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Listen. Learn. Engage.
Welcome to Cross Word Books, the podcast where we delve into compelling conversations with authors who illuminate history, politics, culture, faith, and art.
Each episode uncovers intriguing insights and untold stories that shape our understanding of today’s world and the rich tapestry of ideas that define it. Whether you’re passionate about the cultural impact of art or curious about how history informs our political landscape, Crossword invites you to explore the diverse forces that influence human experience.
Join our community of curious minds and subscribe now to embark on a journey of discovery, thoughtful reflection, and deeper connection with the world around us.
141 Episodes
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Send us a text A freighter longer than a skyscraper is tall. Waves four seconds apart that can bend steel. A ballad recorded in a single take that changed how an entire industry thinks about risk. We sat down with John U. Bacon, author of The Gales of November, to trace the Edmund Fitzgerald from blueprint to bell, and from storm science to the quiet rooms where families still keep watch. We unpack what makes the Great Lakes uniquely dangerous: freshwater’s sharper, closer-spaced waves; loca...
Send us a text Find out more about Cross Word Books at https://www.bookclues.com/ Professor Beer's website https://mollybeer.net A woman without a rank helped a country find its balance. We sit down with Professor Molly Beer to explore Angelica Schuyler—born Engeltia into Dutch New York, educated at a royal governor’s table, and fluent in the quiet arts that hold a republic together. Her new book, Angelica: For Love and Country in Time of Revolution, uncovers a life lived at the center o...
Send us a text You can contact Michele at https://www.bookclues.com Have you ever read Dracula??? child's play compared to John Blair's Killing the Dead; Vampire Epidemics from Mesopotamia to the New World. A corpse that won’t stay put tells you as much about the living as it does about the dead. We sit down with Oxford’s Professor John Blair to chart how vampire epidemics rise when communities are shaken by disease, war, or rapid change—and why the freshly buried beco...
Send us a text Connect with Michele at https://www.bookclues.com What if the most important maps we’ll ever draw are hidden under miles of water and thousands of PSI? We sit down with physicist and exploration roboticist James Bellingham to trace a life spent pushing past pressure, busting tethers, and building the autonomous systems that make the deep sea knowable. We start with the physics that rule the depths: hydrostatic pressure that crushes air spaces, why small pressure vessels surviv...
Send us a text Michele McAloon is the host. You can find more interviews on her website https://www.bookclues.com. The name Thomas Becket echoes through history as one of medieval England's most compelling figures – a man whose dramatic transformation from royal chancellor to martyred archbishop continues to captivate our imagination nearly a millennium later. In this episode, we're joined by Professor Michael Stotten from University College Dublin, a medieval historian whose expertise ...
Send us a text Connect with me on https://www.bookclues.com Have you ever wondered about the real-life inspiration behind shows like "The Americans"? Shaun Walker pulls back the curtain on one of history's most audacious espionage operations in this riveting conversation about his meticulously researched book, "The Illegals: Russia's Most Audacious Spies and Their Century-Long Mission to Infiltrate the West." Walker reveals the extraordinary world of Russian "illegals" – spies who spend...
Send us a text Contact the host of Cross Word, Michele McAloon https://www.bookclues.com What makes us human? It's a question at the heart of today's most heated cultural debates, from abortion to artificial intelligence to gender identity. In this profound conversation, Princeton's Professor Robert George offers a compelling framework for understanding human dignity that transcends political divides. The conversation explores how ancient philosophical errors resurface in modern debates. Ge...
Send us a text Contact Michele at her website https://www.bookclues.com Andrei Soldatov shares his firsthand account of Russia's transformation under Putin, explaining how the free press was systematically dismantled and the country became increasingly isolated from the West. His powerful narrative weaves personal stories of journalists who either resisted or succumbed to the system, providing crucial context for understanding Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its hostile stance toward America...
Send us a text Andrew Weiss, Vice President for Studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, reveals how Vladimir Putin rose from mediocre KGB officer to Russian leader through a series of accidents and opportunities rather than strategic brilliance or espionage expertise. • Putin was a mid-level KGB officer who never achieved high rank before being chosen as Yeltsin's successor precisely because he seemed controllable • The image of Putin as a master spy was deliberately creat...
Send us a text "World War Zoos: Humans and Other Animals in the Deadliest Conflict of the Modern Age." University of Chicago Press To find our more about Michele McAloon: Your host. https://www.bookclues.com What happens to zoo animals when war breaks out? It's a question few of us consider, yet the answer reveals profound truths about humanity's moral compass. Professor John M. Kinder takes us on a haunting journey through World War II's forgotten captives in "World War Zoos: Hu...
Send us a text Dorian Linskey explores humanity's persistent fascination with apocalyptic scenarios through his book "Everything Must Go: The Stories We Tell About the End of the World." This deep dive into our cultural obsession with the end times reveals how these narratives reflect our psychology, politics, and understanding of human nature. • Mary Shelley created the first secular apocalyptic novel with "The Last Man," establishing a genre that continues to influence modern fiction • Our...
Send us a text The extraordinary journey of Volodymyr Zelensky—from Ukraine's most beloved comedian to its wartime president—represents one of history's most dramatic political transformations. Simon Shuster, who has reported from Ukraine and Russia for over 15 years, joins us to discuss his revealing biography "The Showman: Inside the Invasion that Shook the World and Made a Leader of Volodymyr Zelensky." Having first met Zelensky during his improbable presidential campaign in 2019, Shuster...
Send us a text Delve into the captivating world of the Jesuits with Dr. Marcus Friedrich, whose monumental work "The Jesuits: A History" illuminates five centuries of one of history's most influential and controversial religious orders. From their unexpected origins in the conversion of a Spanish nobleman to their current global presence under the first Jesuit pope, this conversation unveils the remarkable adaptability that has defined the Society of Jesus. The Jesuits' story begins with Ign...
Send us a text The passing of Pope Francis marks a pivotal moment in Catholic history, triggering ancient protocols that few outside the Vatican understand. As a canon lawyer within the Roman Catholic Church's legal system, I'm uniquely positioned to guide you through the fascinating reality behind papal succession. Forget Hollywood's conspiracy theories and dramatic interpretations. The truth about what happens when a pope dies is simultaneously more mundane and more fascinating. From the C...
Send us a text Steve Delity brings history alive as he prepares to portray Daniel Harrington in the 250th anniversary reenactment of the Battle of Lexington. Through meticulous research and authentic reproduction, he honors the legacy of the ordinary citizens who took extraordinary action on April 19, 1775. • Daniel Harrington was the 36-year-old clerk of Captain John Parker's Lexington Militia who lived with his wife and seven children in a house facing the Lexington Green • The night befor...
Send us a text The Battle of Lexington marked the beginning of the American Revolution, with ordinary farmers standing against British troops in an extraordinary act of courage and defiance despite overwhelming odds. • Solomon Brown, an 18-year-old dairy farmer, first spotted British officers with concealed weapons on April 18, 1775 • Lexington was a struggling dairy community of 700 people in economic depression, yet deeply committed to revolutionary ideals • Reverend Jonas Clark had been p...
Send us a text James Arbib and I explore how humanity stands at the threshold of a fundamental paradigm shift from an extractive to a stellar world, and how technological change could transform our civilization for the better. • Our current societal structures (governments, markets, property ownership) have persisted for 5,000 years because they confer advantages in an extractive production paradigm • The extractive paradigm, requiring inputs from people and planet, inherently creates enviro...
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