Advertise on podcast: Books & Looks

Anna Pitoniak talks The Swiss Agent, her smart CIA thriller of female spies, Russian oligarchs, and Swiss bankers, plus the real research behind it. Pre-order The Swiss AgentThe Swiss Agent audiobookRead book one, The Helsinki AffairVisit Anna's websiteFollow Anna on GoodreadsMost spy novels lean on car chases and gunfights. Anna Pitoniak's The Swiss Agent is built around psychology, atmosphere, and careful detective work instead. Anna joins Blaine DeSantis to talk about her second Amanda Cole novel, a cat and mouse story between two veteran CIA officers, Amanda Cole and Kath Frost, who must work together to stop a Kremlin-backed conspiracy. The catch is that Kath is hiding a secret, and Amanda has to uncover it before time runs out. Anna explains how a murder at a villa on Capri sets everything in motion, and how a single plate of foie gras becomes the clue that cracks the case open. Many of the book's strangest details turn out to be true. Anna shares the real story of Margaret Scattergood, the Quaker philanthropist whose Virginia farmhouse became part of CIA headquarters. She also confirms that there really is a hot dog vending machine at Langley. She describes how a trip to Sarajevo shaped the novel's 1990s timeline, how conversations with Swiss bankers helped her build the character of Julian, and how she and her husband worked out how a Russian oligarch could smuggle billions in Bitcoin out of the country. The answer involves a Ferragamo loafer. Anna also talks about her path from Random House editor to full-time novelist, and how working with spy fiction master Alan Furst made her fall in love with the genre. She explains why she wanted to write women who drive the story instead of standing beside the hero, and why Kath Frost's brilliance, arrogance, and sobriety make her such a compelling character. Anna also shares how she keeps three timelines straight, along with what comes next for Amanda, her father Charlie, and fan favorite Bram in the third book of the series.

A century ago, the birds at your feeder were fair game. Egrets were shot for their breeding plumes, passenger pigeons were shipped to city markets by the barrel, and fashionable women wore hats topped with whole stuffed birds, sometimes with hummingbird earrings to match. On this episode of Books and Looks, Blaine DeSantis talks with Dr. James McCommons about his new book, The Feather Wars and the Great Crusade to Save America's Birds, which traces how the country went from hunting birds to protecting them between roughly 1870 and 1930. The fight wasn't always polite. McCommons describes rival egg hunters arming themselves with small cannons on California's Farallon Islands, night riders and burned hunting lodges in the Big Lake and Reelfoot duck wars, and market hunters paddling out with punt guns that could kill as many as 100 ducks in a single blast. He also shares the stories behind the laws that changed everything, including the wormy apple that helped win over a skeptical House Speaker for the Lacey Act, and the bird protection bill President Taft signed on his last day in office after swearing he never would. Along the way you'll meet the teenage "shotgun ornithologists" who grew up to lead the early bird protection movement (one of them went on to sculpt the Lincoln Memorial), Tabasco heir Edward McIlhenny, who raised snowy egrets by hand on Avery Island, and Coco Chanel, whose simple cloche hat helped make feathered hats obsolete. Whether you're a backyard birder, a history buff, or just curious how conservation took hold in America, this conversation is packed with stories you've probably never heard. 📖 Get the book: "The Boleyn Secret" by Alison Weir is available now wherever books are sold. Buy it here: https://a.co/d/03qMbBcy🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe, share, and leave us a review. And as always — may all your leaves be pages in a book.

Step inside the Tudor court with bestselling historian and novelist Alison Weir as she joins Blaine DeSantis to discuss her new historical novel, The Boleyn Secret. The story follows Catherine Carey, niece of Anne Boleyn, from the shadow of her aunt’s execution through years of service, marriage, motherhood, religious upheaval, exile, and her complicated bond with her cousin, Elizabeth I. Weir explains how Catherine’s life offers a fresh way to experience one of the most dramatic eras in English history. The conversation explores the research behind the novel and the thin line between documented history and informed imagination. Weir discusses the legend that Catherine attended Anne Boleyn in the Tower, the Knollys family Latin dictionary that records the births of Catherine’s children, and the evidence behind a portrait believed to depict her. She also examines Elizabeth I’s demanding friendship with Catherine, the Knollys family’s Protestant exile under Mary I, and the court scandals surrounding Lettice Knollys and Robert Dudley. Weir also reflects on Anne Boleyn’s enduring fascination, Henry VIII’s relationship with Jane Seymour, the cultural influence of the Renaissance in Tudor England, and the books she is working on next. Rich with history, personality, and behind-the-scenes insight into how historical fiction is built, this episode is a lively conversation for readers who want to understand the people behind the famous Tudor names. 📖 Get the book: "The Boleyn Secret" by Alison Weir is available now wherever books are sold. Buy it here: https://a.co/d/09sQbPGu🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe, share, and leave us a review. And as always — may all your leaves be pages in a book.

What if the Lewis and Clark story you learned in school got almost everything wrong? On this episode of Books and Looks, Blaine DeSantis sits down with Craig Fehrman, author of the bestselling book This Vast Enterprise, to reexamine one of the greatest journeys in American history. Fehrman reveals that the expedition began before the Louisiana Purchase was even finalized, that the famous $15 million price tag hides a true cost of more than $400 million, and that the journey itself ran over $100,000, the equivalent of NASA's budget in its day. Fehrman's book tells the story as an ensemble, rotating between ten points of view. Listeners will meet York, the enslaved man whose skill and diplomacy proved essential yet who was denied his freedom after the journey. They will meet Sacagawea as she truly was, a teenage mother navigating enslavement with remarkable resolve. And they will meet Black Buffalo, the Lakota leader who prevented a war on the banks of the Missouri while pursuing his own political strategy against a rival chief. The conversation is full of surprises: an arrest warrant issued from Santa Fe, more than a thousand Spanish soldiers dispatched to capture the expedition, an American general secretly spying for Spain, a heroic Newfoundland dog named Seaman, and the media frenzy that made Lewis and Clark the Artemis mission of 1804. Perfect listening as America celebrates its 250th birthday, this episode will change how you see a story you thought you already knew. 📖 Get the book: "This Vast Enterprise: A New History of Lewis & Clark" by Craig Fehrman is available now wherever books are sold. Buy it here: https://a.co/d/0iP0BnAg🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe, share, and leave us a review. And as always — may all your leaves be pages in a book.

Before the Hearsts and the Pulitzers, before the front page as we know it, the American newspaper was built by teenagers covered in soot, women who risked hanging, and editors who settled arguments with pistols. Alex Wright joins Blaine DeSantis to talk about Empire of Ink, his sweeping history of how a young republic printed itself into existence between the 1700s and the close of the 1800s. It's a project that started as a personal search into Wright's own family of country newspaper publishers in Georgia and turned into fifteen years of research. The conversation moves fast and covers ground most newspaper histories skip entirely. Wright explains what a printer's devil actually was and why the job cut a man's life expectancy in half. He tells the story of the entrepreneur who imported Egyptian mummies by the boatload because their wrappings were cheaper than American rags, and the French naturalist who watched wasps chew wood into pulp and wondered whether people could do the same thing. There's Mary Katherine Goddard, whose name appears at the bottom of the first Declaration of Independence to carry the signers' names, an act she knew could be read as treason. There's the Vicksburg Sentinel, which burned through eight editors in roughly a dozen years, several of whom died in the line of duty. Wright also takes us to the corners of the story that shaped whole communities. The Cherokee Phoenix, published in an alphabet invented from scratch by Sequoyah, became a political voice for the Cherokee people until their press was taken from them. In San Francisco, Yee Gen hand-built a workaround for printing thousands of Chinese characters and launched the first Chinese American paper. Union soldiers carried portable presses into camp and printed papers with blank pages so the men could write home on the other side. And a young Samuel Clemens swept floors as a print shop apprentice before he ever thought to call himself Mark Twain. If you have ever suspected that today's media chaos is something new, this episode is a useful corrective. 📖 Get the book: Empire of Ink: The Printers, Rogues, and Radicals Who Invented the American Newspaper by Alex Wright is available now wherever books are sold. Buy it here: https://a.co/d/0e52u7jO🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe, share, and leave us a review. And as always — may all your leaves be pages in a book.

In July 1831, the whaleship Mentor sailed out of New Bedford Harbor with 22 men aboard, hoping to strike it rich hunting sperm whales in the Pacific. They never made it. Caught in a raging storm, the ship smashed into the remote island chain of Palau — and within hours, half the crew was dead. What followed is one of the most harrowing survival stories in American maritime history. In this episode, host Blaine DeSantis sits down with New York Times bestselling author Eric J. Dolin to unravel what happened to the men who lived: hostage negotiations demanding 200 guns, years of forced labor and starvation on a tiny island just one mile long, forced tattooing meant to absorb the castaways into island culture, daring escapes aboard passing ships, and a naval rescue mission ordered by President Andrew Jackson himself. Along the way, Dolin pulls back the curtain on the golden age of American whaling — the stench you could smell before you saw the ship, the teenage "green hands" who'd never been to sea, and why most whalemen came home with almost nothing to show for years of brutal work. He also shares how he pieced together this forgotten story from logbooks, journals, Palauan oral histories, and more than 100 rare illustrations from archives around the world. Only 7 of the 22 men ever made it home. This is their story. 📖 Get the book: The Wreck of the Mentor by Eric J. Dolin is available now wherever books are sold — and it just hit the New York Times bestseller list. If you love true stories of the sea, this one belongs on your shelf. 🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe, share, and leave us a review. And as always — may all your leaves be pages in a book.

Who truly drove TR's presidency? Discover the untold story of Theodore Roosevelt and the Tennis Cabinet, the diverse, athletic advisors who shaped his legacy. Resources:【"Theodore Roosevelt and the Tennis Cabinet" By Michael Cullinane】https://a.co/d/0a7YRTmp【Connect with Michael Cullinane】https://www.michaelpatrickcullinane.com Did you know Theodore Roosevelt's most trusted advisors weren't traditional politicians, but a diverse group of tennis-playing frontiersmen, foreign ambassadors, and bankers? In this episode of Books and Looks, Blaine DeSantis sits down with presidential historian Michael Patrick Cullinane to explore his groundbreaking new book, "Theodore Roosevelt and the Tennis Cabinet". Tune in to discover how this unconventional inner circle bypassed traditional bureaucracy to establish the foundation of the modern American presidency.  Michael reveals how TR’s bipartisan, multi-class network—featuring everyone from "Deadwood" sheriff Seth Bullock to a wolf-wrangling stuntman—became the driving force behind monumental conservation efforts and historical trust-busting. We delve into the grueling physical fitness tests required to gain the President's ear and explore the striking parallels between Progressive Era administrative politics and today's government efficiency debates. But what caused the sudden collapse of this loyal advisory group, and why did William Howard Taft literally bulldoze their legacy? Listen closely to uncover how a skinny-dipping French ambassador and a record-breaking wave of executive orders forever altered American history.  If you love uncovering the hidden mechanics of the past, be sure to subscribe to Books and Looks and leave us a review!

Discover the untold story of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Jim Rasenberger reveals their bitter rivalry and the miracle of their shared July 4th deaths. Episode Links: "A Perfect Coincidence" by Jim RasenbergerJim Rasenberger WebsiteThe odds of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams dying on the exact same day—exactly fifty years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence—were estimated at one in 1.2 billion. In this episode of Books and Looks, Blaine DeSantis sits down with author Jim Rasenberger to explore his acclaimed new book, “A Perfect Coincidence”, unraveling the complex, intertwined lives of America's most famous founding frenemies. Listeners will discover the hidden historical twists, bitter rivalries, and surprising reconciliations that shaped the birth of a nation just in time for its 250th anniversary. This historical deep dive exposes the realities of the Revolutionary War and the deeply contrasting personalities of our founding fathers, from John Adams’ blunt vanity to Thomas Jefferson’s lavish, debt-fueled lifestyle at Monticello. Jim reveals why the legendary July 4th signing of the Declaration of Independence is actually a myth, how Benjamin Franklin drove Adams to his breaking point in Paris, and the complicated truths behind the Hemings family tree. You will also uncover the mysterious, prophetic dream that finally pushed these two bitter political rivals to mend their relationship after a decade of silence, but you will have to tune in to find out if sheer willpower alone kept them alive to fulfill American history's most miraculous coincidence.  If you love uncovering the untold stories of our past, be sure to subscribe to “Books and Looks” and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform!

Can you tell time without a clock? Join author Cathy Haynes as she reveals the fascinating art of telling time with nature using birds, flowers, and stars. Episode Resources: "The Fullness of Time" by Cathy HaynesCathy Haynes Official WebsiteWhat if you had to tell the time without glancing at a watch, phone, or screen? In this episode of Books & Looks, host Blaine DeSantis sits down with best-selling author Cathy Haynes to explore the forgotten ways humanity once used the natural world to track the hours of the day. Tune in to discover how you can break free from rigid clock-watching and start reading the rhythmic, environmental cues hidden right in your own backyard. Discussing her Wall Street Journal must-read book, “The Fullness of Time”, Cathy shares captivating historical timekeeping methods, from medieval scratch dials to Icelandic day marks that map the sun's journey across the landscape. The conversation explores fascinating natural phenomena like ornithological clocks, the rhythmic waulking songs of the Scottish Hebrides, and why observing a sheep's pupils can accurately reveal the approaching dusk. But can humans actually rely on biological timekeepers like "floral clocks" and circadian rhythms to plan a schedule, or do these blooming plants serve a completely different ecological purpose? Listen in to uncover the surprisingly complex relationship between pollinators, star movements, and the artificial time zones we live by today.  If you enjoyed this peaceful journey into natural timekeeping, be sure to subscribe to Books & Looks and leave us a review!

Discover the wild true story of the 1909 transcontinental auto race! Author Eric Moskowitz reveals how Henry Ford cheated to win The Hardest, Longest Race. Episode Resources: "The Hardest, Longest Race" by Eric MoskowitzUniversity of Washington’s Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition CollectionHistorical Overview of the 1909 Transcontinental Automobile RaceIn 1909, a grueling transcontinental automobile race from New York to Seattle pitted an underdog car maker against a ruthless Henry Ford—and ended in one of the biggest cover-ups in automotive history. In this episode of Books and Looks, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Eric Moskowitz joins the show to unpack the wild true story behind his new book, *The Hardest, Longest Race*. Tune in to discover a hidden chapter of early 20th-century America and learn how cutthroat tactics, rather than superior engineering, helped build the world's most famous car brand. As the early American automobile industry was just finding its footing, this 4,106-mile ocean-to-ocean race forced drivers to battle treacherous "gumbo mud," navigate a roadless country, and rely on explosive acetylene gas headlights. Moskowitz breaks down the bizarre cast of entrants, including a con artist driver, an inventor peddling airless tires, and Ford’s tactical saboteur who literally deployed armed guards at bridges to block competitors. While Henry Ford publicly claimed victory for the Model T to skyrocket his company's success, you will have to listen to find out exactly how the obscure Shawmut Motor Company exposed the secret mechanical cheating scandal that nearly changed everything. If you love uncovering the hidden rivalries and forgotten scandals of American history, be sure to subscribe to the podcast and leave a five-star review!

Discover the hidden origins of modern dance contests. Dr. April F. Masten reveals how 19th-century challenge dancing united cultures through Diamond and Juba. Episode Resources: “Diamond and Juba” by Dr. April F. MastenCharles Dickens’ American Notes (Chapter 6)Listen to Not So Much to Want by April F. MastenThe Lost Museum Digital ArchiveBiography of William Henry Lane (Master Juba)Before Dancing with the Stars or modern dance marathons, 19th-century America was captivated by a cutthroat, highly competitive sporting event: challenge dancing. In this episode of Books & Looks, Blaine sits down with historian Dr. April F. Masten to explore the raucous history behind her new book, “Diamond and Juba.” Listeners will discover the hidden origins of American competitive dance and learn how two teenage prodigies from marginalized backgrounds unexpectedly shaped the nation's entire entertainment landscape. Dr. Masten reveals how Irish-American John Diamond and African-American William Henry Lane (known as Juba) rose from busking in waterfront taverns to becoming international sensations under the exploitative eye of a young P.T. Barnum. The conversation unpacks the fascinating "eel economy," where working-class performers bartered jig dancing for plates of food, and explores how the blending of Irish and African steps created a distinctly creolized American art form. You'll hear the surprising truth about how these historic 19th-century public contests mirrored bare-knuckle boxing - complete with heavy betting, strict judges, and intense rivalries - but you'll have to listen to find out how a chance encounter with Charles Dickens ultimately changed the trajectory of Juba's career forever. If you enjoyed this historical deep dive, be sure to subscribe to Books & Looks and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform.

Discover how rebel advantage gamblers used early wearable computers to legally beat the casino for billions. Kit Chellel shares Lucky Devils' secrets. Episode Resources: "Lucky Devils" by Kit ChellelBloomberg Feature: The Gambler Who Cracked the Horse-Racing CodeGuide to the Blackjack Ball Annual GatheringOfficial Site of the Hong Kong Jockey ClubBeating the house is the ultimate gambler’s dream, but for a secret society of math geniuses and tech pioneers, it became a billion-dollar reality. In this episode of Books & Looks, author Kit Chellel reveals the fascinating hidden world of advantage gamblers who used science and homemade computers to systematically conquer casinos and racetracks around the globe. By tuning in, you'll discover how a few rogue outsiders outsmarted the gambling industry and why everything you think you know about beating the odds is probably wrong. Kit unpacks the wild evolution of advantage gambling, tracing its roots from the mental gymnastics of blackjack card counting to 1980s players hiding wire-wrapped, toe-operated microcomputers in their shoes - even when the batteries literally caught on fire. We explore incredible true stories from his new book, “Lucky Devils,” including how betting godfather Bill Benter engineered an algorithmic sports betting syndicate in Hong Kong and intentionally walked away from a $16 million jackpot just to protect his secret. You'll also learn the mathematical framework behind exploiting biased roulette wheels, but the biggest revelation of the episode just might change how you look at modern betting apps like FanDuel and DraftKings forever.  Don't leave your next great read up to chance - hit subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed this eye-opening conversation. Be sure to check the show notes for a link to grab your own copy of Kit Chellel's “Lucky Devils” and dive deeper into these unbelievable true stories.

Explore the epic history of macaroni and cheese! Learn how this comfort food evolved from an ancient Roman dish into a clever religious fasting loophole. Episode Resources: “The Epic History of Macaroni and Cheese” by Karima Moyer-NocchiRecipe and Excerpt for the Ancient Ancestor of Macaroni and CheeseKarima Moyer-Nocchi’s Official Website (The Eternal Table)“Chewing the Fat” by Karima Moyer-NocchiThink macaroni and cheese is just a simple American comfort food born out of a blue box? Think again. In this episode of Books & Looks, host Blaine DeSantis sits down with culinary historian Karima Moyer-Nocchi to uncover the incredible 2,000-year journey behind her new book, “The Epic History of Macaroni and Cheese”. Listeners will discover how this humble pasta dish evolved from an ancient Roman recipe into a highly contested global icon, giving you a completely new appreciation for your favorite nostalgic meal. Karima reveals how macaroni and cheese served as a clever culinary loophole during strict medieval religious fasting before tracing its sophisticated makeover in the elite courts of France. The conversation dives deep into the fascinating world of food history, exploring the rampant plagiarism found in 19th-century cookbooks and the dramatic, xenophobia-fueled origins of the American pasta industry. We also unpack the fierce historical debates over proper cooking techniques, leaving you to wonder why early Italian recipes called for cinnamon and sugar—and how French chefs ultimately changed the dish forever.  If you enjoyed this delicious deep dive into culinary history, be sure to subscribe to Books & Looks and leave us a review. Check the show notes for a link to grab your own copy of Karima’s meticulously researched book and discover your next great read!

Uncover the hidden WWII history of 600 ships sunk off the U.S. coast. In this episode, Sara Vladic discusses The Dangerous Shore and civilians who fought back. Episode Resources: "The Dangerous Shore" by Sara VladicThe USS Indianapolis Legacy OrganizationCBS News: Discovery and History of the USS Eagle 56Smithsonian Magazine: The Citizen Sailors of the Picket PatrolThe Mob Museum: Operation Underworld and Lucky LucianoMost Americans believe the two massive oceans flanking the United States kept the home front completely safe during World War II, but the terrifying reality is far from the truth. In this episode of Books and Looks, host Blaine DeSantis sits down with author Sara Vladic to uncover the shocking, hidden history of coastal attacks and civilian heroes detailed in her spectacular new book, The Dangerous Shore. By tuning in, you'll discover the astonishing true stories of the everyday citizens who stepped up to defend a vulnerable nation when the military simply didn't have the resources to do it themselves.  We dive deep into the classified secrets of the American home front, exploring how over 600 ships were quietly sunk by German U-boats in U.S. coastal waters while the government maintained a strict media blackout. Sara reveals the fascinating, unlikely coalition of defenders who actively fought Axis powers on our shores, ranging from female pilots in the newly formed Civil Air Patrol to a teenager who inadvertently tracked down Nazi saboteurs in a Maine blizzard. The most compelling revelation centers on how Meyer Lansky and the mafia secretly collaborated with Naval Intelligence to protect New York's ports - but you'll have to listen to find out why unchecked pride and bureaucratic rivalries within the intelligence community ultimately cost thousands of civilian lives.  If you love uncovering the untold secrets of World War II history, be sure to subscribe to Books and Looks and leave us a review! Check out the show notes for a link to grab your own copy of Sara Vladic's eye-opening book, The Dangerous Shore.

Discover how Scotland's winters fuel creativity. Mystery author Val McDermid joins the Books and Looks podcast to discuss her new non-fiction book, Winter. Episode Resources: Official Page for Val McDermid’s WinterExplore Val McDermid’s Karen Pirie SeriesGuide to Burns Night and Scottish TraditionsSupport the Cyrenians Homelessness CharityHow does a legendary mystery novelist find inspiration in the darkest, coldest months of the year? In this episode of Books and Looks, Blaine DeSantis chats with renowned Scottish author Val McDermid about stepping outside her fiction comfort zone to pen her captivating new non-fiction book, Winter. Listeners will discover how the quiet chill of the season fuels her creative process and offers a cozy, nostalgic glimpse into authentic Scottish culture. Val shares fascinating insights into her transition from working-class journalist to celebrated mystery writer, revealing how she uses brisk winter walks to shape authentic character voices and intricate plots. The conversation explores a rich tapestry of regional traditions, from the lost art of "guising" on Halloween and the culinary improvisation of "rummage soup" to the vibrant, whiskey-fueled celebrations of Burns Night. She also recounts a poignant childhood memory that shaped her understanding of mortality, while leaving plenty of intrigue about how a disastrous 17th-century Scottish colony indirectly sparked the American Revolution. Whether you're a lifelong fan seeking new book recommendations or an aspiring author wanting to learn about the writing process, this deep dive offers a perfect seasonal escape into a brilliant literary mind.  Grab a warm drink, settle in by the fire, and check the show notes for a link to pick up your own copy of Winter. Don't forget to subscribe to Books and Looks and leave a five-star review if you loved discovering your next great read today!