The John Batchelor Show

A podcast by John Batchelor - Mondays

9096 Episodes

S8 Ep146: 5/8 Princelings, Purges, and the Politics of Red Nostalgia — Tanya Branigan — Princelings Bo Xilai and Xi Jinping, both children of senior Communist leadership, were themselves CR victims, e
Published: 11/30/2025
S8 Ep146: 4/8 Persecution and Survival: The Composer Wang Xilin's Memory — Tanya Branigan — The biography of composer Wang Xilin, a zealous Communist Party member and peasant-background intellectual,
Published: 11/30/2025
S8 Ep146: 3/8 Red August and the Idealism of Teenage Red Guards — Tanya Branigan — Yu Zhangzhen, who became a Red Guard at age thirteen, recalls "Red August" 1966, when Mao Zedong summoned millions of
Published: 11/30/2025
S8 Ep146: 2/8 Witnessing the First Red Guard Murder and the Contested Apologies — Tanya Branigan — This segment examines the 1966 murder of educator Bian Zhongyun by teenage Red Guards at a prestigiou
Published: 11/30/2025
S8 Ep146: 1/8 The Vanishing Museum of the Cultural Revolution — Tanya Branigan — Branigan's book Red Memory opens with the Pagoda Museum in Shantou, the sole institutional site documenting Cultural Re
Published: 11/30/2025
S8 Ep145: 8/8. Roosevelt's Landslide and the Realignment of American Politics — David Pietrusza — Contrary to the Literary Digest straw poll prediction of a close race, early returns confirmed Rooseve
Published: 11/30/2025
S8 Ep145: 7/8. The Campaign: Eleanor's Star Rises as FDR Welcomes Hatred — David Pietrusza — Alf Landon conducted a weak campaign that deteriorated sharply after attacking Social Security, alienating
Published: 11/30/2025
S8 Ep145: 6/8. Alf Landon, the Unremarkable Candidate, Nominated by Republicans — David Pietrusza — Republicans deliberately rejected Herbert Hoover, instead considering mavericks like William Borah a
Published: 11/30/2025
S8 Ep145: 5/8. William Randolph Hearst Breaks with Roosevelt over Tax Policy — David Pietrusza — Newspaper and radio magnate William Randolph Hearst, who initially opposed FDR in 1932, became progress
Published: 11/30/2025
S8 Ep145: 4/8. FDR Deals with the Socialist and Communist Parties — David Pietrusza — Roosevelt expressed concern that the Socialist Party (led by Norman Thomas) and the Communist Party (led by Earl B
Published: 11/30/2025
S8 Ep145: 3/8. Social Security is Driven by the Townsend Plan and the Rise of Father Coughlin — David Pietrusza — Dr. Francis Townsend's proposal to provide $200 monthly to citizens over age 60 compel
Published: 11/30/2025
S8 Ep145: 2/8. The Populist Challenge: Huey Long's Legacy and Eugene Talmadge — David Pietrusza — Roosevelt faced formidable challenges from both the populist left and the conservative South. Although
Published: 11/30/2025
S8 Ep145: 1/8. FDR's 1936 Campaign Begins Amid Loss and Opposition from the Right — David Pietrusza — Pietrusza's book Roosevelt Sweeps Nation details the opening phase of FDR's 1936 reelection campai
Published: 11/30/2025
S8 Ep144: From Harding's Success to FDR's Political Evolution — David Pietrusza — Herbert Hoover chose affiliation with the Republican Party, finding the Democratic Party either excessively radical or
Published: 11/29/2025
S8 Ep144: Harding's Landslide and the Imprisoned Socialist — David Pietrusza — Socialist candidate Eugene Debs conducted his presidential campaign from Atlanta Penitentiary, where he was incarcerated
Published: 11/29/2025
S8 Ep144: The 1920 General Election: The League and Campaign Oratory — David Pietrusza — Harding proved to be a surprisingly effective orator, earning substantial speaking fees on the Chautauqua lectu
Published: 11/29/2025
S8 Ep144: The Democratic Convention: Forty-Four Ballots and the Two-Thirds Rule — David Pietrusza — The July 1920 Democratic National Convention required 44 grueling ballots to achieve nomination, con
Published: 11/29/2025
S8 Ep144: The Republican Convention and the Rise of Harding — David Pietrusza — The June 1920 Republican National Convention in Chicago failed to nominate any of the leading frontrunners, including Hi
Published: 11/29/2025
S8 Ep144: Introducing the Future Presidents: FDR, Coolidge, and Hoover — David Pietrusza — This segment introduces the remaining figures who would subsequently achieve the presidency: Franklin D. Roos
Published: 11/29/2025
S8 Ep144: Warren G. Harding: The Available Man from Ohio — David Pietrusza — With Theodore Roosevelt deceased and Wilson incapacitated, Republicans sought a viable candidate for what they perceived as
Published: 11/29/2025

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9096 Episodes

S8 Ep146: 5/8 Princelings, Purges, and the Politics of Red Nostalgia — Tanya Branigan — Princelings Bo Xilai and Xi Jinping, both children of senior Communist leadership, were themselves CR victims, e

S8 Ep146: 4/8 Persecution and Survival: The Composer Wang Xilin's Memory — Tanya Branigan — The biography of composer Wang Xilin, a zealous Communist Party member and peasant-background intellectual,

S8 Ep146: 3/8 Red August and the Idealism of Teenage Red Guards — Tanya Branigan — Yu Zhangzhen, who became a Red Guard at age thirteen, recalls "Red August" 1966, when Mao Zedong summoned millions of

S8 Ep146: 2/8 Witnessing the First Red Guard Murder and the Contested Apologies — Tanya Branigan — This segment examines the 1966 murder of educator Bian Zhongyun by teenage Red Guards at a prestigiou

S8 Ep146: 1/8 The Vanishing Museum of the Cultural Revolution — Tanya Branigan — Branigan's book Red Memory opens with the Pagoda Museum in Shantou, the sole institutional site documenting Cultural Re

S8 Ep145: 8/8. Roosevelt's Landslide and the Realignment of American Politics — David Pietrusza — Contrary to the Literary Digest straw poll prediction of a close race, early returns confirmed Rooseve

S8 Ep145: 7/8. The Campaign: Eleanor's Star Rises as FDR Welcomes Hatred — David Pietrusza — Alf Landon conducted a weak campaign that deteriorated sharply after attacking Social Security, alienating

S8 Ep145: 6/8. Alf Landon, the Unremarkable Candidate, Nominated by Republicans — David Pietrusza — Republicans deliberately rejected Herbert Hoover, instead considering mavericks like William Borah a

S8 Ep145: 5/8. William Randolph Hearst Breaks with Roosevelt over Tax Policy — David Pietrusza — Newspaper and radio magnate William Randolph Hearst, who initially opposed FDR in 1932, became progress

S8 Ep145: 4/8. FDR Deals with the Socialist and Communist Parties — David Pietrusza — Roosevelt expressed concern that the Socialist Party (led by Norman Thomas) and the Communist Party (led by Earl B

S8 Ep145: 3/8. Social Security is Driven by the Townsend Plan and the Rise of Father Coughlin — David Pietrusza — Dr. Francis Townsend's proposal to provide $200 monthly to citizens over age 60 compel

S8 Ep145: 2/8. The Populist Challenge: Huey Long's Legacy and Eugene Talmadge — David Pietrusza — Roosevelt faced formidable challenges from both the populist left and the conservative South. Although

S8 Ep145: 1/8. FDR's 1936 Campaign Begins Amid Loss and Opposition from the Right — David Pietrusza — Pietrusza's book Roosevelt Sweeps Nation details the opening phase of FDR's 1936 reelection campai

S8 Ep144: From Harding's Success to FDR's Political Evolution — David Pietrusza — Herbert Hoover chose affiliation with the Republican Party, finding the Democratic Party either excessively radical or

S8 Ep144: Harding's Landslide and the Imprisoned Socialist — David Pietrusza — Socialist candidate Eugene Debs conducted his presidential campaign from Atlanta Penitentiary, where he was incarcerated

S8 Ep144: The 1920 General Election: The League and Campaign Oratory — David Pietrusza — Harding proved to be a surprisingly effective orator, earning substantial speaking fees on the Chautauqua lectu

S8 Ep144: The Democratic Convention: Forty-Four Ballots and the Two-Thirds Rule — David Pietrusza — The July 1920 Democratic National Convention required 44 grueling ballots to achieve nomination, con

S8 Ep144: The Republican Convention and the Rise of Harding — David Pietrusza — The June 1920 Republican National Convention in Chicago failed to nominate any of the leading frontrunners, including Hi

S8 Ep144: Introducing the Future Presidents: FDR, Coolidge, and Hoover — David Pietrusza — This segment introduces the remaining figures who would subsequently achieve the presidency: Franklin D. Roos

S8 Ep144: Warren G. Harding: The Available Man from Ohio — David Pietrusza — With Theodore Roosevelt deceased and Wilson incapacitated, Republicans sought a viable candidate for what they perceived as