PODCAST · history
History Happy Hour
by Rick Beyer and Christopher Anderson
Crowd into the virtual bar with Chris Anderson and Rick Beyer to plumb intoxicating history topics and kibbitz over juicy tidbits. Each week, Chris and Rick invite a guest author to share cocktails and talk history. Like who? Like Andrew Roberts, Joe Balkoski, Chris Wallace, Lynne Olson, and Hampton Sides, for example. You never know who'll stop by. History Happy Hour, where history is always on tap. Brought to you by Stephen Ambrose Historical Tours – and our loyal Patreon patrons.
Episodes
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Memories of a Good Meal with authors Alon Shaya & June Hersh: Episode 325
This week on History Happy Hour: Remarkable stories of ordinary people who did the extraordinary during WWII, and the unparalleled role that food played in their survival. We will talk with award winning chef Alon Shaya and author June Hersh about their new book “Memories of a Good Meal: Recipes…
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The Iron Graves of Saipan with author Dan King: Episode 324
This week on History Happy Hour: Author Dan King interviewed more than 100 Japanese veterans while living in Japan, and has written a series of books telling the story of the war from their POV. In this encore episode, we’ll talk to him about his latest book, The Iron Graves of Saipan, about the...
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Thomas Paine's War: The Words That Rallied a Nation and the Founder for Our Time with author Jack Kelly: Episode 323
This week on History Happy Hour: Thomas Paine was a man whose words helped launch a revolution. In January 1776 he wrote Common Sense, which helped inspire the Continental Congress to declare Independence. In late November that same year, while serving in George Washington’s army during the...
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Until the Last Gun is Silent with author Matthew F. Delmont : Episode 321
This week on History Happy Hour: During the Vietnam War, 300 thousand black soldiers were drafted and sent overseas. At home, Black anti-war protesters were vilified for jeopardizing the fight for civil rights. Matthew Delmont comes back to History Happy Hour to talk about his new book Until the...
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Shadow Before the Flame with author Catherine Grace Katz: Episode 320
This week on History Happy Hour: On May 6, 1937, the majestic German zeppelin Hindenburg arrived in Lakehurst, New Jersey. Suddenly, a titanic inferno lit up the sky, and within seconds the proud symbol of Nazi Germany was gone. Historian Catherine Grace Katz returns to History Happy Hour to talk...
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Patton Reconsidered with author James Ellman: Episode 319
This week on History Happy Hour: Author James Ellman takes a critical look at George Patton, calling him one-dimensional and flawed in his new book Patton Reconsidered: General George S. Patton Jr. as a Wartime Commander. We’ll get into it with him to find out what he thinks Patton’s problems…
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The Last Titans with author Richard Vinen: Episode 318
This week on History Happy Hour: Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle were thrown together by challenges of war. They did not always get along, but nevertheless found a way to work together – personifying resistance to Adolph Hitler during WWII and for years beyond. But that is only a small…
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A Rebel and a Traitor with author Rory Carroll: Episode 317
This week on History Happy Hour: Roger Casement was a British diplomat knighted by the crown – who turned into a rebel. His advocacy for Irish independence led him renounce his titles and make a deal with the Germans in the days leading up to the 1916 Easter Uprising. And that led him to become a...
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The Lost Cities of El Norte with author Peter Stark: Episode 316
This week on History Happy Hour: In 1540, an expedition of 2000 explorers headed north from the ruins of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan into the unknown. Led by Francisco Coronado, their journey took them across a great swath of the US from California to Kansas, while sparking violent cultural...
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The Reel Thrilling Events of Bank Robber Henry Starr with author Mark Archuleta: Episode 315
This week on History Happy Hour: Henry Starr was a bank-robber, one of the most successful in history. Until he was caught. When he got out, he became a movie star, playing himself. Until he went back to bank-robbing. Chris and Rick dig into his fascinating life-story with Mark Archuleta, author…
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To the End of the Earth: The US Army and the Downfall of Japan with author John McManus: Episode 314
This week on History Happy Hour: We welcome back historian John McManus to talk about the third volume of his Pacific War series, To the End of the Earth. From the liberation of the Philippines to the Battle of Okinawa and finally to the end of the war, John chronicles the struggles and triumphs…
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The Most Awful Responsibility: Truman and the Secret Struggle for Control of the Atomic Age with author Alex Wellerstein: Episode 313
This week on History Happy Hour: President Truman’s choice to drop the atomic bomb is the most debated decision in the 20th Century. But what if he, himself, did not fully understand the decisions being made until after the atomic bomb was used. Chris and Rick will talk to historian Alex...
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Stay Alive: Berlin, 1939-1945 with author Ian Buruma: Episode 311
This week on History Happy Hour: Life in Berlin during World War II. What was it like for the four million people who lived there as things became increasingly desperate? Our guest is author Ian Buruma, author of Stay Alive: Berlin, 1939-1945. We’ll talk about the experiences of everyday…
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The Banker Who Made America: Thomas Wiling and the Rise of the American Financial Aristocracy 1731-1821 with author Richard Vague: Episode 310
This week on History Happy Hour: This week on History Happy Hour: Follow the money. That’s one way to discover the real story of America and its founding. Nothing gives a clearer insight into this history than the life of early America's dominant merchant trader, first bank president, and first...
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Cocked and Boozy: An Intoxicating History of the American Revolution with author Brooke Barbier: Episode 309
This week on History Happy Hour: We celebrate America’s 250th birthday to talk about the founders’ drinking! A perfect take for HHH! Historian Brook Barbier returns to the show to talk with us live about the role that alcohol played in spurring building, and winning the American Revolution and…
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Tunisgrad: Victory in Africa with author Saul David: Encore Episode 308
This week on History Happy Hour: Along with Guadalcanal in the Pacific, and Stalingrad in Russia, the Allies victory in North Africa was one of three Axis defeats that changed the course of the war in early 1943. The Africa campaign has sometimes been branded a side show, but it destroyed 40% of...
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National Treasure: How the Declaration of Independence Made America with author Michael Auslin, PhD: Episode 307
This week on History Happy Hour: The Declaration of Independence came to life in a boarding house in Philadelphia under the hand of Thomas Jefferson, captured the spirit of the American cause, and lives to this day. Scholar Michael Auslin has written a history of the Declaration of Independence...
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The Wounded Generation: Coming Home After World War II with author David Nasaw: Encore Episode 306
This week on History Happy Hour: World War II was unprecedented in its scope and ferocity. The heroism of the men and women who won the war may be well documented, but we know too little about the pain and hardships the veterans endured upon their return home In this encore episode, we discuss…
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D-Day Special with authors Joe Balkoski and John McManus: Episode 305
This week on History Happy Hour: To mark the 82nd Anniversary of D-Day, we will bring you a ninety-minute special edition of History Happy Hour looking back on the Normandy landings. Two of our favorite historians will join us to take your questions about D-Day – its planning, execution and...
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A Light in the Northern Sea: Denmark's Incredible Rescue of Their Jewish Citizens During WWII with author Tim Brady: Encore Episode 304
This week on History Happy Hour: September 1943, the people of Denmark banded together to rescue nearly all of their Jewish citizens from a NAZI roundup by ferrying them to sanctuary in Sweden. Why were the Danes able to do what no other country could? In this encore episode, we discuss this...
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In the Days of Billy the Kid with author James B Mills: Encore Episode 303
This week on History Happy Hour: Chris and Rick are in Berchtesgaden to present an encore episode about The Hispanos of frontier New Mexico after the war with Mexico in 1848. Make sense? Probably not, but that’s the way it goes! We’ll present our conversation with James Mills, author of In the…
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The Navigator's Letter: The Story of Two WWII Airmen, a Doomed Mission, and the Woman who Bound Them Together with author Jan Cress Dondi: Episode 302
This week on History Happy Hour: Chris and Rick explore the story of two B-24 navigators from the same Illinois town, who find themselves in a famous bombing raid over Ploesti - and the woman who connects them. Our guest is Jan Cress Dondi, author of The Navigator’s Letter: The Story of Two WWII...
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Remember Us: American Sacrifice, Dutch Freedom, and a Forever Promise Forged in World War II with author Robert Edsel: Episode 301
This week on History Happy Hour: Chris and Rick welcome Robert Edsel, author of the book “Monuments Men,” to talk about his latest book “Remember Us: American Sacrifice, Dutch Freedom, and a Forever Promise Forged in World War II.” We’ll talk about the occupation and liberation of the…
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The Crown';s Silence: The Hidden History of the British Monarchy and Slavery in the Americas with author Brooke N. Newman: Episode 300
This week on History Happy Hour: The shocking untold story of the British royal family’s centuries-long investment in slavery and continued profiting off its legacy—from Elizabeth I to the present. Acclaimed historian Dr. Brooke Newman reveals the true story of the enslavers who were supported by...
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The Nazi Mind: Twelve Warnings from History with author Laurence Rees: Episode 299
This week on History Happy Hour: What drove the thinking of Hitler and his followers? How did ordinary Germans come to embrace an ideology of hate and destruction? In this encore episode, Chris and Rick talk with Laurence Rees, award-winning historian and author of the new book The Nazi Mind:...
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History Happy Talk with Rick Beyer and Chris Anderson : Episode 298
WE HAD A SCHEDULING ISSUE WITH THIS WEEK'S GUEST AND HE DID NOT APPEAR. WE WILL TRY TO RESCHEDULE. This week on History Happy Hour: President Truman’s choice to drop the atomic bomb is the most debated decision in the 20th Century. But what if he, himself, did not fully understand the decisions...
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G.I. G-Men: The Untold Story of the FBI's;s Search for American Traitors, Collaborators, and Spies in World War II Europe with author Stephen Harding: Episode 297
This week on History Happy Hour: The little-known story of FBI agents who went undercover to hunt down U.S. traitors on foreign soil during World War II. The goal: to identify and capture U.S. citizens plotting against their own country in the shadows of war-torn Europe. To accomplish this, a…
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Takeover, Hitler's Final Rise to Power with author Timothy Rybeck: Encore Episode 296
This week on History Happy Hour: We travel back to the six critical months before Adolf Hitler seized power, when the Nazi leader teetered between triumph and ruin. As financial backers withdrew, the Nazi Party threatened to fracture. Hitler talked of suicide. The New York Times declared he was...
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Surrender of Japan with author Richard Overy : Encore Episode 295
This week on History Happy Hour: Eighty years ago, Japan surrendered to the Allies after three of the most devastating bombing attacks of the war – two nuclear weapons and the fire-bombing of Tokyo. What was the decision-making process in this endgame of World War II? Was it just the atomic bomb...
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Beyond Blackhawk Down with author Jonathan Carroll: Encore Episode 293
This week on History Happy Hour: In 1993 two Black Hawk helicopters were shot down, and in the ensuing Battle of Mogadishu eighteen Americans and hundreds of Somalis were killed. But very few appreciate that this was just one day in a two-and-a-half-year operation—the most ambitious attempt in...
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Kevin Passmore on The Maginot Line:A New History Ep 292: Episode 292
This week on History Happy Hour: It was a marvel of 1930s engineering, a line of underground forts containing hospitals, modern kitchens, telephone exchanges, and even electric trains. The fortifications were invulnerable to the heaviest artillery and to chemical warfare. Yet they fell to the...
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History Happy Hour – Japanese Accounts of Saipan: Guest: Dan King
This week on History Happy Hour: Author Dan King interviewed more than 100 Japanese veterans while living in Japan, and has written a series of books telling the story of the war from their POV. We’ll talk to him about his latest book, The Iron Graves of Saipan, about the men of the 9th Japanese...
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Sherman's 1864 March and Emancipation in the Civil War: Guest: Bennett Parten
This week on History Happy Hour: In 1864, General Sherman commenced his march across Georgia. By the time he reached Savannah, some 20 thousand enslaved people attached themselves to his army. Chris and Rick explore this seminal moment that laid the foundation for Reconstruction with Bennett...
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Black Medal of Honor Recipients of WWII: Guest: Robert Child
This week on History Happy Hour: In 1945, the US Congress recommended awarding the Medal of Honor to 432 recipients. Not a single Black soldier made the list. Not Vernon Baker, who single-handedly eliminated three enemy machineguns and an observation post. Not even Lieutenant Charles Thomas, who...
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Tuskegee Airmen: Forgotten Souls: Guest: Cheryl Thompson
This week on History Happy Hour: During WWII, 27 Tuskegee Airmen were reported missing in combat. The remains of most were never found. Chris and Rick explore their lives, their fates and the impact of their loss with NPR Investigative Reporter Cheryl Thompson. She is the daughter of a Tuskegee...
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Jackie Robinson and Paul Robeson in the Cold War: Guest: Alexander Rose
This week on History Happy Hour: Jackie Robinson and Paul Robeson were two African-American giants whose lives would forever be altered by the Cold War, and would explosively intersect before its most notorious weapon, the House Un-American Activities Committee. It is a complex story that tallies...
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Capture of the Submarine U-505 in WWII: Guest: Alexander Rose
This week on History Happy Hour: It sits on display at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago: The U-505. The June day in 1944 that this German submarine was captured was the first time the U.S. Navy boarded and captured an enemy vessel since the War of 1812. It was carried out in...
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Belgium Spying in Germany WWI and WWII: Guest: Helen Fry
This week on History Happy Hour: During WWI, The White Lady network helped Britain by acting as couriers, radio operators and spies to facilitate the end of German control. And, when war broke out again two decades later, the leaders of the network regrouped and established a successor: The...
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Marines in the Pacific: Guest: Henry Sledge
This week on History Happy Hour: Forty years after the publication of Eugene Sledge’s memoir With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa, his son Henry has written The Old Breed: The Complete Story Revealed. We’ll talk with Henry Sledge about his conversations with his father that form the basis…
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Common Sense: Guest: Jack Kelly
This Week on History Happy Hour: Thomas Paine was a man whose words helped launch a revolution. In January 1776 he wrote Common Sense, which helped inspire the Continental Congress to declare Independence. In late November that same year, while serving in George Washington’s army during the...
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History Happy Hour – RAF Bomber Command: Guest: Marcus Gibson
This Week on History Happy Hour: In his new book The Greatest Force, author Marcus Gibson argues that RAF Bomber Command was the No.1 factor in Germany’s defeat. Rather than being too costly in terms of crew lives and civilian casualties, he argues that the impact of bombing fully justified the...
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George's War: Guest: Sue Heydon
This Week on History Happy Hour: In March, HHH audience member Doug McCord visited a local museum in Nelson, New Zealand, where he was deeply moved by an art installation. Created by local artist Sue Heydon, it explored her father’s journey as a WWII prisoner of war. Captured during the 1941…
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Belle Starr: Guest: Dane Huckelbridge
This Week on History Happy Hour: She led a gang of horse thieves. She participated in stickups and robberies across Texas and Oklahoma. She was romantically involved with two of the west’s most feared outlaws. Many considered this extraordinary woman the most dangerous female in the west. In this...
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Liberty Ships: Guest: Doug Most
This Week on History Happy Hour: One of America’s most critical needs in WWII was to build a merchant fleet that could carry soldiers and supplies to theaters around the globe. To build enough ships fast enough that U-Boats couldn’t sink them all. To lead its effort, the US turned to a man who…
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WWII in Africa: Guest: Saul David
This Week on History Happy Hour: Along with Guadalcanal in the Pacific, and Stalingrad in Russia, the Allies’ victory in North Africa was one of three Axis defeats that changed the course of the war in early 1943. The Africa campaign has sometimes been branded a side show, but it destroyed 40% of...
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Coming Home after WWII: Guest: David Nasaw
This Week on History Happy Hour: World War II was unprecedented in its scope and ferocity. The heroism of the men and women who won the war may be well documented, but we know too little about the pain and hardships the veterans endured upon their return home. We’ll discuss this with David Nasaw,...
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U.S. Army in The Pacific: Guest: John McManus
This Week on History Happy Hour: It wasn’t just the Marines that fought in the Pacific – the Army actually did most of the fighting and dying in the war against Japan. Historian John McManus returns to History Happy Hour to discuss volume two of his WWII Pacific War trilogy. In Island Infernos…
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Saving the Jews of Denmark: Tim Brady
This Week on History Happy Hour: In September 1943, the people of Denmark banded together to rescue nearly all of their Jewish citizens from a NAZI roundup by ferrying them to sanctuary in Sweden. Why were the Danes able to do what no other country could? Rick and Chris discuss this little-known,...
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Matisse in WWII: Guest: Christopher C. Gorham
This Week on History Happy Hour: In 1940, French painter Henri Matisse was ill, recently divorced, and full of doubt about his own career. But when the Germans invaded, he and his family defiantly refused to evacuate Nazi-occupied France. Chris and Rick discuss what happened next with HHH alum...
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In the Days of Billy the Kid: Guest: James B Mills
This Week on History Happy Hour: The Hispanos of frontier New Mexico spent decades engaging in various forms of resistance against the corruption, exploitation, and violent oppression that frequently plagued their homeland following the conclusion of the Mexican-American War in 1848. Chris and…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Crowd into the virtual bar with Chris Anderson and Rick Beyer to plumb intoxicating history topics and kibbitz over juicy tidbits. Each week, Chris and Rick invite a guest author to share cocktails and talk history. Like who? Like Andrew Roberts, Joe Balkoski, Chris Wallace, Lynne Olson, and Hampton Sides, for example. You never know who'll stop by. History Happy Hour, where history is always on tap. Brought to you by Stephen Ambrose Historical Tours – and our loyal Patreon patrons.
HOSTED BY
Rick Beyer and Christopher Anderson
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does History Happy Hour have?
History Happy Hour currently has 216 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is History Happy Hour about?
Crowd into the virtual bar with Chris Anderson and Rick Beyer to plumb intoxicating history topics and kibbitz over juicy tidbits. Each week, Chris and Rick invite a guest author to share cocktails and talk history. Like who? Like Andrew Roberts, Joe Balkoski, Chris Wallace, Lynne Olson, and...
How often does History Happy Hour release new episodes?
History Happy Hour publishes regularly with 216 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to History Happy Hour?
You can listen to History Happy Hour on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts History Happy Hour?
History Happy Hour is created and hosted by Rick Beyer and Christopher Anderson.
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