History That Doesn't Suck

Prof. Greg Jackson

  • 1 hour 3 minutes
    194: Pearl Harbor: December 7, 1941

    “Man your battle stations! This is no sh*t!”

    This is the story of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. 

    It’s 7:55 on Sunday morning, December 7, 1941. 183 Japanese aircraft descend on the United States Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Sailors awaken to a nightmare as “Battleship Row” becomes a graveyard, hundreds of US planes are destroyed without ever leaving the ground, and the cries of thousands of dying, wounded, and terrified Americans rend the air. It is a day that will “live in infamy.” And it means war.

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    7 December 2025, 5:55 pm
  • 1 hour 3 minutes
    193: The Empire of the Rising Sun: Military Imperialism in Japan (1853–1941)

    “To be perfectly frank, the ways you and I look at the Chinese are fundamentally different. You seem to think of them as human, but I see them as pigs.”

    This is the origin story of the Empire of the Rising Sun. 

    After an uninvited visit from one Commodore Matthew Perry and his four black ships, Japan opens its doors to the wider world, ending seven centuries of isolation. Picking up the best and the worst from the West, a new ruling class implements changes in everything from government structure to the military, and embraces the power of both industrialization and imperialism. A modernized Japan quickly expands, conquering Korea, and taking on bigger neighbors like China, and even Russia. And after the Great War, when the military decides to go deeper into China … all that’s needed is an “incident” to justify that. 

    But as the empire grows and atrocities like the “Rape of Nanjing” shock the world, Japan’s alliances with European fascist powers cause the US to become wary of their former favored-nation-status trading partner. And when Uncle Sam halts the sale of industrially necessary supplies like oil, Japan’s leaders feel backed into a corner. What will a proud, military-led nation do when it is cornered?

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    24 November 2025, 12:02 pm
  • 57 minutes 46 seconds
    192: A Conversation with Ken Burns and Sarah Botstein: The American Revolution and WWII

    Professor Greg Jackson sits down with legendary documentary filmmaker Ken Burns and his co-producer Sarah Botstein to discuss their newest film series, The American Revolution plus a conversation about their 2007 WWII series, The War.


    Ken and Sarah’s latest endeavor about the American War for Independence has been in production for nearly a decade, and the release comes on the cusp of America’s 250th anniversary. According to Ken, the American Revolution is “the most important historical event since the birth of Christ.” We’ll let you judge that claim for yourself as you listen to Dr. Jackson and our two guests discuss the war and its major players, their production process, maps, and much more. 


    Ken and Sarah also discuss The War which they worked on together delving into “the greatest cataclysm in human history,” to quote Ken—World War II. If America was “born” after the Revolutionary War, it came of age during the Second World War. Don’t fret, we’ll get back to covering that war very soon. Next up: Japan. 


    The American Revolution, a six-part, 12-hour documentary series, will premiere on Sunday, November 16 and air each night through Friday, November 21st. 

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    10 November 2025, 7:00 am
  • 7 minutes 19 seconds
    Bonus: Eleanor Roosevelt "Over Our Coffee Cups"

    Today Professor Jackson tells the story of Eleanor Roosevelt’s “Over Our Coffee Cups” weekly radio show. Starting in the fall of 1941, the First Lady took to the airwaves with this cafe-style program to provide information and comfort as the nation began mobilizing for war. 

    This short story is an example of the extras you can get as an HTDS premium member. HTDS will always be widely available, supported by ads. However, our membership program offers ad-free episodes delivered early, plus extra stories just like this one. Click here to start a free seven day trial. Cancel anytime.

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    3 November 2025, 5:00 am
  • 41 minutes 50 seconds
    191: Halloween Special V: “The War of the Worlds” on the Radio

    “No more defenses. Our army is wiped out—artillery, air force, everything wiped out.”

    This is the story of the invasion of New Jersey.

    “The War of the Worlds” is a 1938 radio adaptation of an 1897 science fiction novel by H.G. Wells that details an alien invasion of Earth, a seminal work that popularized the term “Martian” and the theme of “first contact” in sci-fi. 23-year-old Orson Welles and his Mercury Theatre team were tasked with zhuzhing up the classic novel for their series of one-hour CBS radio plays, but unfortunately, the contemporary American setting, the shockingly realistic news bulletins, and the harrowing eyewitness accounts all added up to produce a panic among out-of-the-loop listeners. 

    Invasion, fictional or otherwise, was at the fore of many minds as Germany broke treaties and demanded more land—the Allies ceded the Sudetenland just one month prior to the broadcast. The stories of a mass hysteria that gripped the nation have been exaggerated, but have no fear: we’ll take you through the radio play and the aftermath so you can decide whether or not you believe it.

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    20 October 2025, 6:30 am
  • 1 hour 10 minutes
    190: An Epilogue to US Pre-WW2 Turn from Isolationism to Interventionism and the Influential Americans in London Who Brokered the FDR-Churchill Bromance

    Professor Jackson takes a step back to review themes from episodes 187 through 189 (War in Europe and America’s Response), specifically the slow turn from isolationism to aid via Lend-Lease, and eventually to preparing for war. 

    Prof. Jackson’s guests are Professor Lindsey Cormack, an associate professor of political science at Stevens Institute of Technology, and historian Lynne Olson, author of several books on WW2 including Citizens of London which chronicles the pivotal role played by three Americans who influenced the decisions of President Franklin Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill—Edward R. Murrow, Averell Harriman, and John Gilbert Winant. Olson emphasizes how these individuals navigated the complexities of diplomacy and public opinion, often against a backdrop of American isolationism and British skepticism, ultimately building a strong relationship that was essential for the war effort. 

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    13 October 2025, 4:09 pm
  • 1 hour 6 minutes
    189: World War II in Europe & the American Response (1941): Production & Preparation

    "At long last, Mr. President.”—Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill

    This is the story of the second year of WWII and the United States’ response. 

    As the war enters its second full year, things are looking dire for Britain: Germany has forced France into submission, the Blitz is in full swing, and the cash-strapped nation is running out of money to pay for US aid. Lend-Lease, or H.R. 1776, is the proposed solution; it’ll allow Franklin to transfer munitions to “any country whose defense the President deems vital to the defense of the US.” But there is stiff opposition. Is the language too dictatorial? Does it make entering the war unavoidable? As Americans discuss the bill across the country, famed aviator Charles “Lucky Lindy” Lindbergh will argue against it, while recently defeated 1940 presidential candidate Wendell Willkie will argue for it. Nor are they the only ones disagreeing: workers are striking in record numbers. Building an “arsenal of democracy” means labor and business will have to settle their differences.

    Meanwhile, as FDR and Winston Churchill secretly meet for the first time in the frigid climes of the northern Atlantic, the Army and Navy are drilling down to brass tacks—what would it really mean if America enters the war? How many men would the nation need in uniform? Could American production cope with wartime demands? Pragmatic American leaders are preparing and planning just in case, mostly with their eyes on Germany … but increasingly on Japan. Relations are eroding swiftly. Perhaps Uncle Sam’s greatest immediate threat isn’t across the Atlantic but the Pacific …

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    6 October 2025, 6:00 am
  • 11 minutes 23 seconds
    The Unlikely Union: "A house divided against itself cannot stand."

    Professor Greg Jackson shares a personal message about our politically divided times and announces more tour dates for his live show: The Unlikely Union. 

    This show is not recorded for the podcast. Go to HTDSpodcast.com/live-shows for more information and dates.

     Prof. Jackson’s national tour has already been to half of the 50 states, so-called red and blue states, big cities and small towns.  What he’s encountered is everyday people, regardless of their political stripe coming together to share in the telling of the extraordinary history of the first century of our nation. That period from fiery revolution through bloody civil war is– not despite of, but because of its ugly and all but insurmountable challenges– a consoling reminder that we have been through far, far worse times and much greater division than is even imaginable today.  And it's a cautionary tale. Our great strength is our union and our great peril is our division. 

    The words of the Republican candidate from Illinois for the US Senate spoken in 1858 ring true today:  "A house divided against itself cannot stand." You're damn right, Abe.

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    29 September 2025, 4:00 pm
  • 1 hour 8 minutes
    188: World War II in Europe & The American Response (1939–40): Isolationism vs. Arsenal of Democracy

    “I have said not once but many times that I have seen war and that I hate war. … I hope the United States will keep out of this war. I believe that it will.”


    This is the story of the first year of WWII in the European theater and the United States’ response. 


    Since the days of President George Washington, the United States has largely held to George Washington’s and Thomas Jefferson’s counsel to avoid “interweaving our destiny with that of any part of Europe,” and to have “entangling alliances with none.” The nation has dismantled its military built up during the Great War, and many regret ever being a part of it.


    Then Adolf Hitler invades Poland. Britain and France, realizing the Führer will never stop, declare war and brace for impact. President FDR reassures Americans: the US remains neutral. 


    That said, the “cash-and-carry” policy soon expands to allow the Allies to purchase US munitions, and as the brief pause known as the “Phoney War” gives way to Nazi Germany’s overrunning country after country—including France—Britain’s in trouble. The new Prime Minister Winston Churchill knows that his country needs American help if they’re to survive and win the war. 


    With the Old World getting bombarded and blitzkrieged, Franklin Delano Roosevelt becomes gravely concerned. He decides to run for a third term in the White House while trying to persuade Congress and the American people to help the Allies by building an “arsenal of democracy,” even as they hope to avoid war. It’s a tough sell though: can he overcome the United States’s long history of relative isolationism, so adamantly pushed by the new “America First” opposition? Have concerns that the last World War was waged for money left too much baggage to overcome? We’ll find out.


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    22 September 2025, 6:00 am
  • 1 hour 8 minutes
    187: From the Rhineland to Poland (1935–1939): Annexation, Appeasement, & the Start of World War II

    “A great war can hardly be avoided any longer.”

    This is the story of Nazi Germany’s aggressive territorial expansion and the start of WWII.  

    The Treaty of Versailles has long been a thorn in Adolf Hitler’s side. Its troublesome limits on troops and technology pose challenges for a man bent on taking lebensraum and building a Grossdeuschland by any means necessary. So he starts quietly building planes and submarines. Then he starts publicly adding a few hundred thousand more soldiers. By 1936, he’s ready to move. He remilitarizes the Rhineland. When that goes well, he only grows bolder. He takes Austria. He takes Czechoslovakia’s Sudetenland. 

    Many European leaders—particularly those not named Winston Churchill—fail to grasp just how far the Fuhrer will go. They hope to “appease” him. But when Adolf strikes again, brazenly seizing the rest of Czechoslovakia, even British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain is ready to draw a line. That line is Poland.
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    8 September 2025, 6:00 am
  • 1 hour 6 minutes
    186: From Czardom to Stalinism: Building the USSR & the Ascent of Joseph Stalin

    “Comrade Stalin, now that he is general secretary, has concentrated immense power in his hands, and I am not sure whether he will always be capable of exercising this power with sufficient caution.”

    This is the story of Joseph Stalin’s path to becoming the dictator of the USSR. 

    Ioseb (Joseph) Jughashvili, or little “Soso,” is a good student. A choir boy, in fact. But that changes as the Orthodox Georgian increasingly puts his faith in the Bolshevik branch of Russia’s Social Democrats. Under Vladimir Lenin’s leadership, Soso, now going by Joseph Stalin, becomes a true revolutionary. One who embraces violence and murder as an acceptable means to an end amid Russia’s shift from revolution to civil war.

    With Lenin’s passing in 1924, it’s clear that someone has to step into his shoes, and Stalin deftly outmaneuvers Leon Trotsky to be that someone. But he won’t just lead it. Stalin will remake the Soviet Union in his own image, industrializing and consolidating his power at all costs. Millions will die. Millions more disappear into the gulags, never to be seen again. This is the rise and reign of Joseph “the Man of Steel” Stalin.

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    25 August 2025, 6:00 am
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