logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2024
32m 12s

Hitler’s Olympics, Part 2: Pangloss, Pol...

Pushkin Industries
About this episode

Charles Sherrill was everything a gentleman of his generation was supposed to be: rich, handsome, charming, Ivy-Leagued. He was impossibly well connected and extravagantly mustachioed. He was also the person who, as much as anything, decided whether American athletes would participate in the 1936 Olympics. Faced with one of the great moral dilemmas of the day, America needed the wisdom of Solomon. Instead, it got the wisdom of Sherrill. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Today
The Alabama Murders - Part 3: A Peculiar Institution
Colbert County. May 1989. One of the men charged with Elizabeth Sennett’s murder stands trial. But the prosecution’s case has problematic inconsistencies. His fate comes down to the jury’s decision –– at least at first. Get early, ad-free access to the full season of The Alabama ... Show More
46m 11s
Oct 2
The Alabama Murders - Part 2: Coon Dog Cemetery Road
Florence, Alabama. 1988. After a horrifying murder takes place, an anonymous caller names three young men as suspects. But speculation swirls about the victim’s husband. Get early, ad-free access to the full season of The Alabama Murders by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcas ... Show More
33m 21s
Oct 2
The Alabama Murders - Part 1: The True Church
In a small town in the northwest corner of Alabama, a cascade begins with a man and an affair. Get early, ad-free access to the full season of The Alabama Murders by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full au ... Show More
32m 36s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2024
Winston Churchill | Born To Rule | 1
One of the most famous leaders of the twentieth century, Winston Churchill is far more than just WWII. The ‘pretty baby’, who as a boisterous boy fought for the attention of his aristocratic parents eventually emerged into adulthood as a soldier and war journalist. Soon he finds ... Show More
45m 30s
Oct 2024
Fantastic Guests | Napoleon Bonaparte
Pre-order The Lovers of No Man’s Land — A Novella by Danny B. Phoenix on Amazon Now In this episode of Fantastic Guests, Danny sits down with one of history's most iconic figures—Napoleon Bonaparte. From his early life in Corsica to his rise as Emperor of France, Napoleon opens u ... Show More
27m 34s
Oct 2024
CLASSIC: Did John Astor steal Captain Kidd's treasure?
German immigrant John Jacob Astor was the first multimillionaire in the United States, and his descendants would go on to play prominent roles in the country's history -- but how exactly did he get this enormous fortune? According to the official story, he started off in the fur ... Show More
57m 31s
Sep 2024
ON BENJAMIN FRANKLIN Episode 4: The Statesman
After retiring at the age of 42, Ben Franklin immersed himself in politics, taking on enormous diplomatic challenges on behalf of Pennsylvania and the colonies. In this episode, we dive into Franklin the talented statesman-- a man who emerged from his mission in England with a ta ... Show More
37m 46s
Apr 2025
CLASSIC: Gregor MacGregor Invented a Country and Convinced People to Invest in It
When His Serene Highness Gregor the First, Sovereign Prince of the State of Poyais and its Dependencies, and Cacique of the Poyer nation visited London, he made a huge impression. Hundreds of people jumped at the chance to buy land in his remote, Central American paradise. There ... Show More
57m 5s
Sep 2024
25: The smartest man who ever lived - history of William James Sidis
Meet William James Sydis, the “smartest man who lived.” Sydis’ IQ score is estimated by some, to be somewhere between 50 and 100 points greater than that of Albert Einstein. By the time he was just 18 months old, Sydis was able to read The New York Times. At age 2, he taught hims ... Show More
42m 32s
Oct 2024
Mark Twain Was a Terrible Investor, Part One: The Legend of "Josh"
Today, Mark Twain is widely thought of as one of America's greatest authors -- but he was also, get this, a terrible investor. Inspired by his father's unfailing (and unsuccessful) efforts to become a business tycoon, Twain spent loads of time and money backing inventions that ei ... Show More
43m 24s
Apr 2024
Guido Alfani, "As Gods Among Men: A History of the Rich in the West" (Princeton UP, 2023)
This provocative and interesting book has received considerable attention. Roaring reviews and interviews include  The Financial Times (UK), The Telegraph (UK), Modem (Radio Switzerland Italian), Hufftington Post (Italy), El Diario (Spain), ABC (Australia), History Today (UK), Th ... Show More
58m 4s
Feb 2025
La conférence de Yalta
Stéphane Bern nous entraine en Crimée, sur les bords de la mer noire, pour revivre la conférence de Yalta qui a réuni, il y a 80 ans jour pour jour, à la demande de Staline, les dirigeants américains et anglais, Franklin Delano Roosevelt et Winston Churchill, pour imaginer le mon ... Show More
43m 17s
May 2024
WW2: How Britain Ignored the Mother of All Secrets
Neatly dressed in his suit, Hans Ferdinand Mayer was every inch the unassuming corporate executive. So, when he asked to borrow a typewriter from his hotel in Oslo, nobody could have guessed he would use it for one of the most extraordinary intelligence leaks in history. Mayer's ... Show More
42m 39s