What kind of character does it take to lead the free world? In an age of global tension, where American presidents weigh alliances and warfare with the power to shape history, we explore how presidential character turned the U.S. from an isolated republic into a global superpower

Gil Troy is joined by bestselling author and political commentator John Avlon to trace the foreign policy legacy of the American presidency - from George Washington’s warning against foreign entanglements to Ronald Reagan’s moral stand against the Soviet Union.

Focusing on pivotal moments like World War I, FDR’s leadership before Pearl Harbor, and the Cold War consensus, they explore how values, vision, and presidential courage helped America project strength - and when it failed to live up to its ideals.

To read the texts and learn more about the manuscripts discussed in this episode, visit: 

Ronald Reagan at the Berlin Wall, Demanding Gorbachev “Tear Down This Wall”

Chapters

(00:00) Opening

(00:21) Introduction: Power Without Borders

(02:20) Washington’s Farewell: Isolationism vs. Independence

(07:23) Idealism and the Founders’ Foreign Policy Vision

(09:51) Rethinking the Monroe Doctrine

(15:27) Lincoln, Character, and Foreign Policy Foundations

(20:51) Lincoln’s Legacy: Winning the Peace

(23:58) U.S. Grant at Appomattox: Moral Leadership in Action

(24:37) World War I and the Failure to Win the Peace

(29:29) Roosevelt, Lend-Lease, and Pre-WWII Strategy

(33:07) American Psyche in the Interwar Period

(36:18) Democracy vs. Authoritarianism in the Great Depression

(38:57) FDR’s Leadership: Guiding a Divided Nation

(43:48) Roosevelt’s Letter to Harry Woodring & Leadership Nuance

(44:58) Bipartisanship and the Cold War Consensus

(48:19) The Greatest Generation and Their Legacy

(51:06) Reagan’s “Evil Empire” and Moral Clarity

(55:02) Moynihan, Reagan, and Confidence in Democracy

(56:50) Summary

Stay connected with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and by signing up for our newsletter at shapell.org/contact. For more information about this podcast, visit The Human Side of History.

Production by docyourstory

Music by Adam Weingrod

The show is produced by The Shapell Manuscript Foundation. To learn more about the foundation and discover the manuscript collection visit: www.shapell.org

We say we want authenticity in a president, but how much are we really entitled to know, and who gets to draw that line? Historian David Greenberg joins host Gil Troy to examine how the presidency has become, in part, a public relations performance shaped by evolving media, shifting expectations, and the public’s growing appetite for access. From George Washington’s measured gravitas to Barack Obama’s strategic self-presentation, Greenberg and Troy trace how image, communications, mass media, and executive control have defined, and sometimes distorted, the office.

In an age of nonstop coverage, viral speculation, and questions about presidential health and candor, this episode asks: where’s the line between necessary transparency and the illusion of total access? How have changing norms around privacy and scrutiny reshaped what we expect and want in a president? What gets lost in a democracy when we expect presidents to be both powerful leaders and fully public figures? And what do we lose when the performance overtakes the substance?

This is a conversation about the high-stakes theater of leadership, and how every president, whatever their ideology, must navigate the conflicting demands of democracy, power, and public life.

To read the texts and learn more about the manuscripts discussed in this episode, visit:

Signed Photograph of Pres. Ronald Reagan at 1987 Speech Demanding, “Mr. Gorbachev, Tear Down This Wall!”

Chapters

(0:00) Opening

(0:26) Introduction: The Art of Presidential Leadership

(1:38) Guest Introduction: David Greenberg

(1:41) Nixon’s Shadow and the Power of Presidential Image

(4:05) Public vs. Private: The Blurred Lines of the Presidency

(6:56) Privacy, Press, and Democratic Tensions

(8:05) Image, Character, and the Leadership Paradox

(11:15) Spin and the Language of Politics

(15:17) The Founding Vision and the Presidency’s Design

(18:05) The Presidency’s Shift from Congress to Executive Power

(20:19) George Washington’s Legacy and Presidential Restraint

(23:59) Communicating Unity in the Early Republic

(25:40) Coolidge and the Power of Persona

(27:15) Jefferson’s Burden and the Glorious Cost of Power

(30:38) Leadership, Compromise, and Real-World Politics

(36:49) The Expanding Scope of Presidential Responsibility

(41:16) Institutions, Infrastructure, and Executive Complexity

(44:41) The Personal Toll of the Presidency

(53:58) What Makes a Great President?

(56:02) Summary

Stay connected with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and by signing up for our newsletter at shapell.org/contact. For more information about this podcast, visit The Human Side of History.

Production by docyourstory 

Music by Adam Weingrod

The show is produced by The Shapell Manuscript Foundation. To learn more about the foundation and discover the manuscript collection visit: www.shapell.org

What are the historical, cultural, strategic, and values-based foundations that sustain the enduring US-Israel alliance? Host Gil Troy and historian and theologian R. Yitz Greenberg discuss the key factors that underpin, and the historic moments that have shaped the partnership between the United States and Israel. 

R. Yitz Greenberg is an American historian, author, and theologian. Known for promoting understanding between Judaism and Christianity, he earned a PhD in American history from Harvard University, was an associate professor of history at Yeshiva University, and a founder, chairman, and professor in the Department of Jewish Studies of the City College of New York . He is currently the Senior Scholar in Residence at Yeshivat Hadar. 

(0:00) Opening

(0:44) Introduction

(5:39) Truman Letter

(7:39) Ben-Gurion Letter

(9:13) Interview with Yitz Greenberg

(36:40) Summary

To read the texts and learn more about the manuscripts discussed in this episode, visit: 

Check out Yitz Greenberg’s 5 favorite books:

Stay connected with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and by signing up for our newsletter at shapell.org/contact. For more information about this podcast, visit The Human Side of History.

Production by docyourstory

Music by Adam Weingrod

The show is produced by The Shapell Manuscript Foundation. To learn more about the foundation and discover the manuscript collection visit: www.shapell.org

How did a shift in educational philosophy in the 1960s pave the way not only for contemporary social justice movements but for today’s neo-antisemitism? Host Gil Troy and Dr. Rachel Fish discuss the identity of Jews as an ethnoreligious minority group, the confusion surrounding the recent and ongoing campus antisemitism, the centrality of critical thinking skills in early and continuing education, and the crisis of meaning and transcendence in today’s society, and finally, how to take steps towards positive change.

Dr. Rachel Fish is Special Advisor to The Brandeis University Presidential Initiative to Counter Antisemitism in Higher Education, a Visiting Assistant Professor at The George Washington University, and co-founder of the non-profit Boundless.

(0:00) Opening

(0:30) Introduction

(3:22) Bialik Letter

(5:50) Ben-Gurion Letter

(7:36) Interview with Rachel Fish

(39:56) Summary

To read the texts and learn more about the manuscripts discussed in this episode, visit: 

Check out Rachel Fish’s 5 favorite books:

Stay connected with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and by signing up for our newsletter at shapell.org/contact. For more information about this podcast, visit The Human Side of History.

Production by docyourstory

Music by Adam Weingrod

The show is produced by The Shapell Manuscript Foundation. To learn more about the foundation and discover the manuscript collection visit: www.shapell.org

How do soldiers find the resilience to enter war and how can society support them when they return or their families when they do not? Host Gil Troy and IDF Bereavement Officer & Clinical Advisor Akiva Harrow discuss how the Israeli Defense Forces supports families who have lost loved ones in service and how October 7th changed the debriefing process for combat soldiers who have returned from the warfront. 

This episode explores questions of individual and collective meaning, resilience, bereavement, and psychological health during wars, pasts and present.

(0:00) Opening

(0:24) Introduction

(9:32) Interview with Akiva Harrow

(31:44) Summary

To read the texts and learn more about the manuscripts discussed in this episode, visit:

Letter From Sgt. First Class Ben Zussman To His Parents, On His Way To War, In The Event Of His Death Published December 11, 2023

US Civil War Soldier Describes The Chaos Of War During The Bermuda Hundred Campaign June 2, 1864

Check out Akiva Harrow’s 5 favorite books:

1. Man in Search of Meaning by Viktor Frankel.

2. Growth Mindset by Carol Dweck

3. ⁠The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt

4. ⁠Homo Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harrari.

5. ⁠Benjamin Franklin autobiography

Stay connected with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and by signing up for our newsletter at shapell.org/contact. For more information about this podcast, visit The Human Side of History.

Production by docyourstory 

Music by Adam Weingrod

The show is produced by The Shapell Manuscript Foundation. To learn more about the foundation and discover the manuscript collection visit: www.shapell.org

When a democracy is at war, what does it mean to serve your country? Host Gil Troy and Brooking Institution Senior Fellow & Wall Street Journal Columnist William Galston discuss how the perception of rights and obligations is affected by the collective experience or its absence - of defending one’s country, and how those experiences can reshape a society. 

With a focus on US and Israeli policies and the context of the Israel-Hamas war, this episode explores questions of shared burden, equality, societal values, and effective governance, while texts and observations from US history illustrate these ongoing democratic debates.

(0:00) Opening

(0:34) Introduction

(3:22) Theodore Roosevelt Letter

(4:14) Interview with William Galston

(24:11) Summary

To read the texts and learn more about the manuscripts discussed in this episode, visit: 

- President Abraham Lincoln’s Civil War Draft Order That Sparked The 1863 New York Draft Riots July 7, 1863

- Former President Theodore Roosevelt Writes Of His Sons’ Participation In WWI August 14, 1918

Check out William Galson’s 5 favorite books:

- David Hartman, Israelis and the Jewish Tradition

- John Judis, The Politics of Our Time

- Serhii Plokhy, The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine

- Susan Shirk, Overreach: How China Derailed Its Peaceful Rise

- Michael Walzer, The Struggle for a Decent Politics

Stay connected with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and by signing up for our newsletter at shapell.org/contact. For more information about this podcast, visit The Human Side of History.

Production by docyourstory

Music by Adam Weingrod

The show is produced by The Shapell Manuscript Foundation. To learn more about the foundation and discover the manuscript collection visit: ⁠www.shapell.org

Comments & Corrections:

- The Moral Equivalent of War by American philosopher William James.

- Ultra-orthodox army service in Israel and volunteers: Following the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, approximately 2,000 Israeli ultra-Orthodox men volunteered to join the IDF. However, it is unclear how many of these volunteers completed their enlistment, as volunteer enlistment can be influenced by multiple factors. According to the Israeli Ministry of Defense website, about 6,000 ultra-Orthodox men are currently serving in the IDF, though this data may not be up-to-date.

After the initial recording of this podcast episode, the Israeli Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling in June 2024, mandating the conscription of ultra-Orthodox men into the military and ending their longstanding group exemptions. The court viewed these exemptions as invalid selective enforcement. The decision was driven by the principle of equal protection under the law, highlighting the inequity of the existing exemption system. This ruling came amid heightened tensions and increased demands on the military following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, underscoring the importance of equitable burden-sharing in society.

When do democracies go to war and how do leaders navigate wartime decisions in a just way? Host Gil Troy and former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren discuss the moral dilemmas that emerge during modern-day conflict, with a focus on the Israel-Hamas War and Middle-Eastern tensions with Western democracies. Drawing on manuscripts from the American Civil War and WWII, we take a glimpse at how Presidents Lincoln and Truman approached the existential national crises of their day and examine what can be learned from their leadership and choices.

(00:00) Opening

(01:25) Introduction

(03:05) Letter: Harry Truman and World War II

(07:55) Letter: Lincoln and the Civil War

(14:01) Interview with Michael Oren

(33:03) Summary

(34:59) On the next episode

To read the texts and learn more about the manuscripts discussed in this episode, visit: 

- President Harry Truman Defends Use Of The Atomic Bomb In WWII August 11, 1945

- “With Malice Toward None” Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address - Signed Quotation

- “Both Parties Deprecated War” Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address - Signed Quotation

- Abraham Lincoln’s Response To Thurlow Weed’s Complimentary Letter On The  Inaugural Address  March 15, 1865

- A Civil War Union Soldier Vividly Describes A Civil War Battle June 8, 1862

Check out Michael Oren’s 5 favorite books:

- Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

- Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant by Ulysses S. Grant

- Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor by Yossi Klein Halevi 

- Sabbath's Theater by Philip Roth 

- Books of the Maccabees

- Any book by Elizabeth Strout

Watch the trailer to Oppenheimer. The film is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and the late Martin J. Sherwin.

Stay connected with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and by signing up for our newsletter at shapell.org/contact. For more information about this podcast, visit The Human Side of History.

Comments & Corrections:

Both Gil and Michael reference a number of "potential casualties" that were avoided with the dropping of the atomic bomb in WWII. Various military experts and historians disagree on what the number of potential casualties saved would have been. Some military experts have said that the correct number was likely much lower than the one estimated at the time of Truman’s decision-making. The discrepancy between the different numbers referenced by Gil and Michael highlights how much these numbers are estimations, taking into account different variables.

LST stands for “Landing Ship, Tank”, or tank landing ship, a kind of large ship first developed during WWII that carries tanks, vehicles, cargo, and troops, and can land on beaches without the need for docks or piers. 

Production by docyourstory

Sound by Idan Koka

Music by Adam Weingrod

The show is produced by The Shapell Manuscript Foundation. To learn more about the foundation and discover the manuscript collection visit: www.shapell.org

The Human Side of History explores how the unfiltered, intimate perspectives of yesterday resonate and inform us today. Hosted by Gil Troy, the show combines historical texts and interviews with historians, politicians, and other experts in various fields. Join us as we engage in insightful discussions and reveal the intricate connections between history and our world today. 

The show is produced by The Shapell Manuscript Foundation, an independent organization dedicated to the collection and exhibition of original manuscripts and historical documents from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. To learn more about the foundation and discover the collection visit: www.shapell.org