Podcasts about Threshold Editions

Es freut mich sehr, dass ich für dieses Gespräch Oliver Gorus gewinnen konnte. Es fügt sich inhaltlich an das kürzliche Gespräch mit Prof. Konrad Paul Liessmann an, gibt aber einen anderen, sehr wesentlichen Blickwinkel wieder, den wir ebenfalls in der breiten Diskussion viel zu wenig hören. Oliver Gorus ist seit einem Vierteljahrhundert Unternehmer in mehreren Branchen. Er ist Gründer und Herausgeber des freiheitlichen Online-Magazins »Der Sandwirt«, Kolumnist und Kommentator bei den »Freiheitsfunken«, bei »eigentümlich frei«, beim Kontrafunk und auf X. Er ist glücklicher Familienvater, Schwabe und ungern auf Reisen. Er lebt in Südtirol und liebt die Freiheit. Es war geradezu erfrischend, mit jemandem zu sprechen, der Freiheit als Konzept und Lebenspraxis ernst und sehr persönlich nimmt. Die meisten Menschen, denen ich heute in Europa begegne, gerade auch formal Gebildete, scheinen mir eher einer Untertanen-Mentalität anzuhängen. Was kann der Staat für mich tun? Oder, noch schlimmer, was sagt mir der Staat oder ein beliebiger Vertreter einer Obrigkeit, was ich tun soll? Und wenn es kein Leitbild von oben oder einer beliebig banalen Bubble gibt, ist man verloren. Dieser Weg in die Sackgasse, in der wir uns in Europa befinden, beschleunigt sich täglich. Darum erscheint es mir so wichtig zu sein, Dinge und vor allem vermeintlich intellektuelle Ideen, die sich aber eher als Glaubenssätze herausstellen, fundamental zu hinterfragen. Wir beginnen mit der Grundfrage: Was ist Freiheit, besonders im Kontext der heutigen Zeit und der Veränderung über die Zeit? Verschiebt sich die Bedeutung »Freiheit von« (negativ) gegenüber »Freiheit zu« (positiv)? Hat sich auch die Bedeutung des Wortes Liberalismus vs. Libertarismus verschoben? Wie stehen Freiheit vs. Kollektivismus heute? Sind »links« und »rechts« noch zeitgemäße Einordnungen? Welche gesellschaftlichen Aspekte fallen überhaupt in diese Betrachtung? Ist Philip Pettits republikanische Definition von Freiheit relevant? Es ginge nicht um das Beherrschtwerden, sondern um das Potenzial, beherrscht zu werden. Was ist der Unterschied? Geht es dem Sklaven, der vom Herrn Champagnerfrühstück serviert bekommt, nicht gut? Was ist das Problem? Warum sind die Corona-Maßnahmen ein bedrohliches Beispiel für den Zustand der Freiheit in Europa und der westlichen Welt? Ein aktuelles Beispiel sind die immer totalitäreren Maßnahmen, die in der EU und Deutschland beschlossen werden, gerne während der Urlaubssaison oder während einer Fußball-WM, in der Hoffnung, dass die Menschen abgelenkt sind und Journalisten noch weniger kritisch arbeiten als sonst. »Ein Geheimdienst, der im Verborgenen arbeitet, bekommt operative Fähigkeiten, damit wird das alte Trennungsgebot — eine der Lehren aus dem Dritten Reich — missachtet. […] Das sind Strukturen, die hier gebaut werden, die an die dunkelsten Zeiten unserer Geschichte erinnern.« Dies ist aber nur eines von zahlreichen Beispielen. Wie sind wir in diese existenzielle Krise geraten, in der wir in Europa stecken, und besteht hier nicht ein Zusammenhang? Sind Menschen, die Freiheit wollen, nicht in der Minderheit? Sind wir Untertanennationen, lieben die meisten Menschen gar das betreute Denken? »Wir Freiheitlichen sind im deutschsprachigen Raum traditionell und schon immer in der Minderheit. […] Ich glaube, dass die Freiheit in Deutschland in den Köpfen der Menschen unterentwickelt ist und es nur eine Minderheit ist, die überhaupt bemerkt, dass hier solche Machtstrukturen aufgebaut werden.« Ist die Situation hoffnungslos, oder kann sich daran etwas ändern? Wird sich genug Druck im Lande für wesentliche Änderungen aufbauen oder werden die Fähigen und Klugen schlicht Deutschland, Österreich und Europa verlassen und damit die Situation wesentlich schlechter machen? Ist eine Zersplitterung der Gesellschaft zu vermeiden, oder erkennen wir gerade einen Trend ins Gegenteil? Ist der Begriff der »Krise« überhaupt anwendbar oder erleben wir eher Zusammenbruch als Krise? Entwickeln sich Gesellschaften in Zyklen? Wie wären diese zu denken? Was ist die Rolle von Kultur? Wer bestimmt, was zur Kultur wird? »Von dem Ich und dem Du geht es über in das Man. […] Da gibt es dann plötzlich dieses kollektive Wir.« Sind Individuen in der heutigen Phase, wenn eine Nation über den Zenit ist, noch eine Wirkmacht? Was oder wer dann? Wie endet der Zyklus aber dann und was geschieht danach? »We gave authority to the people who explained things. Not the people who built them.«, Marc Andreessen Und dazu passend: »The world you see everywhere around you, could never have been built by the people you see now living within it.«, Eric Weinstein Was ist davon zu halten? »Würde heute ein Ludwig Erhard leben, der Vater des Wirtschaftswunders, der würde verzweifeln, der wäre völlig machtlos.« Warum sind die USA trotz aller Probleme, die es dort gibt, deutlich erfolgreicher als Europa? Gibt es einen Technik-Zyklus, den die USA treiben und wir verpassen? Oder ist dies überhaupt ein Phänomen, das gar nicht mehr einzelnen Nationen leicht zuordenbar ist? Wie kann in einem Gemeinwesen überhaupt eine Entscheidungsfindung stattfinden, die zu konstruktiven Ergebnissen führt? Zentral oder dezentral? In welchem Verhältnis? Oder ist Anarchismus eine Variante? »Steckt in der Demokratie immer schon die Saat des Versagens?« Begegnen sich Extremisten im Kollektivismus? Kann man am Wesen des Menschen vorbei theoretisieren? Und was sind die Folgen davon? »In allen menschlichen Kulturen gibt es Strukturen.« Können und dürfen wir Menschen ändern? Auf welcher Ebene und in welcher Skalierung sollten und können Entscheidungen effektiv getroffen werden — was hat das für Konsequenzen? Braucht es die Kleinteiligkeit, den Flickenteppich? Leben wir aktuell gar in einer Fürstenherrschaft? »Diese ›unsere Demokratie‹ ist eine Aristokratie.« Was nun? Gibt es einen Ausweg? Im Grunde gibt es drei Möglichkeiten: Über das Danach nachdenken und entsprechende Konzepte vorbereiten auf emergente Phänomene hoffen Parallelstrukturen schaffen Warum ist der Volkswagen-Konzern ein gutes Spiegelbild für die deutsche Gesellschaft? »Die Leistungsfähigen werden bestraft und die Nicht-Leistungsfähigen oder Nicht-Leistungswilligen werden belohnt. Das führt dazu, dass immer mehr Leute die Seite wählen, wo sie alimentiert werden.« Wie kann es einen Neuanfang geben? Regional? Wenn wir in Europa über den Euro alle Fehler und alles Versagen über Nationen verteilen? Wie soll das funktionieren? Ist das nur eine Phase? Was wird zerbrechen? »Harte Zeiten produzieren gute Leute, gute Leute produzieren gute Zeiten, gute Zeiten produzieren schwache Leute, und schwache Leute führen alles wieder zum Zusammenbruch. […] Wir haben gerade sehr, sehr viele, sehr, sehr schwache Menschen.« Wie kann es aber gelingen, Schwache und Bedürftige weiter zu unterstützen ohne ein Sozialsystem, wie wir es heute haben, das völlig seinen Fokus verloren hat und in keiner Weise nachhaltig ist? Welche Rolle spielt Bildung? Warum ist unser aktuelles Bildungssystem trotz der enormen Kosten, die es verursacht, so dysfunktional? Führt staatliche Wohlfahrt und Bildungswesen zum Gegenteil des erwünschten Effektes? »Kinder lernen schon in den Familien, vom Staat abhängig zu sein. […] Echte professionelle Jugendarbeit und Sozialarbeit ist ein Kampf gegen Windmühlen.« Ein Bonmot, das ich kürzlich gelesen habe sagt: »Most jobs today are adult daycare.« Ist das zu polemisch? Wie ist das zu denken mit aktuellen Entwicklungen in künstlicher Intelligenz und Robotik — einige Jahre in die Zukunft gedacht? »Der Bildungssektor wird sich anpassen, sobald er nicht mehr staatlich ist. […] Es wird sich ein so bunter Strauß an Bildungsformen ausbilden, dass es auch für die unter Anführungszeichen Schwächsten hervorragende Bildungsmöglichkeiten geben wird.« Andere Episoden Episode 155: Freiheit oder Sicherheit? Ein Gespräch mit Prof. Konrad Paul Liessmann Episode 153: Potent Stuff, A Conversation with Prof. Jacob Howland Episode 152: Säkulare Glaubensbekenntnisse Episode 150: Wie kommt Neues in die Welt? Episode 144: Was ist Fortschritt? Ein Gespräch mit Dr. Daniel Stelter aus ökonomischer Perspektive Episode 141: Passagier oder Steuermann? Ein Gespräch mit Markus Raunig Episode 138: Im Windschatten der Narrative, ein Gespräch mit Ralf M. Ruthardt Episode 136: Future Brunels? Learning from the Generation that Transformed the World. A Conversation with Dr. Helen Doe Episode 131: Wot Se Fack, Deutschland? Ein Gespräch mit Vince Ebert Episode 130: Populismus und (Ordo)liberalismus, ein Gespräch mit Nils Hesse Episode 125: Ist Fortschritt möglich? Ideen als Widergänger über Generationen Episode 117: Der humpelnde Staat, ein Gespräch mit Prof. Christoph Kletzer Episode 114: Liberty in Our Lifetime 2: Conversations with Lauren Razavi, Grant Romundt and Peter Young Episode 113: Liberty in Our Lifetime 1: Conversations with Massimo Mazzone, Vera Kichanova and Tatiana Butanka Episode 108: Freie Privatstädte Teil 2, ein Gespräch mit Titus Gebel Referenzen Oliver Gorus auf X Der Sandwirt Philip Pettit, Republicanism. A Theory of Freedom and Government, Oxford University Press / Clarendon Press, Reihe Oxford Political Theory (1997) Ben Shapiro, Lions and Scavengers. The True Story of America (and Her Critics), Threshold Editions (2025) Ulf Poschardt, Shitbürgertum, Westend Verlag (2025) Ulf Poschardt, Bückbürgertum. Eine Geschichte verlorener bürgerlicher Kulturkämpfe, Westend Verlag (2026) Marc Andreessen Tweet Karl R. Popper, Die offene Gesellschaft und ihre Feinde (Original: The Open Society and Its Enemies), Routledge (1945) David Graeber, Bullshit Jobs. A Theory, Simon & Schuster (2018) Balaji Srinivasan, The Network State. How to Start a New Country (2022)

On a moonlit mountaintop in Afghanistan, Salvatore Giunta ran through a hailstorm of bullets to save a fellow soldier– his best friend– from capture. It was a heroic decision, but Sal didn’t see it that way. This is the story of an extraordinary band of brothers– and how Sal learned to live with what he did. Episode bibliography: Giunta, Salvatore and Joe Layden. Living with Honor: A Memoir. Threshold Editions, December 4, 2012. https://www.amazon.com/Living-Honor-Memoir-Salvatore-Giunta/dp/1451691467. Junger, ​​Sebastian. “Into the Valley of Death.” Vanity Fair, January 2008. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2008/01/afghanistan200801. Edwards, Elisabeth. “Korengal Valley: Why the Region Is Nicknamed the ‘Valley of Death’.” War History Online, Oct 24, 2022. https://www.warhistoryonline.com/articles/korengal-valley.html.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit andrewsullivan.substack.comMary is a political consultant and former TV and radio host. She served under Presidents Reagan, HW Bush, and W Bush. She also co-founded Threshold Editions, a conservative publishing imprint at Simon & Schuster. She's married to Democratic consultant and Dishcast guest, James Carville, whom she wrote two books with: All's Fair and Love & War. She also wrote Letters to My Daughters. We got to know each other decades ago, but lost touch. After her husband Carville's pod, I asked her. She lives on a farm now — and is as fun and sharp as ever.We had no specific topic at hand so the convo is a bit sprawling, like two old friends reconnecting in the Christmas break. Or something like that. For two clips of our convo — on finding yourself through suffering, and the last days of Lee Atwater — pop over to our YouTube page.Other topics: growing up in south Chicago around steel mills; being the only white woman at beauty school; dropping out of college many times; worked her way through law school; the “explosion of ideas” under Reagan; converting to Catholicism; Vatican II undermining the liturgy; leaving the Dem Party over identity politics; black people against “Defund”; the Catholic view of the individual; why flaws are the most interesting parts of people; Mary's close friendship with Donna Brazile; hairdressers as priests; Augustine; Pascal; the epistemological humility of Socrates; Stoicism; my mother's mental illness; the crucifixion of Jesus; Mel Gibson's version of the Passion; Willie Horton; Bernie one of the few pols championing class; the redistribution of wealth during Covid; the lockdowns; Boris and Partygate; George Floyd and BLM groupthink; Kyle Rittenhouse; Jussie Smollett; the narrative of structural racism; MLK envy and “the right side of history”; the Ferguson effect; innovative police work in NOLA; Mary fighting sex trafficking in NOLA; Tony Blair cementing the legacy of Margaret Thatcher; the lack of accountability from political consultants; the profundity of Winnie the Pooh; and which great Americans we should emulate today.Browse the Dishcast archive for an episode you might enjoy (the first 102 are free in their entirety — subscribe to get everything else). Coming up: Adam Kirsch on his book On Settler Colonialism, John Gray on the state of liberal democracy, Jon Rauch on his new book on “Christianity's Broken Bargain with Democracy,” Nick Denton on the evolution of new media, and Ross Douthat on how everyone should be religious. Please send any guest recs, dissents, and other comments to dish@andrewsullivan.com.

Mayor Adams proposed more funding for a pilot program that sends social workers and EMTs instead of police officers to respond to certain 911 calls. Matt Katz, WNYC Public Safety correspondent and author of American Governor: Chris Christie's Bridge to Redemption (Threshold Editions 2016), reports on the program and explains how it aims to reduce instances of police violence.

With mourners gathered at St Patrick's Cathedral to honor the life of NYPD Officer Wilbert Mora, Matt Katz, WNYC reporter and author of American Governor: Chris Christie's Bridge to Redemption (Threshold Editions 2016), shares selections from the funeral ceremony and talks about emerging local policies to fight gun violence.

Nancy Solomon, WNYC's New Jersey reporter, and Matt Katz, WNYC reporter and author of American Governor: Chris Christie's Bridge to Redemption (Threshold Editions 2016), preview next week's New Jersey primaries which will decide which Republican will run against Gov. Murphy in the general election. Correction:   All voters in New Jersey are not automatically receiving vote-by-mail ballots this year. Many voters are on a permanent list to receive vote by mail ballots automatically, but many others are not. Voters will need to submit an application to their county clerk if they plan to vote by mail in the 20201 Primary and General Election.  More information is available here: https://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/vote-by-mail.shtml

Episode 384 Sean Hannity is a First Class Father, the host of Hannity on Fox News and the nationally syndicated radio program The Sean Hannity Show. He is the author of three New York Times bestsellers Conservative Victory, Deliver Us From Evil, and Let Freedom Ring. Sean Hannity’s first book in 10 years (on sale 8/4, published by Threshold Editions), has sold 500,000 copies in just three weeks. This includes pre-orders, hardcover, ebook and audio sales. Threshold Editions has already gone back to press for a fourth printing to fulfill reorders and when complete, there will be over 630,000 copies in print. Simon & Schuster expects LIVE FREE OR DIE to be one of the year’s biggest books. Sean has a passion and love for America that is made perfectly clear during his many interviews with President Trump. Sean joins a long list of conservative dads I have interviewed on First Class Fatherhood including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Eric Trump, Sean Parnell, Dana White, Dean Cain, Tito Ortiz, Mike Lindell, Allen West and many more. In this Episode, Sean shares his Fatherhood journey, he discusses his own childhood, he talks about his relationship with his parents and how his career began. He describes his parenting philosophy when it comes to discipline, dating and his kids social life. He also addresses the current climate of the United States leading up to Election Day and why he decided to write his new book Live Free or Die. Sean offers some great advice for new or about to be Dads and more! LIVE FREE OR DIE - https://www.seanhannitybook.com MANSCAPED - https://www.manscaped.com Promo Code - Father Save 20% + Free Shipping Subscribe to First Class Fatherhood on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCD6cjYptutjJWYlM0Kk6cQ More Ways To Listen - https://linktr.ee/alec_lace First Class Fatherhood Merch - https://shop.spreadshirt.com/first-class-fatherhood-/we+are+not+babysitters-A5d09ea872051763ad613ec8e?productType=812&sellable=3017x1aBoNI8jJe83pw5-812-7&appearance=1 Follow me on instagram - https://instagram.com/alec_lace?igshid=ebfecg0yvbap For information about becoming a Sponsor of First Class Fatherhood please hit me with an email: FirstClassFatherhood@gmail.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/alec-lace/support

Sean shared some great news from his publisher, Threshold Editions, that his new book, "LIVE FREE OR DIE: America (and the World) on the Brink" will be coming your way this August! With, perhaps, the most important election ever, this important book will help highlight just what's at stake. Plus, some states are starting to open back up! Hear more about COVID-19 and when things will start to turn around for everyone. The Sean Hannity Show is on weekdays from 3 pm to 6 pm ET on iHeartRadio and Hannity.com. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

On this episode of Blunt Force Truth, Chuck and Mark are joined by Pete Hegseth. Pete is the co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend and the host of the documentary Battle in the Holy City. Pete joins us to talk about current politics and his push for a Convention of the States. They start by discussing the rhetoric of Democratic candidates running for president in 2020 and their constant attacks on our founding principles. Pete explains how our individual values are under attack in the left’s goal of expanding power. Chuck and Mark hear more about Pete’s background and his service with our military. Pete shares about his deployment to Afghanistan and his continued involvements with the military. He also shares what led up to landing a job with Fox News. They also explore problems with our public education system. Chuck, Mark and Pete discuss the core curriculum being taught in our public schools and the similar issues seen in the private institutes. They explain how understanding the goals of the left is critical to stopping the spread of progressivism. They ?nish up by discussing Pete’s push for a Convention of States. He explains what it would entail and the safeguards that would protect our Constitution. They also discuss why the left is against the movement and how it will weaken the welfare state created over 90 years ago. More about Pete Hegseth: Pete Hegseth is co-host of FOX & FRIENDS WEEKEND and a frequent guest co-host for the weekday edition of FOX & FRIENDS – the highest rated cable morning show in America. He is also a FOX NEWS Senior Political Analyst, providing analysis and commentary across all FOX NEWS and FOX BUSINESS programs. Pete Hegseth is also the author of the highly-acclaimed book, Inthe Arena, which was published by Threshold Editions of Simon & Schuster in May of 2016. Pete is an Army veteran of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and was also a guard at Guantanamo Bay. He holds two Bronze Stars and a Combat Infantryman’s Badge for his time in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2012, Captain Hegseth deployed to Afghanistan with the Minnesota Army National Guard where he was the senior counterinsurgency instructor at the Counterinsurgency Training Center in Kabul. Before that, First Lieutenant Hegseth deployed to Iraq with the 3rd Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division for their 2005-2006 tour, serving as an Infantry Platoon Leader in Baghdad in 2005, and as a Civil-Military Operations officer in Samarra in 2006. A year before that, Second Lieutenant Hegseth served in Guantanamo Bay (JTF-GTMO) with his New Jersey Army National Guard unit from 2004-2005. Pete was recently promoted to the rank of Major and is currently in the Individual Ready Reserve. Pete is the former CEO of Concerned Veterans for America (2012-2015), where he built the largest conservative veterans advocacy organization in America and led the charge for real reform at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Before that, Pete was the Executive Director of Vets for Freedom (2007-2010), leading the “ground truth” charge for success on the battlefield in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is also a member of the National Rifle Association. Pete graduated from Princeton University in 2003 with an undergraduate degree in Politics. While at Princeton, Pete was also a member of the varsity basketball team, an Army ROTC cadet, and the publisher of the campus conservative publication –The Princeton Tory. A decade later, Petecompleted a Masters in Public Policy at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, graduating in 2013. Connect with Pete Hegseth: Twitter:...

On this episode of Blunt Force Truth, Chuck and Mark are joined by Pete Hegseth. Pete is the co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend and the host of the documentary Battle in the Holy City. Pete joins us to talk about current politics and his push for a Convention of the States. They start by discussing the rhetoric of Democratic candidates running for president in 2020 and their constant attacks on our founding principles. Pete explains how our individual values are under attack in the left's goal of expanding power. Chuck and Mark hear more about Pete's background and his service with our military. Pete shares about his deployment to Afghanistan and his continued involvements with the military. He also shares what led up to landing a job with Fox News. They also explore problems with our public education system. Chuck, Mark and Pete discuss the core curriculum being taught in our public schools and the similar issues seen in the private institutes. They explain how understanding the goals of the left is critical to stopping the spread of progressivism. They ?nish up by discussing Pete's push for a Convention of States. He explains what it would entail and the safeguards that would protect our Constitution. They also discuss why the left is against the movement and how it will weaken the welfare state created over 90 years ago. More about Pete Hegseth: Pete Hegseth is co-host of FOX & FRIENDS WEEKEND and a frequent guest co-host for the weekday edition of FOX & FRIENDS - the highest rated cable morning show in America. He is also a FOX NEWS Senior Political Analyst, providing analysis and commentary across all FOX NEWS and FOX BUSINESS programs. Pete Hegseth is also the author of the highly-acclaimed book, In the Arena, which was published by Threshold Editions of Simon & Schuster in May of 2016. Pete is an Army veteran of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and was also a guard at Guantanamo Bay. He holds two Bronze Stars and a Combat Infantryman's Badge for his time in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2012, Captain Hegseth deployed to Afghanistan with the Minnesota Army National Guard where he was the senior counterinsurgency instructor at the Counterinsurgency Training Center in Kabul. Before that, First Lieutenant Hegseth deployed to Iraq with the 3rd Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division for their 2005-2006 tour, serving as an Infantry Platoon Leader in Baghdad in 2005, and as a Civil-Military Operations officer in Samarra in 2006. A year before that, Second Lieutenant Hegseth served in Guantanamo Bay (JTF-GTMO) with his New Jersey Army National Guard unit from 2004-2005. Pete was recently promoted to the rank of Major and is currently in the Individual Ready Reserve. Pete is the former CEO of Concerned Veterans for America (2012-2015), where he built the largest conservative veterans advocacy organization in America and led the charge for real reform at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Before that, Pete was the Executive Director of Vets for Freedom (2007-2010), leading the "ground truth" charge for success on the battlefield in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is also a member of the National Rifle Association. Pete graduated from Princeton University in 2003 with an undergraduate degree in Politics. While at Princeton, Pete was also a member of the varsity basketball team, an Army ROTC cadet, and the publisher of the campus conservative publication -The Princeton Tory. A decade later, Pete completed a Masters in Public Policy at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, graduating in 2013. Connect with Pete Hegseth: Twitter: @PeteHegseth Instagram: @PeteHegseth   Don't forget to leave us a voicemail for the chance to have it played on a future episode. You can do so by clicking the link. https://bluntforcetruth.com/voicemail/ Also, check out the store on our website to get your own Blunt Force Truth gear. https://store.bluntforcetruth.com/

In America, biographies of Presidents and First Ladies are a staple of the genre, but the relationship that exists between the two receives surprisingly less exploration, as though the biographies needed to be kept as separate as the offices in the East and West Wings. (The relationship of the Clintons being the notable exception.) Hopefully Will Swift‘s Pat and Dick: The Nixons, an Intimate Portrait of a Marriage (Threshold Editions, 2014)) augurs a new biographical trend towards serious examination of presidential relationships. It's a daunting task- to not only humanize but probe the relationship that existed between a pair still, fifty years on, more easily reduced to the stereotypes of ‘Tricky Dick' and ‘Plastic Pat'- but Swift gives a welcome corrective, portraying a surprisingly vulnerable Nixon whilst, perhaps even more importantly, providing a historically significant re-evaluation of his wife. For, of all the recent First Ladies, it's Pat Nixon's accomplishments that have been most overlooked, obscured as they were by a frosty public image and the downfall of her husband. In the public imagination, First Ladies are easily associated with social issues (Lady Bird Johnson and the environment, Michelle Obama and healthy eating, etc.), and yet Pat Nixon's issue of ‘volunteerism'- both important and, perhaps, overly broad and, therefore, more difficult to quantify- seems to have fallen from historical view. As Swift demonstrates, however, her volunteerism platform was a springboard in improving American international relations. When, after the Peruvian earthquake of May 1970, Pat Nixon made a harrowing journey into the heart of Peru, to an area then called ‘The Valley of Death', where she assisted and comforted survivors. ‘To have President Nixon send his wife here means more to me than if he had sent the whole American Air Force,' said Peruvian President Velasco Alvarado. It's a story that reveals the impact a First Lady can have, an impact that all to often goes unacknowledged, and an impact in whose preservation biography plays a key role. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In America, biographies of Presidents and First Ladies are a staple of the genre, but the relationship that exists between the two receives surprisingly less exploration, as though the biographies needed to be kept as separate as the offices in the East and West Wings. (The relationship of the Clintons being the notable exception.) Hopefully Will Swift‘s Pat and Dick: The Nixons, an Intimate Portrait of a Marriage (Threshold Editions, 2014)) augurs a new biographical trend towards serious examination of presidential relationships. It’s a daunting task- to not only humanize but probe the relationship that existed between a pair still, fifty years on, more easily reduced to the stereotypes of ‘Tricky Dick’ and ‘Plastic Pat’- but Swift gives a welcome corrective, portraying a surprisingly vulnerable Nixon whilst, perhaps even more importantly, providing a historically significant re-evaluation of his wife. For, of all the recent First Ladies, it’s Pat Nixon’s accomplishments that have been most overlooked, obscured as they were by a frosty public image and the downfall of her husband. In the public imagination, First Ladies are easily associated with social issues (Lady Bird Johnson and the environment, Michelle Obama and healthy eating, etc.), and yet Pat Nixon’s issue of  ‘volunteerism’- both important and, perhaps, overly broad and, therefore, more difficult to quantify- seems to have fallen from historical view. As Swift demonstrates, however, her volunteerism platform was a springboard in improving American international relations. When, after the Peruvian earthquake of May 1970, Pat Nixon made a harrowing journey into the heart of Peru, to an area then called ‘The Valley of Death’, where she assisted and comforted survivors. ‘To have President Nixon send his wife here means more to me than if he had sent the whole American Air Force,’ said Peruvian President Velasco Alvarado. It’s a story that reveals the impact a First Lady can have, an impact that all to often goes unacknowledged, and an impact in whose preservation biography plays a key role. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In America, biographies of Presidents and First Ladies are a staple of the genre, but the relationship that exists between the two receives surprisingly less exploration, as though the biographies needed to be kept as separate as the offices in the East and West Wings. (The relationship of the Clintons being the notable exception.) Hopefully Will Swift‘s Pat and Dick: The Nixons, an Intimate Portrait of a Marriage (Threshold Editions, 2014)) augurs a new biographical trend towards serious examination of presidential relationships. It’s a daunting task- to not only humanize but probe the relationship that existed between a pair still, fifty years on, more easily reduced to the stereotypes of ‘Tricky Dick’ and ‘Plastic Pat’- but Swift gives a welcome corrective, portraying a surprisingly vulnerable Nixon whilst, perhaps even more importantly, providing a historically significant re-evaluation of his wife. For, of all the recent First Ladies, it’s Pat Nixon’s accomplishments that have been most overlooked, obscured as they were by a frosty public image and the downfall of her husband. In the public imagination, First Ladies are easily associated with social issues (Lady Bird Johnson and the environment, Michelle Obama and healthy eating, etc.), and yet Pat Nixon’s issue of  ‘volunteerism’- both important and, perhaps, overly broad and, therefore, more difficult to quantify- seems to have fallen from historical view. As Swift demonstrates, however, her volunteerism platform was a springboard in improving American international relations. When, after the Peruvian earthquake of May 1970, Pat Nixon made a harrowing journey into the heart of Peru, to an area then called ‘The Valley of Death’, where she assisted and comforted survivors. ‘To have President Nixon send his wife here means more to me than if he had sent the whole American Air Force,’ said Peruvian President Velasco Alvarado. It’s a story that reveals the impact a First Lady can have, an impact that all to often goes unacknowledged, and an impact in whose preservation biography plays a key role. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In America, biographies of Presidents and First Ladies are a staple of the genre, but the relationship that exists between the two receives surprisingly less exploration, as though the biographies needed to be kept as separate as the offices in the East and West Wings. (The relationship of the Clintons being the notable exception.) Hopefully Will Swift‘s Pat and Dick: The Nixons, an Intimate Portrait of a Marriage (Threshold Editions, 2014)) augurs a new biographical trend towards serious examination of presidential relationships. It’s a daunting task- to not only humanize but probe the relationship that existed between a pair still, fifty years on, more easily reduced to the stereotypes of ‘Tricky Dick’ and ‘Plastic Pat’- but Swift gives a welcome corrective, portraying a surprisingly vulnerable Nixon whilst, perhaps even more importantly, providing a historically significant re-evaluation of his wife. For, of all the recent First Ladies, it’s Pat Nixon’s accomplishments that have been most overlooked, obscured as they were by a frosty public image and the downfall of her husband. In the public imagination, First Ladies are easily associated with social issues (Lady Bird Johnson and the environment, Michelle Obama and healthy eating, etc.), and yet Pat Nixon’s issue of  ‘volunteerism’- both important and, perhaps, overly broad and, therefore, more difficult to quantify- seems to have fallen from historical view. As Swift demonstrates, however, her volunteerism platform was a springboard in improving American international relations. When, after the Peruvian earthquake of May 1970, Pat Nixon made a harrowing journey into the heart of Peru, to an area then called ‘The Valley of Death’, where she assisted and comforted survivors. ‘To have President Nixon send his wife here means more to me than if he had sent the whole American Air Force,’ said Peruvian President Velasco Alvarado. It’s a story that reveals the impact a First Lady can have, an impact that all to often goes unacknowledged, and an impact in whose preservation biography plays a key role. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In America, biographies of Presidents and First Ladies are a staple of the genre, but the relationship that exists between the two receives surprisingly less exploration, as though the biographies needed to be kept as separate as the offices in the East and West Wings. (The relationship of the Clintons being the notable exception.) Hopefully Will Swift‘s Pat and Dick: The Nixons, an Intimate Portrait of a Marriage (Threshold Editions, 2014)) augurs a new biographical trend towards serious examination of presidential relationships. It’s a daunting task- to not only humanize but probe the relationship that existed between a pair still, fifty years on, more easily reduced to the stereotypes of ‘Tricky Dick’ and ‘Plastic Pat’- but Swift gives a welcome corrective, portraying a surprisingly vulnerable Nixon whilst, perhaps even more importantly, providing a historically significant re-evaluation of his wife. For, of all the recent First Ladies, it’s Pat Nixon’s accomplishments that have been most overlooked, obscured as they were by a frosty public image and the downfall of her husband. In the public imagination, First Ladies are easily associated with social issues (Lady Bird Johnson and the environment, Michelle Obama and healthy eating, etc.), and yet Pat Nixon’s issue of  ‘volunteerism’- both important and, perhaps, overly broad and, therefore, more difficult to quantify- seems to have fallen from historical view. As Swift demonstrates, however, her volunteerism platform was a springboard in improving American international relations. When, after the Peruvian earthquake of May 1970, Pat Nixon made a harrowing journey into the heart of Peru, to an area then called ‘The Valley of Death’, where she assisted and comforted survivors. ‘To have President Nixon send his wife here means more to me than if he had sent the whole American Air Force,’ said Peruvian President Velasco Alvarado. It’s a story that reveals the impact a First Lady can have, an impact that all to often goes unacknowledged, and an impact in whose preservation biography plays a key role. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In America, biographies of Presidents and First Ladies are a staple of the genre, but the relationship that exists between the two receives surprisingly less exploration, as though the biographies needed to be kept as separate as the offices in the East and West Wings. (The relationship of the Clintons being the notable exception.) Hopefully Will Swift‘s Pat and Dick: The Nixons, an Intimate Portrait of a Marriage (Threshold Editions, 2014)) augurs a new biographical trend towards serious examination of presidential relationships. It’s a daunting task- to not only humanize but probe the relationship that existed between a pair still, fifty years on, more easily reduced to the stereotypes of ‘Tricky Dick’ and ‘Plastic Pat’- but Swift gives a welcome corrective, portraying a surprisingly vulnerable Nixon whilst, perhaps even more importantly, providing a historically significant re-evaluation of his wife. For, of all the recent First Ladies, it’s Pat Nixon’s accomplishments that have been most overlooked, obscured as they were by a frosty public image and the downfall of her husband. In the public imagination, First Ladies are easily associated with social issues (Lady Bird Johnson and the environment, Michelle Obama and healthy eating, etc.), and yet Pat Nixon’s issue of  ‘volunteerism’- both important and, perhaps, overly broad and, therefore, more difficult to quantify- seems to have fallen from historical view. As Swift demonstrates, however, her volunteerism platform was a springboard in improving American international relations. When, after the Peruvian earthquake of May 1970, Pat Nixon made a harrowing journey into the heart of Peru, to an area then called ‘The Valley of Death’, where she assisted and comforted survivors. ‘To have President Nixon send his wife here means more to me than if he had sent the whole American Air Force,’ said Peruvian President Velasco Alvarado. It’s a story that reveals the impact a First Lady can have, an impact that all to often goes unacknowledged, and an impact in whose preservation biography plays a key role. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ben Shapiro is Editor-At-Large of Breitbart News and author of the New York Times bestseller "Bullies: How the Left's Culture of Fear and Intimidation Silences America" (Threshold Editions, January 8, 2013)