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CIVIL WAR STORIES

Program 06-02-12-A

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John Brown was a terrorist, a man who led a raid in Kansas that butchered five unarmed men. He was also, arguably, of the few white people in 1850s America who was totally color blind. According to a new book he was "the man who killed slavery and sparked the Civil War." So, was John Brown a "good terrorist"? In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge we'll consider the legacy of this most complicated historical figure.

SEGMENT 1:

Doris Kearns Goodwin, Pulitzer Prize winning historian and the author of "A Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln," talks with Jim Fleming about the political genius of the man she considers America's greatest President.

SEGMENT 2:

Steve Paulson produced this report on Abolitionist John Brown which explores the question of whether terrorism is ever justified. What are we to make of this enigmatic figure who committed murder in his efforts to end slavery?

SEGMENT 3:

E.L. Doctorow's latest novel is called "The March" and is about the devastating effect on the South during the Civil War of General William Tecumseh Sherman. Doctorow talks about the book with Steve Paulson and we hear excerpts read by Karl Schmidt. Also, historian Tim Tyson tells Anne Strainchamps about the racially motivated murder that has informed much of his professional life. He writes about it in a book called "Blood Done Sign My Name."

CD copies are available at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 06-02-12-A.

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Books:

• E.L. Doctorow, The March: a novel (Random House)
  
• Doris Kearns Goodwin, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln (Simon & Schuster)
  
• David S. Reynolds, John Brown, Abolitionist : The Man Who Killed Slavery, Sparked the Civil War, and Seeded Civil Rights (Knopf)
• Tim Tyson, Blood Done Sign My Name (Crown)

Books in the John Brown Story:

• --Russell Banks, "Cloudsplitter"
• --Bruce Olds, "Raising Holy Hell"
• --Sean Wilentz, "The Rise of American Democracy"
• --David Reynolds, "John Brown Abolitionist"
• --Marilynne Robinson, "Gilead"
• --Sarah Vowell, "Assassination Vacation"

Music in the John Brown Story :

• --Si Kahn w/ "John Brown"
  on "I Have Seen Freedom" (Flying Fish Records)
• --Paul Robeson w/ "John Brown's Body"
  on "Robeson" (Vanguard)
• --Cassandra Wilson w/ "I Can't Stand the Rain"
  on "Blue Light 'Til Dawn" (Capitol Records)
  

Music:

• All music (except in John Brown story) from the Ken Burns Civil War
  soundtrack (Elektra Nonesuch)
  --"Marching Through Georgia"
  --"Palmyra Schottische"
  --"Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier"
  --"Battle Cry for Freedom"
  --"We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder"
  --"Lorena"

Distribution dates:

week of 02/12/2006 - hour 1

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Questions and comments can be addressed to: flemingj@wpr.org

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