Best Benjamin Sawyer Podcasts (2025)

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#347 A Graphic History of the Civil War w/ Andrew Fialka & Anderson Carmen 53:43

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2d ago53:43

53:43

Guerilla violence in the American Civil War was once considered a fringe topic of study, but the scale of the violence and its impact on society had a tremendous impact on the US during and after the conflict. In this episode, we speak with historian Andrew Fialka and illustrator Anderson Carmen about their new book, Hope Never to See It: A Graphic…

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#346 A Forgotten History of Chinese Life in the United States w/ Beth Lew-Williams 56:49

9d ago56:49

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Chinese immigrants helped establish America’s foothold on the western coast, yet few of us know what life looked like for those Chinese people who came to live in the US. In this episode, Beth Lew-Williams joins us to discuss her new book, John Doe Chinaman: A Forgotten History of Chinese Life Under American Racial Law, which blends extensive archi…

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#345 How the Globalization Gamble Went Wrong w/ David J. Lynch 57:45

20d ago57:45

57:45

Washington Post Global Economics Correspondent David J. Lynch joins Ben & Bob for a discussion about his new book The World’s Worst Bet: How the Globalization Gamble Went Wrong (and What Would Make it Right) (Public Affairs, 2025). David has a unique perspective on globalization; first as a journalist who has spent the last four decades covering th…

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How the American Dream Became Temporary w/ Louis Hyman 46:35

24d ago46:35

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It’s Labor Day, so we’re sharing one of our favorite conversations on the history of labor in the US- our 2018 conversation with Louis Hyman on his book Temp: The Real Story of What Happened to Your Salary, Benefits & Job Security. We hope you have a great holiday! This episode originally aired as episode 103 on August 18, 2018. This rebroadcast wa…

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#344 The Last Forty Years of American Politics w/ Joe Lockhart 59:55

1M ago59:55

59:55

Joe Lockhart served as White House Press Secretary for President Bill Clinton from 1998-2000, and played central roles in Presidential campaigns from Walter Mondale to John Kerry. In this episode, Joe joins us to recap how the political landscape has changed since the 1980s and the paths that Democrats might pursue in their efforts to escape the po…

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Mourning the Presidents w/ Lindsay Chervinsky 1:00:11

1M ago1:00:11

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A Presidency is defined by the decisions that a person makes while serving as Executive, but a Presidential legacy is about much more than that. In Mourning the Presidents: Loss and Legacy in American Culture, (UVA Press, 2023)Lindsay Chervinsky and Matthew Costello have brought together a collection of chapters that explore the ways that mourning …

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Tecumseh and William Henry Harrison’s Struggle for a Nation w/ Peter Stark 1:06:12

2M ago1:06:12

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The war between the US Army and the Native American confederation during the war of 1812 is a buried story in an often-overlooked event, yet its impact on the history of North America is profound. The leading figures on both sides of the war, Shawnee Chief Tecumseh and US Army General William Henry Harrison, had come of age in the struggles over wh…

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#343 Affordable Housing in Urban America w/ Tom Hanchett 57:57

2M ago57:57

57:57

The affordable housing shortage in many American cities is making urban life more difficult for all of us. But the problem of housing is not a new one, and history has some valuable lessons for those looking for solutions. In this episode, historian Tom Hanchett joins us to talk about his new book, Affordable Housing in Charlotte: What One City’s H…

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The American Buffalo w/ Dayton Duncan 52:09

2M ago52:09

52:09

In the late 18th century, tens of millions of buffalo lived in North America. By the mid-1880s, they were on the brink of extinction. For the white settlers who sought to “conquer” the American west, and the Native people whose way of life depended on them, the plight of the American Buffalo was more than a story of one species of animal. As Dayton…

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The Wide Awakes: The Forgotten Force that Elected Lincoln and Spurred the Civil War w/ Jon Grinspan 51:46

2M ago51:46

51:46

Jon Grinspan has done something remarkable: in his new book, Wide Awake, he tells a thoroughly researched and brilliantly crafted story that may change your understanding of the origins of the American Civil War. In this episode, Jon joins us for a conversation about the Wide Awakes, the anti-slavery youth movement that played an instrumental role …

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US Diplomacy and the End of the Cold War w/ Jack Matlock 21:47

3M ago21:47

21:47

For half a century, the US-Soviet rivalry pitted the two most powerful nations in human history against one another other in a conflict that had the potential to end civilization. The fact that the Cold War ended without the doomsday scenarios so many had predicted is testament to the power of good diplomacy, and good diplomacy only happens when yo…

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Robert Hanssen: The FBI’s Most Damaging Spy w/ Major Garrett 52:31

3M ago52:31

52:31

FBI agent Robert Hanssen was one of the most damaging spies in US history. From 1979 to 2001, Hanssen delivered some of the United States governments’ most sensitive secrets to Soviet and Russian agents, who used them to not only undermine US national security, but to identify and execute individuals who were working with the FBI. And despite an aw…

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#342 Hannah Arendt: Facing Tyranny w/ Jeff Bieber 59:58

3M ago59:58

59:58

Hannah Arendt witnessed the rise of Nazism in Germany and her groundbreaking works, including The Origins of Totalitarianism, sought to understand how regular people could be seduced by horrendous ideologies such as antisemitism and fascism. In this episode, Ben speaks with documentarian Jeff Bieber, whose new film Hannah Arendt: Facing Tyranny, do…

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#341 Native Nations w/ Kathleen DuVal 54:26

3M ago54:26

54:26

Kathleen DuVal joins Ben & Bob for a discussion of her Pulitzer Prize-winning book Native Nations: A Millennium in North America (Random House, 2024) and how understanding North American history from both Native and non-Native perspectives helps us better understand our shared story. We also discuss her work with Ken Burns on his upcoming documenta…

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#340 How Charisma Shaped American History from the Puritans to Trump w/ Molly Worthen 54:29

3M ago54:29

54:29

Bob speaks with UNC-Chapel Hill historian Molly Worthen about her new book Spellbound: How Charisma Shaped American History from the Puritans to Trump. Gary Fletcher edited this episode.

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#339 The Ballad of Marion Zioncheck (Live in DC part 2) 21:53

4M ago21:53

21:53

Ben tells the story of Marion Zioncheck, inventor of the Zioncheck Zipper* and the only sitting member of congress to escape from an insane asylum. This is the second part of our live show featuring guests Major Garrett (CBS News), Margaret Talev (Syracuse University/Axios) & Doug Heye (too many to list). Check out the first part in episode #338 Mu…

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#338 Murder & Mayhem in the Capital City w/ Major Garrett, Doug Heye & Margaret Talev (Live in DC part 1) 1:05:18

4M ago1:05:18

1:05:18

Major Garrett (CBS News), Margaret Talev (Syracuse University/Axios) & Doug Heye (too many to list) join Bob & Ben for a conversation about Washington, DC’s long history of scandals and how media has shaped public perceptions of what is/isn’t acceptable in American politics. The conversation was recorded on May 29, 2025 at The Hamilton Live in Wash…

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#337 Christian Capitalism in the Early American Republic w/ Joseph Slaughter 1:03:15

4M ago1:03:15

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Few American Christians in the 21st Century question the compatibility of their faith with a capitalist economic system. Two hundred years ago, however, the social and economic changes that came with the rise of a capitalism posed fundamental challenges to Christian practices and beliefs. In this episode, Joseph Slaughter joins us to discuss his bo…

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#336 No Elevator to Everest w/ Will Acuff 1:05:19

4M ago1:05:19

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Ben & Bob sit down with friend and community builder Will Acuff for a conversation about how to find the good in life. Will founded the non-profit Corner to Corner, which “co-creates economic participation with underestimated Nashvillians,” alongside his wife Tiffany, and recently published his first book No Elevator to Everest: Shift from Survive …

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#335 The Good Friday Agreement and the Future of Ireland w/ Mark Doyle & Greg O’Loughlin 1:00:31

4M ago1:00:31

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The Good Friday Agreements of 1998 marked a turning point in Irish history, bringing an end to three decades known as The Troubles and laying a course for a better future for the people of Ireland. In this historian Mark Doyle and Friends of Sinn Féin Executive Director Greg O’Loughlin join us for a conversation about Irish history, the status of I…

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#334 Eurovision Past & Present w/ Paul Jordan 57:48

5M ago57:48

57:48

A lot of Americans only know Eurovision via Will Farrell’s film, “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga,” which capture some of Eurovision’s over-the-top aspects, but the history of the annual event actually shines light on some of the biggest cultural, social and political developments in post-World War II European history. In this episo…

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Charisma and American Politics– Live at Cat’s Cradle w/ Molly Worthen, Doug Heye & Rufus Edmisten 1:05:10

5M ago1:05:10

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With our live show in Washington, DC coming up on May 29, we thought it’d be fun to share one of our previous live recordings from Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, NC w/ guests Molly Worthen, Doug Heye & Rufus Edmisten! Dr. Molly Worthen (Department of History at UNC-Chapel Hill), Doug Heye (CNN/former RNC Communication Director) & Rufus Edmisten (Deputy …

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#333 John Cale’s Paris 1919 w/ Mark Doyle 53:28

5M ago53:28

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John Cale is probably best known as a founding member of Velvet underground, but the four years he spent alongside Lou Reed represent a small fraction of the influence Cale has had on modern music. In this episode, recorded live at MTSU’s Center for Popular Music, Ben talks to his friend and colleague Mark Doyle about his new book in the 33 1/3 ser…

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#332 The American Historical Association w/ Sarah Weicksel & Ed Ayers 56:09

5M ago56:09

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The American Historical Association was chartered by Congress in 1884 and has played an essential role in helping foster and spread great historical research. AHA incoming Executive Director Sarah Weicksel and pioneering public historian Ed Ayers join us for a discussion of AHA’s history, its current projects and the damage that recent government p…

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#331 The Global Economy Past & Present w/ Jari Eloranta 1:14:24

6M ago1:14:24

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America’s role in the world is ‘changing’ and as much as things look new, we’ve seen a lot of this before. Economic Historian Jari Eloranta joins us to put NATO military spending, the looming trade war and other recent global developments in historical context. As always, there’s a lot that history can teach us when we pay attention to those who kn…

Benjamin Sawyer Podcasts

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The Road to Now

RTN Productions

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#347 A Graphic History of the Civil War w/ Andrew Fialka & Anderson Carmen 53:43

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#346 A Forgotten History of Chinese Life in the United States w/ Beth Lew-Williams 56:49

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#345 How the Globalization Gamble Went Wrong w/ David J. Lynch 57:45

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How the American Dream Became Temporary w/ Louis Hyman 46:35

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#344 The Last Forty Years of American Politics w/ Joe Lockhart 59:55

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Mourning the Presidents w/ Lindsay Chervinsky 1:00:11

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Tecumseh and William Henry Harrison’s Struggle for a Nation w/ Peter Stark 1:06:12

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#343 Affordable Housing in Urban America w/ Tom Hanchett 57:57

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The American Buffalo w/ Dayton Duncan 52:09

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The Wide Awakes: The Forgotten Force that Elected Lincoln and Spurred the Civil War w/ Jon Grinspan 51:46

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US Diplomacy and the End of the Cold War w/ Jack Matlock 21:47

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Robert Hanssen: The FBI’s Most Damaging Spy w/ Major Garrett 52:31

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#342 Hannah Arendt: Facing Tyranny w/ Jeff Bieber 59:58

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#341 Native Nations w/ Kathleen DuVal 54:26

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#340 How Charisma Shaped American History from the Puritans to Trump w/ Molly Worthen 54:29

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#339 The Ballad of Marion Zioncheck (Live in DC part 2) 21:53

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#338 Murder & Mayhem in the Capital City w/ Major Garrett, Doug Heye & Margaret Talev (Live in DC part 1) 1:05:18

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#337 Christian Capitalism in the Early American Republic w/ Joseph Slaughter 1:03:15

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#336 No Elevator to Everest w/ Will Acuff 1:05:19

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#335 The Good Friday Agreement and the Future of Ireland w/ Mark Doyle & Greg O’Loughlin 1:00:31

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#334 Eurovision Past & Present w/ Paul Jordan 57:48

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Charisma and American Politics– Live at Cat’s Cradle w/ Molly Worthen, Doug Heye & Rufus Edmisten 1:05:10

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#333 John Cale’s Paris 1919 w/ Mark Doyle 53:28

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#332 The American Historical Association w/ Sarah Weicksel & Ed Ayers 56:09

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#331 The Global Economy Past & Present w/ Jari Eloranta 1:14:24