We can't navigate safely to the future unless we understand what lies behind us. That's why the move by cowardly politicians to limit the history we're taught is so inexcusable. Sanitized hero worship does not move us forward. Enter Mike's new podcast, the irreverent Prick the Balloon. It features Mike deflating popular myths and telling history that's true, complete, impertinent, well-researched and funny. It's a look at our real past, wherever that might lead us. Learning lasts a lifetime, and it might as well be enjoyable. Remember, anyone who says they don't like history just had a shitty history teacher.
Listen to Prick the Balloon Here
Episodes of PTB and some reading suggestions
Suggested Reading for PTB Episodes 1 - 10 is here
PTB 11 - Angry Old Men Let's go with the first book about Newt Gingrich and Jim Wright. It's John Barry's The Ambition and the Power. It's about what one zealous megalomaniac can do when he channels his anger. There are a couple of newer books on the subject, but I've not read them.
PTB 12 - Woodrow Wilson Part 1 There are plenty of biographies about Wilson, and not all are created equal, of course. The two books I'd suggest both deal with the stuff in Part 2, to be honest. But let's mention When the Cheering Stopped by Gene Smith. It's flawed in that he gives way too much admiration for Edith Wilson for my taste, but there is still much good detail there.
PTB 13 - Woodrow Wilson Part 2 It is dense reading , but Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World by Margaret Macmillan is top notch about this greedy and naive dividing of world spoils that caused several later wars and ain't done yet.
PTB 14 - Texas Liberals The folks I mention among the Texas liberals range from Lyndon Johnson who has thousands of books written about him to Ralph Yarborough who just had a new biography come out a few years ago. But I'm going to mention Gregg Cantrell's The People's Revolt. Texas Monthly thought Gregg went a tad easy on the Populists and race, but there's no denying they started in the right spot, even if they didn't stay there.
PTB 15 - Integrating Sports The sports world was often the forerunner in bringing integration to the US. It's way more than just Jackie Robinson, but the Jackie Robinson Reader is a good anthology to start with.
PTB 16 - Petticoat Affair When I did the Andrew Jackson story in episode 1, I did not suggest a biography of our most genocidal president. You might try the Robert Remini Andrew Jackson book. The Autobiography of Peggy Eaton is lots of fancy, so should be viewed as more novelty than gospel.
PTB 17 - Americans Abroad This was a different kind of episode inspired by our South American vacation. Lots of the relevant books would be more politics or sociology than history. This might be a fun time to reread Mark Twain's Innocents Abroad. Twain hated that vendors tried to make money off the tourists, and aside from some funny scenes from his 1867 trip, I don't think he thought much of most of the spots he visited.
PTB 18 - Art Patrons I did most of my research in biographies of others and works about the 1920s and 30s, but there is a book with mostly good reviews about Andrew Mellon himself. It's called Mellon: An American Life by David Cannandine, not to be confused with snatching a pebble from my hand. I've not read the book. Period. Reviews, however, all mention that it is exhaustive, even to the chagrin of one right-wing reader.