History Ago Go

Dr. Brian Dirck discusses how death impacted our greatest President during his life.  He explains the death of his mother when he was a boy and how is father did not provide emotional support.  The talks about customs and rituals for mourning, funerals, and burials in the Victorian Era.  Dirck details deaths in Lincoln's life that had impact on him from his sister Sarah, Ann Rutledge, his son Eddie in 1850, Elmer Ellsworth, his son Willie while he was President, and the myriad of war dead.  He discusses the literature that Lincoln preferred and how that provides some insight into how he viewed death and dying.  He finishes with a comparison of wartime Presidents and how they dealt with death and what we can all learn from Lincoln's example.

HOST:  Rob Mellon

FEATURED BREW:  Life & Death IPA, Vocation Brewery, West Yorkshire, England

BOOK:  The Black Heavens: Abraham Lincoln and Death
https://www.amazon.com/Black-Heavens-Abraham-Lincoln-Death/dp/0809337029/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+black+heavens+abraham+lincoln&qid=1614666188&s=books&sr=1-1

MUSIC:  Bones Fork

CLIPS:  President Obama reads the Gettysburg Address and Lincoln (2012) 

Father Blantz discusses his comprehensive book on the history of the University of Notre Dame.  He begins with the founding by Father Sorin and how the college has been impacted by French culture and the French Revolution.  He describes the early inhabitants of the area near the university and how the institution still has a connection to that native tribe today.  He details the rich history of the school including the Holy Cross Brothers Civil War controversy, destructive fire in 1879, and the innovations of several past presidents.  Of course the discussion includes the birth of football at Notre Dame and the impact Knute Rockne had not only on the football team, but the university.  Father Blantz talks about the university becoming co-ed in 1972 and finishes with a short history of some of the most iconic structures on campus including the famous Golden Dome, the Grotto, and "Touchdown Jesus."

HOST:  Rob Mellon

FEATURED BREW:  Guinness, Guinness St. John's Gate Brewery, Dublin, Ireland

BOOK:  The University of Notre Dame: A History (Father Thomas Blantz)
https://www.amazon.com/University-Notre-Dame-History/dp/0268108218/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2TCS5QGXS99M7&dchild=1&keywords=the+university+of+notre+dame+a+history&qid=1614396375&s=books&sprefix=the+univesity+%2Cstripbooks%2C173&sr=1-1

MUSIC:  Bones Fork

FIGHT SONG:  University of Notre Dame Glee Club (intro) and the University of Notre Dame Marching Band (outro)

Historian Greg Poulgrain explains the strategic and economic importance of the fourth largest country in the world, Indonesia.  He describes the political situation in Indonesia before WWII and how American companies like Standard Oil had a vested interest in the resources of the nation.  He explains how the discovery of the largest gold mine in the world was kept a secret for thirty years, even kept from John Kennedy when he became president.  The author details the dealings of spymaster Allen Dulles and how he had a vested interest in keeping violence and confrontation going in Indonesia.  He explains how President Kennedy planned to end the violence and provide economic aid to the people of Indonesia, but was thwarted by Allen Dulles.  When Kennedy decided to go to Indonesia himself to ensure peace in Southeast Asia - Dulles and some in the CIA had to make sure that trip never happened.  Kennedy planned the trip for 1964, but was killed in Dallas in November, 1963.

HOST:  Rob Mellon

FEATURED BREW:  Bintang Pilsner, Heineken Indonesian Brewery Company, Indonesia

BOOK:  JFK vs. Allen Dulles: Battleground Indonesia
https://www.amazon.com/JFK-vs-Allen-Dulles-Battleground/dp/1510744797/ref=sr_1_1?crid=142TL0IDGZFHK&dchild=1&keywords=jfk+vs+allen+dulles&qid=1614033824&s=books&sprefix=jfk+vs+%2Cstripbooks%2C174&sr=1-1

Chuck returns to talks a little baseball.  The discussion starts with the first baseball game played in Quincy and includes some of the early team names like the Occidentals, Dexters, Red Hots, and Shoo Flys.  Chuck recalls many great Quincy ballplayers from the past as well as many who came through the Gem City.  He talks about the long tradition of minor league baseball in town.  He concludes with conversation with the history of how the Quincy Gems were brought back with the help of the Lincoln-Douglas debates and a great Quincy philanthropist Bernie Willer.

HOST:  Rob Mellon

GUEST:  Chuck Scholz

MUSIC:  Bones Fork

Historian and New York Times and LA Times Best Selling author Timothy Wingard explains the massive impact the mosquito has had on human history.  He begins with an overview of why certain mosquitos are so dangerous and details the specifics of how the insect draws blood.  He then goes into the historical impact of the mosquito from the Ancient Greeks, Alexander the Great, the Roman Empire and even to on the spread of Christianity.  Winegard explains how the mosquito even tamed the mighty Mongol hordes.  He continues with the effects the mosquitoes had on the Columbian Exchange and the massive expansion of African slavery in the Americas.  The mosquito has also impacted the British Empire and helped give birth to America with some help from George Washington the the other founders.  He explains how the insect at first benefited the Confederacy during the Civil War, but during the last few years of the war was an advantage for the North.  He finishes the discussion with the impact the mosquito had on WWII and how the overuse of DDT led to the insect adapting to make the pesticide obsolete.

HOST:  Rob Mellon

FEATURED BREW:  Vicious Mosquito IPA, Sunriver Brewing Company, Sunriver, Oregon

BOOK:  The Mosquito: A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator
https://www.amazon.com/Mosquito-Human-History-Deadliest-Predator/dp/1524743429/ref=sr_1_1?crid=10Q322X4R9QZW&dchild=1&keywords=the+mosquito&qid=1613523562&s=books&sprefix=the+mosqui%2Cstripbooks%2C172&sr=1-1

MUSIC:  Bones Fork

Author and historian of the atomic age James Kunetka details the birth and exponential growth of the Manhattan Project during WWII.  He describes the unlikely partnership between Army General Lesley Groves and lead scientist Dr. Robert Oppenheimer that led to phenomenal achievements in the program.  He discusses the discovery of nuclear fission in Germany in 1938 and the exodus of Jewish scientists from Nazi Germany to the United States.  He explains the great challenge of producing enriched and refined nuclear material and how that led to a massive project that included many locations around the U.S. participating in the Manhattan Project, including the creation of the massive town of Oak Ridge, TN and Los Alamos in New Mexico.  Kunetka details the recruitment efforts to get the preeminent scientists in the world to work on the project.  He describes the first test of the bomb at Trinity and the use of the atomic bomb against imperial Japan to end WWII.  He explains the amazing story of Project Crossroads and what happened to General Groves, Dr. Oppenheimer, and the Manhattan Project after the war.

HOST:  Rob Mellon

FEATURED BREW:  Plutonium 239 Coconut Porter, Manhattan Project Beer Company, Dallas, Texas

BOOK:  The General and the Genius: Groves and Oppenheimer the Unlikely Partnership that Built the Atom Bomb
https://www.amazon.com/General-Genius-Oppenheimer-Unlikely-Partnership/dp/1504671023

MUSIC:  Bones Fork

SONG:  Louvin Brothers, Great Atomic Power, 1952

Acclaimed presidential historian Dr. Ronald White discusses his classic New York Times Bestseller American Ulysses.  He starts with the early days of Ulysses growing up in Ohio and how his father worked to get him an appointment to West Point.  He dispels many myths about Grant and starts with his time a the Military Academy.  White goes into aspects of Grant's life that is often overlooked like his artistic and literary sides.  He details his meeting with Julia Dent and how their partnership would change the course of American history.  The professor discusses Grant's early military service and his participation in the Mexican War.  He explains his exit from the Army and Ulysses' challenges and even failures in Missouri before the Civil War.  White talks about his entrance into the war and the early years as he gained rank including the battles of Shiloh and Vicksburg.  He discusses Grant's controversial presidency and his real achievements in the area of civil rights.  He finishes with an explanation of his famous memoirs and Grant's legacy.

HOST:  Rob Mellon

FEATURED BREW:  Uly's Dark Oatmeal Stout, Galena Brewing Company, Galena, Illinois

BOOK:  American Ulysses: A Life of Ulysses S. Grant
https://www.amazon.com/American-Ulysses-Ronald-C-White-audiobook/dp/B01KBMP7IQ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=9C7NCEJUS9EG&dchild=1&keywords=ulysses+american&qid=1612580969&s=books&sprefix=ulysses%2Cstripbooks%2C177&sr=1-1

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

MOVIE CLIPS:  Lincoln, Dreamworks Pictures/20th Century Fox/Participant Media

New York Times Best Selling author and Rolling Stone journalist Andy Greene discusses his book The Office.  He starts from the beginning with the British version of The Office created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant.  He details how the show made its way to America and its very rough beginning.  The conversation includes the casting and the set that was built for the show in an actual office building.  Greene covers the love story of Jim and Pam (John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer), as well as the choice of Steve Carell as Michael Scott.  He talks about the history and development of the character Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson).  He explains the improbable inclusion of Creed Bratton and how the brilliant producer Greg Daniels chose Mindy Kaling (Kelly Kapoor) and B.J. Novak (Ryan Howard) to be both writers and actors on the show.  He explains the individual episodes in the book he highlights and the reason for each choice.  He covers all your favorite characters from the show and some of the best moments.  Greene ends with a discussion on why Steve Carell left the show after season 7 and why The Office is so iconic.

HOST:  Rob Mellon

FEATURED BREW:  Dundee Original Brown Lager, Dundee Ales and Lagers, Genesee Brewing Company of Rochester, New York owned by North American Breweries

BOOK:  The Office:  The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s
https://www.amazon.com/Office-Untold-Greatest-Sitcom-History/dp/1524744972

MUSIC:  Bones Fork
bonesfork.com

CLIPS:  The Office, NBC

Legal scholar and baseball historian Mitch Nathanson discusses the amazing and interesting life of Jim Bouton.  He talks about his early days  as how he wasn’t even the best pitcher on his high school baseball team.  Scouts went to see his teammate Jerry Colangelo.  He goes into his early baseball success with the Yankees in the 1963 and 1964 World Series.  Nathanson explains how Bouton’s life changed with the release of Ball Four, Bouton’s baseball account of life with the Seattle Pilots.  Bouton became a controversial figure basically being blacklisted.  Mitch then discusses Bouton’s life on TV and his role in the invention of Big League Chew.  He finishes with the importance of Jim Bouton on the game of baseball.

HOST:  Rob Mellon

FEATURED BREW:  Natural Light, Anheuser-Busch, St. Louis, MO

BOOK:  Bouton: The Life of a Baseball Original
https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/nebraska/9781496217707/

MUSIC:  Bones Fork

William Steele discusses his amazing biography of famed writer W.P. Kinsella who was the author of Shoeless Joe which was the basis for the classic baseball movie Field of Dreams.  Steele talks about how he initially got interested in Kinsella and how that eventually became years of work, research and study.  He describes the early years of Bill Kinsella growing up in a remote part of Canada and his eventual move to Iowa to study at the University of Iowa.  He explains why Kinsella did not start writing until his early 40s and how he eventually made writing a career.  He breaks down Kinsella's work which is in two main categories: First Nation people of Canada and baseball.  Steele discusses the magic of the study of baseball and how that can help us learn more about race, politics, religion and society in general.  He talks about Kinsella's masterpiece Shoeless Joe and how that became a national phenomenon.  He explains Kinsella's view of religion and academia.  He finishes with the story of the end of W.P. Kinsella's life and how he research continues.

HOST:  Rob Mellon

FEATURED BREW:  Slingshot Dunkel Dark Lager, Backpocket Brewing Company, Coralville, Iowa

BOOK:  Going the Distance: The Life and Works of W.P. Kinsella
https://www.amazon.com/Going-Distance-Life-Works-Kinsella/dp/177162194X

MUSIC:  Bones Fork

MOVIE CLIPS:  Field of Dreams, Universal Pictures, 1989 and Bull Durham, Orion Pictures, 1988