November
2004 Shows
Click on
linked books to explore buying them from the wgnradio.com/store
MONDAY,
NOVEMBER 1ST
ELECTION PREVIEW
Tomorrow night marks the culmination of years of planning and
campaigning for both John Kerry and George W. Bush. But which
man’s “blood, toil, tears and sweat” will not
have been in vain? Tonight on Extension 720, we examine the state
of the presidential election, which (at press time) is locked
in a virtual dead heat. Our panel of experts will predict the
winner in the presidential race and in important congressional
races around the country. Our guests include CHARLES LIPSON, professor
of political science at the University of Chicago, WAYNE STEGER,
professor of political science at DePaul University, and (by phone
from Washington) HOWARD KURTZ, media analyst for the Washington
Post. Don’t miss what is sure to be a must-listen program
on the eve of the election.
TUESDAY,
NOVEMBER 2ND
ELECTION COVERAGE
Extension 720 tonight is pre-empted by WGN Radio’s complete
election coverage, which starts at 7 p.m. central time. Tune in
to Radio 720 as the polls close and the returns come in to hear
the winners and losers in all the important races here in Illinois
and nationwide.
WEDNESDAY,
NOVEMBER 3RD
ANALYZING THE ELECTION
Yesterday the United States voted for president. Is the winner
George W. Bush or John Kerry? Or is the nation awash in a sea
of hanging chads and butterfly ballots? Tonight on Extension 720,
our panel of experts will analyze the election returns and evaluate
each candidate’s winning and losing strategies, as well
as discuss how the election changed or solidified the balance
of power in Congress. Joining us will be JEFF JENKINS, professor
of political science at Northwestern University, TOM BEVAN, co-founder
of Real Clear Politics,
and by phone from California, VICTOR DAVIS HANSON, fellow at the
Hoover Institution and columnist for the National Review Online.
THURSDAY,
NOVEMBER 4TH
QUARTERLY BOOK REVIEW
Chairman Mao might have thought that “to read too many books
is harmful,” but fortunately our three guests tonight do
not share his belief in that adage. PENELOPE MESIC, SUSAN HARRIS
and ALAN GITELSON once again join the program to review and recommend
a sampling of recent publications, because—in the words
of Ruskin—“if a book is worth reading, it is worth
buying.”
FRIDAY,
NOVEMBER 5TH
THE ART OF COOKING
Walter Savage Landor wrote: “A good cook is the peculiar
gift of the gods. He must be a perfect creature from the brain
to the palate, from the palate to the finger's end.” Tonight
on Extension 720, we celebrate the art of cooking and the life
of Julia Child. A frequent guest on our program, she always delighted
with her sparkling personality and infectious love of food. Our
panel of culinary experts will explore the joy of gourmandize,
as well as recall their favorite memories of “The French
Chef.” Our guests are MARY ABBOTT HESS, former chairman
of the National Board of the American Institute of Wine and Food
and an acclaimed food writer, BILL REYNOLDS, provost of the Washburn
Culinary Institute of the City Colleges of Chicago, and RICK TRAMONTO,
executive chef at TRU, which was picked as restaurant of the year
by Chicago Magazine.
MONDAY,
NOVEMBER 8TH
THE IRAN ENIGMA
Twenty-five years and one week ago, Iranian militants stormed
the U.S. embassy in Tehran and took sixty-six Americans captive.
The ensuing hostage crisis, which finally ended on January 20,
1981, has set the tone for the tense relations between the United
States and Iran from the fall of the shah until today. Tonight
on Extension 720, we will closely examine Iran, including its
nuclear capabilities, with KEN POLLACK, director of research at
the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution.
He is a former director of Gulf affairs at the national Security
Council and former CIA analyst. His latest book is 
The
Persian Puzzle: The Conflict Between Iran and America.
TUESDAY,
NOVEMBER 9TH
HIGH RISK TEENS?
Tonight on Extension 720, we delve inside teen life in the 21st
century. From problems with drugs and alcohol to struggles with
depression and suicide, today's teens face myriad pressures and
pitfalls that can only be avoided through parental guidance. Tonight,
we discuss these issues with two experts on adolescents: HENRY
ABRAHAM and MARK REINECKE. Dr. Reinecke is professor and chief
of the division of clinical psychology at Northwestern University's
Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Abraham is a co-recipient of
the Nobel Peace Prize and a specialist in drug abuse. His latest
book is 
What's
a Parent to Do?: Straight Talk About Drugs and Alcohol.
WEDNESDAY,
NOVEMBER 10TH
CALCULATING RISK AND FORMULATING RESPONSE
Can you really predict catastrophes? What are the odds of a tornado?
Is there are chance that an asteroid could hit the earth? Is it
probable that we will have another nuclear disaster? RICHARD POSNER,
judge of the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, says that
you can predict catastrophes and thus formulate a proper response.
He expounds his theory in his new book 
Catastrophe:
Risk and Response, and he joins the program tonight to
discuss the possibility of the unthinkable and the best way to
respond.
THURSDAY,
NOVEMBER 11TH
THE FUTURE OF THE WEST
In the wake of President Bush's reelection, it is now
time to recontemplate our diplomatic relations with Europe and
the future of western civilization generally. Tonight, TIMOTHY
GARTON ASH--director of the European Studies Centre at St. Antony's
College, Oxford and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution--joins
the program to discuss his new book 
Free
World: America, Europe, and the Surprising Future of the West.
FRIDAY,
NOVEMBER 12TH
AN EVENING WITH THE PRESIDENTS…AND MORE
Election season is over, but now it’s time to hear from
all of this season’s winners and losers and their friends.
Extension 720 tonight welcomes George W. Bush, John Kerry, Bill
Clinton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mayor Daley and countless other
guests as expert mimic BILL MELLBERG, accompanied by pianist KENT
WEHMAN, comes by the studios for another one of his hilarious
visits.
MONDAY,
NOVEMBER 15TH
EXPLORING SUMERIAN CULTURE
The epic of Gilgamesh is one of the oldest human legends and some
argue that it corroborates the Biblical story of the great flood
that destroyed humanity. Tonight we examine the epic in a new
light with STEPHEN MITCHELL, author of 
Gilgamesh:
A New English Version. Joining him to round out our portrait
of ancient Mesopotamia will be two experts from the Oriental Institute
at the University of Chicago, including CLEMENS REICHEL, an archaeologist
who specializes in Mesopotamia, and CHRISTOPHER WOODS, assistant
professor of Sumerology.
TUESDAY,
NOVEMBER 16TH
CRAZY HORSE AND THE WARS OF THE PLAINS
In the years after the Civil War, the United States turned its
attentions to westward expansion. Though politicians had touted
the idea of “manifest destiny” since the 1840s and
though conflicts with the Mohicans, Algonquins and others had
been a feature of the Revolutionary War era, it wasn’t the
1870s and 1880s that the United States Army turned its full attention
to securing the Great Plains for settlers. Tonight, we explore
this especially dark chapter in American history with JOSEPH M.
MARSHALL III, an acclaimed Lakota writer, storyteller and historian,
whose latest book is 
The
Journey of Crazy Horse: A Lakota History. Our
second guest is BRIAN HOSMER, professor of history at the University
of Illinois at Chicago and director of the D'Arcy McNickle Center
for American Indian History at the Newberry Library.
WEDNESDAY,
NOVEMBER 17TH
ALEXANDER THE GREAT
Alexandros III Philippou Makedonon, or King Alexander
III of Macedon, was the greatest of all ancient warriors, conquering
most of the known world to form an empire that stretched from
Southeast Asia to Egypt. Tonight, we explore the life and legacy
of Alexander the Great with a panel of, including JOHN PREVAS,
author of the new book 
Envy
of the Gods: Alexander the Great's Ill-fated Journey Across Asia
and BRIAN LAVELLE, professor of classics at Loyola University
Chicago.
THURSDAY,
NOVEMBER 18TH
THE RISE AND FALL OF COMMUNISM
Tonight on Extension 720, we examine the complete history of communism,
particularly as it was manifested in the Soviet Union. From its
intellectual roots in Marx and Engels, its practicioners of Stalin
and Lenin, and its final days under Gorbachev, we will completely
examine the history of the USSR with JOHN BUSHNELL, professor
of history at Northwestern University.
FRIDAY,
NOVEMBER 19TH
REMEMBERING THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
Thurgood Marshall once said “"The United States has
been called the melting pot of the world. But it seems to me that
the colored man either missed getting into the pot or he got melted
down.” The Civil Rights Movement sought to rectify the inequalities
of racism. Tonight on the show we examine the triumphs of the
Civil Rights Movement and examine the work still to be done with
HERB BOYD, an award-winning author and journalist. His latest
book is 
We
Shall Overcome, which features audio segments from the
era—many of which we will play tonight.
MONDAY,
NOVEMBER 22ND
FACING THE TERRORIST THREAT
It
is now just over three years since the September 11th terrorist
attacks, but just how much have we learned since them? Are we
any safer from our enemies now than we were on September 10? Tonight,
we will tackle those tough questions and more with STEPHEN FLYNN,
senior fellow in National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign
Relations and author of the new book 
America
the Vulnerable: How Our Government is Failing to Protect Us from
Terrorism.
TUESDAY,
NOVEMBER 23RD
THE PRESBYTERIAN/JEWISH CONFLICT
In July, the Presbyterian Church approved a plan of selective
divestment in companies and firms that contribute to the Israel
occupation of Palestine. In October, a Presbyterian theologian
travelled to Lebanon to meet with a leader of Hezbollah, an anti-Israel
militant group. These actions have caused great strain on Presbyterian-Jewish
relations. Opponents of divestment contend that the removal of
funds is an attack on the security and future of the state of
Israel. Proponents claim that divestment is an attempt to end
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the oppression of the Palestinian
people. Tonight, we will examine the divestment issue from both
sides with EMILY SOLOFF, executive director of the Chicago chapter
of the American Jewish Committee, DON WAGNER, an ordained Presbyterian
minister and professor of Middle Eastern studies at North Park
University, and NANETTE SAWYER, an official with the Presbytery
of Chicago.
WEDNESDAY
, NOVEBMER 24TH
THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR
The Spanish Civil War installed fascism on the Iberian Peninsula
and offered a testing ground for the Nazi and Italian fascist
military. Volunteers (including American communists) participated
as well. Tonight, we replay the history of the war with STANLEY
G. PAYNE, professor of history at the University of Wisconsin
at Madison and author of the new book 
The
Spanish Civil War, the Soviet Union, and Communism.
THURSDAY,
NOVEMBER 25TH
THANKSGIVING TAPES
Though you may be full from turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie,
you can still feed your mind tonight on Extension 720 as we dip
into the vault to play some of our most satisfying recently recorded
programs. Our evening begins with PRINCESS MICHAEL OF KENT discussing
her new history 
The
Serpent and the Moon: Two Rivals for the Love of a Renaissance
King, which details the life of courtier and mistress
of King Henri II, Diane de Poitiers. During the second hour, A.J.
JACOBS trades trivia questions with Milt and discusses his book
The
Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person
in the World.
FRIDAY,
NOVEMBER 26TH
Tonight on the program, Milt is taking the night off, but Extension
720 will be here with TOM COTTLE's reminisces about his mother,
Gitta Gradova, as recorded in 
When
the Music Stopped: Discovering My Mother. The second
hour features BOB MANKOFF, cartoon editor for The New Yorker,
discussing the art of cartooning and celebrating the release
of 
The
Complete Cartoons of The New Yorker.
MONDAY,
NOVMEBER 29TH
THE BATTLE FOR GERMANY
Though D-Day is one of the most celebrated moments of
World War II, it was only a step on the road to defeating Nazi
Germany. After the invasion of Normandy and the liberation of
France, the Allied Forces still faced the long and arduous task
of invading Germany to finally wrest power from Hitler's clutches.
Tonight on the program we discuss the final years of the Third
Reich with world-renowned author, historian and journalist SIR
MAX HASTINGS. He has been a frequent guest on Extension 720 over
the years, and we are happy to welcome him back to discuss his
latest book 
Armageddon:
The Battle for Germany, 1944-1945.
TUESDAY,
NOVEMBER 30TH
A LOOK AT THE COSMOS
Tonight, Extension 720 turns to the cosmos and discusses
the fabric of the universe with two expert guests. Nobel Laureate
LEON M. LEDERMAN and CHRISTOPHER T. HILL, director of the Theoretical
Physics Department at FermiLab join the program to discuss their
new book 
Symmetry
and the Beautiful Universe.
Archive
of previous show topics:
