the pageant’s significance in American culture has faded. Bonus: Bob calls Miss USA “the confederacy of beauty pageants.” Listen to find out why that...
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#320 James Armistead Lafayette w/ Stephen Seals
The Road to Now
James Armistead Lafayette lived a remarkable life. After being granted permission by his enslaver to enlist in the cause, James joined up with the Marquis de Lafayette and served as one of the most important spies in the Revolutionary war. After many years of petitioning for his freedom, James eventually gained his freedom and officially changed his last name to Lafayette after the Frenchman with which he served and who later petitioned Congress for James’ freedom. In this episode, we learn more about the fascinating life of James Armistead Lafayette from , the historical interpreter...
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#319 Woodrow Wilson: The Light Withdrawn w/ Christopher Cox
The Road to Now
Did you know that Woodrow Wilson didn’t have a regular job until he was 28 years old? Or that he didn’t complete all the requirements for a PhD? After retiring from politics in 2009, former Congressman and Securities & Exchange Commission Chair Christopher Cox decided to turn to history. The result is his new book, , which gives special attention to Wilson's views on race and women's rights, presenting the 28thPresident as “a man superbly unsuited to the moment when he ascended to the Presidency.” In this episode, Chris joins us to share the path that led him to Woodrow Wilson, the...
info_outlineMost Americans are aware of Colombia’s role in the international drug trade, but we know less about the role that Americans played in the story as consumers, smuggling pioneers, and practitioners of a foreign policy that facilitated the rise of Colombian drug production.
In this episode, journalist and historian Lina Britto shares the fascinating story of how Colombia emerged as a major supplier of drugs to American consumers and how this relationship affected people in both countries. She also explains the origins of the “War on Drugs” in the US and tells the story of how Americans hippies in search of marijuana laid the groundwork for the distribution techniques later used by Pablo Escobar’s cocaine cartel.
Dr. Lina Britto is Associate Professor of History at Northwestern University where she specializes in Colombian history and the history of the international drug trade. She is the author of Marijuana Boom: The Rise and Fall of Colombia's First Drug Paradise (University of California Press, 2020)
This episode was edited by Gary Fletcher.