In this episode I got to chat about two of my favorite things: the history of imperialism and Star Wars with Daniel Immerwahr, Professor of History at Northwestern University. Our conversation focused on his recent article “The Galactic Vietnam: Technology, Modernization, and Empire in George Lucas’s Star Wars,” in Ideology in U.S. Foreign Relations: New His ... Show More
Aug 26
Robyn Hitchcock, "Stranded in the Future" (Akashic Books, 2026)
Robyn Hitchcock's second memoir, Stranded in the Future (Akashic Books, 2026), explores the formation of his seminal 1970s band the Soft Boys, and the obsessions that fueled his early creative output. Stranded in the Future is a kind of dystopian self-portrait. It's about obsessi ... Show More
42m 18s
Aug 26
Brian Jay Jones, "George Lucas: A Life" (Little, Brown and Company, 2016)
The essential biography of the influential and beloved filmmaker George Lucas. On May 25, 1977, a problem-plagued, budget-straining independent science-fiction film opened in a mere thirty-two American movie theaters. Conceived, written, and directed by a little-known filmmaker n ... Show More
1h 16m
Aug 25
Brian Callaci, "Chains of Command: The Rise and Cruel Reign of the Franchise Economy" (U Chicago Press, 2026)
Chains of Command: The Rise and Cruel Reign of the Franchise Economy (University of Chicago Press, 2026) is a surprising look at the big business of owning small businesses and what America's franchise economy means for its workers. Walk into a McDonald's anywhere in the United S ... Show More
39m 14s
Mar 2022
Daniel Y. Kim, "The Intimacies of Conflict: Cultural Memory and the Korean War" (NYU Press, 2020)
In this episode I talk with Daniel Y. Kim, Associate Professor of English and American Studies at Brown University, about his 2020 book Intimacies of Conflict: Cultural Memory and the Korean War, published by New York University Press.
Though often considered “the forgotten war,” ... Show More
45m 17s
Feb 2024
Daniel Immerwahr, "How to Hide an Empire: The History of the Greater United States" (FSG, 2019)
“Is America an Empire?” is a popular question for pundits and historians, likely because it sets off such a provocative debate. All too often, however, people use empire simply because the United States is a hegemon, ignoring the country’s imperial traits to focus simply on its p ... Show More
1h 19m
Apr 2025
Season 4, Episode 8: Prof. Lauren Benton, They Called it Peace: Worlds of Imperial Violence
Send us Fan MailJoin Professor Jeffrey Sachs and American historian Lauren Benton for a discussion on the hidden histories of empires and the lasting impact of imperial violence. In her book, They Called It Peace: Worlds of Imperial Violence Benton uncovers how European powers bu ... Show More
46m 17s
Apr 2022
[BEST OF] The Vietnam War
<em>[Orginally released Nov 2018]</em> <p>Historian David Parsons joins Breht to talk about the Vietnam War, Ho Chi Minh, American Imperial War Crimes, Historical Memory, and much more!<br /> <br /> David Parsons is an author, historian, and leftist podcast host of The Nostalgia ... Show More
2h 7m
Jan 2024
412. Romans in Space: Star Wars, Dune and Beyond...
Extolling his love for democracy, the Senator took on autocratic powers, during a time of emergency, to save the Republic. The Republic was then abolished, and in its place rose an Empire… This is not the story of Julius Caesar or Augustus, but of ‘Star Wars’, the blockbuster mov ... Show More
53m 20s
Aug 2021
EP46: Star Wars, Ford Motor Company and the Louisiana Purchase
On this episode of Our American Stories, Star Wars enthusiast and museum curator Jarod Roll shares how Star Wars revolutionized movie merchandising, licensing and how kids played with toys; Tim Leuliette tells the story of how he turned down becoming the CEO of a Fortune 500 comp ... Show More
38m 15s