Fresh takes on American history from three authors

Who decides history? What gets passed on, and what gets passed over?

That is the question that historians are always plumbing. On this week’s special edition of Big Books and Bold Ideas, host Kerri Miller replayed portions of conversation she’s had with writers who’ve drawn indelible portraits of American history. 

You’ll hear Stacy Schiff, whose 2015 book “The Witches” delves into what really happened during the Salem Witch Trials. There’s also David Wright Faladé, who novelized the true story of an all-Black brigade during the Civil War that was commanded by a formerly enslaved man.

And finally, the incomparable Ron Chernow, who was at Talking Volumes in 2017 to talk about his book, “Grant” — but Miller couldn’t resist asking about “Hamilton,” his book that inspired Lin Manuel Miranda’s hit musical.

Guests:

• Stacy Schiff is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author of many books, including “Cleopatra” and “The Witches.”

• David Wright Faladé teaches at the University of Illinois and is the author of “Black Cloud Rising.”

• Ron Chernow is the prize-winning author of six books, including “Hamilton.”

To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above. 

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