The Bob Edwards Show, May 26-30, 2014
Monday, May 26, 2014: Nearly 70 years ago, a British bomber was shot down and crashed in The Netherlands…one of more than six-thousand planes lost over the tiny country during World War Two. The tail gunner of the Lancaster ED 470 was able to parachute to safety, but the rest of the crew perished. Last fall, local authorities finally decided to excavate the crash site near the village of Zelhem. Bob talks with Dutch journalist Sandrina Hadderingh about the documentary she produced called Forever 21. It features interviews with family members of the Australian and British crew. Then, Jon Mooallem traveled all over North America to study the plight of three endangered species – polar bears, whooping cranes and Lange’s metalmark butterflies. He uses their stories to frame a larger one about American’s precarious relationship with wild animals, one that starts when we are very small and surrounded by animal imagery on everything from bouncy seats to PJ sets. Mooallem’s book is titled Wild Ones: A Sometimes Dismaying, Weirdly Reassuring Story About Looking at People Looking at Animals in America and it’s available in paperback.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014: Bob talks to bestselling novelist Colson Whitehead about his latest book The Noble Hustle. Then, Sonia Manzano was the only Maria on Sesame Street in the 1970’s. She’s racked up 15 Emmy Awards since then, and now Manzano has published her first novel. The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano is a young girl’s coming-of-age tale set in Spanish Harlem circa 1970 as young Evelyn struggles with adolescence… and ancestry. Manzano’s book is available in paperback.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014: Bob talks with new author Alena Graedon about her debut novel titled The Word Exchange. The story takes place in the near future, after our smart phones become even smarter, leaving us perhaps a little dumber. The printed word is finally dead – bookstores, libraries, newspapers and magazines are things of the past. The “word nerd dreamscape” created by Graedon mixes mystery and love stories with a dystopian thriller.
Thursday, May 29, 2014: Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin envisioned a Communist Western Europe, turning his attention first to the United Kingdom. Writer Giles Milton tells the story of the men who stopped him in Russian Roulette: How British Spies Thwarted Lenin’s Plot for Global Revolution. Then, Bob remembers renowned poet, author, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou, who died yesterday at the age of 86. Angelou is known best for her award-winning writing, including her memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and her collection of poetry, Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ‘Fore I Diiie. In 2010, President Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our highest civilian honor. Bob spoke to Maya Angelou in 2006 and we share their conversation on writing, aging, and being an American.
Friday, May 30, 2014: Doyle McManus, Washington columnist for the Los Angeles Times, joins Bob to discuss the latest political news. Next, Bob talks with Ralph Nader about his new book, Unstoppable: The Emerging Left-Right Alliance To Dismantle The Corporate State. Then, the latest installment of our ongoing series This I Believe.