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Have you ever read Dracula??? child's play compared to John Blair's Killing the Dead; Vampire Epidemics from Mesopotamia to the New World.

A corpse that won’t stay put tells you as much about the living as it does about the dead. We sit down with Oxford’s Professor John Blair to chart how vampire epidemics rise when communities are shaken by disease, war, or rapid change—and why the freshly buried become suspects when fear demands a target. From cuneiform-era hints of walking corpses to the 1720s Habsburg–Ottoman frontier where exhumations spread like wildfire, we follow the ideas that fused Central European “dangerous dead” with bloodsucking demons from the Caucasus and Black Sea, eventually crystallizing into the vampire that haunts Western imagination.

Together we draw clear lines between ghosts, zombies, and walking corpses and explore cultures that treat death as a long passage rather than a moment. Greek funerary customs—wakes, ossuaries, inspection of clean white bones—frame a pragmatic logic: when decay stalls, ritual steps in. We examine gendered patterns that mark young women as prime “restless” candidates, echoing deep folklore about female power and unfinished lives. Then we head into the ground with a practical guide to reading graves: decapitation with bound legs, bodies flipped face down, hearts pierced or removed, jaws separated to stop biting and curses. Archaeology becomes a detective story, not a horror script.

We also connect neurology and narrative through sleep paralysis, including intense Hmong cases in the United States where trauma and disrupted belief systems turned night terrors deadly. Finally, we trace how the press and literature—Voltaire’s metaphors, Le Fanu’s Carmilla, and Stoker’s Dracula—reshaped scattered practices into a single, seductive archetype. If you’re curious about how societies manage grief, channel anxiety, and transform fear into ritual, this conversation opens a doorway from folklore to forensic clues and back again.

Subscribe, share with a friend who loves history or horror, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. What idea about vampires will you rethink after listening?

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Michele McAloon is the host. You can find more interviews on her website https://www.bookclues.com.

The name Thomas Becket echoes through history as one of medieval England's most compelling figures – a man whose dramatic transformation from royal chancellor to martyred archbishop continues to captivate our imagination nearly a millennium later. In this episode, we're joined by Professor Michael Stotten from University College Dublin, a medieval historian whose expertise brings this extraordinary 12th-century drama to vivid life.

Born to Norman merchant parents in bustling London around 1120, Becket's early years gave little indication of his eventual fame. Far from displaying early signs of sainthood, he dropped out of studies in Paris, drifted without purpose, and eventually found employment as a clerk. It was only after joining Archbishop Theobald's household that his remarkable administrative talents began to shine.

When young King Henry II ascended the throne in 1154, Becket was appointed Royal Chancellor, beginning what contemporary accounts describe as one of history's greatest friendships. The two hunted, feasted, and worked together to strengthen royal governance across England – until everything changed in 1162. Henry's decision to appoint his trusted friend as Archbishop of Canterbury triggered an unexpected spiritual transformation in Becket, who suddenly began defending church privileges against royal authority with unyielding determination.

The friendship rapidly deteriorated as king and archbishop clashed over jurisdiction, culminating in Becket's six-year exile in France. Though peace was eventually negotiated allowing his return to England in 1170, Becket immediately reasserted his authority by excommunicating bishops who had participated in the coronation of Henry's son – a direct challenge to royal power.

The shocking climax came on December 29, 1170, when four knights, interpreting Henry's frustrated outburst as a command, murdered Becket in Canterbury Cathedral during evening prayers. The brutality of killing England's highest churchman in his own cathedral stunned medieval Europe. Almost immediately, pilgrims reported miracles at his tomb, and within three years, Thomas Becket was canonized as a saint.

Professor Stotten guides us through this remarkable story with expert insight, explaining how Becket's cult spread throughout Europe and how, ironically, Henry II himself eventually embraced it – transforming his former friend from a symbol of resistance to royal power into a unifying national saint.

Listen now to discover how the complex relationship between Thomas Becket and Henry II changed the course of English history and left a legacy that continues to resonate with themes of power, duty, friendship, and faith that feel surprisingly modern.

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Have you ever wondered about the real-life inspiration behind shows like "The Americans"? Shaun Walker pulls back the curtain on one of history's most audacious espionage operations in this riveting conversation about his meticulously researched book, "The Illegals: Russia's Most Audacious Spies and Their Century-Long Mission to Infiltrate the West."

Walker reveals the extraordinary world of Russian "illegals" – spies who spend years, sometimes decades, living under completely fabricated foreign identities with absolutely no official connection to Moscow. Unlike traditional diplomatic spies, these deep-cover agents immerse themselves so thoroughly in their adopted countries that even their spouses and children may have no idea of their true identities. The training process alone is mind-boggling – five years of intensive preparation where recruits study everything from a country's school textbooks to its cultural nuances.

The origins of this program stretch back to the Bolshevik revolutionary movement itself, when Lenin's underground party used false documents and code names to evade Tsarist authorities. After the 1917 revolution, these same techniques were repurposed for intelligence gathering, creating a tradition that continues to this day under Vladimir Putin – himself a former KGB officer who once worked in illegals recruitment.

Most surprising is the program's continued relevance in our digital age. Despite biometric passports and advanced verification systems, Russia continues deploying illegals alongside newer tactics like social media manipulation. Walker's nine years of research, including access to the remarkable Mitrokhin Archive of smuggled KGB documents, provides unprecedented insight into this shadowy world where truth is stranger – and often more fascinating – than fiction.

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Contact the host of Cross Word, Michele McAloon https://www.bookclues.com

What makes us human? It's a question at the heart of today's most heated cultural debates, from abortion to artificial intelligence to gender identity. In this profound conversation, Princeton's Professor Robert George offers a compelling framework for understanding human dignity that transcends political divides.

The conversation explores how ancient philosophical errors resurface in modern debates. George identifies elements of Gnosticism – the belief that humans are essentially minds trapped in irrelevant bodies – in contemporary discussions about gender and personhood. He demonstrates how these philosophical premises, often unexamined, drive our ethical conclusions.

Perhaps most remarkably, George models respectful engagement across deep differences. Despite profound disagreements with colleagues like Peter Singer, he maintains friendships based on mutual truth-seeking and reasoned argument rather than personal attacks or political tribalism.

Whether you're wrestling with questions about AI ethics, the treatment of vulnerable populations, or how to navigate relationships in a polarized culture, this conversation offers wisdom that transcends partisan divides. Listen and discover why understanding what makes us human matters for everything else.

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Contact Michele at her website https://www.bookclues.com

Andrei Soldatov shares his firsthand account of Russia's transformation under Putin, explaining how the free press was systematically dismantled and the country became increasingly isolated from the West. His powerful narrative weaves personal stories of journalists who either resisted or succumbed to the system, providing crucial context for understanding Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its hostile stance toward America.

Check out Andrei Soldatov's and Irina Borogan's website

https://agentura.ru

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Professor John Ferling takes us on a captivating journey through the international dimensions of America's founding conflict in "Shots Heard Around the World: America, Britain, and Europe in the Revolutionary War." As we approach the 250th anniversary of American independence, this conversation reveals how our revolution emerged from the ashes of the Seven Years' War, when France began meticulously planning revenge against Britain after their devastating 1763 defeat.

The Revolutionary War proves far more complex and precarious than our national mythology suggests. British leaders initially believed they could quickly suppress colonial resistance, while American patriots hoped international pressure might force British concessions without prolonged conflict. Meanwhile, France's foreign minister Vergennes orchestrated a masterful long game—first providing secret aid, then openly joining the American cause in 1778 once French naval power had been rebuilt.

What makes this discussion particularly illuminating is Ferling's attention to the human dimension of the struggle. Continental soldiers endured unimaginable hardships, with mortality rates approaching 40%—far higher than American losses in World Wars I and II combined. The decisive Battle of Yorktown in 1781 represented an almost miraculous alignment of circumstances, as French naval forces under Admiral de Grasse arrived at precisely the right moment to trap Cornwallis's army.

Why should Americans today care about these international dimensions? Because they reveal how contingent our independence truly was. Without French strategic vision, financial support, and military intervention, the Revolution likely would have failed. Ferling makes a compelling case that Vergennes deserves recognition alongside Washington, Franklin, and Adams as a founding father of American independence.

What questions does this perspective raise about how we commemorate our national origins? How might understanding the Revolution's global context shape our approach to international alliances today? Listen now to discover how America's birth was fundamentally shaped by a worldwide struggle for power and the complex web of relationships that made independence possible.

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Andrew Weiss, Vice President for Studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, reveals how Vladimir Putin rose from mediocre KGB officer to Russian leader through a series of accidents and opportunities rather than strategic brilliance or espionage expertise.

• Putin was a mid-level KGB officer who never achieved high rank before being chosen as Yeltsin's successor precisely because he seemed controllable
• The image of Putin as a master spy was deliberately created as propaganda but has been mistaken for reality by many in the West
• Russia's centralized governance and territorial expansion tendencies predate Putin by centuries
• Putin's relationship with oligarchs transformed them from independent powers to dependent vassals
• After 2014, Russia actively cultivated relationships with fringe political groups across Europe and America
• The 2022 Ukraine invasion backfired by strengthening NATO and Ukrainian resolve
• Putin believes he can outlast Western support for Ukraine by exploiting political divisions
• Understanding Putin as he truly is rather than as he portrays himself is critical for formulating effective policy
• The book uses graphic novel format to make complex Russian history and politics accessible to wider audiences

Visit bookclues.com for more information and commentary on this interview and other book discussions.

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"World War Zoos: Humans and Other Animals in the Deadliest Conflict of the Modern Age." University of Chicago Press

To find our more about Michele McAloon: Your host.

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What happens to zoo animals when war breaks out? It's a question few of us consider, yet the answer reveals profound truths about humanity's moral compass.

Professor John M. Kinder takes us on a haunting journey through World War II's forgotten captives in "World War Zoos: Humans and Other Animals in the Deadliest Conflict of the Modern Age." From pandas evacuated during the Pearl Harbor bombing to bears kept in Nazi concentration camps, these stories expose the complex relationship between humans and animals during humanity's darkest hours.

The moral questions are unsettling: How do zookeepers justify feeding lions when people are starving? Which animals live and which die when resources grow scarce? The hard decisions made during wartime strip away the educational veneer of zoos, revealing raw calculations about which lives matter most. As Kender explains, "Zoos spend a lot of time creating hierarchies of which animals are more important than others... but the ultimate lesson they send is we care about people more than any animal."

Particularly disturbing is the Nazis' weaponization of Germany's renowned zoological gardens. The "German Zoo" within Berlin's larger facility wasn't just an exhibition but a propaganda machine festooned with swastikas. Even more chilling was the Bear of Buchenwald, kept near concentration camp prisoners as a tool of dehumanization—a daily reminder that in Nazi ideology, camp inmates ranked below animals.

These historical accounts remain urgently relevant today. As climate change threatens ecosystems and conflicts engulf regions with zoos, we must reconsider fundamental questions about animal captivity. Are traditional zoos justified in the 21st century? Is bringing back extinct species through backbreeding ethical when so many living species face extinction?

Join us as we explore this overlooked chapter of history that challenges how we think about zoos, war, conservation, and our responsibility toward other species. Listen now and question your assumptions about our relationship with captive wildlife.