Podcast appearances and mentions of matthew algeo

For a brief window in the late 1800s, America's favorite sport was walking in circles over and over and over. The biggest sporting events in the country were “6 Day Races” – days-long tests of endurance where competitive walkers competed to see who could log the most miles. Check out our guest Matthew Algeo's book “Pedestrianism: When Watching People Walk Was America's Favorite Sport.” And if you're so inclined here is a selection of 6 Day Races that you can still compete in today: The Old Six Day, Six Days in the Dome, Across the Years (and a variation on the theme, the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race). 

If you can believe it, watching people walk around was once a spectator sport. It was the Gilded Age and there weren't many options for sport entertainment. We'll investigate how the participants in this early sport-ish activity helped inform the more modern practices of performance enhancing substance use as we know them today. We'll touch on cycling and the physiology and medicine behind some of these ways to enhance one's sporting prowess.Sources:Pedestrianism: When Watching People Walk was America's Favorite Sport, Matthew Algeo, https://www.chicagoreviewpress.com/pedestrianism-products-9781613743973.phpThe Conversation article on Doping in Victorian Times, ​​https://theconversation.com/in-victorian-britain-the-crowds-approved-of-sports-doping-with-cocaine-82225Frank Hart Wikipedia page, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Hart_(athlete)Ada Anderson Wikipedia page, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ada_AndersonWikipedia article on Sports Doping, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doping_in_sport#HistoryGuardian article on strychnine, https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2016/jul/21/the-cocktail-of-poison-and-brandy-that-led-to-olympic-gold-strychnine ----- Patreon Page (support the show) -----Submit a Question for Non-Medical Advice Segment (website form with instructions)-----Podcast Linktree (social media links / reviews / ratings)-----DrMqx (follow Dr. Max on Twitch)

Aside from being famous and at the top of their crafts, Harry Truman and Pablo Picasso could hardly have been more different. Matthew Algeo explains how their one-off meeting was used by both men to further their goals in politics and art. In, "When Harry Met Pablo: Truman, Picasso and the Cold War Politics of Modern Art," Algeo explains how modern art became a leverage point in the fight against McCarthyism, and how art became a political battlefield, much as it is today. We also chatted about his life as a globetrotter, an author and his efforts to see the place where the historic - but seldomly reported on - meeting took place.Matthew Algeo's website can be found at https://www.malgeo.net/Information on his book is available at https://www.chicagoreviewpress.com/when-harry-met-pablo-products-9781641607872.php?page_id=30&cid=183995Support our show at https://patreon.com/axelbankhistory**A portion of every contribution is given to a charity for children's literacy** "Axelbank Reports History and Today" can be found on social media at https://twitter.com/axelbankhistory https://instagram.com/axelbankhistoryhttps://facebook.com/axelbankhistory

On this episode, we discuss books set in or about Appalachia, one of the prompts for Books & Bites Bingo. Collection Access Associate John David Hurley, who is from Mount Vernon, Kentucky, joins Michael, Carrie, and Jacqueline to share some favorite books about Appalachia. John David recommends a Books & Bites favorite, Elizabeth Catte's What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia. He says it's a good primer on the history of Appalachia, and it responds to JD Vance's book, Hillbilly Elegy. John David also discusses Belonging: A Culture of Place by bell hooks, which explores identity and what it means to belong to Appalachia. Finally, he recommends All This Marvelous Potential: Robert Kennedy's 1968 Tour of Appalachia by Matthew Algeo. Michael recommends Blood Runs Coal: The Yablonski Murder and the Battle for the United Mine Workers of America by Mark A. Bradley. Taking place mostly in central Appalachia during the late 60's and early 70's, this book looks at Joseph “Jock” Yablonski and his insurgent presidential campaign to clean up the rampant corruption of the United Mine Workers of America, as well as his subsequent murder and the arrest and conviction of the perpetrators and conspirators.   Pairing: A One-Eyed Jack, an Appalachian breakfast dish from Ronni Lundy's Victuals: An Appalachian Journey with Recipes.  Carrie enjoyed Trampoline by Robert Gipe. It's the coming-of-age story of 15 year-old Dawn Jewell, who lost her father in a mining accident when she was younger. Dawn joins her grandmother in fighting a coal company's plans to strip mine Big Bear Mountain. Her life is chaotic, and she makes a lot of mistakes, but you'll root for her along the way. Carrie also recommends Fair and Tender Ladies by Lee Smith, an epistolary novel set in southwest Virginia. Pairing: A Slaw Dog, also from Ronni Lundy's Victuals.Jacqueline read The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes. Set in 1937, it's a fictional account of the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky. The main character is a young English woman named Alice Wright who moves to Kentucky with her new husband. Unhappy with her situation, Alice sees a chance to do something meaningful when she learns about the President and Mrs. Roosevelt's efforts to restore attention to literacy and learning with a mobile library program.Pairing: A mint julep made with Mint Simple Syrup.

Tim and Jen discuss a beloved epic whose time has come, the Peter Weir masterpiece Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World!The GQ article mentioned appears to be yet more proof of the widespread affection for this film. The doctor who pioneered sanitary practices in medicine was Ignatz Semmelweiss, although these ideas didn't take hold until the time of Joseph Lister. Additionally, other medical men (like Oliver Wendell Holmes, for one) arrived at similar notions independent of Semmelweiss. The latter, in fact, refused to publish anything about hand washing because he believed these practices to be “self-evident.”If you want to read about Grover Cleveland getting surgery at sea and see some icky-yet-illumunating photos, the New York Academy of Medicine has a good blog post about it. If you want more, the book Jen mentioned is called The President is a Sick Man, and author Matthew Algeo answered questions about it in this C-SPAN presentation. Have You Seen This? BONUS episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever get bogged down in big biographies? Maybe you'd prefer Matthew Algeo's microcosm histories, which bring usual and entertaining stories from the past into the present. As a reporter, Matthew filed stories from all over the US and four different continents. His first book, Last Team Standing told the unlikely tale of how the Steelers and Eagles combined during World War II. Matthew went on to recount one president's road trip to see his successor's inauguration in Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure, a journalist's controversial exposé of Grover Cleveland's cancer surgery in The President is a Sick Man, and the time when race walking was America's most popular sport in Pedestrianism. His latest book is All This Marvelous Potential, which recreates Robert Kennedy's 1968 trip to poor Appalachian communities in vivid detail. In this episode, Matthew shares: · How he learned to love deadlines instead of feeling pressured about them · What he looks for when digging for details in his research · Why the book writing process is like doing a puzzle · Which techniques he uses to hone his narratives · How he finds fascinating old stories that deserve their own book Pick up a copy of Matthew's latest book, All This Marvelous Potential, and keep up with his writing on his website, https://www.malgeo.net.

What was Grover Cleveland hiding in 1893? When the famously honest president was diagnosed with mouth cancer, he decided to keep it from the public at all costs - even if that meant hatching a hair-brained scheme to surgically remove the tumor on a yacht at sea.Join me as I talk with award-winning journalist and author Matthew Algeo, author of All This Marvelous Potential:Robert Kennedy's 1968 Tour of Appalachia; Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure: The True Story of a Great American Road Trip; and The President Is a Sick Man: Wherein the Supposedly Virtuous Grover Cleveland Survives a Secret Surgery at Sea and Vilifies the Courageous Newspaperman Who Dared Expose the Truth, to discuss how far Cleveland was willing to go to take his secret to the grave.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/AbridgedPresidentialHistories)

C'est le sport le plus cool et le plus suivi à la fin du 19e siècle ! Adhérez à cette chaîne pour obtenir des avantages : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN4TCCaX-gqBNkrUqXdgGRA/join Pour soutenir financièrement la chaîne, trois choix: 1. Cliquez sur le bouton « Adhérer » sous la vidéo. 2. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hndl 3. UTip: https://utip.io/lhistoirenousledira Avec: Laurent Turcot, professeur en histoire à l'Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Canada Abonnez-vous à ma chaine: https://www.youtube.com/c/LHistoirenousledira Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/histoirenousledira Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurentturcot Les vidéos sont utilisées à des fins éducatives selon l'article 107 du Copyright Act de 1976 sur le Fair-Use. Pour aller plus loin: Matthew Algeo, Pedestrianism: When Watching People Walk Was America's Favorite Spectator Sport, Chicago, Chicago Review Press, 2014. John A. Lucas, « Pedestrianism and the struggle for the Sir John Astley Belt, 1878-1879 », Research Quarterly. American Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation, Vol. 39, 1968, p. 587-594. Dahn Shaulis, « Pedestriennes: Newsworthy but Controversial Women in Sporting Entertainment », Journal of Sport History, Vol. 26, No. 1 (Spring 1999), pp. 29-50 Jim Reisler, Walk of Ages: Edward Payson Weston's Extraordinary 1909 Trek Across America, University of Nebraska Press, 2015. Ari de Wilde, « Six‐day racing entrepreneurs and the emergence of the twentieth century arena sportscape, 1891‐1912 », Journal of Historical Research in Marketing, Vol. 4, no 4, 2012, p. 532-553. Greg Salvesen, « Six-day footraces in the post-pedestrianism era », Journal of Quantitative Analysis in Sports, 2019. In The 1870s And '80s, Being A Pedestrian Was Anything But https://www.npr.org/2014/04/03/297327865/in-the-1870s-and-80s-being-a-pedestrian-was-anything-but #histoire #documentaire #sport

Matthew Algeo, Award-winning journalist and Author of Pedestrianism: When Watching People Walk Was America's Favorite Spectator Sport, joined Sean on the show... Listen and subscribe to Moncrieff on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify.    Download, listen and subscribe on the Newstalk App.     You can also listen to Newstalk live on newstalk.com or on Alexa, by adding the Newstalk skill and asking: 'Alexa, play Newstalk'.

We talk with noted author Matthew Algeo about his book, "The President is a Sick Man: Wherein the Supposedly Virtuous Grover Cleveland Survives A Secret Surgery At Sea and Villifies The Courageous Newspaperman Who Dared Expose the Truth." In what has to be considered one of the biggest scandals in presidential history, Grover Cleveland and a batch of physicians stole away from the White House and boarded a yacht, where the president then endured a surgery to remove cancer from the roof of his mouth. The cigar-chomping, former Buffalo pub-hound then ordered the surgery hidden from the public to protect his political standing. His aides then blackballed a reporter who broke the story, only to admit he was right years later. Algeo explains why it's always important for the public to be kept abreast of the president's health, and why aggressive journalism has never been more important.Algeo's website can be found at malgeo.netHe is available on twitter at twitter.com/malgeoWe do want to invite listeners to our Patreon page, to ask for your support in keeping the show going, which is www.patreon.com/axelbankhistoryAxelbank Reports History and Today can be found on social media at www.twitter.com/axelbankhistorywww.instagram.com/axelbankhistorywww.facebook.com/axelbankhistory

Who knew watching someone walk would be a more popular spectator sport than baseball, football or horse racing? During the 1870s and 1880s, that was the case. Sold out arenas watched competitors walk around tracks almost non-stop for six days straight going over 500 miles. Some walking contests were created from wagers that had athletes walk hundreds of miles between cities....in the snow! Pedestrianism may be the long lost relative of our sport! Author Matthew Algeo joins The Nation to teach us about a long-forgotten sport, known as pedestrianism. This sport spawned America's first celebrity athletes, made them rich and opened the doors for immigrants, African Americans and women. Matthew Algeo has written many books that evolve around interesting events in American history. He is a journalist that has reported from four continents and these stories have appeared on some of the most popular public radio programs. Matt currently lives in Sarajevo with his wife, Allyson, and his daughter, Zaya His book, "Pedestrianism: When Watching People Walk Was America's Favorite Spectator Sport" is a fun read that might teach you some strategies on how to be a better runner! Find out more about Matthew and his other books on his website

In the late winter of 1968 Democrat US Senator Robert Kennedy undertook a two day tour of Eastern Kentucky to gauge the progress of President Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty and to test his antiwar and antipoverty message with Appalachian voters. Now there’s a new book out on this important chapter in Kentucky and American political history. WUKY's Alan Lytle recently sat down with award winning journalist Matthew Algeo – author of All This Marvelous Potential – Robert Kennedy’s 1968 Tour of Appalachia.

In this episode we talk with Matthew Algeo - a journalist based in Sarajevo - about his book "All This Marvelous Potential: Robert Kennedy’s 1968 Tour of Appalachia" which was published in March 2020. Algeo talks about why he wanted to tell this story, what he learned about Appalachia as a researcher from Philadelphia, and he talks about some of the folks in eastern Kentucky he got to interview about their memories of RFK’s visit in 1968.

SUMMARY Award- winning journalist and six-time author Matthew Algeo brings us Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure: The True Story of a Great American Road Trip. By retracing the Trumans’ 2500-mile journey from Independence, Missouri to the East Coast and back again, Algeo captures the ordinariness of an extraordinary former U.S. President and his wife Bess. Although the Trumans could not reasonably travel incognito, as they had planned, they travel on a tight budget, staying in simple hotels and eating at everyday diners along the way. Truman, our last citizen-president, uses his road trip to visit old friends as well as to capitalize on the chance to secure a retirement pension for himself and future ex-presidents. He also becomes “the first ex-president to engage in partisan politics in the age of modern mass media.” Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure is a great read-aloud for families who want to understand 1950s American history and all its tangents and contradictions. LITTLE-KNOWN FACTS With only a high-school diploma, he’s the last American president to not attend college. When Truman leaves the White House in 1953, he has no plan for the rest of his life and his only income is a small army pension of $111.96/month. Truman, a “road scholar,” campaigns vigorously to improve the U.S. transportation system. Truman loves driving (fast), but he gets rusty in while in the White House. In spite of getting many lucrative offers, Truman refuses to “commercialize” the presidency or “exploit or trivialize the office in any way.” The Trumans travel without Secret Service protection. In the early 1950s, no two hotels and motels are alike, and even finding one could be difficult when road-tripping. Cold-War fear and carefree optimism co-exist in the 1950s. Truman, in all practical terms, invents the modern press conference. QUOTES FROM ALGEO “Harry Truman was the last president to leave the White House and return to something resembling a normal life.” “Harry and Bess Truman’s road trip…marked the end of an era: never again would a former president and the first lady mingle so casually with their fellow citizens.” “The [road] trip was…part of his effort to make the transition…from Mr. President to Mr. Citizen.” “[In Truman’s day,] you worked until you couldn’t work anymore, in which case your family, probably large, provided for you. Or you worked until you died. No gold watches, no pensions, no Social Security.” BUY Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure: The True Story of a Great American Road Trip RECOMMENDATIONS BUY "Truman" by David McCullough (Hardcover, 1992 Edition) BUY All This Marvelous Potential: Robert Kennedy's 1968 Tour of Appalachia by Matthew Algeo  Connect with us! Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Website Special thanks… Music Credit Sound Editing Credit  

Matthew Algeo Interview - Part 2 This episode we fire up the DeLorean and head back to December 26, 1943, and we are at Wrigley Field to watch the 1943 NFL Championship game between the Washington Redskins and the Chicago Bears.  We learned a little about this game back in the episode about Bronko Nagurski.  The reason this moment is so important is that Bronko was called back to the NFL after the league was decimated from players leaving for the war. We also left off at this point in the story with our guest riding shotgun with us in the DeLorean on last week's episode.  His name is Matthew Algeo.  If you did not listen to Part 1 of the interview, I highly suggest you do that first.  Matthew is an award-winning journalist that has reported from four continents.  His stories have appeared on public radio’s All Things Considered, Marketplace, and Morning Edition. Here you can find the dedicated Matthew Algeo page. He is the author of five books, and the topic of this episode is Last Team Standing - How the Steelers and the Eagles - The STEAGLES - Saved Pro Football During World War II.  This book won the 2006 Nelson Ross Award from the Pro Football Researchers Association, which recognizes his outstanding achievement in pro football research and historiography.  In this episode, we get to learn about the creation of the STEAGLES up through the end of the season, and the next episode will be the remainder of the Matthew Algeo interview. You can pick up any of Matthew's books through the following Amazon links.  Note - As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.  Let’s just say these books are obscurely intriguing, and if you have an inquisitive mind that gets sucked into thought-provoking stories, then I suggest you check out his work.  But without further ado, I present to you, Matthew Algeo. So, strap on your seat belt, and let’s get ready to take this baby up to 88mph. Matthew Algeo Books Last Team Standing: How the Steelers and the Eagles—"The Steagles"—Saved Pro Football During World War II Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure Pedestrianism: When Watching People Walk Was America's Favorite Spectator Sport The President Is a Sick Man: Wherein the Supposedly Virtuous Grover Cleveland Survives a Secret Surgery at Sea and Vilifies the Courageous Newspaperman Who Dared Expose the Truth Abe & Fido: Lincoln's Love of Animals and the Touching Story of His Favorite Canine Companion Connect with the show: Visit the show notes for this episode https://thefootballhistorydude.com/about-the-show/ (Visit me on the web - my about page) https://thefootballhistorydude.com/contact/ (Contact the show) https://twitter.com/FHDude (Follow me on Twitter) Subscribe on YouTube Promotions: FREE ENTRY TO DRAFTKINGS AMAZON MUSIC UNLIMITED FREE TRIAL AMAZON PRIME FREE TRIAL FREE AUDIOBOOKS FROM AUDIOBOOKS Are you interested in sharing your favorite football moment on the show?  This is your chance to share your story with all my listener’s. http://www.myfootballmoment.com (Click here to share your favorite football moment)     https://twitter.com/share (Tweet)   LINKS FROM THE SHOW http://www.mattalgeo.com/home.html (Matthew Algeo Website) NFL Films - The Story of the Steagles The Steagles - An Unforgettable 1943 Season Remember When - Philly and Pittsburgh Merged to Form Steagles http://www.espn.com/espn/wire/_/id/1596022 (ESPN - World War II STEAGLES to be Honored) http://www.profootballresearchers.org/pfra-awards.htm (Pro Football Researchers Association Awards)         Please enter your name. Please enter a valid email address. Thanks for subscribing! Please check your email for further instructions. " /> Mash This Button to Subscribe to the Newsletter Something went wrong. Please check your entries and try again. Support this podcast

Matthew Algeo Interview - Part 1 This episode we fire up the DeLorean and head back to December 7, 1941, and we are in the parking lot of New York Giant’s Polo Ground.  We also have a passenger riding shotgun with us.  His name is Matthew Algeo.  Matthew is an award-winning journalist that has reported from four continents.  His stories have appeared on public radio’s All Things Considered, Marketplace, and Morning Edition. Here you can find the dedicated Matthew Algeo page. He is the author of five books, and the topic of this episode is Last Team Standing - How the Steelers and the Eagles - The STEAGLES - Saved Pro Football During World War II.  This book won the 2006 Nelson Ross Award from the Pro Football Researchers Association, which recognizes his outstanding achievement in pro football research and historiography.  In this episode, we get to learn about the creation of the STEAGLES up through the end of the season, and the next episode will be the remainder of the Matthew Algeo interview. You can pick up any of Matthew's books through the following Amazon links.  Note - As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.  Let’s just say these books are obscurely intriguing, and if you have an inquisitive mind that gets sucked into thought-provoking stories, then I suggest you check out his work.  But without further ado, I present to you, Matthew Algeo. So, strap on your seat belt, and let’s get ready to take this baby up to 88mph. Matthew Algeo Books Last Team Standing: How the Steelers and the Eagles—"The Steagles"—Saved Pro Football During World War II Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure Pedestrianism: When Watching People Walk Was America's Favorite Spectator Sport The President Is a Sick Man: Wherein the Supposedly Virtuous Grover Cleveland Survives a Secret Surgery at Sea and Vilifies the Courageous Newspaperman Who Dared Expose the Truth Abe & Fido: Lincoln's Love of Animals and the Touching Story of His Favorite Canine Companion Connect with the show: Visit the show notes for this episode https://thefootballhistorydude.com/about-the-show/ (Visit me on the web - my about page) https://thefootballhistorydude.com/contact/ (Contact the show) https://twitter.com/FHDude (Follow me on Twitter) Subscribe on YouTube Promotions: FREE ENTRY TO DRAFTKINGS AMAZON MUSIC UNLIMITED FREE TRIAL AMAZON PRIME FREE TRIAL FREE AUDIOBOOKS FROM AUDIOBOOKS Read Full Transcript Are you interested in sharing your favorite football moment on the show?  This is your chance to share your story with all my listener’s. http://www.myfootballmoment.com (Click here to share your favorite football moment) Tweet LINKS FROM THE SHOW http://www.mattalgeo.com/home.html (Matthew Algeo Website) NFL Films - The Story of the Steagles The Steagles - An Unforgettable 1943 Season Remember When - Philly and Pittsburgh Merged to Form Steagles http://www.espn.com/espn/wire/_/id/1596022 (ESPN - World War II STEAGLES to be Honored) http://www.profootballresearchers.org/pfra-awards.htm (Pro Football Researchers Association Awards)       Please enter your name. Please enter a valid email address. Thanks for subscribing! Please check your email for further instructions. " /> Mash This Button to Subscribe to the Newsletter Something went wrong. Please check your entries and try again. Support this podcast

We welcome Matthew Algeo, author of Abe and Fido, a book about the Lincoln family dog.  Matthew shares his vast knowledge of Lincoln's relationship with animals, especially the lovable mutt Fido.

In 1893, Grover Cleveland discovered a cancerous tumor on the roof of his mouth. It was feared that public knowledge of the president's illness might set off a financial panic, so Cleveland suggested a daring plan: a secret surgery aboard a moving yacht. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe the president's gamble -- and the courageous reporter who threatened to expose it. We'll also audit some wallabies and puzzle over some welcome neo-Nazis. Intro: Robert Louis Stevenson inadvertently borrowed much of Treasure Island from Washington Irving. When Graeme Gibson donated his parrot to the Toronto Zoo, it suddenly called after him. Sources for our feature on Grover Cleveland's secret surgery: Matthew Algeo, The President Is a Sick Man: Wherein the Supposedly Virtuous Grover Cleveland Survives a Secret Surgery at Sea and Vilifies the Courageous Newspaperman Who Dared Expose the Truth, 2011. William Williams Keen, The Surgical Operations on President Cleveland in 1893, 1917. Shahid R. Aziz, "The Oral Surgical Operations of Grover Cleveland: A Presidential Cover-Up," Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 53:9 (1995), 1088-1090. W.O. Fenn et al., "Dr. Joseph Bryant's Role in President Grover Cleveland's Secret Anesthesia and Surgery," Anesthesiology 119:4 (October 2013), 889. "The Secret Operation on President Cleveland," British Medical Journal 1:3568 (May 25, 1929), 965. Ronald H. Spiro, "Verrucous Carcinoma, Then and Now," American Journal of Surgery 176:5 (1998), 393-397. Andrew Renehan and J.C. Lowry, "The Oral Tumours of Two American Presidents: What If They Were Alive Today?", Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 88:7 (1995), 377. Philip H. Cooper, "President Cleveland's Palatal Tumor," Archives of Dermatology 122:7 (1986), 747-748. Richard L. Rovit and William T. Couldwell, "A Man for All Seasons: WW Keen," Neurosurgery 50:1 (2002), 181-190. "Without Prejudice," British Medical Journal 2:5467 (Oct. 16, 1965), 938. John J. Brooks and Horatio T. Enterline, "The Final Diagnosis of President Cleveland's Lesion," JAMA 244:24 (1980), 2729-2729. William Maloney, "Surreptitious Surgery on Long Island Sound," New York State Dental Journal 76:1 (January 2010), 42-45. Robert S. Robins and Henry Rothschild, "Ethical Dilemmas of the President's Physician," Politics and the Life Sciences 7:1, Medicine and Political Behavior (August 1988), 3-11. Richard Norton Smith, "'The President Is Fine' and Other Historical Lies," Columbia Journalism Review 40:3 (September/October 2001), 30-32. "A Yacht, A Mustache: How A President Hid His Tumor," Morning Edition, National Public Radio, July 6, 2011. "Grover Cleveland - Secret Surgery," University of Arizona Health Sciences Library, July 20, 2018. Arlene Shaner, "The Secret Surgeries of Grover Cleveland," New York Academy of Medicine, Feb. 27, 2014. Paul Maloney, "Grover Cleveland's Secret Surgery," Grover Cleveland Birthplace Memorial Association (accessed July 23, 2018). "Dr. W.W. Keen Dies; Famous Surgeon," New York Times, June 8, 1932. Abigail Trafford, "Presidential Illness: Are Coverups Still Possible?", Montreal Gazette, Jan. 8, 1987, A1. Martin D. Tullai, "Health Secret Was Once Possible for U.S. President," Salt Lake Tribune, March 14, 1994, A6. Allan B. Schwartz, "Medical Mystery: Grover Cleveland’s Secret Operation," Philadelphia Inquirer, Oct. 24, 2016. Dan Gunderman, "The Secretive, Disfiguring Medical Battle Waged by President Grover Cleveland as the Nation Fell Into a Deep Depression," New York Daily News, Dec. 25, 2016. David Steinberg, "Should the President Undergo Independent Medical Evaluations?", Boston Globe, May 27, 2018, A.4. Listener mail: "Wallabies in Onchan," Onchan and Garff Area Matters, Facebook, July 12, 2018. Samantha Harrelson, "Wandering Kangaroo Causes Rollover Crash Near Dodson in Northern Montana," KTVQ, June 21, 2018. "Two Injured in Montana After Swerving to Avoid a Kangaroo or Wallaby," KULR 8, June 21, 2018. Rob Rogers, "Startled Driver Rolls Car to Avoid 'Kangaroo' in Northern Montana," Billings Gazette, June 21, 2018. "Prohibited Species," Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (accessed Aug. 16, 2018). "Animals Go Wild! The Wallabies of Kalihi Valley," Hawaii News Now (accessed Aug. 16, 2018). "Native Animals," New Zealand Department of Conservation (accessed Aug. 16, 2018). "Kawau Island Wallabies," New Zealand Department of Conservation (accessed Aug. 16, 2018). Wikipedia, "Kawau Island: History" (accessed Aug. 12, 2018). This week's lateral thinking puzzle was devised by Sharon. Here are three corroborating links (warning -- these spoil the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on Google Podcasts, on Apple Podcasts, or via the RSS feed at https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the Support Us page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!

Author Matthew Algeo (Last Team Standing: How the Steelers and the Eagles – "The Steagles" – Saved Pro Football During World War II) joins Tim Hanlon all the way from Maputo, Mozambique to discuss the marriage of convenience that literally saved the National Football League from collapse in 1943.  Algeo describes how a desperate Art Rooney scrambled to save his Pittsburgh Steelers franchise, depleted by wartime military call-ups; how a hastily assembled squad of ragtag draft rejects practiced football at night while maintaining defense jobs by day (including one player who worked on the eventual war-ending Manhattan Project); why the “Phil-Pitt Combine” wore Eagles colors and played more home games in Philadelphia than in Pittsburgh; and, in a PODCAST EXCLUSIVE, why the story of the Steagles just might soon be coming to a theatre near you.

Sports is a multi-billion dollar industry. Hundreds of millions of people consumer this entertainment either live or on TV, and athletes are paid millions for what they do. But all this started with the super exciting sport of competitive walking. You read that right. My guest today is Matthew Algeo, and he's written a book called Pedestrianism: When Watching People Walk Was America's Favorite Spectator Sport. It's a fascinating bit of lost American history, and on today's show, Algeo and I discuss competitive walking, and its larger implications and influences on sports today.

Host: John J. Russell, MD In the late 19th century, America’s most popular spectator sport drew thousands of fans, created celebirty athletes, endured scandals for performance-enhancing drugs, and opened doors for immigrants, African Americans, and women. But this sport wasn’t baseball, boxing, or horseracing—it was competitive walking. Dr. John Russell speaks with Matthew Algeo, author of Pedestrianism, about competitive walking’s peculiar appeal and popularity, its rapid demise, and its enduring influence in American spectator sports.

Host: John J. Russell, MD In the late 19th century, America’s most popular spectator sport drew thousands of fans, created celebirty athletes, endured scandals for performance-enhancing drugs, and opened doors for immigrants, African Americans, and women. But this sport wasn’t baseball, boxing, or horseracing—it was competitive walking. Dr. John Russell speaks with Matthew Algeo, author of Pedestrianism, about competitive walking’s peculiar appeal and popularity, its rapid demise, and its enduring influence in American spectator sports.

Host: John J. Russell, MD In the late 19th century, America’s most popular spectator sport drew thousands of fans, created celebirty athletes, endured scandals for performance-enhancing drugs, and opened doors for immigrants, African Americans, and women. But this sport wasn’t baseball, boxing, or horseracing—it was competitive walking. Dr. John Russell speaks with Matthew Algeo, author of Pedestrianism, about competitive walking’s peculiar appeal and popularity, its rapid demise, and its enduring influence in American spectator sports.

Once upon a time, before baseball drew crowds to America’s ballparks and English workers spent their Saturdays at the football grounds, one of the most popular spectator events in both countries was watching people walk. Pedestrianism had its start outdoors, as walkers set off on long-distance treks for the simple... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Once upon a time, before baseball drew crowds to America’s ballparks and English workers spent their Saturdays at the football grounds, one of the most popular spectator events in both countries was watching people walk. Pedestrianism had its start outdoors, as walkers set off on long-distance treks for the simple challenge of it–or to win a bet. In the 1870s, the sport moved indoors. Tens of thousands of spectators filled the great exhibition halls of industrial cities to watch pedestrians circle a track on the floor. The big event was the six-day race, in which racers competed to see who could cover the greatest distance in the allotted time. Winners typically exceeded 500 miles. In his book Pedestrianism: When Watching People Walk Was America’s Favorite Spectator Sport (Chicago Review Press, 2014), Matthew Algeo offers an engaging account of this curious chapter in the history of sport. As Matthew points out, 19th-century pedestrianism is a revealing episode in the history of the industrial age, as promoters launched new events and venues to entertain growing urban populations. Walking races also had many of the same features as contemporary sports culture, from doping scandals to merchandise featuring the star walkers. Pedestrianism was short-lived. But while the sport lasted, the great long-distance walkers were featured in newspapers and on cigarette cards, and crowds followed the races in massive halls and at local telegraph stations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Once upon a time, before baseball drew crowds to America’s ballparks and English workers spent their Saturdays at the football grounds, one of the most popular spectator events in both countries was watching people walk. Pedestrianism had its start outdoors, as walkers set off on long-distance treks for the simple challenge of it–or to win a bet. In the 1870s, the sport moved indoors. Tens of thousands of spectators filled the great exhibition halls of industrial cities to watch pedestrians circle a track on the floor. The big event was the six-day race, in which racers competed to see who could cover the greatest distance in the allotted time. Winners typically exceeded 500 miles. In his book Pedestrianism: When Watching People Walk Was America’s Favorite Spectator Sport (Chicago Review Press, 2014), Matthew Algeo offers an engaging account of this curious chapter in the history of sport. As Matthew points out, 19th-century pedestrianism is a revealing episode in the history of the industrial age, as promoters launched new events and venues to entertain growing urban populations. Walking races also had many of the same features as contemporary sports culture, from doping scandals to merchandise featuring the star walkers. Pedestrianism was short-lived. But while the sport lasted, the great long-distance walkers were featured in newspapers and on cigarette cards, and crowds followed the races in massive halls and at local telegraph stations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Once upon a time, before baseball drew crowds to America’s ballparks and English workers spent their Saturdays at the football grounds, one of the most popular spectator events in both countries was watching people walk. Pedestrianism had its start outdoors, as walkers set off on long-distance treks for the simple challenge of it–or to win a bet. In the 1870s, the sport moved indoors. Tens of thousands of spectators filled the great exhibition halls of industrial cities to watch pedestrians circle a track on the floor. The big event was the six-day race, in which racers competed to see who could cover the greatest distance in the allotted time. Winners typically exceeded 500 miles. In his book Pedestrianism: When Watching People Walk Was America’s Favorite Spectator Sport (Chicago Review Press, 2014), Matthew Algeo offers an engaging account of this curious chapter in the history of sport. As Matthew points out, 19th-century pedestrianism is a revealing episode in the history of the industrial age, as promoters launched new events and venues to entertain growing urban populations. Walking races also had many of the same features as contemporary sports culture, from doping scandals to merchandise featuring the star walkers. Pedestrianism was short-lived. But while the sport lasted, the great long-distance walkers were featured in newspapers and on cigarette cards, and crowds followed the races in massive halls and at local telegraph stations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An interview with Matthew Algeo, author of Pedestrianism: When Watching People Walk was America’s Favorite Spectator Sport (Chicago Review Press). In this interview, Mr. Algeo recounts the origins of epic multi-day, nonstop footraces that captured the public imagination in 19th century Great Britain and the United States. Subscribe in a reader

Host: John J. Russell, MD An extraordinary yet almost unknown chapter in American history is revealed in this extensively researched exposé by author Matthew Algeo. On July 1, 1893, President Grover Cleveland boarded a friend's yacht and was not heard from for five days. During that time, a team of doctors removed a cancerous tumor from the president's palate along with much of his upper jaw. When an enterprising reporter named E. J. Edwards exposed the secret operation, Cleveland denied it and Edwards was consequently dismissed as a disgrace to journalism. Twenty-four years later, one of the president's doctors finally revealed the incredible truth, but many Americans simply would not believe it. After all, Grover Cleveland's political career was built upon honesty-his most memorable quote was "Tell the truth"-so it was nearly impossible to believe he was involved in such a brazen cover-up. "The President Is a Sick Man" is the first full account of the disappearance of Grover Cleveland during that summer more than a century ago. Dr. John Russell hosts this fascinating conversation with author Matthew Algeo.

Host: John J. Russell, MD An extraordinary yet almost unknown chapter in American history is revealed in this extensively researched exposé by author Matthew Algeo. On July 1, 1893, President Grover Cleveland boarded a friend's yacht and was not heard from for five days. During that time, a team of doctors removed a cancerous tumor from the president's palate along with much of his upper jaw. When an enterprising reporter named E. J. Edwards exposed the secret operation, Cleveland denied it and Edwards was consequently dismissed as a disgrace to journalism. Twenty-four years later, one of the president's doctors finally revealed the incredible truth, but many Americans simply would not believe it. After all, Grover Cleveland's political career was built upon honesty-his most memorable quote was "Tell the truth"-so it was nearly impossible to believe he was involved in such a brazen cover-up. "The President Is a Sick Man" is the first full account of the disappearance of Grover Cleveland during that summer more than a century ago. Dr. John Russell hosts this fascinating conversation with author Matthew Algeo.

Worlds of Books” will meet on January 20 at 5:00 PM EST to discuss Matthew Algeo's HARRY TRUMAN'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE: THE TRUE STORY OF A GREAT AMERICAN ROAD TRIP. It is on BARD (DB69543).

Author of "The President is a Sick Man: Wherein the Supposedly Virtuous Grover Cleveland Survives a Secret Surgery at Sea and Vilifies the Courageous Newspaperman Who Dared Expose the Truth"

When he's not writing his own biography in the third person, Matthew Algeo writes about unusual and interesting events in American history. His latest book is The President Is a Sick Man (Chicago Review Press, 2011). His previous book, Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure, was named one of the best books of 2009 by the Washington Post. Algeo is also a journalist. He has reported from three continents, and his stories have appeared on some of the most popular public radio programs in the United States. In addition to reporting and writing, Algeo has held jobs as a convenience store clerk, a gas station attendant, a Halloween costume salesman, and a proofreader. He also worked in a traveling circus (as a hot dog vendor; no acrobatics involved). His website Click HERE In the 2-3rd went over Mount Tambora news along with the Last Pope. Last half hour, Pastor Jacque McDaniel of Worship International Church will be with us to give his testimony in regards to his illness he suffered back in the 1990's. Pastor McDaniel was a successful business man until a sudden change happened. He was struck with a severe illness and mysterious illness that left him helpless. The Doctors were unsure if he suffered from M.S, stroke, or a virus. This illness impaired his vision and mobility. As of a result, he could not put on a pair of pants, shave, and he wore a patch over his right eye. His website Click HERE His new BTR Show Click HERE To Donate Click HERE  

Memorial day is coming up, and maybe you are going to take a little car trip. It might even be a “road trip,” one of the great American enterprises (which isn’t to say other folks don’t take them, but Americans can rightly say they invented this genre of fun). In 1953, Harry and Bess Truman took a road trip in a shiny new Chrysler. Without any secret service protection at all. Harry wanted to see what it was like to be a private citizen again. He did and he didn’t, as Matthew Algeo explains in his charming new book Harry Truman’s Excellent Adventure. The True Story of a Great American Road Trip (Chicago Review Press, 2009). Even in those days, it was hard for ex-presidents to keep a low profile. Harry and Bess did their best, but people wanted to see them and talk to them. They did. Perhaps that’s what Harry wanted all along. It’s hard to say. But this much is sure: no American president could do anything similar today. George Bush (either one) can’t go to the store to buy a gallon of milk without his “detail,” and he probably couldn’t get fifty feet from his door without encountering a mix of well-wishers and protesters. Harry and Bess met a horde of the former and none of the latter. The presidency has changed, and so has America. Read all about it in this most readable of books. Please become a fan of “New Books in History” on Facebook if you haven’t already. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Memorial day is coming up, and maybe you are going to take a little car trip. It might even be a “road trip,” one of the great American enterprises (which isn’t to say other folks don’t take them, but Americans can rightly say they invented this genre of fun). In 1953, Harry and Bess Truman took a road trip in a shiny new Chrysler. Without any secret service protection at all. Harry wanted to see what it was like to be a private citizen again. He did and he didn’t, as Matthew Algeo explains in his charming new book Harry Truman’s Excellent Adventure. The True Story of a Great American Road Trip (Chicago Review Press, 2009). Even in those days, it was hard for ex-presidents to keep a low profile. Harry and Bess did their best, but people wanted to see them and talk to them. They did. Perhaps that’s what Harry wanted all along. It’s hard to say. But this much is sure: no American president could do anything similar today. George Bush (either one) can’t go to the store to buy a gallon of milk without his “detail,” and he probably couldn’t get fifty feet from his door without encountering a mix of well-wishers and protesters. Harry and Bess met a horde of the former and none of the latter. The presidency has changed, and so has America. Read all about it in this most readable of books. Please become a fan of “New Books in History” on Facebook if you haven’t already. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Memorial day is coming up, and maybe you are going to take a little car trip. It might even be a “road trip,” one of the great American enterprises (which isn’t to say other folks don’t take them, but Americans can rightly say they invented this genre of fun). In 1953, Harry and Bess Truman took a road trip in a shiny new Chrysler. Without any secret service protection at all. Harry wanted to see what it was like to be a private citizen again. He did and he didn’t, as Matthew Algeo explains in his charming new book Harry Truman’s Excellent Adventure. The True Story of a Great American Road Trip (Chicago Review Press, 2009). Even in those days, it was hard for ex-presidents to keep a low profile. Harry and Bess did their best, but people wanted to see them and talk to them. They did. Perhaps that’s what Harry wanted all along. It’s hard to say. But this much is sure: no American president could do anything similar today. George Bush (either one) can’t go to the store to buy a gallon of milk without his “detail,” and he probably couldn’t get fifty feet from his door without encountering a mix of well-wishers and protesters. Harry and Bess met a horde of the former and none of the latter. The presidency has changed, and so has America. Read all about it in this most readable of books. Please become a fan of “New Books in History” on Facebook if you haven’t already. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Memorial day is coming up, and maybe you are going to take a little car trip. It might even be a “road trip,” one of the great American enterprises (which isn’t to say other folks don’t take them, but Americans can rightly say they invented this genre of fun). In 1953, Harry and Bess Truman took a road trip in a shiny new Chrysler. Without any secret service protection at all. Harry wanted to see what it was like to be a private citizen again. He did and he didn’t, as Matthew Algeo explains in his charming new book Harry Truman’s Excellent Adventure. The True Story of a Great American Road Trip (Chicago Review Press, 2009). Even in those days, it was hard for ex-presidents to keep a low profile. Harry and Bess did their best, but people wanted to see them and talk to them. They did. Perhaps that’s what Harry wanted all along. It’s hard to say. But this much is sure: no American president could do anything similar today. George Bush (either one) can’t go to the store to buy a gallon of milk without his “detail,” and he probably couldn’t get fifty feet from his door without encountering a mix of well-wishers and protesters. Harry and Bess met a horde of the former and none of the latter. The presidency has changed, and so has America. Read all about it in this most readable of books. Please become a fan of “New Books in History” on Facebook if you haven’t already. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices