Historic Voices: Global History and Culture

Mr. Edward R. Murrow was a well-respected American broadcast journalist. He was a pioneer in radio and television news broadcasting. Murrow was recognized by the public and his peers for his honesty and setting the standard for integrity in delivering the news.

During his career for CBS radio, he was appointed as director of CBS's European operations during the 1930s and 1940s. While he was based in London, he traveled throughout Europe and reported on the beginning of German and Italian aggression against neighboring countries. Through his broadcasts before the U.S. was attacked at Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Murrow brought World War Two to the American public who were still isolationist regarding their lack of interest in the aggression of Japan against China and that of Germany and Italy against our European allies.

In the podcast episode in this two-part series, we feature Mr. Edward R. Murrow, a well-respected American broadcast journalist. He was a pioneer in radio and television news broadcasting. Murrow was recognized by the public and his peers for his honesty and setting the standard for integrity in delivering the news.

During his career for CBS radio, Murrow was appointed as director of CBS's European operations during the 1930s and 1940s. While he was based in London, he traveled throughout Europe and reported on the beginning of German and Italian aggression against neighboring countries. Through his broadcasts before the U.S. was attacked at Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Murrow brought World War Two to the American public who were still isolationist regarding their lack of interest in the aggression of Japan against China and that of Germany and Italy against our European allies.

This episode provides a report by Murrow of him riding with an allied airplane crew that bombed Berlin. As the narrator points out, more than forty of the bombers would not return how. Three of the five news reporters that accompanied the bombers did not come back home as their bombers were shot down. Each word of Murrow's report was carefully chosen and almost reached the level of poetry with his word choice and delivery. It is no wonder that his reports from London were a powerful influence on public opinion in the U.S.

I have included a PDF from Wikipedia on the career and life of Mr. Murrow as well as a transcript of this radio broadcast.

Here is just a little bit of information about him. He was an active preacher and author for six decades. Dr. Graham sought to relate the Bible to contemporary social issues. He preached jointly with Dr. Martin Luther King at some crusades in the 1950s. Graham provided some of the bail money to release Dr. King when he was arrested after a civil rights demonstration. It is estimated the total audience at revival meetings, listeners on radio, and viewers on television of Dr. Graham's messages exceeds two billion people. This is a PDF from Wikipedia on the life of Dr. Graham.

In this podcast episode, we feature Reverend Billy Graham sharing a five-minute, low-key talk about importance of the Easter Story that he recorded in 1960 while on location in Jerusalem. There is a video of the same speech is available through YouTube.

Dr. Graham has retired from active preaching and lives in an assisted medical care facility. His wife passed a few years ago. I attended one of his revival meetings in a crowded Royals baseball stadium in Kansas City many years ago. It was an experience that I still remember today.

Here is just a little bit of information about him. He was an active preacher and author for six decades. Dr. Graham sought to relate the Bible to contemporary social issues. He preached jointly with Dr. Martin Luther King at some crusades in the 1950s. Graham provided some of the bail money to release Dr. King when he was arrested after a civil rights demonstration. It is estimated the total audience at revival meetings, listeners on radio, and viewers on television of Dr. Graham's messages exceeds two billion people. I have included a PDF from Wikipedia on the life of Dr. Graham.

To provide context for Mr. Solzhenitsyn and part of the back story to the Harvard University speech "A World Split Apart", this is a PDF taken from Wikipedia that provides his life story and struggle. It is an even-handed and comprehensive overview of his life and significance.

This is a transcript of Mr. Alexandr Solzhenitsyn delivering a speech named by others as A World Split Apart at Harvard University in 1978. He is considered the Soviet Union's greatest author, historian, and resilient critic of the government. In 1970 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. This speech was delivered during tensions of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. The Cuban Missile Crisis occurred less than 15 years earlier. The Vietnam Conflict and ongoing violence in the Middle East were supported on opposite sides by both countries. Both nations were rapidly developing new weapons with even more destructive force than during World War Two. In his speech at Harvard, Mr. Solzhenitsyn shares about the crisis that faces the world and possible solutions to end the violence and threat to humankind.

In this podcast episode, we feature Alexandr Solzhenitsyn delivering a speech named by others as A World Split Apart at Harvard University in 1978. He is considered the Soviet Union's greatest author, historian, and resilient critic of the government. In 1970 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. This speech was delivered during tensions of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. The Cuban Missile Crisis occurred less than 15 years earlier. The Vietnam Conflict and ongoing violence in the Middle East were supported on opposite sides by both countries. Both nations were rapidly developing new weapons with even more destructive force than during World War Two. In his speech at Harvard, Mr. Solzhenitsyn shares about the crisis that faces the world and possible solutions to end the violence and threat to humankind. You will hear the voice of him and that of the translator.

In addition to an available download transcript of this speech, I also included another PDF from Wikipedia with the life story of Mr. Solzhenitsyn. Rather than offering a commentary after this speech, I recommend reading the Wikipedia entry about him and his struggle to share the struggle within the Soviet Union and those throughout the world.

We are excited to announce that a spin-off podcast has been created from the Historic Voices Podcast. It is the Paul Harvey Podcast. Our two most popular episodes in Historic Voices have been by Paul Harvey: "So God made a farmer" and "The boxer's second career." There is so much audio content available that it was decided to create a separate podcast. Paul Harvey will still appear on Historic Voices from time-to-time, but mostly on its own podcast. Check out the website at http://paulharveypodcast.org It also has its own Facebook Page and YouTube channel.

The format for this podcast is rebroadcasting his News and Comment and The Rest of the Story shows. Unfortunately, few of his News and Comment shows are available. They will be featured once or twice a month and I will attempt to schedule them to coincide with major U.S. holidays related to the show topic. With the large library of Rest of the Story shows, I will group them into common themes that will run for three or four consecutive podcast episodes. I will provide a short introduction for each podcast episode. Needless to say, I won't say anything about the surprise endings of the Rest of the Story shows. Most podcast episodes will be about five minutes in length. I will do my best to clean the audio quality of these audio recordings.

In this podcast episode, we feature President Eisenhower delivering a speech named by others as Atoms for Peace at the United Nations in 1953. This speech was delivered during high tensions of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. The Berlin Blockade had only been resolved a few years earlier in 1948. That event nearly triggered a military confrontation between those who countries then. Both nations were rapidly developing new weapons with even more destructive force than used at Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War Two.

This critical entry from Wikipedia providing more context for this speech and the U.S. intentions to influence the European allies and the Soviet Union. I was impressed with the deep analysis of the article. Rather than offering a commentary after this speech, I recommend reading the Wikipedia entry about the speech and the bigger issues.

In this podcast episode, we feature President Eisenhower delivering a speech named by others as Atoms for Peace at the United Nations in 1953. This speech was delivered during high tensions of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. The Berlin Blockade had only been resolved a few years earlier in 1948. That event nearly triggered a military confrontation between those who countries then. Both nations were rapidly developing new weapons with even more destructive force than used at Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War Two.

To improve their nuclear weapons, both countries were conducting open air tests. The Limited Test Ban Treaty would not be signed by these countries for another decade to prohibit such tests. Both sides were also building many more nuclear weapons that could be used in a war of annihilation against one another or as a deterrent that would discourage a nuclear exchange.

President Eisenhower previously was General Eisenhower serving as the Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe during World War Two. After the war ended, he retired from the military and was elected President of the United States in 1953. Eisenhower was now in a position to take nuclear energy as a weapon and help repurpose it for peaceful purposes. This speech to the United Nations was part of an intentional campaign called "Operation Candor" to discuss the risks and hopes of a nuclear future for the American people.

In addition to this transcript, I also included another PDF that is a critical entry from Wikipedia providing more context for this speech and the U.S. intentions to influence the European allies and the Soviet Union. I was impressed with the deep analysis of the article. Rather than offering a commentary after this speech, I recommend reading the Wikipedia entry about the speech and the bigger issues.