Best Pemberly Podcasts (2025)

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“Mr. Dickens and His Carol” by Samantha Silva 29:55

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2h ago29:55

29:55

An interview with Samantha Silva about her novel, “Mr. Dickens and His Carol.” The book re-imagines the twists and turns that led Charles Dickens to write what has been described as “the second most famous Christmas story.”By Bob Kustra

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“Scrim” by Kaye Courington 30:00

6d ago30:00

30:00

An interview with Kaye Courington, author of Scrim: A New Orleans Story of Resilience and Rescue. The illustrated book tells the true story of a scrappy terrier-mix rescue who defied the odds and became an instant hero.By Bob Kustra

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“The Mission” by Tim Weiner 29:59

13d ago29:59

29:59

An interview with Tim Weiner, acclaimed journalist and author of the new book, The Mission. The book is comprehensive look at the CIA in the 21st century, based on interviews with six former CIA directors and scores of spies and station chiefs.By Bob Kustra

1
“The Folly of Realism” by Alexander Vindman 30:01

20d ago30:01

30:01

An interview with Alexander Vindman, author of The Folly of Realism. The book offers a chilling analysis of how Western indecision made possible the return of brutal Russian expansionism with terrifying consequences.By Bob Kustra

1
“A Certain Amount of Madness” by Amber Murrey 29:56

28d ago29:56

29:56

An interview with Amber Murrey, author of A Certain Amount of Madness. Published on the 30th anniversary of his assassination, the book illustrates how Thomas Sankara’s legacy continues to provide lessons and hope for decolonisation struggles today.By Bob Kustra

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“Preparing for War” by Bradley Onishi (Part II) 32:00

1M ago32:00

32:00

An interview with Bradley Onishi, author of Preparing for War. The book is an engrossing account of the years-long campaign of White Christian nationalism that led to the insurrection of January 6. Note: This is the second half of a two-part interview. This is also an encore edition of Reader’s Corner - the episode originally aired in March 2023.…

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“Preparing for War” by Bradley Onishi (Part I) 29:31

1M ago29:31

29:31

An interview with Bradley Onishi, author of Preparing for War. The book is an engrossing account of the years-long campaign of White Christian nationalism that led to the insurrection of January 6. Note: This is the first half of a two-part interview.By Bob Kustra

1
"Daughters of the Bamboo Grove” by Barbara Demick 30:02

2M ago30:02

30:02

An interview with Barbara Demick, author of the new book, Daughters of the Bamboo Grove. The book tells the heartbreaking story of twin sisters torn apart by China’s one-child policy and the rise of international adoption.By Bob Kustra

1
"We the People" by Jill Lepore 30:00

2M ago30:00

30:00

An interview with Jill Lepore, celebrated historian and author of We the People. The book offers a totally new look at the history of the U.S. Constitution, by amendment and interpretation.By Bob Kustra

1
"Medicine River" by Mary Annette Pember 30:12

2M ago30:12

30:12

An interview with Mary Annette Pember, author of Medicine River. The book is a wide-ranging and deeply personal account of Native American boarding schools in the United States, taking a hard look at their intent and legacy of abuse.By Bob Kustra

1
"Afterlives" by Abdulrazak Gurnah 37:45

2M ago37:45

37:45

Bob Kustra interviews Abdulrazak Gurnah, Nobel Prize winner and author of the novel, Afterlives. The book is a multi-generational saga of displacement, love and loss, set against the brutal colonization of east Africa. Note: This is an encore edition of Reader's Corner. The episode originally aired in February 2023.…

1
"Looking at Women Looking at War" by Victoria Amelina 32:06

3M ago32:06

32:06

An interview with Joanna Kakissis, joining the program to talk about the late Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina, and her book, Looking at Women Looking at War.By Bob Kustra

1
"Twist" by Colum McCann 30:10

3M ago30:10

30:10

An interview with Colum McCann about his latest novel, Twist. A book of rupture and relationships in the digital age, the story dives into the hidden world at the bottom of the ocean.By Bob Kustra

1
"The Ride" by Kostya Kennedy 30:12

3M ago30:12

30:12

An interview with Kostya Kennedy, author of The Ride. The book offers a fresh perspective of Paul Revere’s historic ride, with new research into little-known aspects of the story many Americans have heard since childhood.By Bob Kustra

1
"Sleeping Bear" by Connor Sullivan 30:00

3M ago30:00

30:00

An interview with Connor Sullivan, author of the new novel, Sleeping Bear. In the book, a former Army veteran seeking solitude in the Alaskan wilderness finds herself a pawn in a deadly game with Russia.By Bob Kustra

1
"Spitfires" by Becky Aikman 30:12

4M ago30:12

30:12

An interview with Becky Aikman, author of the new book, Spitfires. The book unveils the daring true story of the American women who piloted World War II planes through the treacherous skies of Britain.By Bob Kustra

1
"The Ransomware Hunting Team" by Daniel Golden 32:50

4M ago32:50

32:50

An interview with Daniel Golden, author of The Ransomware Hunting Team. The book is a real-life technological thriller about a band of eccentric misfits taking on the biggest cybersecurity threats of our time. Note: this is an encore edition of Reader's Corner. The episode originally aired in February 2023.…

1
"The Oligarch's Daughter" by Joseph Finder 30:10

4M ago30:10

30:10

An interview with Joseph Finder, author of the new novel, The Oligarch’s Daughter. The book is a thrilling story of dizzying spycraft following an everyman on the run for his life.By Bob Kustra

1
"A City on Mars" by Kelly and Zach Weinersmith 30:10

4M ago30:10

30:10

An interview with Zach Weinersmith, co-author of the new book, A City on Mars. The book is a funny and deeply-researched off-world investigation into the question of space settlement.By Bob Kustra

1
"Africa is Not a Country" by Dipo Faloyin (Part II) 34:45

4M ago34:45

34:45

An interview with Dipo Faloyin, debut author of Africa is Not a Country: Notes on a Bright Continent. In the book, Faloyin explores the youth-led cultural and political movements that are defining and reimagining Africa on their own terms. This is the second of a two-part interview.By Bob Kustra

1
"The Doorman" by Chris Pavone 30:12

5M ago30:12

30:12

An interview with Chris Pavone, author of the thrilling novel, The Doorman. The book follows a blue collar doorman for a glitzy apartment building in a combustible story of class, privilege, sex, and murder.By Bob Kustra

1
"Paris Undercover" by Matthew Goodman 30:11

5M ago30:11

30:11

An interview with Matthew Goodman, author of Paris Undercover. The book tells the gripping story of two women in Nazi-occupied Paris who create a daring escape line that rescues dozens of Allied servicemen.By Bob Kustra

1
"Africa is Not a Country" by Dipo Faloyin (Part I) 29:45

5M ago29:45

29:45

An interview with Dipo Faloyin, debut author of Africa is Not a Country: Notes on a Bright Continent. In the book, Faloyin explores the youth-led cultural and political movements that are defining and reimagining Africa on their own terms.By Bob Kustra

1
"Kingmaker" by Sonia Purnell 32:04

5M ago32:04

32:04

An interview with Sonia Purnell, author of Kingmaker. In the book, Purnell tells the secret history of Winston Churchill’s daughter-in-law, Pamela Churchill Harriman, whose image as a vapid socialite masked her powerful influence on the world stage for five decades.By Bob Kustra

1
"The Achilles Trap" by Steve Coll 30:12

6M ago30:12

30:12

An interview with Steve Coll, author of the new book, The Achilles Trap: Saddam Hussein, the CIA, and the Origins of America’s Invasion of Iraq.The book offers the definitive story of the decades-long relationship between the United States and Saddam Hussein, and an investigation into one of the costliest geopolitical conflicts of our time.…

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"From Warsaw With Love" By John Pomfret 34:00

6M ago34:00

34:00

Note: This is an encore edition of Reader's Corner. The episode originally aired in January 2023. In 1990, as the United States cobbles together a coalition to undo Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait, six US officers are trapped in Iraq with intelligence that could ruin Operation Desert Storm, if it falls into the wrong hands. Desperate, the CIA a…

1
"The Troublemaker" by Mark L. Clifford 30:12

6M ago30:12

30:12

An interview with Mark L. Clifford, author of The Troublemaker. The book is a comprehensive biography of billionaire businessman Jimmy Lai, a leading Hong Kong democracy activist who became China’s most famous political prisoner.By Bob Kustra

1
"Inside the President's Team" by Bob Barrett 30:11

6M ago30:11

30:11

An interview with Nils Barrett, joining Reader's Corner to talk about his late father’s memoir, Inside the President's Team. The book offers an up-close view of the Ford presidency by one of his closest and most-trusted advisors.By Bob Kustra

1
"The Umbrella Maker's Son" by Tod Lending 34:33

7M ago34:33

34:33

Bob Kustra interviews Tod Lending, author of the novel, The Umbrella Maker’s Son. The book is a coming-of-age tale following a 17-year-old Polish Jew as he fights for his life and experiences his first love, set during WWII.By Bob Kustra

1
"Amphibious Soul" by Craig Foster 30:12

7M ago30:12

30:12

An interview with Craig Foster, author of Amphibious Soul. The book is a lyrical memoir drawing from the author’s decades of daily ocean dives, wisdom from Indigenous teachers, and cutting-edge science.By Bob Kustra

1
"Mindmasters" by Sandra Matz 31:52

7M ago31:52

31:52

An interview with Sandra Matz, author of the new book, Mindmasters. The book is an exploration of how algorithms penetrate and influence the most intimate aspects of our psychology.By Bob Kustra

1
"The Myth of American Idealism" by Nathan J. Robinson and Noam Chomsky 32:51

7M ago32:51

32:51

An interview with Nathan J. Robinson, co-author of the new book, The Myth of American Idealism. The book is an indictment of both American foreign policy and the political influence that supports it.By Bob Kustra

1
"Prisoners Of The Castle" By Ben Macintyre 33:00

7M ago33:00

33:00

Note: This is an encore edition of Reader's Corner. The episode originally aired in November 2022. An interview with Ben Macintyre, author of the new book, Prisoners of the Castle: An Epic Story of Survival and Escape from Colditz, the Nazis’ Fortress Prison. In the book, Macintyre looks at one of history’s most notorious prisons, and the remarkabl…

1
"Grizzly Confidential" by Kevin Grange 30:12

8M ago30:12

30:12

An interview with Kevin Grange, author of Grizzly Confidential. Part science, part travelogue, the book is a both a gripping account of the famous North American species and a passionate plea for bear conservation.By Bob Kustra

1
"Ungoverning" by Nancy L. Rosenblum and Russell Muirhead 30:12

8M ago30:12

30:12

An interview with Russell Muirhead, co-author of the new book, Ungoverning: The Attack on the Administrative State and the Politics of Chaos. The book details how a concentrated attack on political institutions threatens to disable the essential workings of government.By Bob Kustra

1
"Nelson Rockefeller's Dilemma" by Marsha E. Barrett 30:12

8M ago30:12

30:12

An interview with Marsha E. Barrett, author of Nelson Rockefeller's Dilemma. The book is a compelling political history of the influential career of the four-time New York State governor and US vice president.By Bob Kustra

1
"On the Hippie Trail" by Rick Steves 30:12

8M ago30:12

30:12

An interview with legendary travel writer Rick Steves about his new book, On the Hippie Trail. The book offers a glimpse into the memories and misadventures of his formative 1978 trek from Istanbul to Kathmandu.By Bob Kustra

1
"Better Living Through Birding" by Christian Cooper 30:12

9M ago30:12

30:12

An interview with Christian Cooper, author of the book, Better Living Through Birding. Part memoir, part travelogue, the book explores how birding helped Cooper during the most difficult parts of his life, and how we can all benefit from looking up more.By Bob Kustra

1
"What the Chicken Knows" by Sy Montgomery 30:12

9M ago30:12

30:12

An interview with Sy Montgomery, author of What the Chicken Knows. Part science writing, part personal narrative, the book explores the surprising traits and unique personalities of the world’s most recognizable bird.By Bob Kustra

1
"Code Name Puritan" by Greg Barnhisel 31:57

9M ago31:57

31:57

An interview with Greg Barnhisel, author of Code Name Puritan. The book is a fascinating biography of Norman Holmes Pearson, an unassuming literary scholar and part-time spy who transformed postwar American culture.By Bob Kustra

1
"Russia and Ukraine" by Maria Popova and Oxana Shevel 32:27

9M ago32:27

32:27

An interview with Maria Popova, co-author of the new book, Russia and Ukraine: Entangled Histories, Diverging States. The book examines how the fall of the Soviet Union started an identity and regime divergence between Russia and Ukraine, and set both countries on an inevitable collision course.By Bob Kustra

1
"This America Of Ours" By Nate Schweber 33:09

10M ago33:09

33:09

Note: This is an encore edition of Reader's Corner. The episode originally aired in November 2022.An interview with Nate Schweber, author of the new book, This America of Ours: Bernard & Avis DeVoto and the Forgotten Fight to Save the Wild. In the book, Schweber tells the story of the extraordinary couple who rescued national parks from McCarthyism…

1
"Midnight Black" by Mark Greaney 32:48

10M ago32:48

32:48

An interview with Mark Greaney, author of the new thriller, Midnight Black. The book is a taut new addition to Greaney’s bestselling Gray Man series.By Bob Kustra

1
"Where Tyranny Begins" by David Rohde 30:12

10M ago30:12

30:12

An interview with David Rohde, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Where Tyranny Begins. In the book, Rohde details how Donald Trump used threats, co-option, and conspiracy theories to bend DOJ and FBI officials to his will.By Bob Kustra

1
"How to Raise a Citizen" by Lindsey Cormack 30:11

10M ago30:11

30:11

An interview with Lindsey Cormack, author of the new book, How to Raise a Citizen. The book is a practical guide to nurturing the next generation of responsible, informed citizens.By Bob Kustra

1
"Holding Fire" by Bryce Andrews 30:12

11M ago30:12

30:12

An interview with Bryce Andrews, author of the new book, Holding Fire. The book is a memoir of inheritance, history, and one gun’s role in the violence that shaped the American West.By Bob Kustra

1
"Two Nights In Lisbon" By Chris Pavone 34:10

11M ago34:10

34:10

Note: This is an encore edition of Reader's Corner. The episode originally aired in October 2022. An interview with Chris Pavone, author of the thrilling novel, Two Nights in Lisbon. The book is story of a woman under pressure, and what she will resort to when everything is on the line.By Bob Kustra

1
"The Expat" by Hansen Shi 30:01

11M ago30:01

30:01

An interview with Hansen Shi, author of the thrilling new novel, The Expat. The book follows a young businessman who travels to China for a job offer, only to find himself thrust into a world of corporate espionage.By Bob Kustra

1
"Challenger" by Adam Higginbotham 30:11

11M ago30:11

30:11

An interview with Adam Higginbotham, author of Challenger. The book is a thrilling minute-by-minute account of the 1986 Challenger shuttle disaster, based on new archival research.By Bob Kustra

1
"Last Summer On State Street" By Toya Wolfe 30:00

11M ago30:00

30:00

Producer's Note: This is an encore edition of Reader's Corner. The episode originally aired in October 2022. An interview with Toya Wolfe, debut author of the novel, Last Summer on State Street. The book is a striking coming-of-age debut about friendship, community, and resilience, set in the housing projects of Chicago.…