PA BOOKS on PCN

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PA BOOKS on PCN episodes

August 17, 2020 "Ruling Suburbia: John J. McClure and the Republican Machine in Delaware County, Pennsylvania" with John Morrison McLarnon
Ruling Suburbia chronicles the history of the Republican machine that has dominated the political life of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, since 1875, and of the career of John J. McClure, who controlled the machine from 1907 until 1965.
59 min
August 10, 2020 "Wildlife of Pennsylvania" with Charles Fergus
Natural history narratives for more than 300 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians found in Pennsylvania and throughout the northeastern United States-written in an engaging, straightforward style.
An invaluable addition to any nature-lover's library. Each narrative offers a species description as well as up-to-date information on habitat, breeding behavior, feeding habits, biology, migration, and current population status, as well as the author's personal observations of the animal's life in the wild. Includes game and nongame mammals, birds of prey, songbirds, waterfowl, snakes, turtles, frogs, toads, and more.
59 min
August 03, 2020 "World of Trouble" with Richard Godbeer
Historian Richard Godbeer presents a richly layered and intimate account of the American Revolution as experienced by a Philadelphia Quaker couple, Elizabeth Drinker and the merchant Henry Drinker, who barely survived the unique perils that Quakers faced during that conflict. Spanning a half‑century before, during, and after the war, this gripping narrative illuminates the Revolution’s darker side as patriots vilified, threatened, and in some cases killed pacifist Quakers as alleged enemies of the revolutionary cause. Amid chaos and danger, the Drinkers tried as best they could to keep their family and faith intact. Through one couple’s story, Godbeer opens a window on a uniquely turbulent period of American history, uncovers the domestic, social, and religious lives of Quakers in the late eighteenth century, and situates their experience in the context of transatlantic culture and trade. A master storyteller takes his readers on a moving journey they will never forget.
Richard Godbeer is Director of the Hall Center for the Humanities and Charles W. Battey Distinguished Professor of History at the University of Kansas
Description courtesy of Yale University Press.
59 min
July 27, 2020 "Bridges…Pittsburgh at the Point…A Journey Through History" with Thomas Leech and Linda Kaplan
"Bridges…Pittsburgh at the Point…A Journey Through History" tells the stories of the 34 bridges that crossed the Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio rivers in Pittsburgh from 1818 to today. Told through the words of engineers, architects, planners, and historians this is a story of the development of technology, the rise of a city, and the progress of transportation.

Thomas Leech is the retired Chief Bridge Engineer of Gannett Fleming, Inc., Adjunct Professor of Civil Engineering of Carnegie Mellon University and a part of the continuing education faculty of the Pennsylvania State University.

Linda Kaplan is a bridge engineer in the Pittsburgh region. She has experience designing highway, rail, and pedestrian bridges, retaining walls, and tunnels

Description courtesy of Thomas Leech and Linda Kaplan.
58 min
July 20, 2020 "The Houses of Louis Kahn" with George Marcus and William Whitaker
Louis Kahn (1901–1974), one of the most important architects of the postwar period, is widely admired for his great monumental works, including the Kimbell Art Museum, the Salk Institute, and the National Assembly Complex in Bangladesh. However, the importance of his houses has been largely overlooked. This beautiful book is the first to look at Kahn's nine major private houses. Beginning with his earliest encounters with Modernism in the late 1920s and continuing through his iconic work of the 1960s and 1970s, the authors trace the evolution of the architect's thinking, which began and matured through his design of houses and their interiors, a process inspired by his interactions with clients and his admiration for vernacular building traditions.

Richly illustrated with new and period photographs and original drawings, as well as previously unpublished materials from personal interviews, archives, and Kahn's own writings, The Houses of Louis Kahn shows how his ideas about domestic spaces challenged conventions, much like his major public commissions, and were developed into one of the most remarkable expressions of the American house.
58 min
July 13, 2020 "Juniata, River of Sorrows" with Dennis McIlnay
A stirring documentary of Dennis McIlnay's trip on the 100- mile Juniata River in central Pennsylvania, and a moving portrait of some of the Juniata's earliest -- and bloodiest -- events.
59 min
July 06, 2020 "James Buchanan and the Political Crisis of the 1850s" with Michael Birkner
When Buchanan entered the White House in March 1857, he seemed well positioned to accomplish his main objectives. A canny and seasoned politician from Pennsylvania with a reputation for moderation on slavery-related issues, Buchanan had a straightforward agenda: the amelioration of sectional tensions, the promotion of American prosperity, and the extension of the Democrats' control of the federal government.

Four years later, Buchanan left Washington convinced that he had done his best and accomplished much. In fact, he left behind a shattered Democratic party, a new Republican president, Abraham Lincoln, and a ruptured Union. Except for a cadre of faithful Pennsylvania friends, Buchanan's reputation lay in ruins. He has consistently been ranked among the least effective presidents in American history.
1 hr 1 min
June 29, 2020 "On the Front Lines of Pennsylvania Politics: Twenty-five Years of Keystone Reporting" with John Baer
Pennsylvania, first home of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, has a tradition of political progress. However, along with the good, the political playground of Pennsylvania has also seen the brazenly bad behavior of its political leaders. For over twenty-five years, political columnist John Baer has had a front-row seat to the foibles and follies of the Keystone State's political system. Baer takes readers through his memories of covering state politics for the last quarter century, from Democratic governor Milton Shapp's short-lived run for president--in which he finished behind "no preference" in the Florida primary--to highlights of some of the game-changing campaign missteps and maneuvers that moved administrations in and out of the capital. With a delightfully gruff wit, Baer gives readers a behind-the-scenes view of the politics and personalities that have passed through Harrisburg.
59 min
June 22, 2020 "Lost Mount Penn" with Mike Madaio
German immigrants of the nineteenth century brought their traditions of winemaking and mouthwatering cuisine to the slopes of Mount Penn high above Reading. With a Santa Claus beard and a long-stemmed pipe, the hermit of Mount Penn, Louis Kuechler, founded Kuechler's Roost, where travelers flocked for feasts, literary soirees and free-flowing local wine. The opening of the Mount Penn Gravity Railroad brought a flurry of tourists from around the nation and fueled the creation of resorts throughout the countryside. Spuhler's Hotel hosted renowned pig roasts from noon until midnight. The fresh waters of Lauterbach Springs attracted wine and outdoor enthusiasts alike. Author Mike Madaio explores the vibrant society and culinary culture that made Mount Penn one of the best-known resort regions in the country until financial difficulties and the passage of Prohibition spelled its end.

Mike Madaio is a food and wine writer based outside Philadelphia. His career began with the creation of Main Line Dine, a popular restaurant and dining blog covering the Philadelphia suburbs, and his writing has appeared in publications such as Wine Enthusiast, VinePair and Edible Philly. He has also achieved Italian Wine Ambassador certification from the Vinitaly International Academy. His website is Lifeattable.com and can be found on social media @lifeattable.

Description courtesy of The History Press.
29 min
June 15, 2020 "Ghost River: The Fall and Rise of the Conestoga" with Lee Francis IV, Weshoyot Alvitre and Will Fenton
During the Paxton massacres of 1763, a mob of white settlers, so-called "Paxton Boys" murdered 20 unarmed Conestoga People in a genocidal campaign that reshaped Pennsylvania settlement politics. Ghost River: The Fall and Rise of the Conestoga reimagines this difficult history through an educational graphic novel that introduces new interpreters and new bodies of evidence to highlight the Indigenous victims and their kin.

Author Lee Francis IV is the owner and CEO of Native Realities and the author of Sixkiller and Tales of the Mighty Code Talkers.

Artist Weshoyot Alvitre has illustrated numerous books including Deer Woman: An Anthology, Sixkiller, Graphic Classics: Native American Classics, and Tales of the Mighty Code Talkers.

Editor Will Fenton is the Director of Scholarly Innovation at the Library Company of Philadelphia.

Description courtesy of Red Planet Books.
31 min

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PA Books features authors of books about Pennsylvania-related topics. These hour-long conversations allow authors to discuss both their subject matter and inspiration behind the books.