Washington's Other Right-Hand Man

Guest: William Hazelgrove, author, “Henry Knox’s Noble Train: The Story of a Boston Bookseller’s Heroic Expedition That Saved the American Revolution”

Put aside Alexander Hamilton for a minute. Here's the story of Henry Knox, a bookseller in Boston, who gets the credit for winning the first major battle of the Revolution and was Washington's right-hand man for years. A self-taught ammunitions specialist, he became a Washington’s first Secretary of War. His success began with his dramatic retrieval of cannons at Fort Ticonderoga.

You Never Forget Your First

Guest: Alexis Coe, author, "You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington"

A conversation with the first woman biographer to write about George Washington in 40 years. She wonders why her male counterparts have been obsessed with Washington's thighs. More significantly, she also tackles Washington's conflicted attitude toward slavery. And she reminds us that Washington was raised by a single mother. And he fought for the British . . . If he'd been more satisfied with his appointment there, we may not have had an American Revolution.

Benjamin Franklin

Guest: Nick Bunker, author, "Young Benjamin Franklin: The Birth of Ingenuity"

How the printing business helped Franklin build his sphere of influence.