Rendezvous With History

Beverly Gage joins Anthony Eames on the podcast to discuss her new book: This Land is Your Land: A Road Trip Through U.S. History, featured on President Obama’s 2026 Summer Reading List. The episode covers the winding road of American history and the moments that are relevant to the questions we face today.

In this special America 250 episode, Prof. Ilan Wurman joins Dr. Anthony Eames on the podcast to discuss his new book: The Constitution of 1789: A New Introduction. The discussion covers political science at the time of the founding, the legal innovations that inspired the American Revolution, and the less intuitive provisions for the separation of powers.

Sarah Isgur joins Anthony Eames on the podcast to discuss her new book: Last Branch Standing: A Potentially Surprising, Occasionally Witty Journey Inside Today’s Supreme Court. The conversation explores the history that shaped the Supreme Court into the counter-majoritarian institution it is today.

Join us for an in-depth discussion with Professor David Holloway on the history of nuclear weapons, their strategic evolution, and their impact on international relations from WWII to the present. Discover insights into deterrence, technological advances, and regional conflicts that shaped the nuclear age.

Dr. Elizabeth Rees joins Dr. Anthony Eames to discuss the evolving role of the Office of the First Lady in American history, from early hostess duties to the changing demands of social secretaries and the impact of the East Wing on culture and political movements. Rees explores how the First Ladyship evolved over time without rules, giving every First Lady the ability and the right to make the role her own.

Dr. Julia Irwin joins Dr. Anthony Eames to discuss her book: Catastrophic Diplomacy: US Foreign Disaster Assistance in the American Century. Irwin lays out the political motivations that shaped international disaster relief and dives into the history of USAID, the American Red Cross, and US military interventions.

Dr. Laura K. Field joins Dr. Anthony Eames to discuss her book, Furious Minds: The Making of the MAGA New Right. The conversation dives into who has a claim to Western Civilization, the overrepresentation of Catholic Integralists and postliberals in government, and how the Oresteia Trilogy inspired the book title. Field makes a strong case for hidden, deep roots that inform MAGA goals.

Dr. James Graham Wilson joins Dr. Anthony Eames to discuss the ending of New START. The conversation explores the historical evolution of arms control, how technological developments impact negotiations, and the current geopolitical landscape.

Professor Alex Wellerstein joins to discuss his book, 'The Most Awful Responsibility,' which challenges conventional narratives about the use of atomic bombs on Japanese cities. Wellerstein argues that President Truman never decided whether to use the atomic bomb. The decision Truman actually made was regarding the bomb's target, where he misunderstood the cost to civilian lives. This episode explores the blind spots and humanity that impact Presidential decision making.

Host Dr. Anthony Eames welcomes Dr. Aileen Teague to discuss her landmark study, Policing on Drugs: The United States, Mexico, and the Origins of the Modern Drug War, 1969–2000. Teague examines the intertwined histories of U.S. supply-control strategies, PRI-era political violence, cross-border agency dynamics, and the profound effects of NAFTA and economic crisis on drug trafficking routes. This episode offers a nuanced, archival-driven reassessment of how policy, geopolitics, and local histories shaped the drug war we confront today.