Podcast appearances and mentions of tom zoellner

Tom Zoellner, award-winning writer and Chapman University professor, joins AMSEcast to discuss his book Uranium: War, Energy and the Rock that Shaped the World. He and Alan discuss the discovery of uranium, its radioactive nature, and its historical impact. Once dismissed as worthless by miners, uranium became vital to energy and warfare. The U.S. uranium rush peaked in the 1950s but has since declined. Today, uranium enrichment is expanding in the U.S., with major players like Orano investing in Oak Ridge.     Guest Bio Tom Zoellner is an award-winning writer and the author of nine books, including Uranium: War, Energy and the Rock that Shaped the World. His work has appeared in The Atlantic, Time, and Scientific American, among other publications. A former staff writer for The Arizona Republic and The San Francisco Chronicle, Tom brings deep expertise in history, science, and investigative journalism. He currently teaches at Chapman University and serves as editor at large for the Los Angeles Review of Books.       Show Highlights (1:28) Why is uranium radioactive and what does that mean? (3:09) How uranium was discovered (5:51) The American uranium rush (9:13) Where the uranium used in the Manhattan Project came from (11:17) How uranium supplies and facilities that use them around the world are controlled (13:35) How the nation of Georgia became the crossroads for uranium smuggling (15:29) Where uranium is currently being enriched and how it affects national security (18:02) What's next for Tom Zoellner     Links Referenced Uranium: War, Energy and the Rock that Shaped the World: https://www.amazon.com/Uranium-Energy-Rock-Shaped-World/dp/0670020648

This week we're traveling back to 1960s Congo with The Siege of Jadotville! Join us as we learn about General Tshombe, Dag Hammarsjkold, UN forces in Jadotville, uranium mining, and more! Sources: Frank Swain, "The forgotten mine that built the atomic bomb," BBC (2020). https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200803-the-forgotten-mine-that-built-the-atomic-bomb  Moore, W. Robert. "White Magic in the Belgian Congo: Tribesmen Mine Uranium, Run Machines, Study Modern Medicine as Booming Trade Opens Up the Vast Colony's Resources." National Geographic Magazine, March 1952, [321]+. National Geographic Virtual Library (accessed August 1, 2024). Susan Williams, "How a rich uranium mine thrust the Congo into the centre of the Cold War," The Conversation (2016). https://theconversation.com/how-a-rich-uranium-mine-thrust-the-congo-into-the-centre-of-the-cold-war-64761  Tom Zoellner, "A (Radioactive) Cut in the Earth That Will Not Stay Closed," Scientific American (2009). https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-radioactive-cut-that-will-not-stay-closed/  "Dag Hammarskjold," United Nations, available at https://www.un.org/depts/dhl/dag/time1961.htm Emma Graham-Harrison et al, "RAF Veteran 'Admitted 1961 Killing of Secretary-General," The Guardian, available at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/12/raf-veteran-admitted-killing-un-secretary-general-dag-hammarskjold-in-1961 "Interview with Secretary General," British Pathe, available at https://youtu.be/5mdY-RE3ZEg?si=7R8VBeQ-KdyYe3XH Mads Brugger, "Cold Case Hammarskjold," Magnolia Pictures, 2019 "Monday 18 September 1961," Aviation Safety Network, available at https://asn.flightsafety.org/asndb/333493 Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Siege_of_Jadotville_(film) Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_siege_of_jadotville Lar Joye, "What's on Film: The Siege of Jadotville," History Ireland 25, no.1 (2017): 50-51.  John Terence O'Neill, "The Irish Company at Jadotville, Congo, 1961: Soldiers or Symbols?," International Peacekeeping 9, no. 4 (Winter 2002): 127-144. Narayan Swamy, "Gallant Irish Unit Surrenders," The Times of India, Bombay, September 19, 1961.  Frank McNally, "Five Irish soldiers took their own lives after Jadotville siege," The Irish Times (May 15, 2019). https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/five-irish-soldiers-took-their-own-lives-after-jadotville-siege-1.3893633   Security Council official records, 16th year : 973rd meeting, 13 November 1961, New York; United Nations Digital Library, https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/631329?ln=en&v=pdf  Report to the Secretary-General from his Special Representative in the Congo regarding Mr. Patrice Lumumba; https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/630673?ln=en&v=pdf  Evening star. (Washington, D.C.), 26 Sept. 1961. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1961-09-26/ed-1/seq-3/  https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/mission/past/onucF.html Isaac Chotiner, "The Real Story Behind Patrice Lumumba's Assassination," The New Yorker, October 30, 2023. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/11/06/the-lumumba-plot-the-secret-history-of-the-cia-and-a-cold-war-assassination-stuart-a-reid-book-review   Jiwon Amy Yoo, "Moise Kapenda Tshombe," Blackpast.org, available at https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/tshombe-moise-kapenda-1919-1969/

In the spotlight is Tom Zoellner, the author of nine nonfiction books, including Island on Fire: The Revolt that Ended Slavery in the British Empire, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for the best nonfiction book of 2020 and a finalist for the Bancroft Prize and the California Book Award. He works as a professor at Chapman University and Dartmouth College, and as an editor-at-large for the Los Angeles Review of Books.  We discuss:  >> The three questions every author should ask while deciding on a subject >> The mistakes aspiring writers tend to make >> Teaching creative nonfiction >> What AI does well >> Arizona >> Train travel >> Etc.  Learn more about Tom Zoellner and his books here: https://tomzoellner.com Novelist Spotlight is produced and hosted by Mike Consol. Check out his novels here: https://snip.ly/yz18no   Write to Mike Consol at novelistspotlight@gmail.com

In Rim to River: Looking into the Heart of Arizona (University of Arizona Press, 2023), Tom Zoellner, a fifth-generation Arizonan, takes the reader on a walk across the length of the state, his narrative interspersed with essays on Arizona's history, culture and politics. Our conversation focuses on such topics as how Arizona anticipated the Trump Era in America—how “the scent of oncoming Trumpism,” as he writes in Rim to River, became such a pronounced feature of his native state's political and cultural landscape. Yet the story of Arizona remains in flux, as migrants pour in not just from across the border with Mexico but from fellow U.S. states. Zoellner's Arizona may yet end up foreshadowing America's post-Trump future. Veteran journalist Paul Starobin is a former Moscow bureau chief for Business Week and a former contributing editor of The Atlantic. He has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and many other publications. His most recent book is Putin's Exiles: Their Fight for a Better Russia (Columbia Global Reports, 2024). 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

In Rim to River: Looking into the Heart of Arizona (University of Arizona Press, 2023), Tom Zoellner, a fifth-generation Arizonan, takes the reader on a walk across the length of the state, his narrative interspersed with essays on Arizona's history, culture and politics. Our conversation focuses on such topics as how Arizona anticipated the Trump Era in America—how “the scent of oncoming Trumpism,” as he writes in Rim to River, became such a pronounced feature of his native state's political and cultural landscape. Yet the story of Arizona remains in flux, as migrants pour in not just from across the border with Mexico but from fellow U.S. states. Zoellner's Arizona may yet end up foreshadowing America's post-Trump future. Veteran journalist Paul Starobin is a former Moscow bureau chief for Business Week and a former contributing editor of The Atlantic. He has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and many other publications. His most recent book is Putin's Exiles: Their Fight for a Better Russia (Columbia Global Reports, 2024). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

In Rim to River: Looking into the Heart of Arizona (University of Arizona Press, 2023), Tom Zoellner, a fifth-generation Arizonan, takes the reader on a walk across the length of the state, his narrative interspersed with essays on Arizona's history, culture and politics. Our conversation focuses on such topics as how Arizona anticipated the Trump Era in America—how “the scent of oncoming Trumpism,” as he writes in Rim to River, became such a pronounced feature of his native state's political and cultural landscape. Yet the story of Arizona remains in flux, as migrants pour in not just from across the border with Mexico but from fellow U.S. states. Zoellner's Arizona may yet end up foreshadowing America's post-Trump future. Veteran journalist Paul Starobin is a former Moscow bureau chief for Business Week and a former contributing editor of The Atlantic. He has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and many other publications. His most recent book is Putin's Exiles: Their Fight for a Better Russia (Columbia Global Reports, 2024). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-west

In Rim to River: Looking into the Heart of Arizona (University of Arizona Press, 2023), Tom Zoellner, a fifth-generation Arizonan, takes the reader on a walk across the length of the state, his narrative interspersed with essays on Arizona's history, culture and politics. Our conversation focuses on such topics as how Arizona anticipated the Trump Era in America—how “the scent of oncoming Trumpism,” as he writes in Rim to River, became such a pronounced feature of his native state's political and cultural landscape. Yet the story of Arizona remains in flux, as migrants pour in not just from across the border with Mexico but from fellow U.S. states. Zoellner's Arizona may yet end up foreshadowing America's post-Trump future. Veteran journalist Paul Starobin is a former Moscow bureau chief for Business Week and a former contributing editor of The Atlantic. He has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and many other publications. His most recent book is Putin's Exiles: Their Fight for a Better Russia (Columbia Global Reports, 2024). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arizona's unique natural beauty and lingering "Wild West" spirit often charm outside observers. That allure may waver when closer examination reveals realities of extreme temperatures, extended drought, and what author Tom Zoellner refers to as a "transient" community fabric.  In his 2023 book, Rim to River: Looking into the Heart of Arizona, Tom's collection of essays details his one-man pilgrimage across the state to better understand its history and its enduring appeal—even in a warming world. His multidimensional perspective offers further context for our recent podcast episode on sustainability in Arizona, and for the complex factors that drive migration here and throughout the Ten Across region.    In this episode, Ten Across founder Duke Reiter and Tom Zoellner unpack important themes found within Tom's recent New York Times editorial, “Don't Flee the American Southwest Just Yet”, and his book of Arizona essays. Through salient points in the state's history—from its unsavory beginnings in the Indian Wars to the post-war residential and agricultural booms to the current evolution of the state's Republican party—this conversation explores how history reverberates today in the legislature, at the border, and in environmental priorities.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Tom Zoellner purchased a diamond engagement ring and proposed. His girlfriend said, "yes" and then suddenly walked out of his life, making Tom the owner of a used engagement ring. Instead of hitting the self-help shelves of his local bookstore, he hit the road to discover the true worth of this shining gem. Then he wrote The Heartless Stone. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A review of "Island on Fire: The Revolt That Ended Slavery in the British Empire" by Tom Zoellner which recounts Samuel Sharpe's rebellion in Jamaica and how it led to the abolishment of slavery.   Show notes and sources are available at http://noirehistoir.com/blog/island-on-fire-book-review.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Tom Zoellner purchased a diamond engagement ring and proposed. His girlfriend said "yes," and then, suddenly, walked out of his life, making Tom the owner of a used engagement ring. Instead of hitting the self-help shelves of his local bookstore, he hit the road to discover the true worth of this shining gem. Then he wrote The Heartless Stone. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tom Zoellner walked across the length of Arizona to come to terms with his home state. But the trip revealed more mountains behind the mountains. Rim to River: Looking Into the Heart of Arizona (U Arizona Press, 2023) is the story of this extraordinary journey through redrock country, down canyons, up mesas, and across desert plains to the obscure valley in Mexico that gave the state its enigmatic name. The trek is interspersed with incisive essays that pick apart the distinctive cultural landscape of Arizona: the wine-colored pinnacles and complex spirituality of Navajoland, the mind-numbing stucco suburbs, desperate border crossings, legislative skullduggery, extreme politics, billion-dollar copper ventures, dehydrating rivers, retirement kingdoms, old-time foodways, ghosts of old wars, honky-tonk dreamers, murder mysteries, and magical Grand Canyon reveries. In Rim to River, Zoellner does for Arizona what Larry McMurtry did for Texas in In a Narrow Grave and what Wallace Stegner did for Utah in Mormon Country: paint an enduring portrait of a misunderstood American state. An indictment, a love letter, and a homecoming story all at once. Tom Zoellner is an American author and journalist. His book Island on Fire: The Revolt that Ended Slavery in the British Empire, won the National Book Critics Circle Award for the best nonfiction book of 2020 and was a finalist for the Bancroft Prize and the California Book Award. His writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Harper's, The American Scholar, The Oxford American, Time, Foreign Policy, Men's Health, Slate, Scientific American, Audubon, Sierra, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Texas Observer, The Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. Tom is a former staff writer for The Arizona Republic and the San Francisco Chronicle, and the recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Lannan Foundation. He teaches at Chapman University and Dartmouth College. Daniel Moran earned his B.A. and M.A. in English from Rutgers University and his Ph.D. in History from Drew University. The author of Creating Flannery O'Connor: Her Critics, Her Publishers, Her Readers, he teaches research and writing at Rutgers and co-hosts the podcast Fifteen-Minute Film Fanatics (Twitter @15MinFilm). 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

Tom Zoellner walked across the length of Arizona to come to terms with his home state. But the trip revealed more mountains behind the mountains. Rim to River: Looking Into the Heart of Arizona (U Arizona Press, 2023) is the story of this extraordinary journey through redrock country, down canyons, up mesas, and across desert plains to the obscure valley in Mexico that gave the state its enigmatic name. The trek is interspersed with incisive essays that pick apart the distinctive cultural landscape of Arizona: the wine-colored pinnacles and complex spirituality of Navajoland, the mind-numbing stucco suburbs, desperate border crossings, legislative skullduggery, extreme politics, billion-dollar copper ventures, dehydrating rivers, retirement kingdoms, old-time foodways, ghosts of old wars, honky-tonk dreamers, murder mysteries, and magical Grand Canyon reveries. In Rim to River, Zoellner does for Arizona what Larry McMurtry did for Texas in In a Narrow Grave and what Wallace Stegner did for Utah in Mormon Country: paint an enduring portrait of a misunderstood American state. An indictment, a love letter, and a homecoming story all at once. Tom Zoellner is an American author and journalist. His book Island on Fire: The Revolt that Ended Slavery in the British Empire, won the National Book Critics Circle Award for the best nonfiction book of 2020 and was a finalist for the Bancroft Prize and the California Book Award. His writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Harper's, The American Scholar, The Oxford American, Time, Foreign Policy, Men's Health, Slate, Scientific American, Audubon, Sierra, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Texas Observer, The Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. Tom is a former staff writer for The Arizona Republic and the San Francisco Chronicle, and the recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Lannan Foundation. He teaches at Chapman University and Dartmouth College. Daniel Moran earned his B.A. and M.A. in English from Rutgers University and his Ph.D. in History from Drew University. The author of Creating Flannery O'Connor: Her Critics, Her Publishers, Her Readers, he teaches research and writing at Rutgers and co-hosts the podcast Fifteen-Minute Film Fanatics (Twitter @15MinFilm). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

Tom Zoellner walked across the length of Arizona to come to terms with his home state. But the trip revealed more mountains behind the mountains. Rim to River: Looking Into the Heart of Arizona (U Arizona Press, 2023) is the story of this extraordinary journey through redrock country, down canyons, up mesas, and across desert plains to the obscure valley in Mexico that gave the state its enigmatic name. The trek is interspersed with incisive essays that pick apart the distinctive cultural landscape of Arizona: the wine-colored pinnacles and complex spirituality of Navajoland, the mind-numbing stucco suburbs, desperate border crossings, legislative skullduggery, extreme politics, billion-dollar copper ventures, dehydrating rivers, retirement kingdoms, old-time foodways, ghosts of old wars, honky-tonk dreamers, murder mysteries, and magical Grand Canyon reveries. In Rim to River, Zoellner does for Arizona what Larry McMurtry did for Texas in In a Narrow Grave and what Wallace Stegner did for Utah in Mormon Country: paint an enduring portrait of a misunderstood American state. An indictment, a love letter, and a homecoming story all at once. Tom Zoellner is an American author and journalist. His book Island on Fire: The Revolt that Ended Slavery in the British Empire, won the National Book Critics Circle Award for the best nonfiction book of 2020 and was a finalist for the Bancroft Prize and the California Book Award. His writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Harper's, The American Scholar, The Oxford American, Time, Foreign Policy, Men's Health, Slate, Scientific American, Audubon, Sierra, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Texas Observer, The Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. Tom is a former staff writer for The Arizona Republic and the San Francisco Chronicle, and the recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Lannan Foundation. He teaches at Chapman University and Dartmouth College. Daniel Moran earned his B.A. and M.A. in English from Rutgers University and his Ph.D. in History from Drew University. The author of Creating Flannery O'Connor: Her Critics, Her Publishers, Her Readers, he teaches research and writing at Rutgers and co-hosts the podcast Fifteen-Minute Film Fanatics (Twitter @15MinFilm). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-west

The Pacific Northwest Trail has Cheryl Strayed. The Appalachian Trail has Bill Bryson. And now the Arizona Trail has Tom Zoellner. In 2019, Zoellner hiked the trail's 800 miles and took a deep dive into what makes the Grand Canyon State tick. He chronicles his extraordinary journey and insights into Arizona's culture, history, mysteries and more in his new book "RIM TO RIVER: Looking into the Heart of Arizona." Zoellner joins Russell and Alan to talk about it all, including the city once known as Pumpkinville.     

On this episode of Our American Stories, Tom Zoellner purchased a diamond engagement ring and proposed. His girlfriend said, "yes" and then, suddenly, walked out of his life making Tom the owner of a used engagement ring. Instead of hitting the self-help shelves of his local bookstore, he hit the road to discover the true worth of this shining gem and then wrote The Heartless Stone. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Tom Zoellner purchased a diamond engagement ring and proposed. His girlfriend said, "yes" and then, suddenly, walked out of his life making Tom the owner of a used engagement ring. Instead of hitting the self-help shelves of his local bookstore, he hit the road to discover the true worth of this shining gem and then wrote The Heartless Stone. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For five horrific weeks after Christmas in 1831, Jamaica was convulsed by an uprising of its enslaved people. What started as a peaceful labor strike quickly turned into a full-blown revolt, leaving hundreds of plantation houses in smoking ruins. By the time British troops had put down the rebels, more than a thousand Jamaicans lay dead from summary executions and extrajudicial murder. While the rebels lost their military gamble, their sacrifice accelerated the larger struggle for freedom in the British Atlantic. The daring and suffering of the Jamaicans galvanized public opinion throughout the empire, triggering a decisive turn against slavery. For centuries bondage had fed Britain's appetite for sugar. Within two years of the Christmas rebellion, slavery was formally abolished. Island on Fire: The Revolt That Ended Slavery in the British Empire (Harvard University Press, 2020) is a dramatic day-by-day account of this transformative uprising. A skillful storyteller, Tom Zoellner goes back to the primary sources to tell the intimate story of the men and women who rose up and tasted liberty for a few brief weeks. He provides the first full portrait of the rebellion's enigmatic leader, Samuel Sharpe, and gives us a poignant glimpse of the struggles and dreams of the many Jamaicans who died for liberty. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose doctoral work focused on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies

For five horrific weeks after Christmas in 1831, Jamaica was convulsed by an uprising of its enslaved people. What started as a peaceful labor strike quickly turned into a full-blown revolt, leaving hundreds of plantation houses in smoking ruins. By the time British troops had put down the rebels, more than a thousand Jamaicans lay dead from summary executions and extrajudicial murder. While the rebels lost their military gamble, their sacrifice accelerated the larger struggle for freedom in the British Atlantic. The daring and suffering of the Jamaicans galvanized public opinion throughout the empire, triggering a decisive turn against slavery. For centuries bondage had fed Britain's appetite for sugar. Within two years of the Christmas rebellion, slavery was formally abolished. Island on Fire: The Revolt That Ended Slavery in the British Empire (Harvard University Press, 2020) is a dramatic day-by-day account of this transformative uprising. A skillful storyteller, Tom Zoellner goes back to the primary sources to tell the intimate story of the men and women who rose up and tasted liberty for a few brief weeks. He provides the first full portrait of the rebellion's enigmatic leader, Samuel Sharpe, and gives us a poignant glimpse of the struggles and dreams of the many Jamaicans who died for liberty. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose doctoral work focused on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. 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

For five horrific weeks after Christmas in 1831, Jamaica was convulsed by an uprising of its enslaved people. What started as a peaceful labor strike quickly turned into a full-blown revolt, leaving hundreds of plantation houses in smoking ruins. By the time British troops had put down the rebels, more than a thousand Jamaicans lay dead from summary executions and extrajudicial murder. While the rebels lost their military gamble, their sacrifice accelerated the larger struggle for freedom in the British Atlantic. The daring and suffering of the Jamaicans galvanized public opinion throughout the empire, triggering a decisive turn against slavery. For centuries bondage had fed Britain's appetite for sugar. Within two years of the Christmas rebellion, slavery was formally abolished. Island on Fire: The Revolt That Ended Slavery in the British Empire (Harvard University Press, 2020) is a dramatic day-by-day account of this transformative uprising. A skillful storyteller, Tom Zoellner goes back to the primary sources to tell the intimate story of the men and women who rose up and tasted liberty for a few brief weeks. He provides the first full portrait of the rebellion's enigmatic leader, Samuel Sharpe, and gives us a poignant glimpse of the struggles and dreams of the many Jamaicans who died for liberty. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose doctoral work focused on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

For five horrific weeks after Christmas in 1831, Jamaica was convulsed by an uprising of its enslaved people. What started as a peaceful labor strike quickly turned into a full-blown revolt, leaving hundreds of plantation houses in smoking ruins. By the time British troops had put down the rebels, more than a thousand Jamaicans lay dead from summary executions and extrajudicial murder. While the rebels lost their military gamble, their sacrifice accelerated the larger struggle for freedom in the British Atlantic. The daring and suffering of the Jamaicans galvanized public opinion throughout the empire, triggering a decisive turn against slavery. For centuries bondage had fed Britain's appetite for sugar. Within two years of the Christmas rebellion, slavery was formally abolished. Island on Fire: The Revolt That Ended Slavery in the British Empire (Harvard University Press, 2020) is a dramatic day-by-day account of this transformative uprising. A skillful storyteller, Tom Zoellner goes back to the primary sources to tell the intimate story of the men and women who rose up and tasted liberty for a few brief weeks. He provides the first full portrait of the rebellion's enigmatic leader, Samuel Sharpe, and gives us a poignant glimpse of the struggles and dreams of the many Jamaicans who died for liberty. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose doctoral work focused on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/latin-american-studies

For five horrific weeks after Christmas in 1831, Jamaica was convulsed by an uprising of its enslaved people. What started as a peaceful labor strike quickly turned into a full-blown revolt, leaving hundreds of plantation houses in smoking ruins. By the time British troops had put down the rebels, more than a thousand Jamaicans lay dead from summary executions and extrajudicial murder. While the rebels lost their military gamble, their sacrifice accelerated the larger struggle for freedom in the British Atlantic. The daring and suffering of the Jamaicans galvanized public opinion throughout the empire, triggering a decisive turn against slavery. For centuries bondage had fed Britain's appetite for sugar. Within two years of the Christmas rebellion, slavery was formally abolished. Island on Fire: The Revolt That Ended Slavery in the British Empire (Harvard University Press, 2020) is a dramatic day-by-day account of this transformative uprising. A skillful storyteller, Tom Zoellner goes back to the primary sources to tell the intimate story of the men and women who rose up and tasted liberty for a few brief weeks. He provides the first full portrait of the rebellion's enigmatic leader, Samuel Sharpe, and gives us a poignant glimpse of the struggles and dreams of the many Jamaicans who died for liberty. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose doctoral work focused on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/military-history

For five horrific weeks after Christmas in 1831, Jamaica was convulsed by an uprising of its enslaved people. What started as a peaceful labor strike quickly turned into a full-blown revolt, leaving hundreds of plantation houses in smoking ruins. By the time British troops had put down the rebels, more than a thousand Jamaicans lay dead from summary executions and extrajudicial murder. While the rebels lost their military gamble, their sacrifice accelerated the larger struggle for freedom in the British Atlantic. The daring and suffering of the Jamaicans galvanized public opinion throughout the empire, triggering a decisive turn against slavery. For centuries bondage had fed Britain's appetite for sugar. Within two years of the Christmas rebellion, slavery was formally abolished. Island on Fire: The Revolt That Ended Slavery in the British Empire (Harvard University Press, 2020) is a dramatic day-by-day account of this transformative uprising. A skillful storyteller, Tom Zoellner goes back to the primary sources to tell the intimate story of the men and women who rose up and tasted liberty for a few brief weeks. He provides the first full portrait of the rebellion's enigmatic leader, Samuel Sharpe, and gives us a poignant glimpse of the struggles and dreams of the many Jamaicans who died for liberty. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose doctoral work focused on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/caribbean-studies

For five horrific weeks after Christmas in 1831, Jamaica was convulsed by an uprising of its enslaved people. What started as a peaceful labor strike quickly turned into a full-blown revolt, leaving hundreds of plantation houses in smoking ruins. By the time British troops had put down the rebels, more than a thousand Jamaicans lay dead from summary executions and extrajudicial murder. While the rebels lost their military gamble, their sacrifice accelerated the larger struggle for freedom in the British Atlantic. The daring and suffering of the Jamaicans galvanized public opinion throughout the empire, triggering a decisive turn against slavery. For centuries bondage had fed Britain's appetite for sugar. Within two years of the Christmas rebellion, slavery was formally abolished. Island on Fire: The Revolt That Ended Slavery in the British Empire (Harvard University Press, 2020) is a dramatic day-by-day account of this transformative uprising. A skillful storyteller, Tom Zoellner goes back to the primary sources to tell the intimate story of the men and women who rose up and tasted liberty for a few brief weeks. He provides the first full portrait of the rebellion's enigmatic leader, Samuel Sharpe, and gives us a poignant glimpse of the struggles and dreams of the many Jamaicans who died for liberty. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose doctoral work focused on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For five horrific weeks after Christmas in 1831, Jamaica was convulsed by an uprising of its enslaved people. What started as a peaceful labor strike quickly turned into a full-blown revolt, leaving hundreds of plantation houses in smoking ruins. By the time British troops had put down the rebels, more than a thousand Jamaicans lay dead from summary executions and extrajudicial murder. While the rebels lost their military gamble, their sacrifice accelerated the larger struggle for freedom in the British Atlantic. The daring and suffering of the Jamaicans galvanized public opinion throughout the empire, triggering a decisive turn against slavery. For centuries bondage had fed Britain's appetite for sugar. Within two years of the Christmas rebellion, slavery was formally abolished. Island on Fire: The Revolt That Ended Slavery in the British Empire (Harvard University Press, 2020) is a dramatic day-by-day account of this transformative uprising. A skillful storyteller, Tom Zoellner goes back to the primary sources to tell the intimate story of the men and women who rose up and tasted liberty for a few brief weeks. He provides the first full portrait of the rebellion's enigmatic leader, Samuel Sharpe, and gives us a poignant glimpse of the struggles and dreams of the many Jamaicans who died for liberty. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose doctoral work focused on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/british-studies

On this episode of Our American Stories, regular contributor, Anne Clare, tells the story of a unique aircraft carrier, the USS Lexington. Tom Zoellner purchased a diamond engagement ring and proposed. His girlfriend said, "yes" and then, suddenly, walked out of his life making Tom the owner of a used engagement ring. Instead of hitting the self-help shelves of his local bookstore, he hit the road to discover the true worth of this shining gem and then wrote The Heartless Stone. Mike Freeman, author of Clarence Saunders & the Founding of Piggly Wiggly: The Rise and Fall of a Memphis Maverick, tells us how Clarence Saunders revolutionized the way people shopped by developing “self-service” grocery shopping. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Time Codes: 00:00 - The USS Lexington, The Naval Juggernaut 10:00 - The Shocking Story Behind the Diamond Engagement Ring 23:00 - How Piggly Wiggly Created the Modern Supermarket See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Journalist and author Tom Zoellner talks about his book "The National Road: Dispatches from a Changing America."

In this episode, Tom Zoellner and fellow journalist Aurora Almendral analyze the political situation in the Philippines: How does President Rodrigo Duterte, who many criticize for his autocratic governance, endanger democratic structures in the country? How does this affect the vibrant press and journalism culture, which is under attack by Duterte? Almendral is a Philippine-born award-winning journalist who writes for The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, and National Geographic Magazine. She covers topics such as global supply chains, women in global migration, climate economy, and politics in the Philippines. 

On this episode of Our American Stories, Families move all the time due to job changes... But to children, sometimes it just doesn't make sense. Roger Rench reflects on his childhood move; Tom Zoellner purchased a diamond engagement ring and proposed. His girlfriend said, "yes" and then, suddenly, walked out of his life making Tom the owner of a used engagement ring; Hess Toy Truck Director, Justin Mayer, and superfan, Mike Roberto share the story of how for nearly 60 years, Hess trucks have brought smiles to children, and adults, up and down the East Coast. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Time Codes: 00:00 - Revisiting Childhood Mysteries 10:00 - The Shocking Story Behind the Diamond Engagement Ring 23:00 - The Holiday Tradition That Started At A Gas Station Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this collaboration with the German American Conference at Harvard, Dr. Daniel Ziblatt talks about the decline of democracies. Ziblatt encourages us not to "be afraid to reform our constitution and our institutions." In conversation with hosts Anne McElvoy and Tom Zoellner, he argues that vibrant civil societies, a robust media, and strong opposition are key to resilient democracies. Daniel Ziblatt is professor of government at Harvard University and director of Transformations of Democracy at the WZB Berlin Social Science Center. He recently published, with Steve Levitsky, the best-selling book How Democracies Die.

Tom Zoellner's new book, "The National Road: Dispatches from a Changing America," is a journey into the uneasy soul of the nation: What unites us, what divides us, and what lies in the middle of the cities of the coasts.

On this episode of Our American Stories, Kent Nerburn, author of Letters to My Son: A Father's Wisdom on Manhood, Life, and Love was surprised, but elated to have a son at the age of 40. But afraid he wouldn't live long enough to see him into manhood, he penned several letters of fatherly advice should the unthinkable happen; Tom Zoellner purchased a diamond engagement ring and proposed. His girlfriend said, "yes" and then, suddenly, walked out of his life making Tom the owner of a used engagement ring. Instead of hitting the self-help shelves of his local bookstore, he hit the road to discover the true worth of this shining gem and then wrote The Heartless Stone; Iris Jamahl Dunkle tells the story of Charmian Kittredge London in the first full length Biography written about her titled Charmian Kittredge: London Trailblazer Author Adventurer. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Time Codes: 00:00 - Kent Nerburn, Letters to My Son, Craig's Lesson 10:00 - The Shocking Story Behind the Diamond Engagement Ring 23:00 - The Woman Behind Jack London Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Susan Bernofsky's new translation of Thomas Mann's novel "The Magic Mountain" is eagerly awaited. In conversation with Tom Zoellner, Bernofsky talks about Thomas Mann's multiculturalism and the challenges of translating between languages and cultures. In this episode, the renowned translator also shares her personal experiences as a Jewish American in Europe and talks about the rise of the global, increasingly plural English language. Susan Bernofsky is the prizewinning translator of seven works of fiction by the great Swiss-German modernist author Robert Walser, as well as novels and poetry by Yoko Tawada, Jenny Erpenbeck, Uljana Wolf, Franz Kafka, Hermann Hesse, and others. Her biography of Walser, "Clairvoyant of the Small", appeared in 2021. A Guggenheim, Cullman, and Berlin Prize fellow, she teaches literary translation at the Columbia University School of the Arts.   

Emma hosts Tom Zoellner, Professor at Chapman University and political editor at the Los Angeles Review of Books, to discuss his recent book “Island on Fire: The Revolt That Ended Slavery in the British Empire,” on the Jamaican rebellion of 1831 and the abolition of slavery in the British Empire. Professor Zoellner situates us between the Haitian revolution and the U.S. Civil War, centuries into the institution of slavery in the Caribbean with the drive for manumission beginning to bubble over, before touching on how British slavery came to the island, with Oliver Cromwell's claiming of colonies, such as Jamaica, from other European empires. Next, he and Emma delve into the progression of abolitionist action in Jamaica from the 18th to 19th Centuries, with Tacky's Rebellion setting the stage for the success of Baptist and Methodist missionaries in establishing a movement of enslaved peoples' organization and self-determination. They, then, move onto the role of Sam Sharpe, an enslaved Jamaican who capitalized on the growing literacy and religious solidarity among his fellow slaves by organizing the 1831 general strike that would grow into the rebellion, and how his tactics reflect those used by rebellious groups throughout history, before he was executed by the British colonizers in 1832. Zoellner wraps up the interview by looking into how the news of the rebellion eventually reached London and resulted in the determination that the institution of slavery was simply no longer worthwhile, and how, despite the only reparations going to slaveholders, the abolition of slavery in the British Empire saw celebration by abolitionists across the western world. Emma concludes the first half with discussions on Donald Trump's claim to vaccine fame and Rep. Cliff Bentz's attempt to blame rising forest fires on the buildup of all that darn wood that never used to be there! And in the Fun Half: Dave from Jamaica expresses his frustration with the failure of history classes to appropriately teach the Jamaican rebellion and how its causes are reflected today, and engages the MR crew in a discussion on how this can be combatted across the globe. They touch on NYC's new vaccination requirements, the rampant rates of the delta variant, and inquire as to what it would actually take for the U.S. to properly address the pandemic, before the episode moves into some good schadenfreude as Matthew of Philly gives an update on a win for Amazon employees and the crew admires one citizen's accosting of Tucker Carlson as an incredibly enjoyable, even if not productive, clip from this weekend. Warren from Toronto calls in to talk sports, culture war, and progressivism, and Matt Walsh defends his daughters' honor from dishonorably serving with honor for an honest imperialist cause, plus, your calls and IMs! Become a member at JoinTheMajorityReport.com Join the Majority Report Discord! http://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ (Merch issues and concerns can be addressed here: majorityreportstore@mirrorimage.com) You can now watch the livestream on Twitch Check out today's sponsors: Third Love : ThirdLove knows the science behind top-to-bottom comfort without sacrificing style—from perfectly fitted bras and underwear to quality sleepwear. Check out Third Love to find your new favorite everyday essentials, from their new Feather Lace collection to their number one rated 24/7 Classic T-shirt Bra. Go to thirdlove.com/majority now to get 20% off your first purchase! Harry's: With Harry's, you don't have to choose between a great shave and a fair price. Harry's delivers a close, comfortable shave at a fair price – still as low as two dollars per refill! Harry's is giving their best offer to Majority Report listeners. New Harry's customers can get a starter set that includes a 5-blade razor, a weighted ergonomic handle, foaming shave gel, and a travel blade cover at Harrys.com/MAJORITY - a $13 value all for just $3. Support the St. Vincent Nurses today as they continue to strike for a fair contract! https://action.massnurses.org/we-stand-with-st-vincents-nurses/ Subscribe to Discourse Blog, a newsletter and website for progressive essays and related fun partly run by AM Quickie writer Jack Crosbie. https://discourseblog.com/ Subscribe to AM Quickie writer Corey Pein's podcast News from Nowhere, at https://www.patreon.com/newsfromnowhere Check out The Letterhack's upcoming Kickstarter project for his new graphic novel! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/milagrocomic/milagro-heroe-de-las-calles Check out Matt Binder's YouTube channel! Check out The Nomiki Show live at 3 pm ET on YouTube at patreon.com/thenomikishow Check out Matt's podcast, Literary Hangover, at Patreon.com/LiteraryHangover, or on iTunes. Check out Jamie's podcast, The Antifada, at patreon.com/theantifada, on iTunes, or at twitch.tv/theantifada (streaming every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 7pm ET!) Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter: @SamSeder @EmmaVigeland @MattBinder @MattLech @BF1nn @BradKAlsop

While his government has long been a promise for reconciliation and development, Rwanda's President Paul Kagame is facing increasing international criticism. Human Rights Watch and other institutions accuse his government of mistreating opposition members or making them disappear. At the center of the criticism is, among other things, the kidnapping of Paul Rusesabagina, a central figure in the film Hotel Rwanda and recipient of the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom. In this episode, hosts Tom Zoellner and Aida Baghernejad talk with David Himbara, a Rwandan political scientist and economist, about the threatening developments in Rwanda and the human rights situation in his country.

How can societies and states reinvent themselves after the pandemic? Andreas Reckwitz, sociologist, cultural theorist and one of Germany’s most eminent contemporary scholars, talks about what the COVID-19 pandemic means for late modern society from a sociological point of view. While the pandemic highlighted structural problems such as inequality, can it also bear hope for societal transformation? With our hosts Tom Zoellner and Aida Baghernejad, he discusses the emergence of a new middle class and the meaning of the terms "left" and "right" today. Reckwitz is the author of Society of Singularities (2017) and The End of Illusions (2019), and will be a fellow at the Thomas Mann House in 2022.  

In this episode, illustrator and author Nora Krug talks about notions of belonging, nationalism, and the power of images. In conversation with our hosts Tom Zoellner and Aida Baghernejad, she reflects on issues of historical memory and responsibility, and how they can be tackled in the form of a graphic novel. Krug's graphic novel "Belonging: A German Reckons With History and Home" was honored with a 2018 National Book Critics Circle Award. It investigates her own family's WWII history in image and text.

Historian Keisha N. Blain, Professor at the University of Pittsburgh and President of the African American Intellectual History Society, recently co-edited the acclaimed book Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America 1619-2019 with her colleague Ibram X. Kendi. In this episode, Blain talks about how to commemorate the 400 year anniversary of the pivotal moment in 1619, when the first group of twenty African captives arrived on "The White Lion" in Jamestown, Virginia. In her conversation with hosts Tom Zoellner and Aida Baghernejad, Blain reflects on the history of Black America and issues of racism, voting rights, and social justice today. Blain's articles have appeared in The Guardian, The Atlantic and the Washington Post.

In this episode, U.S.-German writer Deborah Feldman engages in a conversation with hosts Tom Zoellner and Aida Baghernejad about contemporary Jewish culture in Berlin, political participation by religious communities and the meaning of trust in democracies: “We need to establish the kind of personal trust we have as individuals with each other in the public sphere.” Feldman is the author of Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots (2012), in which she tells the story of her escape from an ultra-Orthodox community in Brooklyn, New York. The book was the basis of the Netflix miniseries Unorthodox (2020). 

In this special episode of our podcast, the award-winning investigative and political reporter John S. Adams talks about money, politics and its effect on democracy. While there was always "money in politics," the practice of political donations has become a substantial threat to liberal democracies. "In the last several years, the flood gates have really opened," states Adams in his conversation with hosts Tom Zoellner and Aida Baghernejad. What are the real motivations behind these donations and what are the differences between political donations in Germany and the United States? Adams was the former Capital Bureau Chief of the Great Falls Tribune and a correspondent for USA TODAY. He is the founder and editor of the Montana Free Press, a digital news watchdog. His work on the subject of politics and money was featured in the 2019 PBS documentary Dark Money.

Brad Smith, President of Microsoft and author of the book Tools and Weapons: The Promise and the Peril of the Digital Age (2019), makes an argument for the political and moral accountability of big tech companies. Smith discusses “the role of digital technology in the world of politics” with our host Tom Zoellner and co-host Aida Baghernejad. 

Tom Zoellner explains how the Sam Sharpe slave rebellion in Jamaica brought an end to slavery in the British Empire. Oxford University's Sudhir Hazareesingh shares the story of the father of Haiti, the former slave Toussaint Louverture, who revolutionized the country.

Welcome to Episode 59! Topics: snowstorms, running, digging out car, Zooms, Rand McNally Road Atlas, F&F Pizza, COVID vaccinations, Rose Wolf Coffee, Threes Brewing, Sean Casey Animal Shelter, Barnes & Noble, The Truth by D.R. Hooker, Ignorance by The Weather Station, Chick Corea, Return To Forever, The National Road by Tom Zoellner, Dune.

Welcome to Episode 58! Conrad Life Report is a podcast about life, including digital media, music, books, food, drink, New York City, and more. Episode 58 topics: new microphone, the High Bridge, Common Ground Harlem, Jackie Robinson Park, LaGuardia Landing Lights Park, mom COVID vaccine, Threes Brewing 6th anniversary, Other Half 7th anniversary, Ugly Baby on Smith Street, II by LNZNDRF, UFO by Jim Sullivan, Vertigo Days by The Notwist, Collapsed In Sunbeams by Arlo Parks, Maquishti by Patricia Brennan, Cooler Returns by Kiwi Jr, 'Chemtrails Over The Country Club' by Lana Del Rey, Now And Zen by Robert Plant, Uncanny Valley by Anna Wiener, The National Road by Tom Zoellner.

“The National Road: Dispatches from a Changing America”: Tom Zoellner’s Essay Collection A Roadmap through Contradictory American Histories,

In this episode Matt Crawford speaks with author Tom Zoellner about his book The National Road, a collection of essays written by Tom over twenty years. Different parts of the country at different times and a wanderlust, blend beautifully to give us a great view of our land and the people contained within. A great read at any time but even more so now, in the divided times we live in. 

Aida Baghernejad and Tom Zoellner talk music and politics with German pianist Igor Levit.

Vick Mickunas' 2020 interview with Tom Zoellner

Political philosopher Chantal Mouffe talks to hosts Tom Zoellner and Aida Baghernejad about the varieties of populism, our current moment, and the future of democracy.

Renowned German-Austrian novelist and playwright Daniel Kehlmann's latest novel, Tyll, was published in the US this year, three years after it became a bestseller in Germany. A fantastical picaresque set during the Thirty Years War, it has subtle but clear parallels to our present situation, with strife-torn Europe and America, fractured by religion, intolerance and seemingly endless war. Kehlmann is interviewed by Aida Baghernejad and Tom Zoellner about exactly these connections, and about the perspective contemporary German literary writers have on the rise of populism around the world.

On today's episode, Andrew talks with Tom Zoellner about his new book, The National Road: Dispatches from a Changing America, and reporting from the America today, full of divide and anger -- but, also, hope. TOM ZOELLNER is the author and co-author of eight previous nonfiction books, the politics editor of The Los Angeles Review of Books, an associate professor of English at Chapman University and a visiting professor of English at Dartmouth College. His writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Harper's, Men's Health, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and many other places. He is the recipient of fellowships and residencies from The Lannan Foundation, the Corporation of Yaddo and the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tom Zoellner and Aida Baghernejad interview Belarussian President-Elect Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and journalist and activist Franak Viačorka on the political crisis in Belarus.  Tsikhanouskaya is in exile in Lithuania as "the last dictator in Europe," Alexander Lukashenko, clings to power after a decisive loss in the election.

We’re joined by Tom Zoellner, award-winning author and the LA Review of Books Politics Editor. Tom and the co-hosts talk about the election, the tenor of the online political debate, and the future of patriotism. We also discuss Tom’s new book, The National Road: Dispatches from a Changing America, a collection of essays from Tom’s travels throughout the country. Also, former LARB intern Jenna Beales returns to recommend Starting Point 1979-1996, a collection of essays by Hayao Miyazaki, the legendary animator and co-founder of Studio Ghibli.

We're joined by Tom Zoellner, award-winning author and the LA Review of Books Politics Editor. Tom and the co-hosts talk about the election, the tenor of the online political debate, and the future of patriotism. We also discuss Tom's new book, The National Road: Dispatches from a Changing America, a collection of essays from Tom's travels throughout the country. Also, former LARB intern Jenna Beales returns to recommend Starting Point 1979-1996, a collection of essays by Hayao Miyazaki, the legendary animator and co-founder of Studio Ghibli.

Tom Zoellner talks to Dipayan Ghosh about the politics of digital regulation, and the way the evolving digital ecosystem impacts democratic processes.

David Shimer discusses his book Rigged with Tom Zoellner, and talks about the future of democracy in the digital age.

Author Tom Zoellner joins Bruce to talk about his book 'Island on Fire,' which recounts the uprising that led to the end of slavery in the British Empire.

Annie is joined by Olivia and Lucy this week to discuss the Baby-Sitters Club books and the enjoyment they've brought during these strange times. The books mentioned in today’s episode are available at The Bookshelf: Book Bundle one Kristy’s Great Idea Claudia and the Phantom Caller The Truth about Stacey Mary-Anne Saves the Day Dawn and the Impossible Three Kristy’s Big Day Claudia and Mean Janine Boy-Crazy Stacey The Ghost at Dawn’s House A full transcript of today’s episode can be found here. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D Production for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations.  This week, I’m reading I Have Been Assigned the Single Bird by Sue Cerulean. Olivia is reading Fortune Favors the Dead by Stephen Spotswood. Lucy is reading The National Road by Tom Zoellner. If you liked what you heard on today’s episode, tell us by leaving a review on iTunes. Or, if you’re so inclined, support us on Patreon, where you can hear our staff’s weekly New Release Tuesday conversations, read full book reviews in our monthly Shelf Life newsletter, follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic, and receive free media mail shipping on all your online book orders. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We’re so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week.

Tom Zoellner’s new book, “The National Road: Dispatches From a Changing America," is a journey into the uneasy soul of the nation: What unites us, what divides us and what lies in the middle of the cities of the coasts.

Today, we visit with Saint Mark's member Tom Zoellner, whose latest book, "Island on Fire" is a dramatic day-by-day account of the uprising of enslaved people led by Baptist minister Samuel Sharpe in December, 1831. A signal event in the 19th Century, it has been largely forgotten, but Tom explains how its repercussions influenced 20th Century resistance movements, and are relevant to today's Black Lives Matter movement.

Tom and I discuss his latest book, Island on Fire - about the 1831-32 slave revolt in Jamaica. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-rogue-historian/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-rogue-historian/support

In this episode Matt Crawford speaks with author Tom Zoellner about his book Island on Fire. This is a thought provoking book that covers a slave uprising in Jamaica 30 years before our Civil War. A harbinger of things to come this should be required reading for anyone interested in understanding the rotten seed of slavery took root and how one nation eradicated it. Very impactful indeed.

We're back after a brief vacation to sit down with writer Tom Zoellner, whose new book, Island on Fire: The Revolt That Ended Slavery in the British Empire, was released to rave reviews in May. Plus, we fill you in on all the cool stuff we've been doing...in our houses, just like the rest of you...

Jesse interviews Tom Zoellner, author of Island on Fire: The Revolt That Ended Slavery in the British Empire

More than a century ago, Antonín Dvořák prophesied that American music would be rooted in the black vernacular. It’s come true, to a certain extent: when we think of American music—jazz, blues, rock, hip hop, rap—we are thinking of music invented by black musicians. The field of classical music, however, has remained stubbornly white. At one point in the last century, classical music was on the cusp of a revolution: the Englishman Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was writing works like his Twenty-Four Negro Melodies, Dvořák’s own assistant Harry Burleigh was reimagining black spirituals for the concert stage that would be performed by the likes of Marian Anderson. And the lineage continued with William Grant Still, Nathaniel Dett, Florence Price, and Margaret Bond. The arrival in 1934 of William L. Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony seemed to usher in the imminent fulfillment of Dvořák’s prophecy—and yet Dawson never wrote another symphony. Why not? Joseph Horowitz, a cultural historian and the executive director of the PostClassical Ensemble, joins the podcast to explore why. Scholar managing editor Sudip Bose guest-hosts.Go beyond the episode:Read Joseph Horowitz’s essay, “New World Prophecy,” from our Autumn 2019 issueAnd read more about Antonín Dvořák’s time in Spillville, Iowa, in Tom Zoellner’s essay, “No Harmony in the Heartland,” about how the national struggle over immigration has hit an American town built by immigrant CzechsListen to Leopold Stokowski conduct the American Symphony Orchestra’s 1963 performance of William L. Dawson’s Negro Folk SymphonyListen to Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Twenty-Four Negro Melodies, played by David Shaffer-GottschalkListen to Marian Anderson perform Harry Burleigh’s composition of the spiritual “Deep River”Listen to Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau perform Charles Ives’s extraordinary setting of “Feldeinsamkeit”Read about the rediscovery of the composer Florence PriceAnd keep an eye out for Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony at the following events:Georgetown University’s PostClassical Ensemble will perform the second movement on April 25, 2020The Brevard Music Festival may perform the complete symphony next summerTune in every week to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from new books. Hosted by Stephanie Bastek. Follow us on Twitter @TheAmScho or on Facebook.Subscribe: iTunes • Feedburner • Stitcher • Google Play •

More than a century ago, Antonín Dvořák prophesied that American music would be rooted in the black vernacular. It’s come true, to a certain extent: when we think of American music—jazz, blues, rock, hip hop, rap—we are thinking of music invented by black musicians. The field of classical music, however, has remained stubbornly white. At one point in the last century, classical music was on the cusp of a revolution: the Englishman Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was writing works like his Twenty-Four Negro Melodies, Dvořák’s own assistant Harry Burleigh was reimagining black spirituals for the concert stage that would be performed by the likes of Marian Anderson. And the lineage continued with William Grant Still, Nathaniel Dett, Florence Price, and Margaret Bond. The arrival in 1934 of William L. Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony seemed to usher in the imminent fulfillment of Dvořák’s prophecy—and yet Dawson never wrote another symphony. Why not? Joseph Horowitz, a cultural historian and the executive director of the PostClassical Ensemble, joins the podcast to explore why. Scholar managing editor Sudip Bose guest-hosts.Go beyond the episode:Read Joseph Horowitz’s essay, “New World Prophecy,” from our Autumn 2019 issueAnd read more about Antonín Dvořák’s time in Spillville, Iowa, in Tom Zoellner’s essay, “No Harmony in the Heartland,” about how the national struggle over immigration has hit an American town built by immigrant CzechsListen to Leopold Stokowski conduct the American Symphony Orchestra’s 1963 performance of William L. Dawson’s Negro Folk SymphonyListen to Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Twenty-Four Negro Melodies, played by David Shaffer-GottschalkListen to Marian Anderson perform Harry Burleigh’s composition of the spiritual “Deep River”Listen to Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau perform Charles Ives’s extraordinary setting of “Feldeinsamkeit”Read about the rediscovery of the composer Florence PriceAnd keep an eye out for Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony at the following events:Georgetown University’s PostClassical Ensemble will perform the second movement on April 25, 2020The Brevard Music Festival may perform the complete symphony next summerTune in every week to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from new books. Hosted by Stephanie Bastek. Follow us on Twitter @TheAmScho or on Facebook.Subscribe: iTunes • Feedburner • Stitcher • Google Play • 

Névine Schepers, IISS Research Associate for Non-Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, joins Dr Kori Schake for this episode of Sounds Strategic. Névine and Kori discuss recent developments relating to the civil nuclear export market, highlighting how innovations in legal structures and instruments to safeguard against nuclear proliferation have advanced the cause of non-proliferation. Their lively discussion ranges from analysis of Saudi Arabia's civil nuclear energy programme, Egypt's nuclear deal with Russia, concerns about US withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or Iran nuclear deal, and nuclear energy trends in Russia. With a research focus on Iran and the geopolitics of nuclear energy, Névine examines concerns about Iran, the JCPOA and proliferation in the region. She asserts that the Trump administration's current position on the Iran nuclear agreement is counter-productive. Névine and Kori also discuss whether Russia's civil nuclear exports have clear geopolitical implications, and whether Russian exports might lead to weaker nuclear governance compliance. Favourite data visualisation: Time Zone Map: https://www.timeanddate.com/time/map/ Reading recommendations: Névine Schepers, ‘Russia's Nuclear Energy Exports: Status, Prospects and Implications', EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Papers, no. 69, pp. 1–15 (2019)Tom Zoellner, Uranium (London: Penguin Books, 2010) Date of recording: 24 April 2019 Sounds Strategic is recorded and produced at the IISS in London. Theme music: ‘Safety in Numbers' by We Were Promised Jetpacks. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tom Zoellner is the author of five nonfiction books, including Train. He is the co-author of the New York Times bestselling book An Ordinary Man, and his book Uranium won the 2011 Science Writing Award from The American Institute of Physics. Tom has worked as a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle and The Arizona Republic, and as a contributing editor for Men’s Health magazine.  He is now an associate professor of English at Chapman University. Tom lives in downtown Los Angeles and is a founding member of the journalism collective Deca. Producer: Jon-Barrett Ingels and Kevin Staniec Manager: Sarah Becker Host: Jon-Barrett Ingels Guest: Tom Zoellner

Find out more about Tom and his work at: http://tomzoellner.com/ [Image is from Tom's website, photo credit: Paul Charest] Tom is currently teaching at Dartmouth over the summer. I snagged him for an interview after one of his classes. Sounds of trucks, rain and church bells create a background for a conversation about stories, journalism, politics and writing! Thanks for listening!

A New York-bound Amtrak train was traveling at 106 mph through a curve with a 50-mph speed limit when it derailed on Tuesday, killing eight people and injuring over 200 others. This accident has left many questioning why Congress voted to cut Amtrak funding by $100 million and the health of America's infrastructure. This Sunday we will discuss the crash, our infrastructure, and if it's time for a full-blown investment into our crumbling bridges, tunnels, and trains with our guest: Tom Zoellner, Train Historian and the Author of Train

Today on The Gist, we explore a new form of dark tourism: ecotourism. Tom Zoellner’s Kindle single Come See the Mountain tells the story of his visit to the Potosi silver mine in Bolivia. Plus, Megan Hustad explains why TED talks remind her of the tent revival sermons of her youth. She’s the author of How to Be Useful and More Than Conquerors: A Memoir of Lost Arguments. And to end the show, Mike can’t stop spieling about the New York Times’ coverage of the Chicago elections. Today’s sponsor: Stamps.com. Sign up for a no-risk trial and get a $110 bonus offer, when you visit Stamps.com and enter promo code TheGist. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at http://www.slate.com/gistplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Poet Tom Zoellner, author of A Safeway in Arizona: What the Gabrielle Giffords Shooting Tells Us About the Grand Canyon State and Life in America, discusses the poetic attributes of a place name and how it triggers prior associations and sensory perceptions in the individual. This lecture is part of the Tabula Poetica, a series of readings and discussions presented by Chapman University's Department of English, filmed by Panther Productions.

In a panel moderated by The New York Times' Marc Lacey, former Arizona House Minority Leader Art Hamilton, Arizona State University political scientist Jennifer Steen, and Tom Zoellner, author of A Safeway in Arizona, discuss how the state became the front lines of America's biggest cultural and political battles, from immigration to gun control.