James
Gleick, author of the new book 
Isaac
Newton, talks about the fascinating life and
work of Sir Isaac Newton. Newton is best known for inventing
calculus and modern physics, but this program discusses
the many sides of this enigmatic man. (6/16/03)
Donald
Kagan, professor of Classics and History at Yale University,
talked about the origins, battles and implications of
the Peloponnesian War and how they relate to politics
today. Kagan is author of numerous books on ancient history,
as well as co-author of an evaluation of U.S. military
strategy with his son, Frederick Kagan. His latest book
is 
The
Peloponnesian War. (6/02/03)
Renowned
scholar of religion Elaine Pagels joined Extension 720
to talk about her new book, 
Beyond
Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas, which explores
in-depth one of the key Gnostic texts. Pagels
discussed the fractious nature of the early Christian
church in addition to sharing aspects of her remarkable
personal life and search for spirituality. (5/20/03)
William
Taubman, Professor of Political Science at Amherst and a
longtime expert on Russia and the Soviet Union, talked about
Nikita Khrushchev, from his early days in the Communist
Party through his denunciation of Stalin, and ultimately
to the Cuban Missile Crisis and his 1964 ouster. Taubman
is the author of 
Khrushchev:
The Man and His Era. (5/01/03)
Simon
Winchester talked about 
Krakatoa:
The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883, an
account of the disastrous eruption of the Krakatoa volcano
(modern-day Indonesia) that had significant cultural and
political repercussions around the world. (4/28/03)
Veteran
journalist Steven Brill, who founded Court TV and Brill's
Content, visited to discuss the American reaction,
at both ends of the public spectrum, to the 9/11 attacks.
Brill's new book is 
After:
How America Confronted the September 12 Era. (4/17/03)
John
"Bulldog" Drummond, the veteran crime reporter
for CBS 2 Chicago and a leading expert on the Chicago mafia,
was joined by Gus Russo, author of 
The
Outfit: The Role of Chicago's Underworld in the Shaping
of Modern America, for a look at the dark but always
fascinating world of organized crime in Chicago. (4/15/03)
Richard
Schickel, the longtime movie critic at Time magazine
and a veteran film historian, recalled his Wisconsin youth
and his introduction to the cinema during the Second World
War. Schickel's latest book is 
Good
Morning, Mr. Zip Zip Zip: Movies, Memory, and World War
II. (4/02/03)
Two
of the world's leading biblical archaeologists, Hershel
Shanks and Ben Witherington, talked about the historical
Jesus and the important revelations from the recent discovery
of the supposed tomb of James, 
The
Brother of Jesus.(4/01/03)
Sherwin
Nuland, a prominent surgeon, medical historian, and professor
of surgery at the Yale School of Medicine, returned to Extension
720 to discuss his life in medicine and the latest medical
research. Nuland's new book is a memoir, 
Lost
in America: A Journey with My Father. (2/18/03)
Robert
Kagan, a strategic studies expert based at the Carnegie
Institution for International Peace in Brussels, examined
the future of U.S.-European relations and the strain the
relationship has endured during the Iraq crisis and, more
broadly, the entire post-Cold War period. Kagan's views
are elaborated in his new book 
Of
Paradise and Power: America VS. Europe in the New World
Order. (2/04/03)
John
McWhorter, a prominent social commentator and professor
of sociology at the University of California, Berkeley,
discussed the current state of black America, the topic
of his recent book 
Authentically
Black: Essays for the Black Silent Majority. (2/03/03)
Ahmed
Rashid, one of the world's leading authorities on the Islam
and the rise of fundamentalism, analyzed the war on terrorism,
the situation in Iraq, the future of the Islamic world,
and the lessons for American foreign policy. His latest
book is 
Jihad:
The Rise of Militant Islam in Central Asia. (2/10/03)
British
historian David Cannadine, author most recently of 
In
Churchill's Shadow: Confronting the past in Modern Britain,
visited to discuss the long decline of the British Empire
and the continuing legacy of Winston Churchill.(1/14/03)
John
Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago and Stephen Walt
of Harvard presented the argument fully detailed in their
recent paper "Can
Saddam Be Contained? History Says Yes". Charles
Lipson of the University of Chicago joined in the discussion
with a different view. (1/07/03)
Pulitzer
Prize-winning Civil War historian James McPherson returned
to discuss the War Between the States and his latest book
Crossroads
of Freedom: Antietam. (1/01/03)
Two
leading religious scholars, Martin Marty of the University
of Chicago and Mark Noll of Wheaton College, visited to
trace the curious evolution of Christianity and religion
in American history. Noll's new book is 
America's
God: From Jonathan Edwards to Abraham Lincoln.
(12/18/02)
Chicago
"voiceover" talents Harlan Hogan, Lisa Lewis,
Ron Hawking, and Joel Cory gathered to discuss their rather
unique profession. Hogan is the author of 
Vo:
Tales and Techniques of a Voice-over Actor. (12/17/02)
Deborah
Dwork and Robert Jan Van Pelt, two of the nation's leading
Holocaust scholars, visited to reveal their latest research
that has culminated in 
Holocaust:
A History. (11/15/02)
Alexander
Keyssar of Harvard and Richard John of UIC examined the
tumultuous history of the United States through the prism
of science, technology, and innovation. Keyssar is a co-author
of 
Inventing
America: A History of the United States. (11/14/02)
Charles
Kupchan of Georgetown University and the Council on Foreign
Relations argued that American hegemony in the world may
be on the decline--and Europe could be our chief competition.
Kupchan's argument is fully detailed in 
End
of the American Era: U.S. Foreign Policy and the Geopolitics
of the Twenty-First Century. (11/13/02)
Presidential
historian Michael Beschloss returned to Extension 720, this
time to discuss American policy in Europe--and specifically
regarding the future of Germany--as we fought the Second
World War. His new book is 
The
Conquerors: Roosevelt, Truman and the Destruction of Hitler's
Germany, 1941-1945. (11/11/02)
Margaret
MacMillan of the University of Toronto recounted the proceedings
that led to the Versailles Treaty of 1919--and all the dire
consequences that followed, as told in her latest book
Paris
1919: Six Months That Changed the World. (11/08/02)
Robert
Richards of the University of Chicago and Michael Ruse of
Florida State University, both philosophers and historians
of science, discussed the much-disputed history of evolutionary
theory since the time of Darwin. (10/25/02)
Pulitzer
Prize-winning author Tony Horwitz retraced the journey of
Captain Cook and discussed his adventures along the way.
His new book is 
Blue
Latitudes: Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before.
(10/17/02)
Stephen
Ambrose died on October 13 at the age of 66. One of our
most popular and readable historians, he last appeared with
us in 2000 to discuss 
Nothing
Like It in the World : The Men Who Who Built the Transcontinental
Railroad 1863-1869.
Steven
Pinker, Professor of Psychology in the Department of Brain
and Cognitive Sciences at M.I.T., appeared to discuss the
latest of his many books 
The
Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature.(10/08/02)
Veteran
CIA officers Antonio and Jonna Mendez, both masters of disguise,
discussed their long careers with the agency and the roles
they played during the Cold War--as well as offering opinions
on the current state of American intelligence. Their new
book is 
Spy
Dust: Two Masters of Disguise Reveal the Tools and Operations
that Helped Win the Cold War. (9/30/02)
Historians
David Eicher (
The
Longest Night: A Military History of the Civil War),
Gerald Prokopowicz (
All
for the Regiment: The Army of the Ohio, 1861-1862),
and T.J.Stiles ( 
Jesse
James: Last Rebel of The Civil War) refought the
Civil War, from Fort Sumter to Appomattox, Wilson's Creek
to Atlanta, and all political, military, and social points
in between. (9/27/02)
Two
of the world's leading cosmologists, Michael Turner of the
University of Chicago and Marcelo Gleiser of Dartmouth College,
discussed recent trends in cosmological research and such
cheery topics as the apocalypse and the end of the universe(s).
Professor Gleiser's new book is 
The
Prophet and the Astronomer: A Scientific Journey to the
End of Time.(9/23/02)
On
the one year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Harvard Law
Professor Alan Dershowitz, University of Chicago Professor
Charles Lipson, and counterterrorism expert Donald Lavey
of Argonne National Laboratory (and, formerly, the FBI)
looked at the phenomenon of terrorism and what measures
we can take to combat it. Dershowitz's new book is 
Why
Terrorism Works. (9/11/02)
Historian
Bryan Mark Rigg told the story of the thousands of Jews
who served, often with distinction, in Hitler's Wehrmacht,
as revealed in 
Hitler's
Jewish Soldiers: The Untold Story of Nazi Racial Laws and
Men of Jewish Descent in the German Military. (9/04/02)
Robert
Galler of the Newberry Library, historian Landon Jones,
and Richard Van Orman of Purdue University gathered to discuss
the early west and its impact on the shaping of America.
(8/15/02)
Andy
McNab, a former member of the British SAS and, at one time,
the most decorated soldier in Great Britain, told the story
of his prolific military career and offered an opinion on
the coming war with Iraq. His latest novel from the Nick
Stone series is 
Last
Light. (8/05/02)
Congressman
Henry Hyde, chairman of the House Committee on International
Relations, appeared to discuss, among other things, the
possibility of war with Iraq, the status of the war against
terrorism, the Chicago airport controversy, and a host of
other issues. (7/29/02)
Joseph
Epstein of Northwestern University and Jon Anderson of the
Chicago Tribune dissected, with good humor, the changing
state of snobbery in America. Epstein's recent book on the
same subject is 
Snobbery:
The American Version. (7/23/02)
Taner
Edis, a professor of physics at Truman State University,
debated the existence of God with Jim Wall of the Christian
Century magazine. Edis' new book is 
The
Ghost in the Universe: God in Light of Modern Science.
(7/18/02)
Eric
Klinenberg, Professor of Sociology at Northwestern University,
revealed the horrific story of the 1995 Chicago Heat Wave
and the social response it entailed, all told in 
Heat
Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago.
(7/17/02)
The
New York Times' Pulitzer Prize-winning sports columnist
Ira Berkow discussed his illustrious career, the state of
American sports, and the many figures profiled in his latest
book 
The
Minority Quarterback: And Other Lives in Sports.
(7/09/02)
Michael
Oren appeared to revisit the upheaval of the 1967 Six Day
War and its continuing relevance in Middle East politics.
His new book is 
Six
Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle
East. (6/26/02)
Is
violent antisemitism again on the rise, less than 60 years
after the end of the Second World War? If so, why? Our panelists
Joseph Aaron, editor and publisher of The Chicago Jewish
News, Jonathan Levine, Midwest Regional Director of
the American Jewish Committee, and Kenneth Seeskin, Professor
of Philosophy at Northwestern University, examined the disturbing
phenomenon of antisemitism. (6/20/02)
Dinesh
D'Souza, Senior Domestic Policy analyst at the White House
in 1987-1988 and current fellow at the Hoover Institute,
visited to discuss 
What's
So Great About America, his latest book. (6/13/02)
Our
latest program focused on the war against terrorism included
analysis of the new U.S. preemption strategy and the historical
precedents of anti-terror campaigns. Joining us were Gen.
David Grange, University of Chicago Professor Robert Pape,
and Jay Williams of Loyola University. (6/12/02)
Milt
returned after a brief hiatus for a review of the troubled
world: the war on terrorism, the Middle East, the president's
European visit, the South Asian crisis. Mike McGuire of
The Chicago Tribune and Charles Lipson of the University
of Chicago welcomed him back. (5/23/02)
Another
look at the war on terrorism, this time focusing primarily
on the current crisis in the Middle East and its impact
on our ability to conduct foreign policy. Our guests were
Gen. David Grange, John Mearsheimer of the University of
Chicago, and Richard Friedman of the National Strategy Forum.
(4/11/02)
With
the baseball season already underway, we gathered another
panel for a look at our national pastime. WGN's own David
Kaplan joined Phil Rogers of The Chicago Tribune
and Carrie Muskat of MLB.com to discuss the upcoming campaign
and the general health of baseball. (4/02/02)
Scott
Bedbury, former top marketing executive at Nike and Starbucks,
and author of 
New
Brand World: Ten Principles for Achieving Brand Leadership
in the Twenty-First Century, was joined by Lewis
Lazare of The Chicago Sun-Times and Don Schultz of
Northwestern University for a broad look at the secrets
of marketing and branding success--and failure. (4/01/02)
Our
panel reviewing the modern state of Christianity included
Richard Holloway, the former Bishop of Edinburgh and author
of 
Doubts
and Loves: What Is Left of Christianity; Robert
Funk, director of the Westar Institute and founder of its
Jesus Seminar; John Phelan, Jr., President and Dean of the
North Park Theological Seminary; and Mark Talbot, Professor
of Philosophy at Wheaton College. (3/14/02)
In
our latest installment focusing on the war against terrorism,
Professor John Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago
and Professor Jay Williams of Loyola University were joined
via telephone by former Assistant Secretary of Defense Richard
Perle. The main point of contention: what to do about Iraq,
with Perle advocating military action against Saddam Hussein,
Mearsheimer and Williams more hesitant. (2/19/02)
Judge
Richard Posner of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh
Circuit and Ron Grossman of The Chicago Tribune analyzed
the current state of American intellectual life and why
its quality, in their view, has diminished in recent decades.
Judge Posner's latest book is 
Public
Intellectuals: A Study of Decline.
(2/14/02)
Longtime
CIA analyst and current National War College Professor Melvin
Goodman joined physicist Gerald Marsh of Argonne National
Laboratory for a broad discussion of homeland defense issues.
The two are co-authors of 
The
Phantom Defense: America's Pursuit of the Star Wars Illusion.
(2/05/02)
General
David Grange (U.S. Army, retired), career CIA officer and
former Pakistan station chief Milton Beardon, and Professor
Robert Pape of the University of Chicago re-examined the
war in Afghanistan and discussed our possible next steps.
(1/23/02)
Our
periodic look at revolution and its historical impact (see
American and French installments below) continued with a
review of the 1917 Russian Revolution and the course of
Soviet history. Our guests were Mark Steinberg, professor
of history at the University of Illinois and author of 
Voices
of Revolution, 1917, and John Bushnell of Northwestern
University. (1/21/02)
Presidents
George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, Ronald Reagan,
Jimmy Carter, and Richard Nixon joined both Richard Daleys,
Paul Harvey, Jimmy Stewart, Ed Sullivan, W.C. Fields, Louis
Armstrong, Ross Perot, Al Gore, Bob Dole, and more for a
night of big politicians and big stars. In studio guests
also included political impersonator extraordinaire Bill
Mellberg and his accompanist Kent Wehman (1/04/02).
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