The future of History is right here! Historians Patrick O'Shaughnessy (@historychappy), Conal Smith (@prohistoricman) and Elliott L. Watson (@DrElliottWatson) a...
It feels like AI is ubiquitous! Large Language Models (LLM's) have exploded over the past few years. However, a new platform, NotebookLM, has taken things still further. It can convert virtually any source into an audio two-way discussion and debate.Â
What will the impact of AI be on our world of History? This is very much up for debate, of course. It is a debate that will rumble on. That notwithstanding, we have given NotebookLM a try with a resource from our Malcolm X debate from back in 2018 here on the Versus History Podcast. The outcome is here for you to sample!
Do you think AI / LMNotebook has done a decent job with it? Please let us know your thoughts!
For terms of use, please visit www.versushistory.com
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Episode 185: The Exile by Patrick Worrall
Inspired by the outbreak of war in Ukraine, Patrick was fascinated by the stories he saw on the news. In particular, he was stuck by the vulnerability of the young women travelling alone and the dangers that they might face when they arrive at their next destination. Patrick saw unique parallels between the war today and France of the Fourth Republic after WW2, a country haunted by the impact of the European War in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Alongside WW2 Lithuania, it is early post-war France that The Exile is set. Drawing on his own personal experiences, what he found out about early post war France, and his love for Lithuania which he has visited several times over the past 20 years as he has been happily married to a Lithuanian for that time - The Exile is Patrick’s take on what happens when the boundaries between state and organised crime breaks down and the threat that permeates around Europe - just as it does today.Â
For terms of use, please visit www.versushistory.com
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Episode 184: National Service! Rishi Sunak calls!
In this episode of the Versus History Podcast, the editors discuss the UK's forthcoming General Election, announced by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for 4 July 2024. Sunak quickly announced that 'National Service' will be introduced for young people if the Conservative Party is returned to government by the British public. The last time this was part of British policy was 1948-1960. We discuss all ...
For terms of use, please visit www.versushistory.com.
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Episode 183: 'Freeman's Challenge: The Murder That Shook America’s Original Prison for Profit' by Harvard Professor Robin Bernstein
In 1821 Afro-Native William Freeman found himself convicted of horse theft he vehemently denied and sentenced to five years of hard labor in Auburn State Prison (New York) — without pay and in total silence. It was the first prison built for solitary confinement, and it was in this oppressive environment that Freeman dared to challenge the system. Driven to extremes, he murdered a white family, explaining that "someone must pay." Freeman's Challenge: The Murder That Shook America’s Original Prison for Profit, from distinguished Harvard Professor Robin Bernstein, unveils this gripping saga of defiance and its lasting effects on our penal system.
The forthcoming release of Bernstein's newest book from The University of Chicago Press in May 2024 is highly anticipated, on the heels of her previous book, which received numerous awards, including the Lois P. Rudnick Book Prize from the New England American Studies Association. As Chair of Harvard's doctoral Program in American Studies, Bernstein brings to bear her expertise in U.S. racial formation from the nineteenth century to the present. Through meticulous research, she tells an explosive story about the tangled web of oppression and racism that still underpins our society's institutions.
As civil rights icon Angela Davis aptly puts it, "Bernstein's compelling narrative provides insight not only into the institution of the prison in the United States but also into the lives of those whose newly experienced dreams of freedom were crushed by evolving intersections of punishment and racial capitalism. By disengaging the emergence of the prison from what has become its inevitable partner — 'rehabilitation'— Bernstein deftly reveals the deep connections between imprisonment, racism, and the development of the capitalist economy."
Bernstein follows Freeman's ensuing trial, examining how narratives intertwined race with criminality, deflecting attention from the exploitative practices of Auburn. These narratives not only permeated the trial but also became entrenched in culture throughout the US, perpetuating harmful notions such as the myth of inherent Black criminality and providing justification for racialized mass incarceration.
This timely and necessary story of Black resistance against the nexus of incarceration, racial capitalism, and slavery will further inspire the prison abolitionist movement. It's an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of our modern prison system from one of the most prominent experts on racism in America.
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Episode 182: Free Ports (Teeside), Singapore-on-Thames and Entrepots ...
In this episode of the Versus History Podcast, the Editors tackle the subject of free trade, Brexit and the Teeside 'Free Port' initiative, making (sometimes errant!) comparisons and contrasts to the British acquisitions of yesteryear, including Singapore in 1819 and Hong Kong / Shanghai in 1842.Â
For terms of use, please visit www.versushistory.com
The future of History is right here! Historians Patrick O'Shaughnessy (@historychappy), Conal Smith (@prohistoricman) and Elliott L. Watson (@DrElliottWatson) are dedicated to making history happen, while showcasing the architecture of historical argumentation and historiography. Please visit www.versushistory.com, tweet us at @versushistory or tag us #VersusHistory.
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