Showing results by author "Joseph Stromberg" in All Categories

A cluster of five countries, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, are commonly referred to as Central America. Although these nations differ in their histories and politics, they share at least one factor; they have been caught up in the turmoil of America's foreign policy in this region. This audiobook depicts the chain of events that have led to the Central America we view on television.

Colombia in the 1980s became known for its role in the illegal drug trade, and for political instability and violence caused by this problem. But much of this is a recent development in Colombia's history that began in the 1530s, when Spain conquered local Indian kingdoms. This is the story of how Spain's "new Granada" evolved into Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama, and modern Colombia.

For years, anthropologists and evolutionary biologists have struggled to explain the existence of menopause, a life stage that humans do not share with our primate relatives. Why would it be beneficial for females to stop being able to have children with decades still left to live?

Following World War II, the United States and Soviet Russia vied for dominance around the world in an intense contest called the Cold War. Both Korea and Vietnam felt the full brunt of this conflict, and each was divided into two ideologically opposed sectors; to the north, the Communists dominated, while to the south, the United States prevailed. In both countries, America would face her worst nightmare: a land war in Asia. It began in Korea but continued in Vietnam, where more than 58 thousand Americans would die.

Strategically located, the Philippine Islands have been one of the keys to American policy in the Pacific. But this loose island chain has a better history, vacillating between oppression and rebellion. America's military installations here ensure that she will be caught in any Filipino conflict.

While studying brain scans to search for patterns that correlated with psychopathic behavior, James Fallon found that his own brain fit the profile.

Historians have said that World War II was a continuation of World War I, but with greater violence and less regard for the values of civilization. The Treaty of Versailles, which had officially ended WWI, had caused the European balance of power to swing wildly. Germany had been stripped of her colonies, divided into pieces, and burdened with a staggering war debt. New nations were created; old hostilities were renewed. Some of these hostilities had found a voice in a new political philosophy: fascism.

This island was once a clearinghouse for importing slaves into the New World. It later became one of the world's few remaining bastions of Marxism, proclaiming socio-economic equality. In both forms, Cuba has played a unique and dramatic role in American affairs. This presentation focuses on Cuba's economic and social upheaval, with special attention to how this has affected the United States.

Before blacks were enfranchised in the 1990s, South Africa was the world's symbol of racism. From the moment the Dutch colonists set foot on the Cape in 1652, this nation steered a straight course toward apartheid, resulting in consistent civil unrest. This presentation explores the economic and social forces that brought South Africa's troubles into the international spotlight.

In 1540, Mexico was declared to be New Spain. With a diverse culture, and great natural resources, it should have prospered like its northern neighbor. But Mexico's history includes political corruption, war, revolution, and grinding poverty. Why has the fate of Mexico been so different than that of the United States?

In 1895 Cuba began its struggle for independence from Spain - a struggle that resulted in a demand for US involvement. This demand gained intensity when the USS Maine inexplicably sank in a Havana harbor in 1898. Tensions between the two nations rose as the United States continued to insist that Spain grant Cuba its independence and withdraw forces from the island. On April 24, 1898, Spain declared war on the United States. Due to an utter lack of preparedness on Spain’s part, the war was decidedly one-sided.

Historians have said that World War II was a continuation of World War I, but with greater violence and less regard for the values of civilization. The Treaty of Versailles, which had officially ended WWI, had caused the European balance of power to swing wildly. Germany had been stripped of her colonies, divided into pieces, and burdened with a staggering war debt. New nations were created; old hostilities were renewed. Some of these hostilities had found a voice in a new political philosophy: fascism.

World War II redrew the map of the world. No longer would Europe be the center of power. As the continent exhausted itself in yet another war, two new nations with conflicting ideologies were rising to prominence: the United States of America and the Soviet Union. Both nations would eventually fight on the same side in World War II, but they would not emerge as partners.