Ep. 75: Smashing the Liquor Machine: A Global History of Prohibition with Prof. Mark Lawrence Schrad

Prohibition is a dirty word in our country. It evokes government overreach, failed social legislating, the rise of underground crime and the excesses of the Roaring '20s. As Americans, we also tend to believe that prohibition - lowercase 'p' - was exclusively an American experience. 

In his book, Smashing the Liquor Machine: A Global History of Prohibition, Professor Mark Lawrence Schrad, Director of Russian Studies and Professor of Political Science at Villanova University outlines how this uniquely American experience was anything but. Weaving through the histories of vodka-soaked Russia, beer and schnapps-drinking Central Europe, and the United States, Prof. Schrad demonstrates time and again that American Prohibition was a culmination, not a one-off.

Told through the lenses of the European continent and the many colonies and imperialist conquests forever by alco-colonialism and alco-imperialism, Dr. Schrad's work also reintroduces us to some of history's most famous figures in a new light, now with their prohibitionist and temperance-minded biographies intact. 

In this fascinating interview that despite clocking in at under two hours could've gone three, we explore the themes of the book, what it says about the global history of drinking, and what lessons we must learn from it to truly understand both American and world history. 

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Before we jump into the interview just a few quick notes:

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Thanks for reading! Now here’s my interview with Dr. Schrad on Smashing the Liquor Machine. 

Mark Lawrence Schrad

• Smashing the Liquor Machine: A Global History of Prohibition
• Dr. Mark Lawrence Schrad | Villanova Profile
• Dr. Mark Lawrence Schrad on Instagram
• Dr. Mark Lawrence Schrad on Twitter

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