This American President

He has been called one of the most consequential presidents in American history—and one of the most complicated. He was described as crude and compassionate, domineering and deeply empathetic. A political force of nature, Lyndon B. Johnson possessed a legendary ability to persuade, cajole, and outmaneuver nearly anyone in his path. He shepherded landmark civil rights legislation through Congress, won one of the greatest landslide victories in American history, and is often regarded as the most effective legislator ever to occupy the White House. Yet by the end of his presidency, the Vietnam War had made him a deeply polarizing figure, besieged by protesters and increasingly isolated.
The president was Lyndon B. Johnson—and Tom Johnson had a front-row seat to it all.
In this episode, Tom Johnson, former aide to LBJ and later publisher of the Los Angeles Times and president of CNN, reflects on his years alongside the 36th president during one of the most turbulent periods in American history. Drawing from his new memoir, Driven: A Life in Public Service and Journalism from LBJ to CNN, Johnson shares what it was really like to work for LBJ amid the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and the upheaval of the 1960s.
DRIVEN: A LIFE IN PUBLIC SERVICE AND JOURNALISM FROM LBJ TO CNN
https://www.amazon.com/Driven-Life-Public-Service-Journalism/dp/0820374539
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CREDITS
Host: Richard Lim
Producer: Michael Neal
Cover Art: Nip Rogers, www.NipRogers.com
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In the early years of the republic, the United States was a nation in name—but not always in practice. Vast distances and rugged mountains threatened to pull the young country apart.
In this episode, historian Brady Crytzer discusses his new book, The National Road, and explains how George Washington's vision of binding the states together through internal improvements ultimately became America's first great federal highway under Albert Gallatin. We explore how a single road helped transform a fragile republic into a more united nation.
THE NATIONAL ROAD: GEORGE WASHINGTON AND AMERICA'S FIRST HIGHWAY WEST
https://www.amazon.com/National-Road-Washington-Americas-Highway/dp/1635769493/
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CREDITS
Host: Richard Lim
Producer: Michael Neal
Cover Art: Nip Rogers, www.NipRogers.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two leaders. Thousands of nuclear weapons. One meeting that changed everything.
In this episode, Michael Russell Gunn, director of Brink of War, explores the extraordinary Reykjavík Summit between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev—a meeting many believe paved the way for the end of the Cold War. We discuss Reagan's strategy of pursuing a nuclear-free world while preserving America's leverage, the remarkable relationship between the two leaders, and the making of the film starring Jeff Daniels, J.K. Simmons, and Jared Harris.

THE BRINK OF WAR
https://www.angel.com/movies/brink-of-war?
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CREDITS
Host: Richard Lim
Producer: Michael Neal
Cover Art: Nip Rogers, www.NipRogers.com
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As America prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, #1 New York Times bestselling author Eric Metaxas—author of Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther, and Amazing Grace—joins us to discuss his new book, Revolution: The Birth of the Greatest Nation in the History of the World. Together, we revisit the famous—and often forgotten—heroes of the American Revolution and explore why Metaxas believes the indispensable role of Judeo-Christian ideas in America's founding has too often been overlooked.

REVOLUTION: THE BIRTH OF THE GREATEST NATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD
https://www.amazon.com/Revolution-Birth-Greatest-Nation-History/dp/1631440888/
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CREDITS
Host: Richard Lim
Producer: Michael Neal
Cover Art: Nip Rogers, www.NipRogers.com
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As America approaches its 250th birthday, bestselling author and historian Jane Hampton Cook joins us for a conversation about the people, moments, and ideas that make the American story so remarkable. We discuss why America remains a nation worth celebrating, the most underrated Americans in our history, the historical events we'd most like to witness firsthand, and the era that best represents America's peak. Along the way, we explore what makes America unique and why, nearly 250 years after its founding, its story continues to captivate us.

A GREAT AND GRATEFUL NATION: FROM GRIEVANCE TO GRATITUDE
https://www.amazon.com/Great-Grateful-Nation-Grievance-Gratitude/dp/1617156787/
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CREDITS
Host: Richard Lim
Producer: Michael Neal
Cover Art: Nip Rogers, www.NipRogers.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.