Biography & Profiles  

 

 

SHAKESPEARE UNCOVERED

Richard II With Derek Jacobi


WATCH A PREVIEW
In returning to the role of a deposed monarch whose crown is taken from him, Derek Jacobi takes a 360-degree view of this great political thriller whose title character he played more than 30 years ago.

Friday at 9pm on WGBH 2
HISTORY

Shakespeare Uncovered: The Comedies with Joely Richardson


WATCH PREVIEW
Joely Richardson investigates (with her mother Vanessa Redgrave) the legacy of these two brilliant cross-dressing comedies,

Friday at 10:00 pm on WGBH2
FIRST FREEDOM

The Fight for Religious Liberty


WATCH ONLINE
Learn how the Founding Fathers argued that freedom of conscience is a most basic human need, and thus religious freedom became an inalienable right, protected by law.


AMERICAN EXPERIENCE

Why We Made The Abolitionists


WATCH ONLINE
Executive Producer Mark Samels calls the time of the Abolitionists, "a transformative moment in history that stems from the actions of ordinary individuals."

Premieres January 8, 2013 on WGBH 2
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE

Screening: The Abolitionists


ATTEND THE EVENT
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Join us for an inside look at The Abolitionists, the story of five courageous people who fought body and soul against slavery. Watch Part 2 with the American Experience team and listen to a discussion moderated by WGBH senior reporter Phillip Martin.

Thursday, 7 pm, at the Boston Public Library
HISTORY

Cuban Missile Crisis: Three Men Go to War


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In 1962, as the US and USSR vied for military dominance, the two world powers squared off over secret Soviet missile bases in Cuba. Learn how President John F. Kennedy, Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev and Cuba's Fidel Castro came to the brink of war.

Biography & Profiles

Tom Wolfe Gets Back to Blood


WATCH A PREVIEW
Watch a literary giant in action as he prowls Miami, doing research for his novel Back to Blood. Journalist Oscar Corral captures the writer's process and watches him construct the story in real time. 
Secrets of the Dead

Churchill's Deadly Decision


In the summer of 1940, Winston Churchill faced a terrible dilemma. Germany was poised to take an entire French fleet, which they could then use to invade Britain. Churchill had two choices: trust the French government to not hand over the ships, or destroy them to ensure they did not fall into the wrong hands.

Thursday on WGBH2
Author Interviews

The Thomas Eagleton Affair Haunts Candidates Today


By NPR

In 1972, Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern chose the young senator as his running mate. Just 18 days later, Eagleton was forced to drop out. The incident forever changed the way presidential candidates pick their No. 2s.

RESEARCH

Hunt with the History Detectives


WATCH ONLINE
America’s top gumshoes leave no stone unturned as they travel around the country to explore the stories behind local folklore, prominent figures and family legends.

Tuesdays, 6pm on WGBH 44
Biography & Profiles

The Mix: The Woody Guthrie Centennial


PLAY THE MIX ON NPR
A Celtic Tribute to Woody Guthrie
By Linda Fahey and Kim Ruehl

Though Guthrie died in 1967, his 100th birthday is a celebration of not only one man's legacy, but also songs that have given a voice to working folks everywhere. Music from the playlist below demonstrates how Guthrie's stage presence, poetics and grasp on musical performance remain influential today.

Biography & Profiles

Rediscovering A Forgotten Boxer's 'Longest Fight'


Years before Jack Johnson and decades before Muhammad Ali, a man named Joe Gans was blazing trails as the first African-American boxing champion. Gans is mostly forgotten now, but a new book uncovers the story of his epic 42-round title defense against a white boxer in 1906.

Biography & Profiles

50 Years Later, Mystery Of Alcatraz Escape Endures


By Laura Sullivan and Ben Bergman

The legend of the escape from Alcatraz has always held that Frank Morris and Clarence and John Anglin would return for the 50th anniversary of their famed 1962 prison breakout.

Author Interviews

The U.S. Ambassador Inside Hitler's Berlin



MORE HISTORY NEWS
William Dodd served for four years as the ambassador to Germany before resigning — after repeated clashes with both Nazi Party officials and the State Department. Erik Larson chronicles Dodd's time in Berlin in his new book, In the Garden of Beasts.
Author Interviews

Caro's 'Passage of Power': LBJ's Political Genius



MORE NEWS
By NPR Staff
Robert Caro's fourth book on the life of Lyndon B. Johnson documents the master statesman's most tumultuous years — from his dismal vice presidency to his ascent to the presidency and triumphant shepherding of the 1964 Civil Rights Act through Congress.
WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

Women Who Opposed Their Own Right to Vote


FORUM NETWORK: WOMEN'S HISTORY
Some women were vocal opponents of female suffrage in the 19th Century — insisting that "true womanhood," common decency, and the responsibilities of motherhood would get in the way. 
WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

Chisholm & Jordan: Clearing a Path for Women in Politics


FORUM NETWORK: WOMEN'S HISTORY
By Nilagia McCoy
Shirley Chislhom and Barbara Jordan, both African American pioneers in America's national political scene, showed women that they don't have to wait for change.
WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

A Tour of Roxbury's "Living Legends"


MORE FROM BASIC BLACK
By Talia Whyte
WGBH's Basic Black looks at the contributions Roxbury women have made to Boston's history. Meet Susan Thompson, a local artist whose work hangs in the Roxbury Crossing MBTA station.
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE

The Presidents: Clinton


WATCH A PREVIEW
The conclusion of the Bill Clinton biography recalls the Monica Lewinsky scandal, which led to Clinton becoming the second U.S. president to be impeached. It also details his face-off over the federal budget with Newt Gingrich. 

Tonight at 8pm on WGBH 2

Local Politics

How to Take On a Kennedy


JPK3 ENTERS THE RING
THE COMPETITION
By Phillip Martin
Joseph P. Kennedy III is the latest to run from the family whose lingering aura is a political force. We look into WGBH's archives for an answer to the question many have asked: How can you effectively challenge a Kennedy?
Black History Month

Without the Great Migration, There Would Be No Motown


FORUM NETWORK: WILKERSON'S ENTIRE TALK
By WGBH News
Isabel Wilkerson talks about our musical legacy and her book, The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration.
Black History Month

Rubin Carter: The Hurricane


By Jordan Weinstein
A look back at the life of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, a prize fighter who was wrongly convicted twice for murder.
WGBH Special Reports

From The WGBH Vault: Martin Luther King Jr.


By Bob Seay, Elizabeth Deane & WGBH Archives Staff
We step into WGBH's archives to glimpse a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement with exclusive interviews from three giants: Martin Luther King Jr., James Baldwin and Malcolm X.
Boston

Timeline: Whitey Bulger's Life In Boston


FULL COVERAGE: WHITEY CAPTURED
By WGBH News
The mobster 'Whitey' Bulger was captured far away from home, but his connection to Boston is fundamental. Here's an expanded timeline of how Bulger's notorious life unfolded, and how it meshed with the life of his hometown — from drugs and gambling to the desegregation busing controversy — over the better part of a century.
Foodie Blog

Anne Amie winemaker dinner at Grill 23


Savenor's Market
Anne Amie Vineyard
Grill 23 & Bar
Salmon Safe
LIVE, inc.
By Judy Lebel

It’s the intensity that enables Anne Amie’s pinot blanc and pinot noirs to stand up to Grill 23’s award-winning steakhouse cuisine.

The Daily Dish

Wine and personality: Dr. Su Hua Newton at BOKX 109


Daily Dish
By Cathy Huyghe

At first glance, Dr. Su Hua Newton seems an unlikely winery owner.

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