Loading...

PODCAST

C-SPAN Bookshelf

The C-SPAN Bookshelf podcast feed makes it easy for you to listen to all of the C-SPAN podcast episodes about nonfiction books. Each week we gather episodes from the different C-SPAN podcasts that feature authors talking about history, biography, current events, and culture to make it easier to discover the episodes and listen. If you like nonfiction books, follow this podcast feed so you never miss an episode!

arts books

All Episodes

65:20

AW: Joanna Stern's Year Using AI to Do (Almost)...

C-SPAN Bookshelf ·

2026/08/30

Technology reporter Joanna Stern describes the year she spent using artificial intelligence and robots in all aspects of her life. The Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, provided this event.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

en

66:18

BN+: Paul Taylor, "This Is Getting Old"

C-SPAN Bookshelf ·

2026/08/25

Paul Taylor tells his readers: "For the first 25 years, I was a newspaper reporter. For the next 25, a political reformer, a demographer, a pollster, an author, and a public speaker." He's now 77 and has written a memoir titled "This Is Getting Old: Two Boomers and Their Generation at Dusk." Besides Paul Taylor, the other boomer in his book refers to his wife of 57 years, Stefanie. He asked his friend and agent Peter Bernstein (BERN-steen) to find a traditional publisher. His only reward, according

en

50:31

Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch Discusses Heroes...

C-SPAN Bookshelf ·

2026/08/24

From the Supreme Court of the United States, Justice Neil Gorsuch discusses his children's book, "Heroes of 1776," about the signers of the Declaration of Independence and other, lesser known, revolutionaries who put their life, liberty, and property on the line to gain independence from the British. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

en

50:21

After Words: A Woman's-Eye View of the Revolutionary Era

C-SPAN Bookshelf ·

2026/08/23

Historian Molly Beer took a woman's-eye view of the revolutionary era through the life of Angelica Schuyler Church, Alexander Hamilton's sister-in-law. Thomas Jefferson's Monticello hosted this event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

en

63:27

BN+: JD Vance, "Hillbilly Elegy"

C-SPAN Bookshelf ·

2026/08/18

In the political history of the United States, books have had a big impact on who the public follows in elections. In 1956, John F. Kennedy published "Profiles in Courage," which sold 2.8 million copies by his death in 1963. Jimmy Carter released his title "Why Not the Best?" in 1975, the year before he was elected president. When Barack Obama first released his life story in 1995, he only sold approximately 9,000 copies. When it was re-released in 2004, he sold 4.7 million copies. President Trump's

en

63:24

Q&A: Historian & Biographer Robert Caro

C-SPAN Bookshelf ·

2026/08/17

This week on Q&A, it's a rare interview with one of America's leading historians. We tour the New York City office and home library of Pulitzer Prize-winning bestselling biographer Robert Caro, who is currently working on the final volume of his 5-volume biography of Lyndon Johnson. During the tour, Mr. Caro talks about his research and writing process on the LBJ series, and the impact of "The Power Broker," his bestselling 1974 biography of NYC Parks Commissioner Robert Moses. Learn more about

en

69:52

BN+: John Jenkins, "Summer of '71" – Part 2

C-SPAN Bookshelf ·

2026/08/11

This is the second of a two-part interview with journalist John A. Jenkins. His book is "Summer of '71: Five Months That Changed America." Jenkins writes in the introduction: "[I]t is hard to overstate the importance of the events that defined the American experience during the fateful five months of May through September 1971." A good portion of the first part of the interview with John Jenkins focused on Daniel Ellsberg and the publishing of the Pentagon Papers. This discussion opens with the

en

59:07

Jennifer Levasseur, Space History Curator

C-SPAN Bookshelf ·

2026/08/10

The Smithsonian Institution National Air & Space Museum's Jennifer Levasseur discusses the history of the 135-mission Space Shuttle program (1981-2011), its accomplishments, and two tragic failures that led to the deaths of 14 shuttle astronauts. Ms. Levasseur, the curator in charge of the Space Shuttle Discovery at the Air & Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia, where this interview took place, also takes us on a tour of the shuttle orbiter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

en

57:09

BN+: John Jenkins, "Summer of '71" – Part 1

C-SPAN Bookshelf ·

2026/08/04

John A. Jenkins has been a journalist most of his life in the city of his birth, Washington, DC. He says he's never known another summer like the one 55 years ago. His book, "Summer of '71: Five Months That Changed America," focuses on well-known names from that era: Daniel Ellsberg, Neil Sheehan, Henry Kissinger, Sarah Weddington, and Angela Davis. John Jenkins writes that "each main character has an important back story that sets them up for the summer of '71 to come." He also writes: "My purpose

en

59:45

Q&A: Mark Harmon & Leon Carroll, Jr., "Ghosts of Sicily"

C-SPAN Bookshelf ·

2026/08/03

Actor Mark Harmon and retired NCIS special agent Leon Carroll, Jr., discuss their book "Ghosts of Sicily," the latest in their series about real-life Naval intelligence operations. "Ghosts of Sicily" tells the story of the U.S. government's use of the American mafia to fight the Nazis and Italians during World War II. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

en

66:06

BN+: Christine Kuehn, "Family of Spies"

C-SPAN Bookshelf ·

2026/07/28

The author's name is Christine Kuehn. The book is titled "Family of Spies: A World War II Story of Nazi Espionage, Betrayal, and the Secret History Behind Pearl Harbor." Christine Kuehn worked on her family's story for over 30 years. According to the publisher's note, it began with a letter from a screenwriter asking about a story. It was the first time she had ever heard about the secrets of the Kuehn family. Her father had never spoken about his mother Friedel (FREE-duhl) and his father Otto's

en

63:53

Q&A: Tad Devine, "How the Democrats Screwed Bernie"

C-SPAN Bookshelf ·

2026/07/27

Tad Devine, former chief campaign strategist for Bernie Sanders and the author of "How the Democrats Screwed Bernie," argues that Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee used dirty tricks, dark money groups, and the mainstream media to thwart Sen. Sanders' presidential run in 2016. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

en

61:20

ABC: Ben Mezrich on The Social Network, 21, and...

C-SPAN Bookshelf ·

2026/07/26

Bestselling author Ben Mezrich joins David Rubenstein to discuss his writing career and the real-life stories behind several of his bestselling books, including Bringing Down the House and The Accidental Billionaires, which were adapted into the hit films 21 and The Social Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

en

52:55

After Words: Managing Chronic Pain with Dr. Sanjay Gupta

C-SPAN Bookshelf ·

2026/07/26

Neurosurgeon and medical journalist Sanjay Gupta discussed strategies for preventing and managing pain and promoting wellness. This event took place at the 2026 New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

en

66:57

BN+: Ted Widmer, "The Living Declaration"

C-SPAN Bookshelf ·

2026/07/21

The commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence has now gone beyond the Fourth of July. Many books have been published about the Declaration in the first half of 2026. The question for Americans is: "Have you read the Declaration in full?" A recent study says that only 3 in 10 U.S. citizens have read the Declaration in its entirety. Author Ted Widmer has published, through the Library of America, a detailed history of how the Declaration came about. The

en

58:23

Q&A: Mike Leinbach, Former Space Shuttle Launch...

C-SPAN Bookshelf ·

2026/07/20

On February 1, 2003, Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas and Louisiana while re-entering Earth's atmosphere, killing all seven astronauts on board. Former Space Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach, who led debris recovery and reconstruction efforts following the accident, talks about the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster and the investigation into its causes. Mr. Leinbach is the co-author of "Bringing Columbia Home: The Untold Story of a Lost Space Shuttle and Her Crew." Learn more

en

61:16

ABC: Michael Beschloss Explores the Revolutionary...

C-SPAN Bookshelf ·

2026/07/19

Bestselling presidential historian Michael Beschloss joins David M. Rubenstein for a wide-ranging conversation on American history. They discuss the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and the pivotal events and presidents that shaped the United States in the twentieth century. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

en

65:54

AW: Political Realignment and the "New Right"

C-SPAN Bookshelf ·

2026/07/19

The John Locke Institute's Stephen Davies argued that the world is witnessing the emergence a permanent new form of "right-wing" politics. He spoke at the Competitive Enterprise Institute in Washington, DC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

en

73:28

BN+: Valerie Fridland, "Why We Talk Funny"

C-SPAN Bookshelf ·

2026/07/14

After 47 years of C-SPAN televising the Congress of United States, we feel there is no better place to hear accents and dialects of the American people 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In her book "Why We Talk Funny: The Real Story Behind Our Accents," Valerie Fridland promises to unlock "the secrets of what linguistic science, psychology and history tell us about the evolution of human speech." Valerie Fridland teaches in the Great Courses series at the University of Nevada, Reno. She did her

en

62:09

ABC: Geraldine Brooks on Memoir, Fiction & War Reporting

C-SPAN Bookshelf ·

2026/07/12

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Geraldine Brooks joins David M. Rubenstein to discuss her memoir, acclaimed novels, and early career as a war correspondent. She reflects on the experiences that shaped her writing, the intersection of history and fiction, and the personal stories behind her work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

en

573 results

Similar Podcasts

The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily

Eliana Benavides

The Moth

The Moth

About Art

Heidi Zuckerman

Stage Whisper

Andrew Cortes and Hope Bird

Podcast Patapoe

0d0a