Episodes
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Michael talks to Chris Wallace about his book "Countdown 1960: The Behind-the-Scenes Story of the 312 Days that Changed America's Politics Forever." The riveting new book on the momentous year, campaign, and election that shaped American history. It’s January 2, 1960: the day that Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy declared his candidacy; and with this opening scene, Chris Wallace offers readers a front-row seat to history. From the challenge of primary battles in a nation that had never elected a Catholic president, to the intense machinations of the national conventions—where JFK chose Lyndon Johnson as his running mate over the impassioned objections of his brother Bobby—this is a nonfiction political thriller filled with intrigue, cinematic action, and fresh reporting. Original air date 1 November 2024. The book was published on 8 October 2024.
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Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Bob Woodward tells the revelatory, behind-the-scenes story of three wars—Ukraine, the Middle East and the struggle for the American Presidency. Michael welcomes the legendary journalist for a conversation about his book "War" - an intimate and sweeping account of one of the most tumultuous periods in presidential politics and American history. Original air date 28 October 2024. The book was published on 15 October 2024.
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We have the oldest and third oldest political parties in the world―the Democratic Party founded in 1832 to reelect Andrew Jackson, the Republican Party founded in 1854 to oppose slavery in the territories. They are older than almost every American business, most American colleges, and many American churches. Both have seemed to face extinction in the past, and have rebounded to be competitive again. How have they managed it? Michael talks to Michael Barone, longtime co-author of The Almanac of American Politics, on his book "How America’s Political Parties Change (and How They Don’t)."
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Michael's conversation with James B. Stewart, the bestselling author of "Deep State: Trump, the FBI, and the Rule of Law." There are questions that the Mueller report couldn't—or wouldn't—answer. What actually happened to instigate the Russia investigation? Did President Trump’s meddling incriminate him? There’s no mystery to what Trump thinks. He claims that the Deep State, a cabal of career bureaucrats—among them, Andrew McCabe, Lisa Page, and Peter Strzok, previously little known figures within the FBI whom he has obsessively and publically reviled—is concerned only with protecting its own power and undermining the democratic process. Conversely, James Comey has defended the FBI as incorruptible apolitical public servants who work tirelessly to uphold the rule of law. Original air date 8 October 2019. The book was published on 8 October 2019.
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UVA Professor Dr. Larry Sabato, author of "The Kennedy Half-Century: The Presidency, Assassination, and Lasting Legacy of John F. Kennedy." Because of his extraordinary promise and untimely death, JFK's star still resonates strongly. On the anniversary of his assassination, celebrated political scientist and analyst Larry J. Sabato-himself a teenager in the early 1960s and inspired by JFK and his presidency-explores the fascinating and powerful influence he has had over five decades on the media, the general public, and especially on each of his nine presidential successors. Original air date 18 October 2013. The book was published on 15 October 2013.
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Michael's conversation with Julie Hirschfeld Davis, co-author (with Michael D. Shear) of "Border Wars: Inside Trump's Assault on Immigration." Two New York Times Washington correspondents provide a detailed, “fact-based account of what precipitated some of this administration’s more brazen assaults on immigration” (The Washington Post) filled with never-before-told stories of this key issue of Donald Trump’s presidency. No issue matters more to Donald Trump and his administration than restricting immigration. Original air date 9 October 2019. The book was published on 8 October 2019.
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From the New York Times bestselling former NATO commander comes a riveting historical novel that charts the coming-of-age of a gifted but immature young naval officer as he is tested in the crucible of World War II in the Pacific. Admiral James Stavridis is an acclaimed novelist, a decorated military leader, and a great student of military history. He draws on it all to capture the experience of being storm-tossed by the bloody first years of the Second World War. Scott Bradley James is a talented young officer, but he has a lot to learn. And war will have a lot to teach him. Listen to Michael's conversation with Admiral James Stavridis on the book "The Restless Wave: A Novel of the United States Navy." Original air date 9 October 2024. The book was published on 8 October 2024.
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Michael's conversation with Vince Papale on his autobiography, "Invincible: My Journey from Fan to NFL Team Captain." The true story of the NFL’s oldest rookie In 1976, Vince Papale was thirty, a former schoolteacher and part-time bartender, and a season ticket-holder for his beloved Philadelphia Eagles. When he heard that Coach Dick Vermeil was holding open tryouts, he decided to give it a shot. Shocking himself and the coaches, he ran an explosive 40-yard-dash in just 4.5 seconds — a world-class time — and was offered a contract on the spot. When he joined the team, Papale became the oldest non-kicking rookie in NFL history, a fan favorite who played for four years and was named a team captain. Original air date 3 August 2006. The book was published on 6 August 2003.
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From Michael's archives, his conversation with former CIA official Michael Scheuer, author of "Imperial Hubris: Why the West Is Losing the War on Terror." From the description written for the book: Though U.S. leaders try to convince the world of their success in fighting al Qaeda, one member of the U.S. intelligence community would like to inform the public that we are, in fact, losing the war on terror. Further, until U.S. leaders recognize the errant path they have irresponsibly chosen, he says, our enemies will only grow stronger. According to the author Michael Scheuer, the greatest danger for Americans confronting the Islamist threat is to believe—at the urging of U.S. leaders—that Muslims attack us for what we are and what we think rather than for what we do. Original air date 9 March 2005. The book was published on 1 June 2004.
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From Johns Hopkins medical expert Dr. Marty Makary, the New York Times-bestselling author of 'The Price We Pay'-an eye-opening look at the medical groupthink that has led to public harm, and what you need to know about your health. More Americans have peanut allergies today than at any point in history. Why? In 2000, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a strict recommendation that parents avoid giving their children peanut products until they're three years old. Getting the science perfectly backward, triggering intolerance with lack of early exposure, the US now leads the world in peanut allergies-and this misinformation is still rearing its head today. How could the experts have gotten it so wrong? Listen to his conversation with Michael about "Blind Spots: When Medicine Gets It Wrong, and What It Means for Our Health." Original air date 26 September 2024. The book was published on 17 September 2024.
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Michael welcomes David Litt with his book "Democracy in One Book or Less: How It Works, Why It Doesn't, and Why Fixing It Is Easier Than You Think." The democracy you live in today is different—completely different—from the democracy you were born into. You probably don't realize just how radically your republic has been altered during your lifetime. Yet more than any policy issue, political trend, or even Donald Trump himself, our redesigned system of government is responsible for the peril America faces today. What explains the gap between what We, the People want and what our elected leaders do? How can we fix our politics before it's too late? And how can we truly understand the state of our democracy without wanting to crawl under a rock? That's what former Obama speechwriter David Litt set out to answer. Original air date 18 June 2020. The book was published on 16 June 2020.
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Michael welcomes Melissa Fitzgerald & Mary McCormack, alumni of NBC's hit series "The West Wing," with their new book "What's Next: A Backstage Pass to The West Wing, Its Cast and Crew, and Its Enduring Legacy of Service." Hear a behind-the-scenes look into the creation and legacy of The West Wing, with compelling insights exploring what made the show what it was and how its impassioned commitment to service has made the series and relationships behind it endure. Original air date 19 September 2024. The book was published on 13 August 2024.
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Democracy is broken because the way we vote is broken. But there is a solution: Mobile Voting. Listen to Michael speak with Bradley Tusk, author of "Vote With Your Phone: Why Mobile Voting Is Our Final Shot at Saving Democracy." Original air date 16 September 2024. The book was published on 17 September 2024.
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Everyone is talking about the body language at the ABC News presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Michael gets some expertise from Joe Navarro, who literally wrote the book on the topic: "What Every Body Is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide to Speed-Reading People." He is a former FBI counterintelligence officer and a recognized expert on nonverbal behavior, explains how to "speed-read" people: decode sentiments and behaviors, avoid hidden pitfalls, and look for deceptive behaviors. You'll also learn how your body language can influence what your boss, family, friends, and strangers think of you. Original air date 12 September 2024. The book was published in 2008.
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Son of the Midwest, movie star, and mesmerizing politician―America’s fortieth president comes to three-dimensional life in this gripping and profoundly revisionist biography.
Michael talks to writer Max Boot, author of "Reagan: His Life and Legend, wherein he illuminates the untold story of Ronald Reagan, revealing the man behind the mythology. Boot draws on interviews with over one hundred of the fortieth president’s aides, friends, and family members, as well as thousands of newly available documents. Original air date 9 September 2024. The book was published on 10 September 2024. -
Michael is an alum of Lehigh University, so he was thrilled to have this conversation with Dr. Laura Katz Olson, who has Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Lehigh University for 50 years - starting teaching in 1974. She's written the new novel, "Wrinkled Rebels." Now 80 years old, retirement and advanced age have dissipated the spirit of six college radicals of the 1960s, who jointly had participated in civil rights campaigns and anti-war protests. Having engaged in only periodic communication over the decades, they suddenly receive an invitation to reunite for an extended weekend. Struggling with whether to go, each of them has divergent qualms and expectations for the proposed gathering. Original air date 6 September 2024. The book was published on 23 July 2024.
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New Cold Wars: China's Rise, Russia's Invasion, and America's Struggle to Defend the West —the latest from the Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and bestselling author David E. Sanger—is a fast-paced account of America’s plunge into simultaneous confrontations with two very different adversaries. Listen to his conversation with Michael here. Original air date 29 August 2024. The book was published on 16 April 2024.
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From the best-selling author of The Big Short and Flash Boys, the story of FTX’s spectacular collapse and the enigmatic founder at its center. When Michael Lewis first met him, Sam Bankman-Fried was the world’s youngest billionaire and crypto’s Gatsby. CEOs, celebrities, and leaders of small countries all vied for his time and cash after he catapulted, practically overnight, onto the Forbes billionaire list. Who was this rumpled guy in cargo shorts and limp white socks, whose eyes twitched across Zoom meetings as he played video games on the side? In Going Infinite Lewis sets out to answer this question, taking readers into the mind of Bankman-Fried, whose rise and fall offers an education in high-frequency trading, cryptocurrencies, philanthropy, bankruptcy, and the justice system. Listen to his conversation with Michael here, on "Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon." Original air date 26 August 2024. The book was published in October 2023, with the updated paperback version releasing on 27 August 2024.
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Through the lens of her years spent as a sex worker, Charlotte Shane offers a provocative and tender reckoning of what it means to be a heterosexual woman and a feminist in a misogynistic society. Listen to her conversation with Michael on her new book "An Honest Woman: A Memoir of Love and Sex Work." Original air date 23 August 2024. The book was published on 13 August 2024.
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Power, privilege, and blood—this is the definitive and thrilling true story of Alex Murdaugh’s violent downfall, from a veteran Wall Street Journal reporter who has become an authority on the case. Listen to Michael's conversation with Valerie Bauerlein, author of "The Devil at His Elbow: Alex Murdaugh and the Fall of a Southern Dynasty." Original air date 20 August 2024. The book was published on 20 August 2024.
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