History in Five

Historian and classicist Barry Strauss, author of "Ten Caesars: Roman Emperors from Augusts to Constantine," explains the meaning of "bread and circuses," an enduring phrase from ancient Rome.

The most sensational murder of its time immortalized its defendant. Now, based on twenty years of research, new evidence comes to light in an unmissable account of historical true crime, society, and the enduring question: was Lizzie Borden guilty? Author Cara Robertson explores the stories Lizzie Borden's culture wanted and expected to hear in the aftermath of the brutal Borden murders, and how those stories influenced the debate inside and outside of the courtroom. Based on transcripts of the Borden legal proceedings, contemporary newspaper accounts, unpublished local accounts, and recently unearthed letters from Lizzie herself, The Trial of Lizzie Borden offers a window onto America in the Gilded Age, showcasing its most deeply held convictions and its most troubling social anxieties. The result is a remarkable true account of one of America's most mythologized stories, now perfectly captured in its historical and social element. "With deft storytelling and convincing scholarship, Cara Robertson does the seemingly impossible by bringing new life to perhaps our oldest true-crime saga." —Jon Meacham, author of The Soul of America “A taut, understated masterpiece…Robertson scours the Trial of the (19th) Century with the perseverance of a scholar, the gimlet eye of a detective, and the elegance of a novelist.—Jane Kamensky, author of A Revolution in Color

"Midnight in Chernobyl" author and journalist Adam Higginbotham discusses what life was like in Pripyat, Ukraine before and after the nuclear disaster that shocked the world.

The consequences of nuclear disasters like the one at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant go beyond physical effects.

Proponents of nuclear energy claim that it is a safe, clean alternative to fossil fuels. But do the benefits outweigh the risks? Greg Jaczko, former chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and author of CONFESSIONS OF A ROGUE NUCLEAR REGULATOR doesn't believe so.

On the 100th anniversary of the devastating pandemic of 1918, Jeremy Brown, a veteran ER doctor, explores the troubling, terrifying, and complex history of the flu virus in his new book, INFLUENZA. From the origins of the Great Flu that killed millions to questions like whether we're prepared for the next epidemic, Dr. Brown takes an enlightening and unnerving look at a shapeshifting deadly virus that has been around long before people.

Rebecca Traister, New York Times bestselling author of All the Single Ladies and Good and Mad, details the fascinating women whose anger shaped American history – and how the transformative power of women's anger has the ability to transcend into a political movement.

There is a lot we do not know about the fabled winter encampment at Valley Forge. Author Bob Drury helps us separate fact from fiction.

During the battle for American independence, George Washington encouraged new and creative approaches to warfare. Author Tom Clavin discusses some of the military innovations that were developed during the Valley Forge period.

George Howe Colt's THE GAME, is a story about an unforgettable group of young athletes, who battled in the legendary Harvard-Yale football game of 1968. Amidst the sweeping currents of one of the most transformative years in American history.