Pulitizer Prize-winning author Rick Atkinson discusses his experiences while writing his trilogy on World War II—including the books An Army at Dawn and The Day of Battle—focusing on writing history texts as narratives, not as simple sequences of events.
Martin van Creveld of Hebrew University examines the intimate relationship between warfare and technological development—including the essential change in the nature of war that the development of nuclear weapons brought about (a new warfare in which victory did not ensure survival) and the U.S.'s emphasis on technological superiority in warfare (regardless of the effectiveness of this approach). This lecture was conducted for "Teaching Military History, Why and How: A History Institute for Teachers," held on September 2930, 2007. The event was sponsored by the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Marvin Wachman Fund for International Education and the Cantigny First Division Foundation, and held at the Cantigny First Division Museum in Wheaton, IL.
Audio and video options are available.
Director of the Bush Presidential Library Warren Finch describes his two favorite items in the library's collection: a ready-room chair from the World War II aircraft carrier USS San Jacinto; on which George Bush, Sr. served and a rock painting of Managua, Nicaragua, gifted to the library by Violeta Chamorro.
To watch this clip, scroll to "Warren Finch" under "Presentation: My Favorite Things," and select "Play."
During the World War II years, a series of groundbreaking radio programs tried to mend the deep racial and ethnic divisions that threatened America. At a time when blacks were usually shown on the radio as lazy buffoons, the federal government and civil rights activists used radio for a counter attack. Did radio unify America in the face of war? This documentary is divided into three downloadable sections.
To listen to this documentary, select "Part One," "Part Two," or "Part Three" beside the text "Radio Fights Jim Crow."
Emmy-Award–winning documentary filmmaker Ken Burns joins Allen Weinstein, Archivist of the United States, to discuss his past work and his current project, The War, a seven-part series examining the ways in which World War II touched the lives of American families.
To listen to this video, scroll to "Ken Burns," and select "Watch the Video."
Editor John B. Judis discusses the foreign policy of George W. Bush and his War on Terrorism in relation to previous foreign policy trends in the U.S., from the early U.S. of the Founding Fathers onwards.
Professor Alonzo Hamby analyzes the life and presidency of Harry Truman, looking at the popular image of him held today and contemporary public reaction to his presidency. Hamby focuses on Truman's foreign policies and decisions, including his decision to use the atomic bomb at the end of World War II and to initiate the Korean War. This lecture continues from the lecture "Harry S. Truman and the American People, Part One: Domestic Issues and Policies."
Professor Alonzo Hamby analyzes the life and presidency of Harry Truman, looking at the popular image of him held today and contemporary public reaction to his presidency. Hamby focuses on Truman's domestic policies and the domestic issues he faced, including civil rights and McCarthyism.
Professor Donald Brand examines the relationship of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal to earlier American political traditions—including the policies of Woodrow Wilson and those of the U.S. Founding Fathers. This lecture continues from the lecture "Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Second Bill of Rights, Part One."
Professor Donald Brand examines the relationship of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal to earlier American political traditions—including the policies of Woodrow Wilson and those of the U.S. Founding Fathers.