Odesa, on Ukraine’s Black Sea coast, is a fabled city of what historian Timothy Snyder calls the Bloodlands. Part of Odesa’s legend was created by Jewish author Isaac Babel’s story collection, Odessa Stories. Today the city is a prime objective for the current Russian invasion and while waiting for the assault to begin, FRDH host Michael Goldfarb, reads one of Babel’s stories written nearly 100 years ago that looks at incomprehensible violence through a child’s eyes. Think of the children’s eyes you see in today’s news photos as you listen.

Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine is being fought with 21st century weapons for 19th century reasons. We know this because one of his news agencies published an article that is meant to show his thinking. Tom de Waal of Carnegie Europe joins Michael Goldfarb to look at the strange, hybrid 19th century Russian-nationalist-tsarist ideology behind Putin’s 21st century war on Ukraine.

The Ukraine-Russia crisis really is a riddle wrapped inside an enigma. In this wide ranging FRDH podcast, strategic affairs analyst Michael Moran looks at the history leading up to Russia’s seeming threat to invade Ukraine and explains to host Michael Goldfarb why, despite the predictions coming out of Washington, war did not start on February 16, 2022 … and may not happen at all. Give us 32:30 to explain it to you.

2022 brings a feeling of deja vu:the response to the international crisis in Ukraine has echoes of Bosnia in Europe and the US and Britain. In this FRDH podcast, host Michael Goldfarb looks at the remarkable similarities between the international response to the current crisis in Ukraine and how it responded to the Bosnian war thirty years ago. He also explores the critical differences.

Power corrupts, we all know that, but according to Washington Post columnist Brian Klaas that’s not why the wrong people keep getting it. In this wide ranging conversation with FRDH podcast host MIchael Goldfarb, Klaas, who has interviewed many dictators and strongman leaders talks about what makes some people seek out power and why too many of us are willing to let them have it, even though we know they shouldn’t have it (think Donald Trump). Give us 42:16 to explain

A first rough draft of the history of 2021, a year that began with a Trump inspired mob assault on America’s Capitol, and ends in genuine fear about the future of American democracy. FRDH podcast host Michael Goldfarb gives his own personal rough draft of a year when time slowed down and the weird disruptions of the covid pandemic and strange pathologies encouraged by social media made getting a handle on events more difficult. Give him 19:30 to tell you about it.

After spending a quarter of a century abroad as a foreign correspondent, Mark McDonald, came up with a novel way to rediscover America: he decide visit each and every one of the libraries funded by Andrew Carnegie in the first decades of the 20th century. In this FRDH podcast, McDonald and host Michael Goldfarb talk about the way local history is revealed when you stop in at a small town’s Carnegie library

2021 marks the 400th Thanksgiving, no other American holiday is encircled by so many different facts and legends, nor celebrated with such famous poetry and lyrics. For this FRDH podcast, host Michael Goldfarb looks at Thanksgiving 400 and tries to separate facts from legend and looks at how the holiday has evolved over centuries to its central place in American life. A 22 minute long meditation on historical legend and historical fact … with poetry

In this episode of Bible Study for Atheist FRDH host, Michael Goldfarb, looks at how the story of Esau selling his birthright has echoes today, as many Americans are selling their birthright: Democracy. Give him 14:53 seconds to explain the connection between the Bible and today.

People knew as they watched that 9/11 changed everything for the US but how it would change everything in Britain is a different story. In this FRDH podcast to mark the 20th anniversary of the WTC’s destruction, host Michael Goldfarb looks back at his reporting in Britain since then to tell you about how Britain’s Muslim minority has changed and also the big unintended consequence of 9/11 … it will surprise you.