Murdered Spy, History of Ukraine, Great Halifax Explosion, WWI Movies

Murdered Spy, History of Ukraine, Great Halifax Explosion, WWI Movies

Constant Wonder - Radio Archive, Episode 362

  • Feb 14, 2020 7:00 pm
  • 1:41:10 mins

The Murder of Freddie Woodruff, and One Man’s Extraordinary Search for the Truth Guest: Michael Pullara, attorney and author, “The Spy Who Was Left Behind: Russia, the United States, and the True Story of the Betrayal and Assassination of a CIA Agent” As the Cold War was ending, Freddie Woodruff, a CIA agent, was betrayed by the very organization he was spying for. His story was covered up soon after his demise and nobody heard about Freddie Woodruff again, until Texan trial lawyer Michael Pullara jumped on the case, initially to bring closure to the Woodruffs, family friends from his youth. He later fought for justice for the Georgian man unjustly imprisoned for the murder. The Troubled History of Ukraine Guest: Serhii Plokhii, Professor, Ukrainian History, and Director, Ukrainian Research Institute, Harvard University, author, "The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine" Centered in between the Eastern and Western worlds, Ukraine has been subject to internal and external conflict, resulting, at times, in a sort of no-man's land, but at all times in a complicated national and global identity.  The WWI Accident That Destroyed an Entire City Guest: John U. Bacon, author, "The Great Halifax Explosion: A World War I Story of Treachery, Tragedy, and Extraordinary Heroism" In the fall of 1917, a costly accident in Halifax Harbor set off one of the largest man-made explosions in world history. Two ships collided, one with six million pounds of explosives, sending a mushroom cloud two miles into the air. Author John U. Bacon joins us to tell the story of the Great Halifax Explosion. 1917 and WWI Films Guest: Chip Oscarson, Associate Professor, Comparative Arts & Letters, and Co-Director, International Cinema, Brigham Young University How we commemorate conflict affects how that history is carried forward. In this segment we examine films about WWI and discuss the decisions people make when making art that depicts and commemorates war.