"One of the ways you can get into my cast of characters is by leaving a very detailed written record. Because that's what we historians have to work from, you're not allowed to make stuff up like a novelist can… And, of course, it skews, to some extent, the way history is written. Because the rich leave more records than the poor, men leave more records than women, white people leave more records than Black and so on."

Adam Hochschild (King Leopold's Ghost) joins us on the show to talk about his latest book, American Midnight: The Great War, a Violent Peace, and Democracy's Forgotten Crisis. Hochschild connects the dots between our America and an all-too familiar America of a century ago, riffing on power and deception, Woodrow Wilson's legacy, undercover agents, labor organizers, the Espionage Act of 1917, what's next for him and much more with Poured Over's host, Miwa Messer.

Featured Books:

American Midnight: The Great War, a Violent Peace, and Democracy's Forgotten Crisis by Adam Hochschild

Rebel Cinderella by Adam Hochschild

King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain

The Winter Soldier by Daniel Mason

Poured Over is produced and hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang. Follow us here for new episodes Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays).