We’ve all been transported into the past by a special book, place or person. On the History Author Show, host Dean Karayanis and a team of correspondents bring you the people who build the time machines.
Host interviews attorney and author David O. Stewart about the foundational documents that shaped American democracy and its enduring principles.
16 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT
Irene Levy Baker — Cheers to McGillin’s: Philly’s Oldest Tavern
(http://amazon.com/gp/product/1680980688/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1680980688&linkCode=as2&tag=hisautsho-20&linkId=LSAVETW5ZEFAA4QF)
March 15, 2026 – We welcome a treasure from the City of Brotherly Love, Irene Levy Baker, back into the Wayback Machine. Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, she’s here to discuss “Cheers to McGillin’s: Philly’s Oldest Tavern.” (http://amazon.com/gp/product/1680980688/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1680980688&linkCode=as2&tag=hisautsho-20&linkId=LSAVETW5ZEFAA4QF) She previously joined us to talk about her book, “100 Things To Do In Philadelphia.” (https://historyauthor.com/levy-baker-100-things-philadelphia/) You can find that interview, and my 2016 conversation with the tavernkeeper, Chris Mullins Sr. (https://historyauthor.com/mcgillins-olde-ale-house-christopher-mullins/), in our archives, and visit McGillins.com (https://mcgillins.com/) for more.
McGillin’s, which opened in 1860 — the year President Lincoln was first elected to replace Pennsylvania’s own James Buchanan — and is the oldest continuously operating tavern in Philadelphia. It survived two global pandemics, two World Wars, the Civil War, economic depressions, a fire, Disco, and 165 years of history.
Mentioned in This Episode:
Chris Mullins, Sr. — McGillin’s Olde Ale House (https://historyauthor.com/mcgillins-olde-ale-house-christopher-mullins/)
Irene Levy Baker – 100 Things to Do in Philadelphia Before You Die (https://historyauthor.com/levy-baker-100-things-philadelphia/)
Rafe Bartholomew – Two and Two: McSorley’s, My Dad, and Me (https://historyauthor.com/rafe-bartholomew-two-two-mcsorleys-dad/)
Robert Norden — The Old ’76 House (https://historyauthor.com/the-old-76-house-robert-norden/)
12 Feb 2026TRANSCRIPT
Jim Logan – Of Saints and Rivers
(https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0988928159/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0988928159&linkCode=as2&tag=hisautsho-20&linkId=LSAVETW5ZEFAA4QF)
Feb 13, 2026 – We welcome award-winning author Jim Logan (https://www.jimloganauthor.com/) — a fourth-generation Oklahoman — aboard our time machine to discuss his debut novel, “Of Saints and Rivers.” (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0988928159/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0988928159&linkCode=as2&tag=hisautsho-20&linkId=LSAVETW5ZEFAA4QF) The author, at 81, is as inspiring as his sweeping story that encompasses all the highs and lows of the period from the Gilded Age, Dustbowl, and Great Depression through the World Wars and the 1950s.
The novel is the multi-generational saga of the McClellan family told through the eyes of their youngest son, Jordan. It’s a coming-of-age story that begins on the Oklahoma frontier and transports us to places like Mexico and a seminary, exploring themes of faith, family legacy, and the search for meaning. The book is praised as an emotionally rich, award-winning debut novel for fans of authors like Kristin Hannah and William Kent Krueger.
Inside a recent episode
David O. Stewart – The Democracy We Must Keep
Published 3 Jul 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] But when people celebrate it for giving that power to do something that they like, I always encourage them, just think of the worst president, the president you didn't like, or the Congress you didn't like, or the person you didn't like, wielding that power. Are you still so comfortable giving them that? And the wisdom of the founding fathers to look at those issues and say... would not have that arrogance, I guess, even though they were also learned, and even though everyone knew Madison was a genius, they looked at that and they said, you can't really trust anybody with that kind of absolute power. […]
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