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PODCAST

Professor Buzzkill History Podcast

Professor Buzzkill is an exciting podcast that explores history myths in an illuminating, entertaining, and humorous way.

history

All Episodes

41:55

When Did the US Civil War End?

Professor Buzzkill History Podcast ·

2025/04/02

Professor Michael Vorenberg joins us to address one of the most perplexing questions in US history. Did the Civil War end on April 9, at Appomattox, as conventional wisdom holds, where Lee surrendered to Grant in Wilmer McLean’s parlor? Or was it ten weeks afterward, in Galveston, where a federal commander proclaimed Juneteenth the end of slavery? Or perhaps in August of 1866, when President Andrew Johnson simply declared “the insurrection is at an end”? And we talk about the general question of

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15:56

Irish Things that Are British: Flashback Friday!

Professor Buzzkill History Podcast ·

2025/03/14

Professor Buzzkill seems to want to make enemies in this episode. He shows that many things central to Irish culture and identity are actually British in origin -- St. Patrick, “the craic,” and “Danny Boy” come under his withering analytical gaze. But he may surprise you with the ultimate conclusions he reaches. Maybe he’s not that much of a buzzkill after all.

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35:41

The Irish Slaves Myth: 2025 Encore

Professor Buzzkill History Podcast ·

2025/03/11

White supremacy has been rising at an alarming rate in the last few years. The “Irish Slaves” myth has been given new life by these extremists. The famous “Irish: the Forgotten White Slaves” email has been unearthed and promoted heavily again during the St. Patrick’s season. It’s an abuse of history, as well as being reprehensible morally.

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58:42

The Sound of Music - 60th Anniversary Show!

Professor Buzzkill History Podcast ·

2025/03/04

Carla Von Trapp Hunter (descendant of Captain and Maria Von Trapp) joins Dr. Rebecca Brenner Graham to talk about The Sound of Music, the famous musical that appeared in theaters 60 years ago this week. We bust the many myths in the Sound of Music film, and show that the real story of the von Trapps is much more fascinating! Join us for one of the very best Buzzkill discussions ever! Episode 577.

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34:11

The Bombing of Dresden: 80th Anniversary Episode

Professor Buzzkill History Podcast ·

2025/02/11

This week sees the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Dresden on February 13-14, 1945. It was one of the most destructive of the Allies’ late-war bombing campaigns over Germany. Somewhere between 22,000 and 25,000 people were killed and a famously beautiful city was leveled. It’s been called an Allied war crime, and Kurt Vonnegut’s famous novel “Slaughterhouse 5” reinforced that idea in the public mind for generations. But was it a war crime? Was it unnecessary? Professor Phil Nash enlightens

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39:12

“Dear Miss Perkins”: Frances Perkins and Refugees...

Professor Buzzkill History Podcast ·

2025/01/21

Frances Perkins was one of the most important Americans in the 20th century. She helped hundreds of people flee Nazi Germany and come to the United States when she was Secretary of Labor in the Franklin Roosevelt administration. As Hitler rose to power, thousands of German-Jewish refugees and their loved ones reached out to the INS—then part of the Department of Labor—applying for immigration to the United States, writing letters that began “Dear Miss Perkins…” A fascinating interview with Dr

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15:30

Auld Lang Syne: That Grand Old Song!

Professor Buzzkill History Podcast ·

2024/12/31

“Should old acquaintance be forgot”? What? Should we forget old friends? What does Auld Lang Syne actually mean? Why do we sing it every New Year’s Eve? Join the Professor as he waxes lyrical and sentimentally about Auld Lang Syne, Scotland, and good auld Robert Burns! A Professor Buzzkill Classic Episode

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41:15

"It's a Wonderful Life" Myths and Urban Legends: a...

Professor Buzzkill History Podcast ·

2024/12/19

One of the most popular movies of all time, “It’s a Wonderful Life” (starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed) is a holiday classic. It has also given us a cornucopia of history myths and urban legends. Lend an ear as the Professor analyzes these stories, talks about how the movie was received when released in 1946, and highlights many overlooked supporting actors in the film. And you learn why the Professor thinks he also has a “wonderful life”! A classic Professor Buzzkill episode!

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30:06

How Churchill Waged War

Professor Buzzkill History Podcast ·

2024/12/12

How exactly did Winston Churchill go about directing and managing first the Battle of Britain and then Britain’s part in the wider war? Did he act like a CEO or more like a Chairman of the Board when dealing with the British government? Allen Packwood, the Director of the Churchill Archives Centre at the University of Cambridge, joins us to explain the decisions that Churchill had to make, and how that helps understand his leadership styles. A fascinating and eye-opening show! Episode 575.

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11:19

The Weeping Frenchman: the Emotion of National Loss

Professor Buzzkill History Podcast ·

2024/12/05

The “The Weeping Frenchman” photograph from the fall of France in 1940 is one of the most emotional images from World War II. Professor Buzzkill explains the story behind that famous image, and why it’s been used so much in social media by people who are upset with the recent election. The actual story of “The Weeping Frenchman” is much more interesting (and significant) than the mythical story of him watching the Nazis march into Paris. Listen and learn! Episode 574.

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34:40

“Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory” - Why the Battle Hymn...

Professor Buzzkill History Podcast ·

2024/12/03

Professor Buzzkill finally gives you the “summation and inspiration” episode about The Battle Hymn of the Republic that he promised you! He traces the Battle Hymn from the post-Civil War years, the Teddy Roosevelt and the Progressive Era, the burgeoning union movement, the funerals of Churchill and RFK, schoolyard parodies and English football fan songs, and Whitney Houston’s beautiful rendition in 1991. Finally, he shows how Martin Luther King used it in his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech

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24:43

The Battle Hymn of the Republic: the Song that...

Professor Buzzkill History Podcast ·

2024/10/25

Harvard Professor John Stauffer joins us to discuss the history of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” and its significance and meanings for American culture. He shows that it’s a song that unites and divides the country, and that it has been used by many different groups in American social and political life. It’s a fascinating interview that takes the song all the way from its origins as “Say, Brothers…” to the union song, “Solidarity Forever,” and its use by the civil rights movement in the 1950s

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47:06

The "Glory Hallelujah Suite" with Sparky and Rhonda...

Professor Buzzkill History Podcast ·

2024/10/23

American folk singers, Sparky and Rhonda Rucker, discuss their popular and historically significant “Glory Hallelujah Suite” as part of our Julia Ward Howe/Battle Hymn of the Republic week. Learn about “Say Brothers Will You Meet Us?” “John Brown’s Body,” “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” and the “Marching Song of the First Arkansas Colored Regiment.” All of these were important songs in the Civil War era, but they have been given a higher beauty by being turned into a suite by Sparky and Rhonda

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32:32

Julia Ward Howe: a Biographical Discussion with...

Professor Buzzkill History Podcast ·

2024/10/22

Julia Ward Howe led one of the most significant lives in US history. She was a poet, feminist, political reformer, champion of international pacifism, and much more. Dr. Elaine Showalter joins us to discuss Julia Ward Howe’s life, and the various civil wars she witnessed and had to fight. From composing “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” to writing the Mothers’ Day Proclamation for peace, she was a very strong force in an America that was growing up to become a world power. Episode 270.

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4:36

Julia Ward Howe and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”...

Professor Buzzkill History Podcast ·

2024/10/21

We’re dedicating this week to shows about Julia Ward Howe and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” She wrote it in 1862 during America’s most serious crisis. As the 2024 Presidential Election looms, we’re facing another threat to our liberties and our future. We need something inspirational, something like Julia Ward Howe offered the nation during the Civil War. This brief episode sets what our shows this week will be.

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33:35

Justice in Kelly Country: Laws and Outlaws in 19th...

Professor Buzzkill History Podcast ·

2024/10/15

Ned Kelly is Australia’s most famous outlaw. A mix of frontier bandit, murderer, and gang leader, Kelly has gone down in Australian lore as an anti-establishment hero. Dr. Lachlan Strahan tells the story of his great-great-grandfather, Anthony Strahan, who was one of the Australian policemen who helped hunt down Ned Kelly. Listen to this fascinating story about the famous Ned Kelly, hero worship in Australian history, but also about the men tasked to uphold the law. Episode 569.

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47:01

Code Name Puritan: Norman Holmes Pearson, Super Spy...

Professor Buzzkill History Podcast ·

2024/10/08

Norman Holmes Pearson actually did what a great many professors dream about doing. He was an expert in his field, but he also worked as an Intelligence Officer for the US military during World War II and the Cold War. And he wasn’t a desk jockey, but an active spy. Despite a major physical disability, he parachuted into Europe during the height of World War II for espionage reasons. Oh, and he was a literature professor too, by the way. So, as a spy, recruiter, and cultural diplomat, he connected

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69:08

Understanding the Cuban Missile Crisis: 2024 Encore

Professor Buzzkill History Podcast ·

2024/10/05

Buzzkill Genius Dr. Philip Nash brings us a fabulous (and very relevant) show on the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. There's so much more to those events than the standard "eye-ball-to-eye-ball" story would have us believe. Among many other things, we learn why the Cold War was so cold. You'll understand so much more after listening. Encore Episode.

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60:33

Why Was World War II So Bad: 2024 Encore

Professor Buzzkill History Podcast ·

2024/10/04

All wars are bad. But why was World War II so extreme? Coming less than 20 years after World War I (the most extreme war up until that time), the Second World War’s death toll is _conservatively_ calculated at 60 million people. And some estimates are higher than that. Professor Phil Nash joins us to explain why the death and destruction were so severe, and to give us grim statistics on some overlooked facts. These include the number of civilian deaths outnumbering military deaths, and the number of

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50:59

Battle of Stalingrad, Part 2

Professor Buzzkill History Podcast ·

2024/10/03

Professor Philip Nash continues his excellent analysis of the famous Battle of Stalingrad. The grim complications in the details of the history of this battle give us perfect insight into the nature of warfare during this period. Dr. Nash finishes up by explaining how the Battle of Stalingrad fits into the larger period of late 1943-1943, when the war started to turn against the Axis powers. Episode 567.

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