Episodes
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On this episode, we chat with David Greenberg about his epic biography of American icon John Lewis. We explore Lewis' background, early life, congressional career and of course, his march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Lewis was beaten, but not broken, and began a one-of-a-kind career fighting for human rights and decency among Americans. Greenberg not only explains what it was like to interview Lewis, but how he found so many new sources during years of research.
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Information on his book can be found at https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/John-Lewis/David-Greenberg/9781982142995
David Greenberg's website is https://greenberg.rutgers.edu/
David Greenberg's social media feed can be found at https://x.com/republicofspin
Support our show at https://patreon.com/axelbankhistory
**A portion of every contribution is given to a charity for children's literacy**
"Axelbank Reports History and Today" can be found on social media at
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https://facebook.com/axelbankhistory
Greetings and salutations book lovers. Welcome to Wellness Thru Reading. A podcast...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
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From the publisher: "Stadiums are monuments to recreation, sports, and pleasure. Yet from the earliest ballparks to the present, stadiums have also functioned as public squares. Politicians have used them to cultivate loyalty to the status quo, while activists and athletes have used them for anti-fascist rallies, Black Power demonstrations, feminist protests, and much more.
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In this book, historian Frank Guridy recounts the contested history of play, protest, and politics in American stadiums. From the beginning, stadiums were political, as elites turned games into celebrations of war, banned women from the press box, and enforced racial segregation. By the 1920s, they also became important sites of protest as activists increasingly occupied the stadium floor to challenge racism, sexism, homophobia, fascism, and more. Following the rise of the corporatized stadium in the 1990s, this complex history was largely forgotten. But todayâs athlete-activists, like Colin Kaepernick and Megan Rapinoe, belong to a powerful tradition in which the stadium is as much an arena of protest as a palace of pleasure."
Information on Dr. Frank Guridy can be found at https://history.columbia.edu/person/guridy-frank/
Information on his book can be found at https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/frank-andre-guridy/the-stadium/9781541601451/?lens=basic-bo
His social media account can be found at https://x.com/fguridy
Support our show at https://patreon.com/axelbankhistory
**A portion of every contribution is given to a charity for children's literacy**
"Axelbank Reports History and Today" can be found on social media at
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https://instagram.com/axelbankhistory
https://facebook.com/axelbankhistory
Greetings and salutations book lovers. Welcome to Wellness Thru Reading. A podcast...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
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Missing episodes?
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Being president is a mixed bag. There are long days, high-stakes decisions, definitive elections and even the potential to be considered a dunce for the rest of history. But, there are also opportunities to help people in need, win the respect of the world, bring the country together, and, these days, make big bucks after their term in office. Their net worths soar after they sign book deals, honcho a film company or even endorse trinkets that seem fit for informercials. But as Megan Gorman shows in, "All The Presidents' Money," it wasn't always like that. Early presidents lived their lives out in debt. She shows how becoming president didn't preclude them from making mistakes with money that every American makes, and also how their ambition to earn big bucks foreshadowed their desire to run the country.
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Megan Gorman's website can be found at https://www.allthepresidentsmoney.com/about-megan
Information on her book can be found at https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/All-the-Presidents-Money/Megan-Gorman/9798888450802
Support our show at https://patreon.com/axelbankhistory
**A portion of every contribution is given to a charity for children's literacy**
"Axelbank Reports History and Today" can be found on social media at
https://twitter.com/axelbankhistory
https://instagram.com/axelbankhistory
https://facebook.com/axelbankhistory
Greetings and salutations book lovers. Welcome to Wellness Thru Reading. A podcast...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
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Despite its reputation as a game with roots in rural America, Kevin Baker explains on this episode that baseball is rooted in New York City, and that it became the engine of the Big Apple. He also explains how the city itself influenced the game through its rules, its teams, its stadiums and its superstars. From Christy Mathewson to Babe Ruth, from the Highlanders to the Trolley Dodgers, from rundown streets to the Polo Grounds, Kevin Baker shows how New York and baseball grew up together.
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Kevin Baker's Website can be found at https://kevinbaker.info/
Information on his book can be found at https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/7503/the-new-york-game-by-kevin-baker/
Support our show at https://patreon.com/axelbankhistory
**A portion of every contribution is given to a charity for children's literacy**
"Axelbank Reports History and Today" can be found on social media at
https://twitter.com/axelbankhistory
https://instagram.com/axelbankhistory
https://facebook.com/axelbankhistory
Greetings and salutations book lovers. Welcome to Wellness Thru Reading. A podcast...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
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From the late 1990s until the mid-2010s, conservatives used the rallying slogan of, âWhat would Reagan do?â as a call to arms on the Federal budget, on taxes, on foreign affairs, and on the governmentâs role in our lives. He was held up as the beacon for what a president, a governor, a state legislator or a candidate for any office should try to be. George W. Bush modeled his presidency on honoring Reagan and avoiding the political mistakes his made by his father. But that has changed in the Trump era. Reaganâs conservative example is no strived to emulate nearly as often. On this episode, Max Boot explains why, and what it says about the presidency and life of Ronald Reagan.
Max Boot is on social media at https://x.com/MaxBoot
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Max Boot's website can be found at https://www.maxboot.net/
Information on his book can be found at https://wwnorton.com/books/9780871409447
Support our show at https://patreon.com/axelbankhistory
**A portion of every contribution is given to a charity for children's literacy**
"Axelbank Reports History and Today" can be found on social media at
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https://instagram.com/axelbankhistory
https://facebook.com/axelbankhistory
Greetings and salutations book lovers. Welcome to Wellness Thru Reading. A podcast...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
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From the publisher: A comprehensive and engaging oral history of the decade that defined the feminist movement, including interviews with living icons and unsung heroes â from former Newsweek reporter and author of the âpowerful and movingâ (New York Times) Witness to the Revolution.
For lovers of both Barbie and Gloria Steinem, The Movement is the first oral history of the decade that built the modern feminist movement. Through the captivating individual voices of the people who lived it, The Movement tells the intimate inside story of what it felt like to be at the forefront of the modern feminist crusade, when women rejected thousands of years of custom and demanded the freedom to be who they wanted and needed to be.
This engaging history traces womenâs awakening, organizing, and agitating between the years of 1963 and 1973, when a decentralized collection of people and events coalesced to create a spontaneous combustion. From Betty Friedanâs The Feminine Mystique, to the underground abortion network the Janes, to Shirley Chisolmâs presidential campaign and Billie Jean Kingâs 1973 battle of the sexes, Bingham artfully weaves together the fragments of that explosion person by person, bringing to life the emotions of this personal, cultural, and political revolution. Artists and politicians, athletes and lawyers, Black and white, The Movement brings readers into the rooms where these women insisted on being treated as first class citizens, and in the process, changed the fabric of American life.
Information on her book from Simon & Schuster can be found at https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Movement/Clara-Bingham/9781982144210
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Clara is on social media at https://x.com/CYBingham
Clara's website is at https://www.clarabingham.com/
Support our show at https://patreon.com/axelbankhistory
**A portion of every contribution is given to a charity for children's literacy**
"Axelbank Reports History and Today" can be found on social media at
https://twitter.com/axelbankhistory
https://instagram.com/axelbankhistory
https://facebook.com/axelbankhistory
Greetings and salutations book lovers. Welcome to Wellness Thru Reading. A podcast...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
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The first thing a president must do is swear to uphold the Constitution. But what happens when they betray that promise? Corey Brettschneider argues that it takes ordinary citizens to not only reign them in, but to make sure it never happens again. In "The Presidents and the People: Five Leaders Who Threatened Democracy and the Citizens Who Fought to Defend It," Professor Brettschneider profiles John Adams, James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Woodrow Wilson and Richard Nixon, and explains how they fought to protect the American ideal of equality, for only a few Americans. From suspending the right to free speech, the right to vote and the right to enjoy freedom itself, Brettschneider shows how presidents have stepped out of bounds, and also how ordinary Americans insisted the country belongs to all.
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Information on his book can be found at https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324006275
His website is https://www.coreybrettschneider.com/
He is on social media at https://x.com/brettschneiderc?lang=en
Support our show at https://patreon.com/axelbankhistory
**A portion of every contribution is given to a charity for children's literacy**
"Axelbank Reports History and Today" can be found on social media at
https://twitter.com/axelbankhistory
https://instagram.com/axelbankhistory
https://facebook.com/axelbankhistory
Greetings and salutations book lovers. Welcome to Wellness Thru Reading. A podcast...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
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Three-thousand miles. Fourteen states. Seven hundred towns. Two spouses. One Winnebago. Francis Barry and his wife, Laurel, took a trip across the Lincoln Highway from New York to San Francisco during the height of the pandemic, and during the height of the 2020 election. Their project was to figure out America by driving along the route that was first established more than a hundred years ago as a way to show off America. On this episode, we discuss his book, "Back Roads and Better Angels" to find out what makes America tick, what has kept the most diverse country in the world together, even through the toughest of times?
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He is on social media at https://x.com/FSBarry
His website is https://www.fsbarry.com/
Information on his book from Steer Forth Press can be found at https://steerforth.com/product/back-roads-and-better-angels-9781586423889/
Support our show at https://patreon.com/axelbankhistory
**A portion of every contribution is given to a charity for children's literacy**
"Axelbank Reports History and Today" can be found on social media at
https://twitter.com/axelbankhistory
https://instagram.com/axelbankhistory
https://facebook.com/axelbankhistory
Greetings and salutations book lovers. Welcome to Wellness Thru Reading. A podcast...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
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George Washington is often given the lionshare of the credit when it comes to establishing the tradition of a peaceful transfer of power in the United States. But in her new book, "Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents that Forged the Republic," Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky argues that the second president also deserves a healthy portion of credit. Adams understood that he could never measure up to Washington, but he did understand that a strong, democratic nation would depend on his ability to consider his country over his party. Dr. Chervinsky shows that while Adams made political mistakes that made him unappealing to elect for a second term, he weathered both foreign and domestic crises in ways that made the presidency, and thus, the young republic, stronger.
Information on Dr. Chervinsky's book can be found at https://www.lindsaychervinsky.com/
We discussed her book, "The Cabinet," on this episode
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/axelbank-reports-history-and-today/id1521053272?i=1000494574017
We discussed her co-edited book, "Mourning the Presidents," on this episode
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/axelbank-reports-history-and-today/id1521053272?i=1000601993613
Support our show at https://patreon.com/axelbankhistory
**A portion of every contribution is given to a charity for children's literacy**
"Axelbank Reports History and Today" can be found on social media at
https://twitter.com/axelbankhistory
https://instagram.com/axelbankhistory
https://facebook.com/axelbankhistory -
From the publisher, Roaring Book Press: Witch Hunt: The Cold War, Joe McCarthy, and the Red Scare provides a gripping account of one of the most tumultuous periods in American history. Authors Dr. Andrea Balis and Elizabeth Levy delve into Senator Joe McCarthy's infamous hunt for communists during the 1950s Red Scare. Originally written for young adult and teen audiences, the book is written in a unique screenplay-style format with rich illustrations and includes interviews with individuals who recalled their childhood experiences of McCarthyism. With meticulous research and attention to detail, The authors shed light on the human stories behind historical events, filling in the critical gaps in historical knowledge, ensuring that the lessons of the past are not forgotten in today's rapidly changing world.
Support our show at https://patreon.com/axelbankhistory
**A portion of every contribution is given to a charity for children's literacy**
"Axelbank Reports History and Today" can be found on social media at
https://twitter.com/axelbankhistory
https://instagram.com/axelbankhistory
https://facebook.com/axelbankhistory -
At the dawn of the 20th Century, the center of city life could be found at department stores. One could find the latest fashion, meet friends for a cup of coffee, mail a letter, and escape the hustle of every day life. Julie Satow shows how three women made department stores not just the place to be, but into an engine of cultural change. She also explores how the women challenged gender norms to build high-flying businesses that would impact World War II, New York City, and the future of consumerism. Julie also shows how social media has changed the lives of writers, who now must focus on being successful in several mediums for their books to become bestsellers.
Her previous appearance on our show, where we discussed her book, "The Plaza" can be found here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/axelbank-reports-history-and-today/id1521053272?i=1000488745167
Information on Julie Satow's book can be found at https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/707784/when-women-ran-fifth-avenue-by-julie-satow/
Julie Satow's website can be found at https://juliesatow.com/
Support our show at https://patreon.com/axelbankhistory
**A portion of every contribution is given to a charity for children's literacy**
"Axelbank Reports History and Today" can be found on social media at
https://twitter.com/axelbankhistory
https://instagram.com/axelbankhistory
https://facebook.com/axelbankhistory -
On this episode, Adam Higginbotham brings us back to the moment that many say they will never forget, but also to a moment that is filled with misconception and myth. When the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded in 1986, seven astronauts lost their lives and NASA was confronted with its biggest failure. Higginbotham shows us how the space program chose to remember those lost, rebuild faith in its mission, and how NASA persisted as a larger reflection of American culture. Higginbotham also explains how our memories of Challenger aren't necessarily what happened. His book is the first in nearly forty years that attempts to present an accurate portrayal of what happened and the impact it has had.
Adam Higginbotham's website can be found at https://www.adamhigginbotham.com/
He is on social media at https://twitter.com/HigginbothamA
Information on his book from Simon & Schuster can be found at https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Midnight-in-Chernobyl/Adam-Higginbotham/9781501134630
Support our show at https://patreon.com/axelbankhistory
**A portion of every contribution is given to a charity for children's literacy**
"Axelbank Reports History and Today" can be found on social media at
https://twitter.com/axelbankhistory
https://instagram.com/axelbankhistory
https://facebook.com/axelbankhistory -
Teddy Roosevelt is thought of as the quintessentially masculine American president. He is known for going to war, for fighting buffalo with his bare hands, and sailing down the River of Doubt. But as Edward O'Keefe, the CEO of the Teddy Roosevelt Presidential Library explains, TR is more a product of the women in his life than the men. His mother, sisters and wives played critical roles in his formative years, his early political career and his presidency. From the mother who soothed his nearly-deadly sicknesses, to the sisters who became co-strategists and governors, to the wives who influenced his progressive ideas and the future of First Ladies, TR would have been a different person had the women in his life not been strong, brilliant people. We also chatted about the future of the TR presidential library, and how it will shape not only TR's legacy, but our own understanding of America.
Edward O'Keefe is on social media at https://twitter.com/edwardokeefe?lang=en
Information on Edward O'Keefe's book from Simon & Schuster is available at https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Loves-of-Theodore-Roosevelt/Edward-F-OKeefe/9781982145682
Information on the TR presidential library can be found at https://www.trlibrary.com/
Support our show at https://patreon.com/axelbankhistory
**A portion of every contribution is given to a charity for children's literacy**
"Axelbank Reports History and Today" can be found on social media at
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https://instagram.com/axelbankhistory
https://facebook.com/axelbankhistory -
Paul Sparrow argues that Franklin Roosevelt is the quintessential American president, not just of the 20th Century, but in all of American history. FDR's ability to rally the nation from the Great Depression, and then carry it into a devastating but essential World War showed not just his talent, but his understanding of the stakes the country faced. Sparrow argues that FDR is democracy's greatest champion, and that he became that way by understanding the key to rallying the American people was by finding the right words to urge the country to embrace the cause of freedom around the world. In this episode, Sparrow shows how FDR took on the isolationist Charles Lindbergh to urge America to fight its most important battle since the Civil War.
For information on Paul's book, head to https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Awakening-the-Spirit-of-America/Paul-M-Sparrow/9781639366675
For Paul's social media feed, head to https://twitter.com/PaulMSparrow1
His website is available at https://paulsparrow-fdr.com/
Support our show at https://patreon.com/axelbankhistory
**A portion of every contribution is given to a charity for children's literacy**
"Axelbank Reports History and Today" can be found on social media at
https://twitter.com/axelbankhistory
https://instagram.com/axelbankhistory
https://facebook.com/axelbankhistory -
What does it mean to have "free time" and is it ever enough? In "Free Time: The History of an Elusive Ideal," Dr. Gary Cross explains how free time is both precious and deceptive. Why are people on vacation already searching the web for their next one? What counts as free time? Does technology help or hurt our experience with time spent away from work? Dr. Cross joins us to answer these questions, and to explain how the concept of "free time" began. We all want free time, but does it help our physical and mental selves in the ways we assume?
Information on Gary Cross' book can be found at https://nyupress.org/9781479813070/free-time/
Support our show at https://patreon.com/axelbankhistory
**A portion of every contribution is given to a charity for children's literacy**
"Axelbank Reports History and Today" can be found on social media at
https://twitter.com/axelbankhistory
https://instagram.com/axelbankhistory
https://facebook.com/axelbankhistory -
In "American Flygirl" Susan Tate Ankeny shows how a young girl with a fascination for flying became the first female Asian-American pilot to fly for the military. Hazel Ying Lee was born in Portland, but came of age at a time when the deck was stacked against people like her. Hazel never let discrimination or expectation shatter her dreams of flying for a living. She flew in China to defend her ancestral homeland from attack, then became a WASP for the US Airforce during World War II. Though Hazel died at a young age in an aviation accident, Ankeny argues that the lessons of her life for today's society must be understood.
Susan Tate Ankeny's website can be found at https://susantateankeny.com/
Support our show at https://patreon.com/axelbankhistory
**A portion of every contribution is given to a charity for children's literacy**
"Axelbank Reports History and Today" can be found on social media at
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Though few remember it, James Swanson argues the Deerfield Massacre of 1704 played a critical role in the shaping of early America. He explains how Native tribes and French soldiers brutalized a small outpost of colonists in western Massachusetts and set off a continental effort to find the missing victims and establish forces to protect the colonies. The tale of large-scale kidnappings, battles over who land belongs to and fear of attacks without warning have clear parallels to today. Swanson also explains what it is like to see artifacts from the attack that has been almost forgotten, until now.
Information on "The Deerfield Massacre" can be found at https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Deerfield-Massacre/James-L-Swanson/9781501108167
James Swanson is on social media at https://twitter.com/JamesLSwanson
Support our show at https://patreon.com/axelbankhistory
**A portion of every contribution is given to a charity for children's literacy**
"Axelbank Reports History and Today" can be found on social media at
https://twitter.com/axelbankhistory
https://instagram.com/axelbankhistory
https://facebook.com/axelbankhistory -
Up until the very end of World War II, even Dwight Eisenhower did not grasp the extent of the devastation the Holocaust had inflicted to the Jewish people. It wasnât until he was among the liberators at the Ohrdruf concentration camp where the Americans found thousands of dead bodies and starving Jews when Eisenhower finally had his full call to action. They werenât just fighting fascism, they were fighting to make sure there would never be another Holocaust. Lantzer describes how Eisenhower used his political skills to make sure the message was heard around the world.
Information on "Dwight Eisenhower and the Holocaust" can be found at https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783111327112/html?lang=en
Jason Lantzer is on social media at https://twitter.com/HistProfDad
Support our show at https://patreon.com/axelbankhistory
**A portion of every contribution is given to a charity for children's literacy**
"Axelbank Reports History and Today" can be found on social media at
https://twitter.com/axelbankhistory
https://instagram.com/axelbankhistory
https://facebook.com/axelbankhistory -
Abraham Lincoln is often thought of as the president who kept the union together, or who contributed the legal basis for slaves to be freed in states in rebellion, but Harold Holzer, one of America's renowned Lincoln scholars, explains how Lincoln harnessed the power of immigrants to make both achievements possible. Holzer's new book, "Brought Forth on this Continent: Abraham Lincoln and American Immigration," traces Lincoln's life from midwestern storekeeper, to Whig Party stalwart, to President. His view of immigrants shifted from indifferent to embracing, as he realized the source of renewal and strength they provide to America. While Lincoln's views often centered around those of European descent, Lincoln pushed back against anti-immigrant forces in the US to spend national resources on attracting more immigrants and making it possible for them to thrive. He allowed for the full participation in both the political system and in the military force that would become the victorious side in the Civil War. Near the end of his life, he gave a landmark speech on immigration that could well be applied to today's debate over how to respond to immigrants who reach American soil.
Harold Holzer's website can be found at http://www.haroldholzer.com/
He is on Twitter at https://twitter.com/HaroldHolzer
Information on his book, "Brought Forth on this Continent: Abraham Lincoln and American Immigration," can be found at https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/558372/brought-forth-on-this-continent-by-harold-holzer/
Our previous episode with Harold Holzer and his book "Presidents vs. The Press" can be found at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/axelbank-reports-history-and-today/id1521053272?i=1000503758391
Support our show at https://patreon.com/axelbankhistory
**A portion of every contribution is given to a charity for children's literacy**
"Axelbank Reports History and Today" can be found on social media at
https://twitter.com/axelbankhistory
https://instagram.com/axelbankhistory
https://facebook.com/axelbankhistory -
The Founding Fathers are often thought of as the pathbreaking generation that fought with dignity, wrote with moral clarity, and bound the colonies together with one goal. Except, in their new edited collection, âA Republic of Scoundrels: The Schemers, Intriguers and Adventurers who Created a New American Nation,â historians David Head and Timothy Hemmis argue that's not what happened at all. They say that mixed in with those like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, are a batch of who are essentially anti-Founders, those who worked to stop the founding from succeeding at all. For every Founder who has gone down as a hero, there are several who are finally being given their due as American villains.
Dr. David Head's website can be found at https://www.davidheadhistory.com/
Dr. Timothy Hemmis is on social media at https://twitter.com/hemmist
Information on "A Republic of Scoundrels" can be found at https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/A-Republic-of-Scoundrels/David-Head/9781639364077
Our previous episode with David Head on his book, "A Crisis of Peace" can be found at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/axelbank-reports-history-and-today/id1521053272?i=1000514069140
Support our show at https://patreon.com/axelbankhistory
**A portion of every contribution is given to a charity for children's literacy**
"Axelbank Reports History and Today" can be found on social media at
https://twitter.com/axelbankhistory
https://instagram.com/axelbankhistory
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