History Ago Go

Compared to the Puritans, Mormons have rarely gotten their due, treated as fringe cultists at best or marginalized as polygamists unworthy of serious examination at worst. In Kingdom of Nauvoo, the historian Benjamin E. Park excavates the brief life of a lost Mormon city, and in the process demonstrates that the Mormons are, in fact, essential to understanding American history writ large.

Drawing on newly available sources from the LDS Church―sources that had been kept unseen in Church archives for 150 years―Park recreates one of the most dramatic episodes of the 19th century frontier. Founded in Western Illinois in 1839 by the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith and his followers, Nauvoo initially served as a haven from mob attacks the Mormons had endured in neighboring Missouri, where, in one incident, seventeen men, women, and children were massacred, and where the governor declared that all Mormons should be exterminated. In the relative safety of Nauvoo, situated on a hill and protected on three sides by the Mississippi River, the industrious Mormons quickly built a religious empire; at its peak, the city surpassed Chicago in population, with more than 12,000 inhabitants. The Mormons founded their own army, with Smith as its general; established their own courts; and went so far as to write their own constitution, in which they declared that there could be no separation of church and state, and that the world was to be ruled by Mormon priests.

This experiment in religious utopia, however, began to unravel when gentiles in the countryside around Nauvoo heard rumors of a new Mormon marital practice. More than any previous work, Kingdom of Nauvoo pieces together the haphazard and surprising emergence of Mormon polygamy, and reveals that most Mormons were not participants themselves, though they too heard the rumors, which said that Joseph Smith and other married Church officials had been “sealed” to multiple women. Evidence of polygamy soon became undeniable, and non-Mormons reacted with horror, as did many Mormons―including Joseph Smith’s first wife, Emma Smith, a strong-willed woman who resisted the strictures of her deeply patriarchal community and attempted to save her Church, and family, even when it meant opposing her husband and prophet.

A raucous, violent, character-driven story, Kingdom of Nauvoo raises many of the central questions of American history, and even serves as a parable for the American present. How far does religious freedom extend? Can religious and other minority groups survive in a democracy where the majority dictates the law of the land? The Mormons of Nauvoo, who initially believed in the promise of American democracy, would become its strongest critics. Throughout his absorbing chronicle, Park shows the many ways in which the Mormons were representative of their era, and in doing so elevates nineteenth century Mormon history into the American mainstream.

HOST:  Rob Mellon

FEATURED DRINK:  Newman's Own Old Fashioned Roadside Virgin Lemonade

BOOK:  Kingdom of Nauvoo: The Rise and Fall of a Religious Empire on the American Frontier
https://www.amazon.com/Kingdom-Nauvoo-Religious-American-Frontier/dp/1631494864/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1635697937&sr=8-1

MUSIC:  Bones Fork
https://bonesfork.com/

When Andrew and Abby Borden were brutally hacked to death in Fall River, Massachusetts, in August 1892, the arrest of the couple’s younger daughter Lizzie turned the case into international news and her murder trial into a spectacle unparalleled in American history. Reporters flocked to the scene. Well-known columnists took up conspicuous seats in the courtroom. The defendant was relentlessly scrutinized for signs of guilt or innocence. Everyone—rich and poor, suffragists and social conservatives, legal scholars, and laypeople—had an opinion about Lizzie Borden’s guilt or innocence. Was she a cold-blooded murderess or an unjustly persecuted lady? Did she or didn’t she?

HOST:  Rob Mellon

FEATURED BREW:  Axe Murderer Imperial Stout, Moon Tower Sudworks, Houston, Texas

BOOK:  The Trial of Lizzie Borden: A True Story
https://www.amazon.com/Trial-Lizzie-Borden-Cara-Robertson/dp/1501168371/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1635486330&sr=8-1

MUSIC:  Bones Fork
https://bonesfork.com/

In America’s early history, the enactment of Poor Laws and the establishment of poorhouses and asylums gave physically, mentally and emotionally disabled people a place to live and eat. But what kind of life did they have in these charity institutions? How did they die and what did they leave behind?

This book examines the answers to these questions and more as they arose at Eloise Infirmary and Psychiatric Hospital. This is not only a brief history of almost 150 years of Eloise, located in Westland, Michigan, but it also introduces you to stories of the true humanity of the lost souls who experienced traumatic deaths that may have led to the current hauntings. Actual paranormal experiences people have had over the past few years along with stunning photographs are revealed for the first time. By combining the history, humanity and haunts, you will meet Eloise through the eyes of those who experienced this sometimes-unforgiving institution firsthand.

HOST:  Rob Mellon

FEATURED BREW:  Paranoia Imperial Pale Ale, Odd Side Ales, Grand Haven, Michigan

BOOK:  Eloise Asylum: The History, the Humanity and the Haunts
https://www.amazon.com/Eloise-Asylum-History-Humanity-Haunts/dp/0578648075/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1LGRSU4I6UBAI&dchild=1&keywords=eloise+asylum&qid=1634864700&qsid=140-8553093-2922100&sr=8-1&sres=0578648075%2C0738519545%2C137630824X%2CB01N1X0BQ6%2C1401310192%2C0062574337%2C1717487173%2C1783449861%2CB076VD22TJ

MUSIC:  Bones Fork
https://bonesfork.com/

With a Clash Between American Rebels and Royal Authorities Heating Up, Radicals Smuggled Cannon Out of Boston—and the British Came Looking for Them

In the early spring of 1775, on a farm in Concord, Massachusetts, British army spies located four brass cannon belonging to Boston’s colonial militia that had gone missing months before. British general Thomas Gage had been searching for them, both to stymie New England’s growing rebellion and to erase the embarrassment of having let cannon disappear from armories under redcoat guard. Anxious to regain those weapons, he drew up plans for his troops to march nineteen miles into unfriendly territory. The Massachusetts Patriots, meanwhile, prepared to thwart the general’s mission. There was one goal Gage and his enemies shared: for different reasons, they all wanted to keep the stolen cannon as secret as possible. Both sides succeeded well enough that the full story has never appeared until now.
The Road to Concord: How Four Stolen Cannon Ignited the Revolutionary War by historian J. L. Bell reveals a new dimension to the start of America’s War for Independence by tracing the spark of its first battle back to little-known events beginning in September 1774. The author relates how radical Patriots secured those four cannon and smuggled them out of Boston, and how Gage sent out spies and search parties to track them down. Drawing on archives in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada, the book creates a lively, original, and deeply documented picture of a society perched on the brink of war.

HOST:  Rob Mellon

FEATURED BREW:  Low Flying Panic Attack American Pale Ale, Idle Hands Craft Ales, Malden, Massachusetts

BOOK:  The Road to Concord: How Four Stolen Cannon Ignited the Revolutionary War
https://www.amazon.com/Road-Concord-Revolutionary-American-Revolution/dp/1594162492

MUSIC:  Bones Fork
https://bonesfork.com/

Robert E. Lee is one of the most confounding figures in American history. Lee betrayed his nation in order to defend his home state and uphold the slave system he claimed to oppose. He was a traitor to the country he swore to serve as an Army officer, and yet he was admired even by his enemies for his composure and leadership. He considered slavery immoral, but benefited from inherited slaves and fought to defend the institution. And behind his genteel demeanor and perfectionism lurked the insecurities of a man haunted by the legacy of a father who stained the family name by declaring bankruptcy and who disappeared when Robert was just six years old.

In Robert E. Lee, the award-winning historian Allen Guelzo has written the definitive biography of the general, following him from his refined upbringing in Virginia high society, to his long career in the U.S. Army, his agonized decision to side with Virginia when it seceded from the Union, and his leadership during the Civil War. Above all, Guelzo captures Robert E. Lee in all his complexity--his hypocrisy and courage, his outward calm and inner turmoil, his honor and his disloyalty.

HOST:  Rob Mellon

FEATURED BREW:  Bob's Your Uncle English-Style Pale Mild Ale, The Virginia Beer Company, Williamsburg, VA

BOOK:  Robert E. Lee: A Life
https://www.amazon.com/Robert-Lee-Allen-C-Guelzo/dp/1101946229/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=robert+e+lee+a+life&qid=1632891871&s=books&sr=1-1

MUSIC:  Bones Fork
https://bonesfork.com/

In the summer of 1932, with the Cubs in the thick of the pennant race, Billy Jurges broke off his relationship with Violet Popovich to focus on baseball. The famously beautiful showgirl took it poorly, marching into his hotel room with a revolver in her purse. Both were wounded in the ensuing struggle, but Jurges refused to press charges. Even without their star shortstop, Chicago made it to the World Series, only to be on the wrong end of Babe Ruth's legendary Called Shot. Using hundreds of original sources, Jack Bales profiles the lives of the ill-fated couple and traces the ripple effects of the shooting on the Cubs' tumultuous season.

HOST:  Rob Mellon

FEATURED BREW:  Perseverance Anniversary Ale, Greenstar Brewery, Chicago, Illinois

BOOK:  The Chicago Cub Shot For Love: A Showgirl’s Crime of Passion and the 1932 World Series
https://www.amazon.com/Chicago-Cub-Shot-Love-Showgirls/dp/1467148482/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

MUSIC:  Bones Fork

In this second in a series of Baseball Hall of Fame books, celebrate the larger-than-life role played by radio and TV baseball announcers in enhancing the pleasure of our national pastime.

Commemorate the 100th anniversary of baseball broadcasting. The first baseball game ever broadcast on radio was on August 5, 1921 by Harold Wampler Arlin, a part-time baseball announcer on Pittsburgh’s KDKA, America’s first commercially licensed radio station. The Pirates defeated the Phillies 8-5.

An insider’s view of baseball. Now you can own Memories from the Microphone and experience baseball from author Curt Smith. He has spent much of his life covering baseball radio and TV, and previously authored baseball books including the classic Voices of The Game.

Relive baseball’s storied past through the eyes of famed baseball announcers. Organized chronologically, Memories from the Microphone charts the history of baseball broadcasting. Enjoy celebrated stories and personalities that have shaped the game―from Mel Allen to Harry Caray, Vin Scully to Joe Morgan, Ernie Harwell to Red Barber.

HOST:  Rob Mellon

FEATURED BREW:  Batting 1000 Red Lager, Beltway Brewing Company, Sterling, Virginia

BOOK:  Memories from the Microphone: A Century of Baseball Broadcasting
https://shop.baseballhall.org/memories-from-the-microphone/

MUSIC:  Bones Fork

WHEN IN OCTOBER 1982 THE FLAMBOYANT AUTO EXECUTIVE JOHN DELOREAN was arrested for possession of over sixteen million dollars’ worth of cocaine, the world was aghast and fascinated.

FEW STARS HAD SHONE MORE BRIGHTLY THAN HIS: he was an “A” student who didn’t need to crack a book, a brilliant engineer renowned for saving Pontiac, a visionary entrepreneur who shot to the top of GM and then left it behind, a reputed Hollywood swinger, and a charismatic millionaire who seemed to care about the little people who worked for him. But there was a darker side to the DeLorean story, a side that more and more clouded his life until he was forced into what most believe was a last desperate attempt to save the two-year-old auto factory in Northern Ireland and its startling gull-winged stainless steel cars.

FROM THE SHATTERED FRAGMENTS OF DELOREAN'S ACTS AND DREAMS, investigative journalist Hillel Levin—who began to look closely at the truth behind the image a year before anyone else did—has pieced together a fascinating picture of the man behind this contemporary myth. From the beginning, DeLorean's flight was fueled by a remarkable talent for financial legerdemain and corporate intrigue. Through meticulous research and interviews with the players in DeLorean's inner circle, Levin tracks the court cases and the lawsuits that accompanied his ascent, disentangles his convoluted and bizarre business schemes, explores the labyrinth of holding companies and paper corporations that channeled huge sums of other people's money into his personal control, and reconstructs the saga of the gull-winged car that, until the last, De Lorean believed would rise, Phoenix-like, from the ashes. AUTHORITATIVELY RESEARCHED

FROM DETROIT TO BELFAST, packed with new information, GRAND DELUSIONS is a riveting, uniquely American story, and a cautionary tale of genius misapplied in the service of a runaway ego.

HOST:  Rob Mellon

FEATURED BREW:  Enchantment Under the "C" Hops Double IPA, Great Heights Brewing Company, Houston, Texas

BOOK:  GRAND DELUSIONS: The Cosmic Career of John De Lorean (with Afterword) 
https://www.amazon.com/GRAND-DELUSIONS-Cosmic-Career-Afterword/dp/1983219460/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=hillel+levin&qid=1630630334&s=books&sr=1-3

MUSIC:  Bones Fork
https://bonesfork.com/

 A riveting history of the epic orbital flight that put America back into the space race.

If the United States couldn’t catch up to the Soviets in space, how could it compete with them on Earth? That was the question facing John F. Kennedy at the height of the Cold War―a perilous time when the Soviet Union built the wall in Berlin, tested nuclear bombs more destructive than any in history, and beat the United States to every major milestone in space. The race to the heavens seemed a race for survival―and America was losing.

On February 20, 1962, when John Glenn blasted into orbit aboard Friendship 7, his mission was not only to circle the planet; it was to calm the fears of the free world and renew America’s sense of self-belief. Mercury Rising re-creates the tension and excitement of a flight that shifted the momentum of the space race and put the United States on the path to the moon. Drawing on new archival sources, personal interviews, and previously unpublished notes by Glenn himself, Mercury Rising reveals how the astronaut’s heroics lifted the nation’s hopes in what Kennedy called the "hour of maximum danger."

HOST:  Rob Mellon

FEATURED BREW:  Houston Haze IPA, Spindletop Brewery, Houston, Texas

BOOK:  Mercury Rising: John Glenn, John Kennedy, and the New Battleground of the Cold War
https://www.amazon.com/Mercury-Rising-Glenn-Kennedy-Battleground/dp/1324003243

MUSIC:  Bones Fork
https://bonesfork.com/

Surprising and delightfully engrossing, Americanon explores the true history of thirteen of the nation’s most popular books. Overlooked for centuries, our simple dictionaries, spellers, almanacs, and how-to manuals are the unexamined touchstones for American cultures and customs. These books sold tens of millions of copies and set out specific archetypes for the ideal American, from the self-made entrepreneur to the humble farmer.

Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography, How to Win Friends and Influence People, Webster's Dictionary, Emily Post’s Etiquette: Americanon looks at how these ubiquitous books have updated and reemphasized potent American ideals—about meritocracy, patriotism, or individualism—at crucial moments in history. Old favorites like the Old Farmer’s Almanac and Betty Crocker’s Picture Cook Book are seen in this new way—not just as popular books but as foundational texts that shaped our understanding of the American story.

Taken together, these books help us understand how their authors, most of them part of a powerful minority, attempted to construct meaning for the majority. Their beliefs and quirks—as well as personal interests, prejudices, and often strange personalities—informed the values and habits of millions of Americans, woven into our cultural DNA over generations of reading and dog-earing. Yet their influence remains uninvestigated. Until now.

What better way to understand a people than to look at the books they consumed most, the ones they returned to repeatedly, with questions about everything from spelling to social mobility to sex? This fresh and engaging book is American history as you’ve never encountered it before.

HOST:  Rob Mellon

FEATURED BREW:  Come to Light West Coast IPA, Jester King Brewery, Austin, Texas

BOOK:  Americanon: An Unexpected U.S. History in Thirteen Bestselling Books
https://www.amazon.com/Americanon-Unexpected-History-Thirteen-Bestselling/dp/1524746630

MUSIC:  Bones Fork
https://bonesfork.com/