Mark Twain was perhaps the greatest American writer of the 19th century.  But he was also more than that.  He was a river man, a prospector, a journalist, and an explorer.  His stories were a near-perfect merging of adventure, coming of age, and social commentary.  And he taught generations of young people how to think for themselves.  This is his story.  

Perhaps one of the most improbable stories in human history: Joan of Arc was an illiterate peasant girl who convinced a nation that she was on a mission from God.  Regardless of your beliefs on her divine claims, she was an extraordinary woman, who by the time of her untimely death at the age of 19 had led her nation's armies into battle, inspired its people to rise up against invaders, and convinced its King to take up his crown.  

In the first ever episode of History Stories for My Son, I discuss my reasons for launching the Podcast--to spread the love of history through engaging stories of inspiring individuals--before discussing one of my favorite figures from the Second World War, Audie Murphy.  He was not only a Medal of Honor winning Soldier; he was a symbol of the American Dream.  Abandoned by his father, orphaned by his mother, and rejected by every branch of service before he finally joined the Army with a forged birth certificate, Audie Murphy became one of the greatest heroes of the greatest generation, and then became a movie star.