Thecuriousmanspodcast

In this episode Matt Crawford speaks with author Daphne Geismar about her family's account of hiding during WWII in the Netherlands. This is a beautiful and heart wrenching book that should be read by all. Geismar gathered her family members personal diaries written before, during and after Nazi occupation. Spliced together to show how each relative experienced these horrible events differently this is a rich narrative that touches you deeply. Family photos and artifacts make this even more personal to read

In this episode Matt Crawford speaks with historian and author Daniel Lee about his book The S.S Officer's Armchair. This is an unbelievable story about hidden S.S documents found in a chair. Lee tracks down who these documents belonged to and finds his living relatives. This is a story not of the monsters of the Nazi party but of the everyday workers that kept that machine moving that most of us have given little thought to. A true detective story with twists and turns, this is a hard book to put down.

In this interview Matt Crawford speaks to Author Peter Maquire about the Mayaquez incident as well as a survivor from that battle Ret. Corporal AL Bailey. The last official battle of the Vietnam War the Mayaquez incident was a rescue mission for a ships crew that had already been released. Many heroic acts were performed that day but one in particular stood out, those were the actions of SSGT. Fofo Tuitele. Maquire and Bailey describe what happened that day and the acts of heroism by Tuitele.

In this episode Matt Crawford speaks with professor and author Stephen F. Knott about his book The Lost Soul of the American Presidency: The Decline Into Demagoguery and the Prospects for Renewal. This book sheds a lot of light on why we are a country so divided. Knott tracks back through history and exposes the Presidents and the actions they took that have driven wedges through the voting populace. A necessary, illuminating and thought provoking read to understand our current political climate.

In this episode Matt Crawford speaks with historian and author Lindsay Chervinsky about her book The Cabinet. When most of us think about The Cabinet it is as a part of our government that we take for granted. Chervinsky's book points out this was not always the case and if not for Washington creating the cabinet our government could look quite different.  A truly informative and enjoyable book about history this is also a book about leadership. For anyone interested in leadership this is a must read book.

In this episode Matt Crawford speaks with author Neil Bascomb about his book Faster. A former top driver, a down on its luck automaker and an American heiress who team up to take on Hitler's best drivers and fastest cars. WWII has a lot of incredible stories and Bascomb sure has a way of finding them. This is a fast paced fun and enjoyable read that I can't recommend enough, a true David and Goliath tale.

Matt Crawford speaks with author Dane Huckelbridge about his book, No Beast So Fierce. This is the insane story about a tiger that killed and ate 436 people in Nepal and India in the early 20th century. The legendary hunter Jim Corbett is sent to hunt this man-eater down and the chase begins. While this is a story about a tiger it has so many facets that I did not expect. You will come for the tiger but you will stay for the rich layers of this story. Get cozy and read away!

In this episode Matt Crawford speaks with best selling author and historian Jon Gertner about his book The Ice At The End Of The World. This is the story of the early exploration of Greenland's ice sheet and the scientific investigations that followed. Earth's largest laboratory might just hold the key to our future if we can only listen. As Gertner writes in the book, 'Ice is time solidified.' This book should be required reading for all, informative and very enjoyable, I highly recommend it.

In this episode Matt Crawford speak with author Dr. Jamie Goodall about her book Pirates of the Chesapeake Bay. This is a compendium of fantastic pirate stories linked together through the different eras it covers. A span of over three centuries and over thirty pirates discussed these pages turn themselves folks. A fun and positively distracting read. Enjoy!

In this episode Matt Crawford speaks with author and journalist Anna Clark about her book, The Poisoned City: Flint's Water and the American Urban Tragedy. This is the infuriating story of how bad decisions and rampant indifference by city and state officials caused the residence of Flint to be poisoned by their own water. This is a masterful account of what went wrong, who caused it, why suffered from it and who exposed it. This book should be required reading.