Seventy-six years years after the end of World War II, that singular event continues to capture our interest and fascination. There's a reason for that; the war combined two greatly compelling things — the epic, historic sweep of large-scale battles and the personal stories of the individual young men who fought in them with determined resolve and humble her ... Show More
Aug 4
Big P vs. Little P Purpose: Why You Don't Need to Find Your One True Calling
People are told their whole lives how important it is to find their purpose. But many find the search frustrating. They feel there's one true calling or one grand goal they're supposed to be pursuing, but they can't seem to discern what it is.My guest, Jordan Grumet, author of Th ... Show More
50m 49s
Jul 28
Restless, Rooted: What the Odyssey Reveals About Americans' Divided Souls
With the release of Christopher Nolan's adaptation of the Odyssey, it seems like everyone's been talking about a 3,000-year-old epic again. But my guest thinks this ancient tale offers a framework for understanding our modern lives that you probably haven't heard before.Patrick D ... Show More
52m 37s
Jul 21
The Secret Skills of Master Negotiators
When most people think of negotiation, they picture big, high-stakes moments: haggling over the price of a house, negotiating a starting salary, or hammering out the terms of a business deal. But negotiation is also something we do every day. It’s working out who’s taking on whic ... Show More
1 h
Feb 2024
The Heroes, Legends, and Liars Who Fought in WW2
Veterans of World War 2 are called the Greatest Generation for their uncommon courage and self-determination. Whether this descriptor is true or part of America’s self-mythologizing during the 20th century is a challenging question, one that Andrew Biggio, a veteran of the wars i ... Show More
35m 37s
Sep 2025
Spearhead: An American Tank Gunner’s Story in WWII
On this episode of Our American Stories, Clarence Smoyer, a gunner in the U.S. Army’s 3rd Armored Division—“Spearhead”—became one of World War II’s most unlikely heroes. In Cologne, his Pershing tank faced Gustav Schaefer’s Panzer in a duel captured on film, now one of history’s ... Show More
38m 16s
Nov 2022
54 History of Everything: The Last Stand of The Tin Can Sailors
The nonfiction book The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors: The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy's Finest Hour is the first full narrative account of the Battle off Samar, which the book's author, James D. Hornfischer, calls the greatest upset in the history of na ... Show More
1h 13m
Nov 2023
Love, Lust & Fighting in World War II
It can be hard to comprehend the magnitude of historical events, with World War Two a prime example of this.By 1945, some 3 million British people had served. As such, the rich diversity of masculinity and sexuality of those men is often reduced or hidden from the history books.W ... Show More
42m 1s
Sep 2022
75: Legend of the Phantom Fortress | The Plane that Flew and Landed Itself
World War 2 has countless stories of bravery, sacrifice, camaraderie, and heroism. But the war also has a lot of mysteries. Many of them still unsolved. Like the legend of the Phantom Fortress. A B-17 bomber that returned from a mission with no crew aboard; and somehow landed its ... Show More
15m 30s