This American President

By This American PresidentSociety & Culture Education History

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This American President episodes

September 22 Did Abraham Lincoln Have a Speechwriter? The Untold Story of John Hay
The Gettysburg Address may be the most famous speech in American history—but did Abraham Lincoln have a speechwriter?

In this episode, Jan Cigliano Hartman discusses her new book, John Hay: The Voice Behind the Legendary Oratory of Abraham Lincoln, arguing that Lincoln's trusted private secretary, John Hay, played a much greater role in developing the president's legendary speeches than most Americans realize. Together, we explore Hay's remarkable partnership with Lincoln, the story behind the Gettysburg Address and other iconic speeches, and why one of the most influential figures of the Civil War has largely been forgotten.

LINCOLN'S SPEECHWRITER: JOHN HAY AND THE FRIENDSHIP THAT INSPIRED AMERICAN ELOQUENCE

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FDGS72WM

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CREDITS
Host: Richard Lim
Producer: Michael Neal
Cover Art: Nip Rogers, www.NipRogers.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
37 min
September 08 What It Was Like Working for Lyndon B. Johnson, with Tom Johnson
He has been called one of the most consequential presidents in American history—and one of the most complicated. He was described as crude and compassionate, domineering and deeply empathetic. A political force of nature, Lyndon B. Johnson possessed a legendary ability to persuade, cajole, and outmaneuver nearly anyone in his path. He shepherded landmark civil rights legislation through Congress, won one of the greatest landslide victories in American history, and is often regarded as the most effective legislator ever to occupy the White House. Yet by the end of his presidency, the Vietnam War had made him a deeply polarizing figure, besieged by protesters and increasingly isolated.

The president was Lyndon B. Johnson—and Tom Johnson had a front-row seat to it all.

In this episode, Tom Johnson, former aide to LBJ and later publisher of the Los Angeles Times and president of CNN, reflects on his years alongside the 36th president during one of the most turbulent periods in American history. Drawing from his new memoir, Driven: A Life in Public Service and Journalism from LBJ to CNN, Johnson shares what it was really like to work for LBJ amid the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and the upheaval of the 1960s.

DRIVEN: A LIFE IN PUBLIC SERVICE AND JOURNALISM FROM LBJ TO CNN

https://www.amazon.com/Driven-Life-Public-Service-Journalism/dp/0820374539

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CREDITS
Host: Richard Lim
Producer: Michael Neal
Cover Art: Nip Rogers, www.NipRogers.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
59 min
August 25 George Washington and the Road to One Nation, with Brady Crytzer
In the early years of the republic, the United States was a nation in name—but not always in practice. Vast distances and rugged mountains threatened to pull the young country apart.

In this episode, historian Brady Crytzer discusses his new book, The National Road, and explains how George Washington's vision of binding the states together through internal improvements ultimately became America's first great federal highway under Albert Gallatin. We explore how a single road helped transform a fragile republic into a more united nation.

THE NATIONAL ROAD: GEORGE WASHINGTON AND AMERICA'S FIRST HIGHWAY WEST

https://www.amazon.com/National-Road-Washington-Americas-Highway/dp/1635769493/

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CREDITS
Host: Richard Lim
Producer: Michael Neal
Cover Art: Nip Rogers, www.NipRogers.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
51 min
August 11 Inside The Brink of War: Reagan, Gorbachev, and the Summit That Changed History
Two leaders. Thousands of nuclear weapons. One meeting that changed everything.

In this episode, Michael Russell Gunn, director of Brink of War, explores the extraordinary Reykjavík Summit between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev—a meeting many believe paved the way for the end of the Cold War. We discuss Reagan's strategy of pursuing a nuclear-free world while preserving America's leverage, the remarkable relationship between the two leaders, and the making of the film starring Jeff Daniels, J.K. Simmons, and Jared Harris.

THE BRINK OF WAR

https://www.angel.com/movies/brink-of-war?

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CREDITS
Host: Richard Lim
Producer: Michael Neal
Cover Art: Nip Rogers, www.NipRogers.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
56 min
July 21 America at 250: Rediscovering the Revolution, with Eric Metaxas
As America prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, #1 New York Times bestselling author Eric Metaxas—author of Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther, and Amazing Grace—joins us to discuss his new book, Revolution: The Birth of the Greatest Nation in the History of the World. Together, we revisit the famous—and often forgotten—heroes of the American Revolution and explore why Metaxas believes the indispensable role of Judeo-Christian ideas in America's founding has too often been overlooked.

REVOLUTION: THE BIRTH OF THE GREATEST NATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD

https://www.amazon.com/Revolution-Birth-Greatest-Nation-History/dp/1631440888/

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CREDITS
Host: Richard Lim
Producer: Michael Neal
Cover Art: Nip Rogers, www.NipRogers.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
58 min
July 02 America at 250: A Celebration of the American Story, with Jane Hampton Cook
As America approaches its 250th birthday, bestselling author and historian Jane Hampton Cook joins us for a conversation about the people, moments, and ideas that make the American story so remarkable. We discuss why America remains a nation worth celebrating, the most underrated Americans in our history, the historical events we'd most like to witness firsthand, and the era that best represents America's peak. Along the way, we explore what makes America unique and why, nearly 250 years after its founding, its story continues to captivate us.

A GREAT AND GRATEFUL NATION: FROM GRIEVANCE TO GRATITUDE

https://www.amazon.com/Great-Grateful-Nation-Grievance-Gratitude/dp/1617156787/

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CREDITS
Host: Richard Lim
Producer: Michael Neal
Cover Art: Nip Rogers, www.NipRogers.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
57 min
June 23 George H.W. Bush in an Anti-Establishment Age, with Laurence Jurdem
We live in an era defined by distrust of institutions, political outsiders, and anti-establishment movements. What can the life of perhaps the ultimate establishment president tell us about America today?

In this episode, I speak with historian Laurence Jurdem about his new book, 41: George H.W. Bush and the End of the American Establishment. We discuss Bush’s rise through the political, diplomatic, and intelligence institutions of his era, why voters eventually turned against the world he represented, and how his presidency—and legacy—look in an age increasingly defined by populism and skepticism toward the establishment.

41: George H. W. Bush and the End of the American Establishment

https://www.amazon.com/41-George-Bush-American-Establishment/dp/B0FXV7V2FP/

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CREDITS
Host: Richard Lim
Producer: Michael Neal
Cover Art: Nip Rogers, www.NipRogers.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
52 min
June 09 What Did Queen Elizabeth II Really Think of America’s Presidents? with Susan Page
Did you know that a young Princess Elizabeth once spent time with a twenty-something John F. Kennedy? Or that Richard Nixon hoped to marry one of his daughters into the British royal family?

In this episode, I speak with bestselling author Susan Page about her new book, The Queen and Her Presidents: The Hidden Hand That Shaped History. We explore Queen Elizabeth II’s remarkable relationships with American presidents from Truman to Biden, her quiet influence on world affairs, and some of the most fascinating stories to emerge from the royal archives—including whether the rumored rivalry between the Queen and Jacqueline Kennedy, famously depicted in The Crown, was actually real.

The Queen and Her Presidents: The Hidden Hand That Shaped History

https://www.amazon.com/Queen-Her-Presidents-Hidden-History/dp/0063397390

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CREDITS
Host: Richard Lim
Producer: Michael Neal
Cover Art: Nip Rogers, www.NipRogers.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
34 min
May 26 Young Washington: The Untold Story of America’s Founding Hero, with Benton Crane
Before he became the indispensable man of the American founding, George Washington was a young officer fighting for survival in the wilderness, battling the French, navigating deadly frontier politics, and learning the hard lessons that would forge his character.

In this episode, I speak with Benton Crane, co-founder of Angel Studios, about Young Washington, a major new film focused on George Washington’s early exploits before the Revolution and presidency. We discuss why this story is arriving at the perfect moment ahead of America 250, and how Young Washington could mark the beginning of an ambitious new era of cinematic storytelling about the Founding generation.

YOUNG WASHINGTON

https://www.angel.com/movies/young-washington

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CREDITS
Host: Richard Lim
Producer: Michael Neal
Cover Art: Nip Rogers, www.NipRogers.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
59 min
May 12 At the Brink: Presidents, Nuclear Weapons, and the Fate of the World Part 2, with Dr. Anthony Eames
How should Americans evaluate presidential candidates when it comes to nuclear weapons?

In this episode, Dr. Anthony Eames, Director of Scholarly Initiatives at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, returns to the show to examine how presidents from Ronald Reagan to Donald Trump have approached nuclear weapons, deterrence, and arms control. We discuss the end of the Cold War, the challenge of rogue states, and why some presidents—including George W. Bush in Iraq and Donald Trump in Iran—have ultimately chosen military action to stop nuclear threats.

What separates a reckless nuclear policy from a prudent one? And what qualities should Americans look for in a commander-in-chief entrusted with the world’s deadliest weapons?

A Voice in Their Own Destiny: Reagan, Thatcher, and Public Diplomacy in the Nuclear 1980s

https://www.amazon.com/Voice-Their-Own-Destiny-Diplomacy/dp/1625347103/

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CREDITS
Host: Richard Lim
Producer: Michael Neal
Cover Art: Nip Rogers, www.NipRogers.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
49 min

About This American President

From the publisher's feed

This American President delves into the lives and legacies of U.S. presidents through long form stories and interviews. It will challenge the way you look at American history. Hosted by Richard Lim…