Podcast appearances and mentions of Stephen F Knott

An interview with Stephen F. Knott, author of Coming to Terms with John F. Kennedy. The book offers a broad view of the young President, and shows how politicians on both sides of the aisle distorted JFK's record for their own purposes.

Andrew Porwancher is a professor of history at the University of Oklahoma who teaches courses in Constitutional Studies. He earned his Ph.D. in history from Cambridge. We discuss his book The Jewish World of Alexander Hamilton, which won the Journal of the American Revolution Book-of-the-Year Award. Andrew has held research fellowships at a number of universities, including Harvard, Princeton, and Oxford. In 2017, Porwancher won the Longmire Prize for innovation in teaching. We discuss the groundbreaking argument he advances that Alexander Hamilton was probably born Jewish. Why does he believe this and how strong is the evidence? Equally important, what light might this shed on Hamilton's perspectives toward Jews during an era of pervasive antisemitism, his stance on religious liberty, and his relationships with prominent Jews of his time.   Books recommended by Andrew: Alexander Hamilton and the Development of American Law by Kate Elizabeth Brown Alexander Hamilton and the Persistence of Myth by Stephen F. Knott

   March 21, 2023 - How did a man who worked at the JFK Presidential Library grapple with the 35th president's legacy over his own lifetime to deliver portrait of the real man behind the myths of Camelot? In this episode, our time machine welcomes back Stephen F. Knott, author of “Coming to Terms with John F. Kennedy.” We previously welcomed Mr. Knott onto the show way back in 2015 to discuss the book he co-authored with Tony Williams: “Washington & Hamilton: The Alliance that Forged America.” Mr. Knott is a professor of national security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College and worked on Senator Ted Kennedy's campaign in 1976. Find him at StephenFKnott.com or on Twitter and Facebook.

Political Scientist and presidential scholar Stephen Knott has a new book specifically focusing on the 35th president, John F. Kennedy. This book is not exactly a biography, since it is an interesting analysis not just of Kennedy himself as president, but also the context in which Kennedy is considered, understood, and positioned. Coming to Terms with John F. Kennedy (UP of Kansas, 2022) is also a kind of intellectual autobiography of Knott himself, and his evolving consideration of Kennedy as president, but also Kennedy within our collective imaginaries. Knott started his career at the JFK Library in Massachusetts, and he traces how this initial encounter with Kennedy hagiography and the protection of the Kennedy idea contributed to his own skepticism about Kennedy as president. At the same time, Knott has spent much of his intellectual career researching and analyzing presidents from George Washington to Joe Biden, and he has come back to Kennedy to re-evaluate his own assessment of this famous and tragic president, and, importantly, the reality of President John F. Kennedy as opposed to the sanitized and mythologized version of the 35th president. Coming to Terms with John F. Kennedy re-examines the historical touchstones of the Kennedy Administration, digging into what really happened during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the kinds of concessions that were made to Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, instead of the cinematic heroics of the way this incident is usually portrayed. Knott also explores the critique of Kennedy in regard to civil rights and racial progress—re-assessing the more critical narrative about Kennedy and his disconnection from these issues—finding, instead, that Kennedy was moving forward with caution but with commitment. Kennedy's words themselves are also a key focus of the book—from the best-known speeches to more obscure presentations of presidential rhetoric. And while JFK is often lauded for his oratory, Knott makes the case that the appeal in Kennedy's speeches and rhetoric is to our better angels, as citizens and as a country, which is particularly important to understanding the role and place of the United States in this post-WWII period. This analysis positions Kennedy within a rather rarified pantheon as one of America's top orators—with speeches that reflected a patriotic literacy, advocating for unity, and appealing to reason. This is a fascinating book, graceful and accessible in the writing, and interesting in the many threads woven together to consider Kennedy's presidency itself and the position it occupies in American history and our understanding of the United States. Lilly J. Goren is a professor of political science at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI. She is co-editor of The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (University Press of Kansas, 2022), as well as co-editor of the award winning book, Women and the White House: Gender, Popular Culture, and Presidential Politics (University Press of Kentucky, 2012), Email her comments at lgoren@carrollu.edu or tweet to @gorenlj. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Political Scientist and presidential scholar Stephen Knott has a new book specifically focusing on the 35th president, John F. Kennedy. This book is not exactly a biography, since it is an interesting analysis not just of Kennedy himself as president, but also the context in which Kennedy is considered, understood, and positioned. Coming to Terms with John F. Kennedy (UP of Kansas, 2022) is also a kind of intellectual autobiography of Knott himself, and his evolving consideration of Kennedy as president, but also Kennedy within our collective imaginaries. Knott started his career at the JFK Library in Massachusetts, and he traces how this initial encounter with Kennedy hagiography and the protection of the Kennedy idea contributed to his own skepticism about Kennedy as president. At the same time, Knott has spent much of his intellectual career researching and analyzing presidents from George Washington to Joe Biden, and he has come back to Kennedy to re-evaluate his own assessment of this famous and tragic president, and, importantly, the reality of President John F. Kennedy as opposed to the sanitized and mythologized version of the 35th president. Coming to Terms with John F. Kennedy re-examines the historical touchstones of the Kennedy Administration, digging into what really happened during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the kinds of concessions that were made to Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, instead of the cinematic heroics of the way this incident is usually portrayed. Knott also explores the critique of Kennedy in regard to civil rights and racial progress—re-assessing the more critical narrative about Kennedy and his disconnection from these issues—finding, instead, that Kennedy was moving forward with caution but with commitment. Kennedy's words themselves are also a key focus of the book—from the best-known speeches to more obscure presentations of presidential rhetoric. And while JFK is often lauded for his oratory, Knott makes the case that the appeal in Kennedy's speeches and rhetoric is to our better angels, as citizens and as a country, which is particularly important to understanding the role and place of the United States in this post-WWII period. This analysis positions Kennedy within a rather rarified pantheon as one of America's top orators—with speeches that reflected a patriotic literacy, advocating for unity, and appealing to reason. This is a fascinating book, graceful and accessible in the writing, and interesting in the many threads woven together to consider Kennedy's presidency itself and the position it occupies in American history and our understanding of the United States. Lilly J. Goren is a professor of political science at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI. She is co-editor of The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (University Press of Kansas, 2022), as well as co-editor of the award winning book, Women and the White House: Gender, Popular Culture, and Presidential Politics (University Press of Kentucky, 2012), Email her comments at lgoren@carrollu.edu or tweet to @gorenlj. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Political Scientist and presidential scholar Stephen Knott has a new book specifically focusing on the 35th president, John F. Kennedy. This book is not exactly a biography, since it is an interesting analysis not just of Kennedy himself as president, but also the context in which Kennedy is considered, understood, and positioned. Coming to Terms with John F. Kennedy (UP of Kansas, 2022) is also a kind of intellectual autobiography of Knott himself, and his evolving consideration of Kennedy as president, but also Kennedy within our collective imaginaries. Knott started his career at the JFK Library in Massachusetts, and he traces how this initial encounter with Kennedy hagiography and the protection of the Kennedy idea contributed to his own skepticism about Kennedy as president. At the same time, Knott has spent much of his intellectual career researching and analyzing presidents from George Washington to Joe Biden, and he has come back to Kennedy to re-evaluate his own assessment of this famous and tragic president, and, importantly, the reality of President John F. Kennedy as opposed to the sanitized and mythologized version of the 35th president. Coming to Terms with John F. Kennedy re-examines the historical touchstones of the Kennedy Administration, digging into what really happened during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the kinds of concessions that were made to Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, instead of the cinematic heroics of the way this incident is usually portrayed. Knott also explores the critique of Kennedy in regard to civil rights and racial progress—re-assessing the more critical narrative about Kennedy and his disconnection from these issues—finding, instead, that Kennedy was moving forward with caution but with commitment. Kennedy's words themselves are also a key focus of the book—from the best-known speeches to more obscure presentations of presidential rhetoric. And while JFK is often lauded for his oratory, Knott makes the case that the appeal in Kennedy's speeches and rhetoric is to our better angels, as citizens and as a country, which is particularly important to understanding the role and place of the United States in this post-WWII period. This analysis positions Kennedy within a rather rarified pantheon as one of America's top orators—with speeches that reflected a patriotic literacy, advocating for unity, and appealing to reason. This is a fascinating book, graceful and accessible in the writing, and interesting in the many threads woven together to consider Kennedy's presidency itself and the position it occupies in American history and our understanding of the United States. Lilly J. Goren is a professor of political science at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI. She is co-editor of The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (University Press of Kansas, 2022), as well as co-editor of the award winning book, Women and the White House: Gender, Popular Culture, and Presidential Politics (University Press of Kentucky, 2012), Email her comments at lgoren@carrollu.edu or tweet to @gorenlj. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science

Political Scientist and presidential scholar Stephen Knott has a new book specifically focusing on the 35th president, John F. Kennedy. This book is not exactly a biography, since it is an interesting analysis not just of Kennedy himself as president, but also the context in which Kennedy is considered, understood, and positioned. Coming to Terms with John F. Kennedy (UP of Kansas, 2022) is also a kind of intellectual autobiography of Knott himself, and his evolving consideration of Kennedy as president, but also Kennedy within our collective imaginaries. Knott started his career at the JFK Library in Massachusetts, and he traces how this initial encounter with Kennedy hagiography and the protection of the Kennedy idea contributed to his own skepticism about Kennedy as president. At the same time, Knott has spent much of his intellectual career researching and analyzing presidents from George Washington to Joe Biden, and he has come back to Kennedy to re-evaluate his own assessment of this famous and tragic president, and, importantly, the reality of President John F. Kennedy as opposed to the sanitized and mythologized version of the 35th president. Coming to Terms with John F. Kennedy re-examines the historical touchstones of the Kennedy Administration, digging into what really happened during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the kinds of concessions that were made to Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, instead of the cinematic heroics of the way this incident is usually portrayed. Knott also explores the critique of Kennedy in regard to civil rights and racial progress—re-assessing the more critical narrative about Kennedy and his disconnection from these issues—finding, instead, that Kennedy was moving forward with caution but with commitment. Kennedy's words themselves are also a key focus of the book—from the best-known speeches to more obscure presentations of presidential rhetoric. And while JFK is often lauded for his oratory, Knott makes the case that the appeal in Kennedy's speeches and rhetoric is to our better angels, as citizens and as a country, which is particularly important to understanding the role and place of the United States in this post-WWII period. This analysis positions Kennedy within a rather rarified pantheon as one of America's top orators—with speeches that reflected a patriotic literacy, advocating for unity, and appealing to reason. This is a fascinating book, graceful and accessible in the writing, and interesting in the many threads woven together to consider Kennedy's presidency itself and the position it occupies in American history and our understanding of the United States. Lilly J. Goren is a professor of political science at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI. She is co-editor of The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (University Press of Kansas, 2022), as well as co-editor of the award winning book, Women and the White House: Gender, Popular Culture, and Presidential Politics (University Press of Kentucky, 2012), Email her comments at lgoren@carrollu.edu or tweet to @gorenlj. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/biography

Political Scientist and presidential scholar Stephen Knott has a new book specifically focusing on the 35th president, John F. Kennedy. This book is not exactly a biography, since it is an interesting analysis not just of Kennedy himself as president, but also the context in which Kennedy is considered, understood, and positioned. Coming to Terms with John F. Kennedy (UP of Kansas, 2022) is also a kind of intellectual autobiography of Knott himself, and his evolving consideration of Kennedy as president, but also Kennedy within our collective imaginaries. Knott started his career at the JFK Library in Massachusetts, and he traces how this initial encounter with Kennedy hagiography and the protection of the Kennedy idea contributed to his own skepticism about Kennedy as president. At the same time, Knott has spent much of his intellectual career researching and analyzing presidents from George Washington to Joe Biden, and he has come back to Kennedy to re-evaluate his own assessment of this famous and tragic president, and, importantly, the reality of President John F. Kennedy as opposed to the sanitized and mythologized version of the 35th president. Coming to Terms with John F. Kennedy re-examines the historical touchstones of the Kennedy Administration, digging into what really happened during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the kinds of concessions that were made to Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, instead of the cinematic heroics of the way this incident is usually portrayed. Knott also explores the critique of Kennedy in regard to civil rights and racial progress—re-assessing the more critical narrative about Kennedy and his disconnection from these issues—finding, instead, that Kennedy was moving forward with caution but with commitment. Kennedy's words themselves are also a key focus of the book—from the best-known speeches to more obscure presentations of presidential rhetoric. And while JFK is often lauded for his oratory, Knott makes the case that the appeal in Kennedy's speeches and rhetoric is to our better angels, as citizens and as a country, which is particularly important to understanding the role and place of the United States in this post-WWII period. This analysis positions Kennedy within a rather rarified pantheon as one of America's top orators—with speeches that reflected a patriotic literacy, advocating for unity, and appealing to reason. This is a fascinating book, graceful and accessible in the writing, and interesting in the many threads woven together to consider Kennedy's presidency itself and the position it occupies in American history and our understanding of the United States. Lilly J. Goren is a professor of political science at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI. She is co-editor of The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (University Press of Kansas, 2022), as well as co-editor of the award winning book, Women and the White House: Gender, Popular Culture, and Presidential Politics (University Press of Kentucky, 2012), Email her comments at lgoren@carrollu.edu or tweet to @gorenlj. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

Political Scientist and presidential scholar Stephen Knott has a new book specifically focusing on the 35th president, John F. Kennedy. This book is not exactly a biography, since it is an interesting analysis not just of Kennedy himself as president, but also the context in which Kennedy is considered, understood, and positioned. Coming to Terms with John F. Kennedy (UP of Kansas, 2022) is also a kind of intellectual autobiography of Knott himself, and his evolving consideration of Kennedy as president, but also Kennedy within our collective imaginaries. Knott started his career at the JFK Library in Massachusetts, and he traces how this initial encounter with Kennedy hagiography and the protection of the Kennedy idea contributed to his own skepticism about Kennedy as president. At the same time, Knott has spent much of his intellectual career researching and analyzing presidents from George Washington to Joe Biden, and he has come back to Kennedy to re-evaluate his own assessment of this famous and tragic president, and, importantly, the reality of President John F. Kennedy as opposed to the sanitized and mythologized version of the 35th president. Coming to Terms with John F. Kennedy re-examines the historical touchstones of the Kennedy Administration, digging into what really happened during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the kinds of concessions that were made to Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, instead of the cinematic heroics of the way this incident is usually portrayed. Knott also explores the critique of Kennedy in regard to civil rights and racial progress—re-assessing the more critical narrative about Kennedy and his disconnection from these issues—finding, instead, that Kennedy was moving forward with caution but with commitment. Kennedy's words themselves are also a key focus of the book—from the best-known speeches to more obscure presentations of presidential rhetoric. And while JFK is often lauded for his oratory, Knott makes the case that the appeal in Kennedy's speeches and rhetoric is to our better angels, as citizens and as a country, which is particularly important to understanding the role and place of the United States in this post-WWII period. This analysis positions Kennedy within a rather rarified pantheon as one of America's top orators—with speeches that reflected a patriotic literacy, advocating for unity, and appealing to reason. This is a fascinating book, graceful and accessible in the writing, and interesting in the many threads woven together to consider Kennedy's presidency itself and the position it occupies in American history and our understanding of the United States. Lilly J. Goren is a professor of political science at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI. She is co-editor of The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (University Press of Kansas, 2022), as well as co-editor of the award winning book, Women and the White House: Gender, Popular Culture, and Presidential Politics (University Press of Kentucky, 2012), Email her comments at lgoren@carrollu.edu or tweet to @gorenlj. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Heartland's Tim Benson is joined by Stephen F. Knott, professor of national security affairs at Naval War College, to discuss his new book, Coming to Terms with John F. Kennedy. They chat about the mystique around JFK and why it still continues to hold, in some form, almost 60 years after his assassination. They also talk about Kennedy's approach to civil rights, what would have happened with Vietnam if he had survived his fatal trip to Dallas and won a second term, and what his legacy should be today. Get the book here: https://kansaspress.ku.edu/9780700633654/

Heartland's Tim Benson is joined by Stephen F. Knott, professor of national security affairs at Naval War College, to discuss his new book, Coming to Terms with John F. Kennedy. They chat about the mystique around JFK and why it still continues to hold, in some form, almost 60 years after his assassination. They also talk about Kennedy's approach to civil rights, what would have happened with Vietnam if he had survived his fatal trip to Dallas and won a second term, and what his legacy should be today. Get the book here: https://kansaspress.ku.edu/9780700633654/

Matt Crawford speaks with author Stephen F. Knott about his book: Coming to Terms with John F. Kennedy. This book offers us a nuanced view of our thirty-fifth president whose influence and legacy is still debated to this day. Knott examines Kennedy through the lens of five critical issues: his interpretation of presidential power, his approach to civil rights, and his foreign policy toward Cuba, the Soviet Union and Vietnam. We also talk about the Kennedy assassination and how that has prevented an impartial study of his presidency. With a lifetime spent wrestling with JFK's legacy, working at the John F. Kennedy Library, Ted Kennedy's Senate campaign in 1976 and a career of studying, teaching and writing about the American presidency, Knott is the perfect author to take us along on this long-awaited analysis. 

Today on NOW with Dave Brown, Marcia Yale AEBC tells you all about their conference for International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Lawrence Gunther reflects on some of the takeaways from COP27, the United Nations's climate change conference. The RNIB has recently recognizes Samsung's smart TVs for their accessibility to users, Nelson Rego fills you in on the story. Author Dr. Stephen F. Knott discusses his book “Coming to Terms with John F. Kennedy.” And, we have another edition our weekly news quiz with Mike Ross, Karen Magee and Jim Krysko. This is the November 22, 2022 episode.

Author Dr. Stephen F. Knott discusses his book “Coming to Terms with John F. Kennedy.” From the November 22, 2022 episode.

John F. Kennedy served as President of the United States from 1961 until his assassination in November 1963. An impressive and courageous record as president demonstrates Kennedy's unmistakable personal fortitude, but his legacy has been tarnished by his lack of faithfulness to his wife Jackie, and evidence he slept with women linked to the mafia and America's enemies abroad. My guest for this conversation is Stephen F. Knott, professor of National Security Affairs at the US Naval War College in Rhode Island. He has written nine books, and his next one, Coming to Terms with John F Kennedy, comes out this September. Stephen spent a time in his youth working at the John F Kennedy Library in Boston, a place where he met John's wife Jackie Kennedy, but also saw first-hand the arrogance so often ascribed to members of the Kennedy family. 

A chat with Stephen F. Knott, author of "The Lost Soul of the American Presidency:  The Decline into Demagoguery and the Prospects for Renewal."

Bob Bauer and Jack Goldsmith, two attorneys who have worked, respectively, in the Barack Obama and the George W. Bush Administrations, have written a blueprint of considerations to reform and revise aspects of the Executive Branch and the presidency. After Trump: Reconstructing the Presidency (Lawfair Press, 2020) joins a number of recent books—among them Susan Hennessey and Benjamin Wittes' Unmaking the Presidency, Stephen F. Knott's The Lost Soul of the American Presidency, Lara M. Brown's Amateur Hour—that assess the American Presidency, pointing out weaknesses in the structure of the office and the means to hold presidents accountable for their actions and decisions while in office. Bauer and Goldsmith come to their analysis from their perspectives and experiences working as attorneys at the highest levels of the Executive Branch and the presidency. They use these experiences to examine what they have seen transpire over the past four years of the Trump Administration, and the abuses of the office itself and aspects of the Executive Branch, particularly with regard to the Justice Department. This book looks at the institution of the presidency, while also exploring the way that Congress and the Courts work in relation to the Executive, providing a fairly comprehensive road map for reforms that can be done by a number of different political actors, including the next president. After Trump: Reconstructing the Presidency really is a map or blueprint, outlining particular problems or controversial behavior by President Donald Trump and members of the Administration and/or Executive Office of the President staff, examining previous examples of the same kind of problems or behaviors, and then offering proposals for reform or revision that would address the problems or behaviors. After Trump: Reconstructing the Presidency is divided into three sections, each section has particular focal points with regard to the presidency. Part one of the book focuses specifically on the president and advances proposals that, in many cases, would institutionalize and legalize norms that had been in place and adhered to by previous presidents, but not by President Trump. The second section, which is quite extensive, spotlights the relationship between the president and the Department of Justice. This part of the book proposes reforms that aim to keep the Justice Department independent of presidential interference and allows the Department to function and use its extraordinary tools and law enforcement capacities in a way that is free from corruption or inappropriate influence. The third part of the book is also the most difficult part in terms of reforms, since this section of the book treads into the area of presidential power that is long standing, and historically the realm of the Executive in the constitutional system. Bauer and Goldsmith note that they are committed to the idea of a powerful president, in line with Alexander Hamilton's argument for an energetic executive in Federalist #70. But they also note that the president needs to be constitutionally accountable, thus their book aims at reforms that will institutionalize some of the guardrails that would contribute to more accountability without weakening the president or the presidency. Lilly J. Goren is professor of political science at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI. She is co-editor of the award-winning book, Women and the White House: Gender, Popular Culture, and Presidential Politics (University Press of Kentucky, 2012). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of ITPL, we focus on Alexander Hamilton. You may have noticed that Hamilton has become the hottest Founder in recent years – and it’s all due to the smash Broadway hit, “Hamilton: The Musical.” So here’s the lineup: 1. First, I provide a brief backgrounder on the remarkable life of Alexander Hamilton. 2. Second, I sit down with historian Stephen F. Knott to discuss his book, Washington and Hamilton: The Alliance that Forged America (Sourcebooks, 2015). He and his co-author Tony Williams argue that the relationship between Washington and Hamilton had a major impact on the outcome of the American Revolution and the subsequent creation of the American republic. 3. Finally, I drop by the one permanent site in Manhattan that’s dedicated to the nation’s first Secretary of the Treasury. It’s the Hamilton Grange in Harlem. I speak with National Park Service ranger Liam Strain about the site’s history and how “Hamilton: The Musical” has dramatically increased visitor traffic at the site. You can find show notes for this episode and more information about the podcast at www.InThePastLane.com In The Past Lane is a production of Snoring Beagle International, Ltd. About Stephen F. Knott – website About the Hamilton Grange – website Further Reading Stephen F. Knott and Tony Williams, Washington and Hamilton: The Alliance that Forged America (Sourcebooks, 2015) Ronald Chernow, Alexander Hamilton (Penguin, 2004) Joseph J. Ellis, The Quartet: Orchestrating the Second American Revolution, 1783-1789 (2015) Thomas Fleming, The Great Divide: The Conflict between Washington and Jefferson that Defined a Nation (2015) Joanne B. Freeman, Affairs of Honor: National Politics in the New Republic Robert Middlekauff, The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763-1789 (2005) Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter, Hamilton: The Revolution (2016) John Sedgwick, War of Two: Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, and the Duel that Stunned the Nation (2015) Jim Beckerman, “Hamilton Tourist Sites in New Jersey Ride the Wave of the Hit Musical,” Associated Press, Jun 12, 2016 Linda Flanagan, “How Teachers Are Using ‘Hamilton’ the Musical in the Classroom,” KQED.org Valerie Strauss, “The unusual way Broadway’s ‘Hamilton’ is teaching U.S. history to kids,” Washington Post, June 28, 2016 Music for This Episode Jay Graham, ITPL Intro (JayGMusic.com) Kevin McCleod, “Impact Moderato” (Free Music Archive) Doctor Turtle, “Often Outmumbled Never Outpunned” (Free Music Archive) Lee Rosevere, “Going Home” (Free Music Archive) The Bell, ”On The Street,” (Free Music Archive) The Bell, “I Am History” (Free Music Archive) Production Credits Executive Producer: Lulu Spencer Associate Producer, Devyn McHugh Technical Advisors: Holly Hunt and Jesse Anderson Photographer: John Buckingham Graphic Designer: Maggie Cellucci Website by: ERI Design Legal services: Tippecanoe and Tyler Too Social Media management: The Pony Express Risk Assessment: Little Big Horn Associates Growth strategies: 54 40 or Fight © In The Past Lane 2020 

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, Chris and Melanie are joined by Thomas Spoehr of the Heritage Foundation to talk about President Trump's FY2021 defense budget request: What's good in this budget, what's really bad, and what surprised them the most. Chris presses the issue of hearings on Afghanistan, Melanie recommends a new book on the presidency, and Thomas applauds a celebration of Washington's birthday.   Links "President's Budget FY 2021," White House, February 10, 2020 "Defense Budget Overview: Irreversible Implementation of the National Defense Strategy," Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, February 2020 Aaron Mehta, "Here's How Much Money the Pentagon Found through Internal Savings and Where It's Going," Defense News, February 6, 2020 David Larter, "As China Continues Rapid Naval Expansion, the US Navy Begins Stockpiling Ship-Killing Missiles," Defense News, February 11, 2020 Andrew Taylor, "Trump's $4.8 Trillion Budget Proposal Revisits Rejected Cuts," AP News, February 10, 2020 Marcus Weisgerber, "DOD's 2021 Budget Would Trim Arsenal, Shift Funds to Arms Development," Defense One, February 10, 2020 Stephen F. Knott, The Lost Soul of the American Presidency, (University of Kansas Press, 2019) Ashley Townsend, Brendan Thomas-Noone, and Matilda Steward, "Averting Crisis: American Strategy Military Spending, and Collective Defense in the Indo-Pacific," United States Studies Centre, August 19, 2019 Thomas Spoehr, “Why the US Navy Needs At Least 355 Ships,” National Interest, February 11, 2020

This week's guest is Stephen F. Knott of the Naval War College, discussing his terrific new book, The Lost Soul of the American Presidency: The Decline into Demagoguery and the Prospects for Renewal, just out from University Press of Kansas. Knott, one of the nation's pre-eminent scholars of Alexander Hamilton, thinks the American presidency has slipped from the modest republican design of the... Source

In this latest book, Stephen F. Knott continues his extensive research of the American presidency, from the Founders’ concept of the office to the current office holder. In The Lost Soul of the American Presidency: The Decline into Demagoguery and the Prospects for Renewal (University of Kansas Press, 2019), Knott guides the reader through more than 200 years of presidents and the changes that these individuals have brought to the office itself. Knott—a scholar of the founding period, and, in particular, of Alexander Hamilton and the role that he played in establishing the Executive branch in the constitutional system—explores the foundational ideas for the presidency and the ways in which Hamilton and George Washington, as the first inhabitant in that office, tried to establish the office as one that was imbued with dignity while still remaining accessible to the people. The Lost Soul of The American Presidency traces, essentially, what happened next, after Washington left office, and how the pressures and tensions around how the constitutional office continued to work but how that office was complicated by more populist inhabitants, like Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Woodrow Wilson, and Franklin Roosevelt. Knott argues that the office has been much changed over the course of history, especially with the integration of public opinion and populism as drivers of how presidents act and makes decisions. Knott, like Hamilton, is greatly concerned with the way that demagoguery and the playing up of polarization and passions have contributed to substantive shifts in office itself and how it is perceived by the citizenry. Ultimately, the book encourages a reconsideration and reestablishment of the original conception of the presidency, one where the character of the person is joined with the dignity and responsibility of the constitutional office. Lilly J. Goren is professor of political science at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI. She is co-editor of the award winning book, Women and the White House: Gender, Popular Culture, and Presidential Politics (University Press of Kentucky, 2012).   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this latest book, Stephen F. Knott continues his extensive research of the American presidency, from the Founders’ concept of the office to the current office holder. In The Lost Soul of the American Presidency: The Decline into Demagoguery and the Prospects for Renewal (University of Kansas Press, 2019), Knott guides the reader through more than 200 years of presidents and the changes that these individuals have brought to the office itself. Knott—a scholar of the founding period, and, in particular, of Alexander Hamilton and the role that he played in establishing the Executive branch in the constitutional system—explores the foundational ideas for the presidency and the ways in which Hamilton and George Washington, as the first inhabitant in that office, tried to establish the office as one that was imbued with dignity while still remaining accessible to the people. The Lost Soul of The American Presidency traces, essentially, what happened next, after Washington left office, and how the pressures and tensions around how the constitutional office continued to work but how that office was complicated by more populist inhabitants, like Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Woodrow Wilson, and Franklin Roosevelt. Knott argues that the office has been much changed over the course of history, especially with the integration of public opinion and populism as drivers of how presidents act and makes decisions. Knott, like Hamilton, is greatly concerned with the way that demagoguery and the playing up of polarization and passions have contributed to substantive shifts in office itself and how it is perceived by the citizenry. Ultimately, the book encourages a reconsideration and reestablishment of the original conception of the presidency, one where the character of the person is joined with the dignity and responsibility of the constitutional office. Lilly J. Goren is professor of political science at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI. She is co-editor of the award winning book, Women and the White House: Gender, Popular Culture, and Presidential Politics (University Press of Kentucky, 2012).   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this latest book, Stephen F. Knott continues his extensive research of the American presidency, from the Founders’ concept of the office to the current office holder. In The Lost Soul of the American Presidency: The Decline into Demagoguery and the Prospects for Renewal (University of Kansas Press, 2019), Knott guides the reader through more than 200 years of presidents and the changes that these individuals have brought to the office itself. Knott—a scholar of the founding period, and, in particular, of Alexander Hamilton and the role that he played in establishing the Executive branch in the constitutional system—explores the foundational ideas for the presidency and the ways in which Hamilton and George Washington, as the first inhabitant in that office, tried to establish the office as one that was imbued with dignity while still remaining accessible to the people. The Lost Soul of The American Presidency traces, essentially, what happened next, after Washington left office, and how the pressures and tensions around how the constitutional office continued to work but how that office was complicated by more populist inhabitants, like Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Woodrow Wilson, and Franklin Roosevelt. Knott argues that the office has been much changed over the course of history, especially with the integration of public opinion and populism as drivers of how presidents act and makes decisions. Knott, like Hamilton, is greatly concerned with the way that demagoguery and the playing up of polarization and passions have contributed to substantive shifts in office itself and how it is perceived by the citizenry. Ultimately, the book encourages a reconsideration and reestablishment of the original conception of the presidency, one where the character of the person is joined with the dignity and responsibility of the constitutional office. Lilly J. Goren is professor of political science at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI. She is co-editor of the award winning book, Women and the White House: Gender, Popular Culture, and Presidential Politics (University Press of Kentucky, 2012).   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this latest book, Stephen F. Knott continues his extensive research of the American presidency, from the Founders’ concept of the office to the current office holder. In The Lost Soul of the American Presidency: The Decline into Demagoguery and the Prospects for Renewal (University of Kansas Press, 2019), Knott guides the reader through more than 200 years of presidents and the changes that these individuals have brought to the office itself. Knott—a scholar of the founding period, and, in particular, of Alexander Hamilton and the role that he played in establishing the Executive branch in the constitutional system—explores the foundational ideas for the presidency and the ways in which Hamilton and George Washington, as the first inhabitant in that office, tried to establish the office as one that was imbued with dignity while still remaining accessible to the people. The Lost Soul of The American Presidency traces, essentially, what happened next, after Washington left office, and how the pressures and tensions around how the constitutional office continued to work but how that office was complicated by more populist inhabitants, like Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Woodrow Wilson, and Franklin Roosevelt. Knott argues that the office has been much changed over the course of history, especially with the integration of public opinion and populism as drivers of how presidents act and makes decisions. Knott, like Hamilton, is greatly concerned with the way that demagoguery and the playing up of polarization and passions have contributed to substantive shifts in office itself and how it is perceived by the citizenry. Ultimately, the book encourages a reconsideration and reestablishment of the original conception of the presidency, one where the character of the person is joined with the dignity and responsibility of the constitutional office. Lilly J. Goren is professor of political science at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI. She is co-editor of the award winning book, Women and the White House: Gender, Popular Culture, and Presidential Politics (University Press of Kentucky, 2012).   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this latest book, Stephen F. Knott continues his extensive research of the American presidency, from the Founders’ concept of the office to the current office holder. In The Lost Soul of the American Presidency: The Decline into Demagoguery and the Prospects for Renewal (University of Kansas Press, 2019), Knott guides the reader through more than 200 years of presidents and the changes that these individuals have brought to the office itself. Knott—a scholar of the founding period, and, in particular, of Alexander Hamilton and the role that he played in establishing the Executive branch in the constitutional system—explores the foundational ideas for the presidency and the ways in which Hamilton and George Washington, as the first inhabitant in that office, tried to establish the office as one that was imbued with dignity while still remaining accessible to the people. The Lost Soul of The American Presidency traces, essentially, what happened next, after Washington left office, and how the pressures and tensions around how the constitutional office continued to work but how that office was complicated by more populist inhabitants, like Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Woodrow Wilson, and Franklin Roosevelt. Knott argues that the office has been much changed over the course of history, especially with the integration of public opinion and populism as drivers of how presidents act and makes decisions. Knott, like Hamilton, is greatly concerned with the way that demagoguery and the playing up of polarization and passions have contributed to substantive shifts in office itself and how it is perceived by the citizenry. Ultimately, the book encourages a reconsideration and reestablishment of the original conception of the presidency, one where the character of the person is joined with the dignity and responsibility of the constitutional office. Lilly J. Goren is professor of political science at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI. She is co-editor of the award winning book, Women and the White House: Gender, Popular Culture, and Presidential Politics (University Press of Kentucky, 2012).   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this latest book, Stephen F. Knott continues his extensive research of the American presidency, from the Founders’ concept of the office to the current office holder. In The Lost Soul of the American Presidency: The Decline into Demagoguery and the Prospects for Renewal (University of Kansas Press, 2019), Knott guides the reader through more than 200 years of presidents and the changes that these individuals have brought to the office itself. Knott—a scholar of the founding period, and, in particular, of Alexander Hamilton and the role that he played in establishing the Executive branch in the constitutional system—explores the foundational ideas for the presidency and the ways in which Hamilton and George Washington, as the first inhabitant in that office, tried to establish the office as one that was imbued with dignity while still remaining accessible to the people. The Lost Soul of The American Presidency traces, essentially, what happened next, after Washington left office, and how the pressures and tensions around how the constitutional office continued to work but how that office was complicated by more populist inhabitants, like Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Woodrow Wilson, and Franklin Roosevelt. Knott argues that the office has been much changed over the course of history, especially with the integration of public opinion and populism as drivers of how presidents act and makes decisions. Knott, like Hamilton, is greatly concerned with the way that demagoguery and the playing up of polarization and passions have contributed to substantive shifts in office itself and how it is perceived by the citizenry. Ultimately, the book encourages a reconsideration and reestablishment of the original conception of the presidency, one where the character of the person is joined with the dignity and responsibility of the constitutional office. Lilly J. Goren is professor of political science at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI. She is co-editor of the award winning book, Women and the White House: Gender, Popular Culture, and Presidential Politics (University Press of Kentucky, 2012).   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

About the Lecture: George Washington was inaugurated as the nation's first president on April 30, 1789, taking the helm of an executive branch with a mandate to execute, and more importantly, define, the nebulous powers of article two of the United States Constitution. What was true of the founding of America as a nation was especially true of the American presidency – George Washington was the “indispensable man.” Washington was the only national figure who was known to his fellow citizens and trusted by them to safely wield the powers the president was granted. Suffice it to say that these powers were unlikely to have been granted without the assumption by the delegates at the Constitutional Convention, and by those who attended the state ratifying conventions, that George Washington would be the first president. Washington understood that the precedents he set would shape the presidency and the nation for as long as the American experiment survived. About the Speaker: Stephen F. Knott is a Professor of National Security Affairs at the United States Naval War College. He served as co-chair of the University of Virginia's Presidential Oral History Program, directed the Ronald Reagan Oral History Project, and also served on the staff of the John F Kennedy Presidential Library. Professor Knott received his PhD in Political Science from Boston College, and has taught at the United States Air Force Academy and the University of Virginia. He is the author of numerous books including Rush to Judgment: George W. Bush, the War on Terror, and His Critics; Secret and Sanctioned: Covert Operations and the American Presidency, an examination of the use of covert operations by early American presidents; and Alexander Hamilton and the Persistence of Myth, a book on Alexander Hamilton's controversial image in the American mind. He is a co-author of The Reagan Years and At Reagan's Side: Insiders' Recollections from Sacramento to the White House. His most recent co-authored volume is Washington & Hamilton: The Alliance That Forged America.

This lecture occurred at IWP on May 8th 2017. The contrast between the treatment meted out to Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama confirms that two set of rules prevail when it comes to scholarly assessments of American presidents. Democratic presidents are excused when it comes to assertive national security policies, while Republican presidents are deemed "lawless." Obama is the most recent beneficiary of this double standard that distorts scholarly assessments of the nation's chief executives. About the speaker: Stephen F. Knott is a Professor of National Security Affairs at the United States Naval War College. He served as co-chair of the University of Virginia's Presidential Oral History Program, directed the Ronald Reagan Oral History Project, and also served on the staff of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library. Professor Knott received his PhD in Political Science from Boston College, and has taught at the United States Air Force Academy and the University of Virginia. He is the author of numerous books including Rush to Judgment: George W. Bush, the War on Terror, and His Critics; Secret and Sanctioned: Covert Operations and the American Presidency, an examination of the use of covert operations by early American presidents; and Alexander Hamilton and the Persistence of Myth, a book on Alexander Hamilton's controversial image in the American mind. He is a co-author of The Reagan Years and At Reagan's Side: Insiders' Recollections from Sacramento to the White House. His most recent co-authored volume is Washington & Hamilton: The Alliance That Forged America.

In this episode of ITPL, we focus on Alexander Hamilton. You may have noticed that Hamilton has become the hottest Founder in recent years – and it’s all due to the smash Broadway hit, “Hamilton: The Musical.” So here's the lineup:  1. First, I provide a brief backgrounder on the remarkable life of Alexander Hamilton.  2. Second, I sit down with historian Stephen F. Knott to discuss his book, Washington and Hamilton: The Alliance that Forged America (Sourcebooks, 2015). He and his co-author Tony Williams argue that the relationship between Washington and Hamilton had a major impact on the outcome of the American Revolution and the subsequent creation of the American republic.  3. Finally, I drop by the one permanent site in Manhattan that’s dedicated to the nation’s first Secretary of the Treasury. It's the Hamilton Grange in Harlem. I speak with National Park Service ranger Liam Strain about the site’s history and how “Hamilton: The Musical” has dramatically increased visitor traffic at the site. You can find show notes for this episode and more information about the podcast at www.InThePastLane.com In The Past Lane is a production of Snoring Beagle International, Ltd.

In Washington and Hamilton: The Alliance that Forged America (Sourcebooks, 2015), authors Stephen F. Knott and Tony Williams explore the relationship between George Washington and Alexander Hamilton over the course of three distinct periods where their personal and philosophical collaboration contributed to the establishment of the United States and the foundation of the new republic. The text follows the two men, initially separately, as they made their way through their divergent early lives, through to their experiences together in the caldron of the Revolutionary War, and finally to their work during the constitutional convention and Washington’s presidency. Knott and Williams note that this relationship, which grew and deepened as Washington and Hamilton worked side by side, first under fire and then in the thick of politics, is vitally important to understand in context of the American experiment. This alliance, often obscured by some of the other, better known collaborations among American Founders, was threaded through the most important dimensions of the American Founding, and yet no other text focuses specifically on Washington and Hamilton’s work together. Knott and Williams build on the separate scholarship about Washington and about Hamilton, but they clarify the extent to which this particular collaboration was significant to the long-term stability of the United States and the constitutional system that they helped to create, erect, and in which they worked. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Washington and Hamilton: The Alliance that Forged America (Sourcebooks, 2015), authors Stephen F. Knott and Tony Williams explore the relationship between George Washington and Alexander Hamilton over the course of three distinct periods where their personal and philosophical collaboration contributed to the establishment of the United States and the... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Washington and Hamilton: The Alliance that Forged America (Sourcebooks, 2015), authors Stephen F. Knott and Tony Williams explore the relationship between George Washington and Alexander Hamilton over the course of three distinct periods where their personal and philosophical collaboration contributed to the establishment of the United States and the foundation of the new republic. The text follows the two men, initially separately, as they made their way through their divergent early lives, through to their experiences together in the caldron of the Revolutionary War, and finally to their work during the constitutional convention and Washington’s presidency. Knott and Williams note that this relationship, which grew and deepened as Washington and Hamilton worked side by side, first under fire and then in the thick of politics, is vitally important to understand in context of the American experiment. This alliance, often obscured by some of the other, better known collaborations among American Founders, was threaded through the most important dimensions of the American Founding, and yet no other text focuses specifically on Washington and Hamilton’s work together. Knott and Williams build on the separate scholarship about Washington and about Hamilton, but they clarify the extent to which this particular collaboration was significant to the long-term stability of the United States and the constitutional system that they helped to create, erect, and in which they worked. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Washington and Hamilton: The Alliance that Forged America (Sourcebooks, 2015), authors Stephen F. Knott and Tony Williams explore the relationship between George Washington and Alexander Hamilton over the course of three distinct periods where their personal and philosophical collaboration contributed to the establishment of the United States and the foundation of the new republic. The text follows the two men, initially separately, as they made their way through their divergent early lives, through to their experiences together in the caldron of the Revolutionary War, and finally to their work during the constitutional convention and Washington’s presidency. Knott and Williams note that this relationship, which grew and deepened as Washington and Hamilton worked side by side, first under fire and then in the thick of politics, is vitally important to understand in context of the American experiment. This alliance, often obscured by some of the other, better known collaborations among American Founders, was threaded through the most important dimensions of the American Founding, and yet no other text focuses specifically on Washington and Hamilton’s work together. Knott and Williams build on the separate scholarship about Washington and about Hamilton, but they clarify the extent to which this particular collaboration was significant to the long-term stability of the United States and the constitutional system that they helped to create, erect, and in which they worked. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Washington and Hamilton: The Alliance that Forged America (Sourcebooks, 2015), authors Stephen F. Knott and Tony Williams explore the relationship between George Washington and Alexander Hamilton over the course of three distinct periods where their personal and philosophical collaboration contributed to the establishment of the United States and the foundation of the new republic. The text follows the two men, initially separately, as they made their way through their divergent early lives, through to their experiences together in the caldron of the Revolutionary War, and finally to their work during the constitutional convention and Washington’s presidency. Knott and Williams note that this relationship, which grew and deepened as Washington and Hamilton worked side by side, first under fire and then in the thick of politics, is vitally important to understand in context of the American experiment. This alliance, often obscured by some of the other, better known collaborations among American Founders, was threaded through the most important dimensions of the American Founding, and yet no other text focuses specifically on Washington and Hamilton’s work together. Knott and Williams build on the separate scholarship about Washington and about Hamilton, but they clarify the extent to which this particular collaboration was significant to the long-term stability of the United States and the constitutional system that they helped to create, erect, and in which they worked. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephen F. Knott, Professor of National Security Affairs at the Naval War College, spoke at The Institute of World Politics on spy techniques used by the American Founding Fathers. Stephen F. Knott is a Professor of National Security Affairs at the United States Naval War College. He served as co-chair of the University of Virginia's Presidential Oral History Program and directed the Ronald Reagan Oral History Project. Professor Knott received his Ph.D. in Political Science from Boston College, and has taught at the United States Air Force Academy and the University of Virginia. He is the author of a book on Alexander Hamilton's controversial image in the American mind, Alexander Hamilton and the Persistence of Myth, and has also published Secret and Sanctioned: Covert Operations and the American Presidency, an examination of the use of covert operations by early American presidents. He is a co-author of The Reagan Years and At Reagan's Side: Insiders' Recollections from Sacramento to the White House. His most recent book, Washington and Hamilton: The Alliance That Forged America, was published in September 2015.

December 28, 2015 - Today, we're joined by Stephen F. Knott, who along with co-author Tony Williams brings us Washington & Hamilton: The Alliance that Forged America. George Washington and Alexander Hamilton's relationship has gotten renewed attention since the smash Broadway musical, ending almost 200 years of being overlooked. From the early days of the Revolutionary War on the hills of Rutgers University -- where Hamilton's artillery covered Washington's retreat from New York City -- to victory at Yorktown, the Continental Congress and the first presidential administration, Washington and Hamilton had an often difficult, father-son relationship. But one that left a legacy that sustains America, even now into the 21st Century. Mr. Knott is a Professor of National Security Affairs at the United States Naval War College in Newport, RI. You can follow him on Twitter @Publius57, and find his co-author Tony Williams @TWilliamsAuthor. Mr. Williams is a history teacher at the Bill of Rights Institute, as well as the Washington, Jefferson, and Madison Institute and the author of four previous books.