By Dennis D. McDonald

Here are five more podcasts I’ve been subscribing and listening to lately:

1. Center for Strategic and International Studies. A Washington DC think tank. Mostly speeches to small groups where the common refrain is “So And So Needs No Introduction.” Lots of solid and informed opinions about diplomacy, legislation, Iraq, Afghanistan, China, and what’s really going on around the world. (It’s always a pleasure to listen to folks who spend most of their time outside the beltway.)
2. My History Can Beat Up Your Politics. Always informative reviews of historical events that relate in some way to what’s going on now — vice presidential disasters, religion in politics, objectivity in the media, etc.
3. History According to Bob. Bob enthusiastically talks about recent and ancient history — Etruscan government, the death of Charlemagne, what happened after Napoleon left Egypt, etc.
4. PRI’s The World In Words Podcast. Each program discusses some aspect of language, words, definitions, pronunciation, etc. Always fascinating as an exploration of cultural similarities and differences.
5. The Thomas Jefferson Hour. Historian/academic Clay Jenkinson portrays Thomas Jefferson in weekly discussions about architecture, religion, politics, literature, and many other topics. It’s always fascinating to hear the viewpoints of “Thomas Jefferson” in the light of today’s culture wars.