The On The Bookshelf Podcast

interview-film star Famke Janssen on her newest: Knights of the Zodiac

Now showing exclusively in theaters, "The Knights of the Zodiac:" is based on an anima/manga series. With an international cast and production crew from filming in Budapest , Hungary, the film bristles with excitement, but the core of the movie are the personal choices made by family members (Famke Janssen and her GOLDENEYE co-star, Sean Bean) over their newborn daughter, who might be the reincarnation of a powerful goddess of war! As the girl grows into her late teens, her father discovers a young man with magical powers to become her first "Knight". Will he choose to train and fight for her? Spectacular imagery and visuals make for an exciting movie that ponders deep questions of loyalty, courage and wisdom.

interview-Ed Gordon on”Divided on D-Day”--how allied were the Allied leaders?

Operation OVERLORD was the most successful and the largest amphibious operation every attempted in world history. June 6, 1944 is forever known as D-Day, which had the designation for the start of every operation at that point. The numbers of men and material moved onto beaches and into France are staggering, as are the numbers of participating ships, landing craft, and airplanes, plus the jeeps, tanks and other vehicles that were delivered. The Supreme Commander was 5-Star US General Dwight Eisenhower, with a British commander of ground forces (Field Marshall Sir Bernard Montgomery), and British Admiral  Sir Bertram Ramsay was in charge of all naval forces. Political considerations were a part of the reason for the Allied leadership: Ike was an excellent Supreme Allied Commander (but perhaps he tried too hard to be diplomatic with his frustrating underling, the supremely egotistical Montgomery who thought he was a genius. Monty was the only person who held that opinion.) On the other hand, one of the true great heroes was Admiral Ramsay, who handled the logistics of all that rode on ships and was unloaded on the beaches at Normandy. He was killed in a plane crash in Jan. 1945, and sadly his name has not been well-known since. He deserved much better. the co-author is his son, renowned British historian David Ramsay, who died during the Pandemic. Our guest Ed Gordon, is a professional American hsitorian who told me that this is the first book on D-Day with dual US-UK authorship!

interview--Ahmed White on the history of the Wobblies

In the first two decades of the 20th century, labor relations in America were sketchy. One group arose that was considered radical:  the IWW, of "Wobblies". They were openly Socialist, anti-capitalism, and leaning pretty closely into Marxism, with their talk of class warfare and encouragement of sabotage to make their points. The IWW sought to educate and  organize the primarily unskilled laborers in timber, agriculture and industrial work, people in dangerous jobs that worked long hours for poor pay. During The Great War  (World War I) and the Red Scare that followed it, they were particularly harassed and prosecuted; members were often imprisoned not for actually doing anything illegal but just talking about it, a clear violation of their First Amendment right to free speech. The union would be broken, but its influence was large in the labor movement. Their guiding light was literary giant Jack London!

interview-actress and author Melissa Gilbert gets ”Back to the Prairie”

One of America's most popular actresses is Melissa Gilbert, whose career began in TV's hit series "Little House on the Prairie". She has stayed inn the spotlight most of her life, but that changed after her marriage to actor/director/producer Timothy Busfield (of TV's "thirtysomething"). They decided to "get back to nature", so they moved to a remote cabin in the middle of the woods where they raise their own food and enjoy the simple pleasures of country living. In her book she makes us feel as though we're traveling with her into the woods, through the Pandemic and spinal surgery, and into a life comfortable with work but not consumed by it. 

interview-Will Hazegrove on the Last Days of Teddy Roosevelt

As German U-boats continued to sink Allied ships, including those with neutral Americans on board, former President Theodore Roosevelt was desperate to get permission to re-organize his old outfit, the Rough Riders. During the Spanish-American War (War for Cuban Independence of 1898), TR had led his volunteer troops to victory. Now America needed him again, he figured, but his old political adversary didn't want a 59-year-old ex-president heading to the new mechanized deathtrap that was The Great War. How it played out, how his four sons fared in the US military, and how the great hero and esteemed American reacted make for compelling reading!