Best Booknotes Podcasts (2025)

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Ep. 243 Peter Henriques Explores George Washington’s Character and Presidency 1:06:31

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2d ago1:06:31

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Retired George Mason University history professor, Peter Henriques, starts off his author's note writing: "If anyone had told me in the summer of 2023 that I would be writing one more book on George Washington, I would have expressed extreme skepticism." In Episode 6 of this Booknotes+ podcast series in 2021, Professor Henriques told us the same th…

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WLP375 Booknotes: Futureproof by Kevin Roose 26:16

3d ago26:16

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Another episode from the season Booknotes, where Pilar shares the notes she made while reading a book, allowing new insights to emerge spontaneously behind the microphone. In today's episode: Part 1 Pilar shares her booknotes from: Futureproof: 9 Rules for Humans in the Age of Automation by Kevin Roose Favourite highlight: "It's on us—the people wh…

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FEED DROP BOOKNOTES+: Richard J. Evans, "Hitler's People" 1:01:25

25d ago1:01:25

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Sir Richard J. Evans has been writing about Germany and Adolf Hitler for his entire professional life. He was knighted in Britain in 2012 for his service to scholarship. From 2003-2008, Professor Evans published a trilogy of the Third Reich with a total of over 2,500 pages. His latest book is titled "Hitler's People: The Faces of the Third Reich." …

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"Charles E. Hires and the Drink that Wowed a Nation" with Bill Double 25:22

4d ago25:22

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Introduced at the 1876 Centennial Exposition and powered by an historic advertising campaign, Hires Root Beer - launched 10 years before Coca-Cola - blazed the trail for development of the American soft drink industry. Its inventor, Charles Elmer Hires, has been described as "a tycoon with the soul of a chemist." pcntv.com/donate pcntv.com/membersh…

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Boyce Upholt on The Great River: The Making and Unmaking of the Mississippi 1:03:07

5d ago1:03:07

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Journalist Boyce Upholt talks about the history and geography of the Mississippi River and human attempts to control it going back to the Founding Era. He discusses how government-built levees, dikes, and dams have transformed the landscape and ecosystem along the 2,340-mile-long Mississippi and the impact that commerce, floods, and pollution have …

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Ep. 242 Geri Spieler on Housewife Assassin: The True Story Behind a Suburban Double Life 1:06:21

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In September 1975, 17 days apart, two women, one in Sacramento and the other in San Francisco, attempted to assassinate President Gerald Ford. The first attempt on September the 5th came from Annette Squeaky Fromm. The Charles Manson follower spent over 30 years in prison, is out on parole, and is 76 years old. The other attempt came on the non-ent…

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Media Mogul Barry Diller on His Life and Career in Television and Hollywood 1:03:42

11d ago1:03:42

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In his memoir, "Who Knew," media mogul Barry Diller talks about his career in television and Hollywood, and about his personal life and longtime relationship with fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg. Mr. Diller has been an executive at ABC and head of Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox (where he created the Fox television network). While at…

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"A History of Philadelphia Sandwiches" with Mike Madaio 56:33

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Philadelphia boasts some of the most delicious original sandwiches and passionate sandwich aficionados. From the classic cheesesteak to the delectable roast pork, the city's cultural and ethnic diversity has resulted in many of America's most established meals between bread. pcntv.com/donate pcntv.com/membership-signup pcntv.com…

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Ep. 241 Dan Wang on Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future 1:04:59

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The book is called "Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future." Author Dan Wang (WONG) was born in China in 1992. His parents moved to Canada when he was seven. In 2014, he graduated from the University of Rochester in New York. Then in 2018, Dan Wang went to live in China until he returned to the US in 2023. He then went to the offices of th…

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Jill Dougherty — My Russia: War or Peace and a Life Covering the Kremlin 1:04:28

18d ago1:04:28

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Former CNN Moscow Bureau Chief Jill Dougherty discusses her life-long interest in Russia, which she first visited in 1969 as an exchange student. A fluent Russian speaker, she spent 10 years covering Russia for Voice of America and CNN. Besides serving as Moscow Bureau Chief, Jill Dougherty was White House correspondent during the H.W. Bush and Cli…

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WLP374 Booknotes: Because Internet 28:45

22d ago28:45

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Another episode from the season: Booknotes, where Pilar shares the notes she made while reading a book, allowing new insights to emerge spontaneously behind the microphone. In today's episode: Part 1 Pilar shares her booknotes from: Because Internet: Understanding how language is changing by Gretchen McCulloch Listener Roberta recommends: It's Not …

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Ep. 240 Jonathan Mahler on The Gods of New York: NYC in the 1980s 1:00:28

23d ago1:00:28

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The names are almost all known nationally: Ed Koch, Rudy Giuliani, David Dinkins, Al Sharpton, Larry Kramer, and Donald Trump. These are people who were first in the news in the 1980s. Their early public lives are now featured in Jonathan Mahler's book, "The Gods of New York." The book is divided into four large chapters titled 1986, 1987, 1988, 19…

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Ep. 239 Inside McNamara at War: Philip and William Taubman on Vietnam and U.S. Power 1:09:14

1M ago1:09:14

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By C-SPAN

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Christopher Scalia, "13 Novels Conservative Will Love (but Probably Haven't Read)" 1:04:54

1M ago1:04:54

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Critic and opinion writer Christopher Scalia, son of the late Justice Antonin Scalia, recommends 13 novels with conservative themes that, he says, aren’t widely known by conservatives. In his book "13 Novels Conservatives Will Love (but Probably Haven't Read," the former English professor discusses books by Walter Scott, George Eliot, P.D. James, Z…

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WLP373 New season! Booknotes: How to Have a Good Day 35:22

1M ago35:22

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The 21st Century Work Life podcast is back - with a different kind of content and format. The Booknotes season starts and will last... for a while. In today's episode: Part 1 Pilar shares her booknotes from How To Have A Good Day: The Essential Toolkit for a Productive Day at Work and Beyond by Caroline Webb Chris Coladonato's (the connection catal…

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Ep. 238 Daniel Flynn, "The Man Who Invented Conservatism" 1:11:12

1M ago1:11:12

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Daniel Flynn's book is titled, "The Man Who Invented Conservatism: The Unlikely Life of Frank S. Meyer." Mr. Flynn points out in his introduction that "Meyer travels from communist to conservative, peace activist to soldier, Jew to Catholic, rhapsodist of Satan to cheerleader for Reagan, and free love enthusiast to family man." Flynn, who is a seni…

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"City of Brotherly Blood" with Mike Stack 59:39

1M ago59:39

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Mike Stack was born to power and followed his father and grandfather into the ring of fire of Philadelphia politics. He was groomed for office, and was running in his early 20s. This is the story about all those Mike encountered in the often bloody, city of brotherly love. pcntv.com/donate pcntv.com/membership-signup pcntv.com…

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Every Screen on the Planet: Emily Baker-White on the Future of Technology and Society 1:01:02

1M ago1:01:02

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Last week, President Trump announced that a deal had been reached between the U.S. government and China regarding the control of the widely popular social media platform, TikTok. In April 2024, Congress passed, and President Biden signed, a law that required TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell TikTok within a year or face a ban in t…

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"The Weather Gods Curse the Gettysburg Campaign" with Jeffrey Harding and Jon Nese 59:06

1M ago59:06

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As the nation's future hung in the balance, the Weather Gods delivered a wrath of fury on Union and Confederate forces throughout the Gettysburg Campaign. Authors Jeffrey J. Harding and Jon M. Nese present firsthand accounts, harrowing narratives and groundbreaking meteorological research that reshapes how we view the Civil War's Gettysburg Campaig…

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Ep. 237 Zbigniew Brzezinski, The Grand Failure: Communism in the 20th Century 1:02:02

1M ago1:02:02

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In our last podcast, Ed Luce of the Financial Times told us about his book, "Zbig," for Zbigniew Brzezinski (1928-2017) who he calls America's great power prophet. In this episode, we're going to feature a Booknotes interview from April 2, 1989, with Dr. Brzezinski. He was the first guest for the weekly Sunday evening program that ran until 2005. H…

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Peter Navarro Reflects on Politics, Prison, and the Trump Presidency 1:03:49

2M ago1:03:49

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White House trade adviser Peter Navarro went to prison in 2024 after being found guilty of two counts of criminal contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a subpoena from the House January 6th Committee. In his book, "I Went to Prison So You Won’t Have To," Mr. Navarro describes the Justice Department's case against him, his arrest and tria…

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Ep. 236 Edward Luce, "Zbig" - Zbigniew Brzezinski & Carter Era U.S. Foreign Policy 1:02:46

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"I was initially very skeptical about embarking on a full life biography of anyone, let alone a figure as big as Zbig."Edward Luce is talking about President Carter's former national security advisor, Zbigniew Brzezinski. Mr. Luce is the Financial Times' chief commentator and columnist. Luce is a native of Sussex, England, and has spent close to 20…

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Ann Butler, "Wife, Mother, Spy" - Women, Espionage, and the CIA 1:03:18

2M ago1:03:18

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Ann Butler was a CIA spy for 25+ years. She donned disguises, used false names, and learned how to evade surveillance. She did this clandestine work while simultaneously raising five children. As she says, "No one suspected a pregnant woman was a spy." Ann Butler talks about her work with the Agency, what it took to become an overseas operative in …

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Ep. 235 Simon Ball, "Death to Order" 1:12:22

2M ago1:12:22

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Simon Ball is the author of the book "Death to Order: A Modern History of Assassination." Professor Ball is British and is located at the University of Leeds. His publisher, Yale University Press, says: "Assassination, the murder of a specific individual by an organized conspiracy in pursuit of political ends has shaped the fate not only of the fam…

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John Malone, "Born to Be Wired" 1:06:38

2M ago1:06:38

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Liberty Media chairman and cable TV pioneer John Malone, author of "Born to Be Wired," discusses his life and entrepreneurship. Mr. Malone's many business ventures include the Discovery Channel, QVC, SiriusXM, Formula One, and Ticketmaster. He also talks about competing with Ted Turner and Rupert Murdoch, the value of philanthropy, Republican leade…

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Ep. 234 Sam Tanenhaus, "Buckley" 1:14:58

2M ago1:14:58

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Author Sam Tanenhaus opens the acknowledgement section in his latest book, "Buckley," this way: "I first met William F. Buckley in 1990, shortly after I had begun work on a biography of Whitaker Chambers…Bill Buckley had been Chambers' last patron and most eloquent champion." The biography of Chambers was published in 1997. Now 28 years later, Sam …

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Jason Riley, "The Affirmative Action Myth" 1:03:51

2M ago1:03:51

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Wall Street Journal columnist Jason Riley, author of "The Affirmative Action Myth," argues that the racial preference policies of the 1960s and 70s have had an overall negative impact on the success of Black Americans. He says that Black incomes, homeownership, and educational attainment were all on an upward trajectory prior to these policies bein…

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Ep. 233 Jay Winik, "1861" 1:05:58

2M ago1:05:58

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Historian Jay Winik first appeared on the Booknotes television program 24 years ago to discuss his book, "April 1865." It became a #1 New York Times bestseller, reportedly read by Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and many others. It's the narrative story of the Civil War. For his latest book, Winik stepped back four years in history to l…

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Syndicated Columnist George Will on His Life & Career 1:03:40

2M ago1:03:40

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Author and writer George Will, whose nationally syndicated column has been running since 1974, discusses his life and career in the opinion business. Mr. Will talks about the impact of his work on U.S. politics over the past 50 years, conservatism in the age of Donald Trump, his love of baseball, and other topics. Learn more about your ad choices. …

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Ep. 232 Richard J. Evans, "Hitler's People" 1:02:16

3M ago1:02:16

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Sir Richard J. Evans has been writing about Germany and Adolf Hitler for his entire professional life. He was knighted in Britain in 2012 for his service to scholarship. From 2003-2008, Professor Evans published a trilogy of the Third Reich with a total of over 2,500 pages. His latest book is titled "Hitler's People: The Faces of the Third Reich." …

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Jane McManus, "The Fast Track" 1:04:14

3M ago1:04:14

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Sports journalist and academic Jane McManus, author of "The Fast Track," discusses the rise in popularity of women's sports since the early 1970s and the challenges female athletes have faced since then, including unequal pay and lack of media coverage. Prof. McManus talks about the experiences of Billie Jean King, Venus and Serena Williams, Caitli…

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Ep. 231 David Herbert Donald, "Lincoln" 1:02:43

3M ago1:02:43

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In our earlier discussion with Zaakir Tameez about his biography of Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts, he discussed his differences with Professor David Herbert Donald on the same subject. On December the 24th, 1995, Professor Donald talked about his book called "Lincoln" on the Booknotes television program. David Donald died in 2009 at age 8…

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Lee Hawkins, "I Am Nobody's Slave" 1:06:26

3M ago1:06:26

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Journalist and musician Lee Hawkins, author of "I Am Nobody's Slave," talks about the impact that slavery and Jim Crow have had on his family through multiple generations. Mr. Hawkins examines the relationship between the past violence experienced by family members, often at the hands of white people, and the way his parents raised and severely dis…

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Ep. 230 Zaakir Tameez, "Charles Sumner" 1:07:04

3M ago1:07:04

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Charles Sumner was from Boston, Massachusetts. He was a U.S. Senator for 23 years from 1851 to 1874. Sumner, an anti-slavery Republican, was brutally caned on the Senate floor by pro-slavery Democrats in 1856, during the lead-up to the Civil War. The attack, which almost killed Sumner, kept him out of the Senate for over 3 years. Sumner didn't marr…

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Nicole Kobie, "The Long History of the Future" 1:02:39

3M ago1:02:39

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Technology reporter Nicole Kobie, author of "The Long History of the Future," talks about how technology evolves and discusses why many predicted technologies – including driverless and flying cars, smart cities, hyperloops, and autonomous robots – haven’t become a reality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

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Ep. 229 John Seabrook, "The Spinach King" 1:10:26

3M ago1:10:26

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The patriarch, C.F. Seabrook, was hailed as the Henry Ford of agriculture. His son, Jack, a keen businessman, was poised to take over what Life magazine called the biggest vegetable factory on earth. His son, John Seabrook, has written about his grandfather and father in his book called "The Spinach King." It's subtitled "The Rise and Fall of an Am…

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Cornel West & Robert George, "Truth Matters" 1:48:22

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Progressive professor Cornel West and conservative professor Robert George talk about their decades-long friendship and teaching together at Princeton University. They also discuss their new book, "Truth Matters," a dialogue between the two on such topics as American history, great books, faith, and free speech. Learn more about your ad choices. Vi…

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Ep. 228 Evan Osnos, "The Haves and Have-Yachts" 1:10:45

4M ago1:10:45

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In a word, Evan Osnos' latest book focuses on the subject of money. His book is titled "The Haves and the Have Yachts: Dispatches on the Ultra-Rich." There are 10 essays which originally appeared in his home publication, The New Yorker. The oldest one, "Survival of the Richest," ran in 2017. The newest, titled "Land of Make-Believe," was published …

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Presidential Legacies 1:04:40

4M ago1:04:40

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David Kramer (G.W. Bush Institute), Stephanie Streett (Clinton Foundation), Alice Yates (George & Barbara Bush Foundation), and Mark Updegrove (LBJ Foundation) talk about preserving the legacies of U.S. presidents and the work their privately funded organizations do to achieve this, including through the Presidential Leadership Scholars program, wh…

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Ep. 227 Dave Barry, "Class Clown" 1:07:10

4M ago1:07:10

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Dave Barry's memoir is called "Class Clown." It is at least his 46th book. On the front of his book, he makes an important declaration: "How I went 77 years without growing up." For 30 years, Dave Barry wrote a weekly humor column published in newspapers, mostly on the weekends. He retired that column in 2005 but has kept writing. On the back flap …

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Dr. Robert Malone, "PsyWar" 1:00:44

4M ago1:00:44

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Dr. Robert Malone, recently appointed to the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, talks about his book "PsyWar," in which he argues that the U.S. government uses psychological warfare against Americans to control them. He also talks about how his career as a virologist and immunologist took a turn after he criticized the government's…

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Ep. 226 John Laurence, "The Cat from Hue" 1:01:28

4M ago1:01:28

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As a follow-up to last week's interview with Lien-Hang Nguyen, here is an encore interview with former CBS and ABC reporter John Laurence. Mr. Laurence was interviewed on Booknotes, the television program, on January 17, 2002. His book is called "The Cat from Hue". It's 800 plus pages and relays his Vietnam experience as a reporter for CBS. John La…

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Rosie Rios, America250 Commission Chair 1:00:03

4M ago1:00:03

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July 4, 2026, marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. In 2016, Congress established the America250 Commission to plan events to celebrate the semiquincetennial. America250 Commission Chair Rosie Rios joins us to talk about several of these events which will occur over the next year, including the U.S. Army's 2…

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Ep. 225 Lien-Hang Nguyen, "Hanoi's War" 1:03:35

4M ago1:03:35

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This year marks the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon. Netflix is offering a five-part documentary series titled "Turning Point: The Vietnam War," directed by Brian Knappenberger. The series includes never-before-seen footage of the war from the CBS archives. Also included in the documentary are interviews with participants in the war, both fr…

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Jonathan Turley, "The Indispensable Right" 1:03:43

4M ago1:03:43

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George Washington University Law School professor Jonathan Turley discusses the history of free speech in America and the people who advanced it. He argues that the right to free speech, enshrined in the First Amendment, is a basic human right that protects all the others. Prof. Turley also talks about current attempts by government, universities, …

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Ep. 224 William Geroux, "The Fifteen" 1:10:22

5M ago1:10:22

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One October morning in 2018, journalist William Geroux says he was returning some books to his local Virginia Beach Library when he noticed a new state historical marker planted in the ground near the front entrance. It said the library was built on the site of a World War II prisoner of war camp. In Mr. Giroux's author's note in his latest book ca…

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Peniel Joseph, "Freedom Season" 1:03:31

5M ago1:03:31

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University of Texas at Austin history professor Peniel Joseph, author of "Freedom Season," talks about the pivotal events of 1963 that impacted the Civil Rights Movement in America. That year, which marked the centenary of Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, also saw the assassinations of President Kennedy and Mississippi civil rights activist Med…

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Ep. 223 Claire Hoffman, "Sister, Sinner" 1:08:05

5M ago1:08:05

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It's a story from the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. The book by Claire Hoffman is called "Sister, Sinner: The Miraculous Life and Mysterious Disappearance of Aimee Semple MacPherson." FSG, the publisher, further emphasizes that the story is "the dramatic rise, disappearance, and near fall of a woman called Sister Amy who changed the world." Author Claire Ho…

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Mark Whitaker, "The Afterlife of Malcolm X" 1:03:07

5M ago1:03:07

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Former Newsweek editor and managing editor of CNN Worldwide, Mark Whitaker, discusses the life and legacy of the Black nationalist leader Malcolm X, who was assassinated in 1965. Mr. Whitaker, author of "The Afterlife of Malcolm X," talks about Malcolm X's split with the Nation of Islam, his relationship with Martin Luther King Jr. and Muhammad Ali…

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Ep. 222 Kathryn Olmsted, "Red Spy Queen" 1:05:14

5M ago1:05:14

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In several recent episodes of the podcast, we have featured books about the World War II era. An important figure from that time has been mentioned but not discussed during any of those interviews. Her name is Elizabeth Bentley. She was the first person to reveal, to the FBI and the Congress, the names of people living in the United States and spyi…