S3 Ep 6 - Off the Rails

In the fall of 1971, Richard Nixon had reason to be optimistic. The long sought China Summit had just been announced, for the following year, to great (and deserved) acclaim. Vietnam, to be sure, remained an issue, but the continuing troop withdrawal had reduced its political dra ...  Show more

In early February ’71, with pressure building at home to complete the withdrawal of American forces from Vietnam, Nixon puts his Vietnamization program to a crucial and very public test. With the world watching, the South Vietnamese army launches an invasion into Laos, where they ...  Show more

With the death of JFK, Lyndon B. Johnson took over the Presidency and immediately had to wrestle with America’s relationship with Vietnam after the killing of Diem. Right from the start he prophesised that it would be his downfall and so it was. He consistently resented it and th ...  Show more

It's four in the morning when Lyndon wakes up Lady Bird to the news that Senator Robert Kennedy has been shot. This episode takes us through the tragic hours of vigil as the nation grapples with his death -- the third political assassination in five years, and just two months sin ...  Show more

President Joe Biden is dealing with some similar challenges that President Lyndon B. Johnson faced in the 60s. In this episode, you’ll hear CNN’s Zachary Wolf share some of Johnson’s secretly recorded calls. At the time, he had some candid words for his concerns with the conflict ...  Show more

Lyndon Johnson has been talking about escaping the presidency almost since the day he took office. But finally, on March 31, 1968, he stuns the nation with an announcement that he won't seek reelection that fall. This episode presents a beat-by-beat account of the day, through La ...  Show more