Comps List Radio

Rob and Marie are joined by Columbia Distinguished Research Professor Dr. Richard John, author of Spreading the News and Network Nation, to discuss the life and magnum opus of his mentor Alfred Chandler. Rob and Marie pepper Dr. John with questions about how Alfred Chandler's "Visible Hand" shaped the field of business history, engaged with political history, and why his insights remain relevant today.Dr. John explains not only how this book redefined business history, but illustrated the crucial role of managerial practices in shaping economic outcomes. About Richard JohnRichard John is a distinguished research professor at Columbia University, specializing in the history of business and economic development.

Grant Madsen from BYU pinch hits for Marie this week as Rob and Grant discuss this classic of the diplomatic history field. They keep coming back to Williams the man, and how this book reflects both a deep connection with America and yet a deep alienation from it. Both Grant and Rob, while not explicitly diplomatic historians, dabble in that field enough for this book (and books inspired by it) to have shaped the way they consider their own works. Therefore, there is a lot of interplay with their own research and it makes for a really personal discussion about the material. Any historian who has never read Williams should listen to this podcast for an introduction to him and his work, and anyone who has read him should listen too. If for not other reason than you can send your feedback on why Rob is wrong.

In this week's episode, Marie takes a break from tornadoes and Rob battles the Arizona heat to bring an in-depth discussion on the great consensus history "The Liberal Tradition in America." We analyze the Cold War context that Hartz was writing in, his perspective on the intellectual battle that undergirded much of the Cold War, and why consensus history was such a breath of fresh air compared to the Progressive histories that had dominated the field beforehand. Rob also gets on his soapbox for an in-depth rant inspired by this book towards the end.

This episode explores the influential work of Wiebe on the Progressive Era, analyzing the rise of the bureaucratic state, regional identities, and the role of young professionals in shaping American history from 1877 to 1920. We discuss the book's insights, style, and its relevance to understanding American political and social transformations.

In this week's episode, Rob and Marie dive into Richard Hofstadter's iconic The Idea of a Party System: The Rise of Legitimate Opposition in the United States, 1780-1840.The duo discuss Hofstadter's purpose in writing the book, the novelty of legitimate opposition in the 1790s, analyze the political perspectives of the Virginia Dynasty and conclude with some speculation about how Hofstadter's Van Buren migth diagnose the ills of today's political climate.It has also finally warmed up in Conway, so Marie can just look forward to baseball season.

In this episode, Marie and Rob discuss Ellis Hawley's "The New Deal and the Problem of Monopoly." We begin by introducing Hawley and his importance to the field, we then transition to the politics of New Deal history, and then finish with a deep analysis of this book.Some highlights include our appreciation of Hawley's tripartite division within the New Deal, an extended discussion on the NIRA, and our frequent amusement at the ways in which Hawley expresses just how incoherent the New Deal actually was.

In their debut episode, Marie and Rob dig out an old favorite... C. Vann Woodward's "Origins of the New South," and discuss his analysis of race, populism, sectionalism, and why this is the foundational book of modern Southern history. Also, Marie had to singlehandedly investigate what might have been a serious crimewave in downtown Conway.