Claim OwnershipRevisionist History: The Alabama Murders
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Florence, Alabama. 1988. A preacher has an affair. A woman is murdered. One death cascades into more, stretching across decades and leaving no one untouched — victims, bystanders, perpetrators, and those just trying to help. Eventually, the consequences lead to the center of a hot national debate on who should be allowed to live, who should die, and how the state should kill them.
On The Alabama Murders, Malcolm Gladwell asks: why, in our efforts to alleviate suffering, do we so often make it worse?
Tune in to the seven-part series on October 2, 2025.
Revisionist History is Malcolm Gladwell's journey through the overlooked and the misunderstood. Every episode re-examines something from the past—an event, a person, an idea, even a song—and asks whether we got it right the first time. From Pushkin Industries. Because sometimes the past deserves a second chance.
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4Malcolm has been writing about race and policing for a very long time, going back to the killing of Amadou Diallo in 1999. Sometimes, it is useful to take a step back and consider policing in a broader context. Here we present a chapter from Malcolm's book David and Goliath, which includes an analysis of a riot in Northern Ireland in 1970. Many miles and many years away. About divisions of religion and class and not divisions of race. But the core questions to be asked in 1970 and 1999 and today are the same: if you have power, what does it mean to use it, and use it wisely? And what are the consequences if you don't?David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants was published in 2013 by Little, Brown and Company. Audiobook production by Hachette Audio. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Coming soon, a new podcast series from bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In the late 19th century, a painting titled The Roll Call, by a virtually unknown artist, took England by storm. But after that brilliant first effort, the artist all but disappeared. Why? And what does The Roll Call tell us about the fate of those first through the door? To learn more about the topics covered in this episode, visit www.RevisionistHistory.com Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In the early 1960s the Pentagon set up a top-secret research project in an old villa in downtown Saigon. The task? To interview captured North Vietnamese soldiers and guerrillas in order to measure the effect of relentless U.S. bombing on their morale. Yet despite a wealth of great data, even the leaders of the study couldn’t agree on what it meant. To learn more about the topics covered in this episode, visit www.RevisionistHistory.com Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Wilt Chamberlain’s brilliant career was marred by one, deeply inexplicable decision: He chose a shooting technique that made him one of the worst foul shooters in basketball—even though he had tried a better alternative. Why do smart people do dumb things? To learn more about the topics covered in this episode, visit www.RevisionistHistory.com Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Of the tens of thousands of talented, low-income students who graduate from high school every year in the United States, most never make it to universities appropriate to their gifts. America leaves an enormous amount of talent on the table every year. “Carlos Doesn’t Remember” explains why. To learn more about the topics covered in this episode, visit www.RevisionistHistory.com Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Bowdoin College and Vassar College are two elite private schools that compete for the same students. But one of those schools is trying hard to address the problem of rich and poor in American society—and paying a high price. The other is making that problem worse—and reaping rewards as a result. To learn more about the topics covered in this episode, visit www.RevisionistHistory.com Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In the early ’90s, Hank Rowan gave $100 million to a tiny public university in Glassboro, New Jersey: not Harvard, not Yale, not even to his alma mater, MIT. What was Rowan thinking? And why has it proven so difficult for other philanthropists to follow his lead? To learn more about the topics covered in this episode, visit www.RevisionistHistory.com Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How does genius emerge? An exploration of different types of innovation—through the lens of Elvis Costello’s extraordinary song “Deportee,” once utterly forgettable and then, through time and iteration, a work of beauty and genius. If you're looking to go deeper into the subjects on Revisionist History, visit Malcolm's collection on iBooks at http://www.apple.co/MalcolmGladwell -- iBooks will update the page every week with new recommendations. To learn more about the topics covered in this episode, visit www.RevisionistHistory.com Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In the summer and fall of 2009, hundreds of Toyota owners came forward with an alarming allegation: Their cars were suddenly and uncontrollably accelerating. Toyota was forced to recall 10 million vehicles, pay a fine of more than $1 billion, and settle countless lawsuits. The consensus was that there was something badly wrong with the world’s most popular cars. Except that there wasn’t. What happens when hysteria overtakes common sense? To learn more about the topics covered in this episode, visit www.RevisionistHistory.com Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A 98-year-old minister takes on his church over the subject of gay marriage—and teaches the rest of us what it means to stand up in protest. To learn more about the topics covered in this episode, visit www.RevisionistHistory.com Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In the political turmoil of mid-1990s Britain, a brilliant young comic named Harry Enfield set out to satirize the ideology and politics of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. His parodies became famous. He wrote and performed a vicious sendup of the typical Thatcherite nouveau riche buffoon. People loved it. And what happened? Exactly the opposite of what Enfield hoped would happen. In an age dominated by political comedy, “The Satire Paradox” asks whether laughter and social protest are friends or foes. To learn more about the topics covered in this episode, visit www.RevisionistHistory.com Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell, season two of Revisionist History launches June 15th. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Rich people and their addiction to golf: a philosophical investigation. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What happens when a terrorist has a change of heart? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A landmark Supreme Court case. A civil rights revolution. Why has everyone forgotten what happened next? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
“Oh, Mac. What did you do?” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The friendship that changed the course of World War II. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why country music makes you cry, and rock and roll doesn’t: A musical interpretation of divided America. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
“Nobody was interested in justice.” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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its 'Magna tiles' :D hehe
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This is a classic malcom gladwell episode. he identifies a hero and a villan and works very hard to make sure they are represented strongly in those two camps. To me it is clear that both parties are vilans in this story and there should be no feelinging of happiness at the end that a multi millionaire was able to get away with an clear and irrefutable crime because he was able to pay lawyers to finger the defendant as more morally corrupt than he was. this is a deeply troubling and sad story
there was only 35 minutes of the episode available for me did anyone else have the similar problem?
episodes ending is cut off.
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America saw the truth in this and a political party that has become reliant on white grievance has spent 5 years trying to obscure that truth
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of other children's shows paw patrol has never bothered me. I enjoyed watching it with my children..paw patrol is not to blame for messed up kids. maybe tik Tok and other social media...
John McWhorter's research of how language evolves is always interesting. Agree on "yeah yeah yeah" sounding rude.
Man I don't know what kind of people you hang around, but I know very few people that hate paw patrol. I know dozens of more people that can't stand blippi 😂
What I want to know about Joe Rogan is who is paying him and how much to lob such softballs with no fact checking. Maybe you should interview him??
Wow, that is amazing! It isn't the vaccines that RFK Jr. is fighting for his belief system of how the body is impacted by germs. If the Rototeq works he has less than half a leg to stand on. Google anything with Bechamp though and you're going to find quite the rabbit hole.
I don't really listen to Rogan - 3 hour podcast is way too long. But I find it interesting that you criticize him for not calling RFK Jr out, yet Oprah is a masterclass. Maybe the difference is she did not understand how British titles work (Harry's children were not titled until Charles became king. Just like the children of the two Princesses of York don't have titles ). So she could just allow Harry and Meghan to be experts with no other sources. Agree or disagree, at least RFK Jr did cite.
drivel. Monday morning quarterback. typical of the "intelligencia" and why you're where YOU are and we'll past your due place on these topics. RFK jr is far from perfect, and the conversation is a conversation in real time. be well...nevermore.
Wow
We just had a baby die from tuberculosis in the area I live. Anti vaccination and anti modern science is choosing to run back to the horrors of past medical nightmares and child death. Imagine what it was like when people died from fevers,Tylenol and beer aspirin were ground breaking. Vaccines for pets and people… sheesh. Sorry needed to vent.
Yikes. 😬😬😬
This didn't age well.
I know people want to promote their other podcasts but boy, am I OVER it, 'Heavyweight' depressed me, 'Oprah' was same old, same old Oprah shtick, why can't I get the podcast I signed up for "Revisionist History"?