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Revisionist History

Hosted by Pushkin Industries

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The Staten Island Problem - Part 1: The Mayor vs. the Borough President

calendar_today Jul 9, 2026 schedule 37:08

A riot, a voyage at sea, and a movement to break up the greatest city in the country. The first Black mayor of New York City faces off with the borough president of Staten Island and tries to hold his city together. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Staten Island Problem - Part 2: A New Map

calendar_today Jul 16, 2026 schedule 27:57

After the Supreme Court takes a close look at New York City government, Staten Island comes out the loser. A local artist begins organizing for secession. We take a deep dive into the psychology of the island, which has a lot to do with the largest garbage dump in the world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Staten Island Problem - Part 3: The Tuvalu Effect

calendar_today Jul 23, 2026 schedule 31:29

A group on Staten Island tries to stop secession, squaring off against the secessionists in a heated set of debates and meetings recorded on never-before-seen archival tapes. A set of debates best understood via a detour into the history of a remote Polynesian island. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Staten Island Problem - Part 4: Wu-Tang vs. Shaolin

calendar_today Jul 30, 2026 schedule 33:14

At the height of the secession movement, the Wu-Tang Clan forms on Staten Island. We take a tour of early 1990s hip-hop and reveal the hidden history of the group. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Staten Island Problem - Part 5: Revenge of the Forgotten Borough

calendar_today Aug 6, 2026 schedule 40:13

Election night 1993 meets election night 2016. The fate of the island and the country converge in the figure of one man: Rudy Giuliani. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Fines

calendar_today Sep 10, 2026 schedule 30:52

How did some remains of those who died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks end up in what was once the world's largest landfill? In this episode: the battle that continues to this day over what some see as a pile of dust, and what others see as the remains of the dead. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Invention of an Epidemic

calendar_today Sep 24, 2026 schedule 48:53

In Malcolm’s new book, The American Way of Killing, he investigates why gun violence in the United States is so much worse than every other country in the West. Today, we’re sharing a chapter from the audiobook and over the next four weeks we’ll air episodes about the gun violence epidemic in America. Later in the series, Revisionist History looks at how Baltimore turned its homicide problem around, and why it took so long. You can pre-order The American Way of Killing at pushkin.fm/audiobooks or wherever books are sold. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coming Soon: The Staten Island Problem

calendar_today Jun 29, 2026 schedule 03:23

On the 250th anniversary of the United States, Revisionist History investigates the overlooked story of New York City almost breaking apart as Staten Island threatened to secede.  Over the course of five episodes, The Staten Island Problem reconstructs the battle for New York City amidst the turbulent early 1990s — the rise of Rudy Giuliani, the peak of the homicide rate, the Wu-Tang Clan, a young Donald Trump, and the first Black mayor of New York — all through the prism of the city’s Forgotten Borough. And ultimately asks: What do you do when a democracy looks like it’s falling apart? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Dollop Crossover | Ben Naddaff-Hafrey on Staten Island and the Revolutionary War

calendar_today Sep 17, 2026 schedule 80:18

After Ben's Staten Island summer, he sat down with The Dollop hosts, comedians Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds, to examine Staten Island during the Revolutionary War. Ben, Dave, and Gareth dive into an extremely niche topic in history. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Barack Obama & Malcolm Gladwell: How Reconstruction Still Defines America

calendar_today Sep 22, 2026 schedule 61:57

Malcolm sat down with President Barack Obama while making Reconstruction: The Unfinished Promise for a conversation about history, progress, and why democracy is never a finished project. What makes Reconstruction one of the most misunderstood eras in American history, and why does it still have so much relevance today? Today, we’re sharing an extended version of their conversation.  You can find the full series, Reconstruction: The Unfinished Promise, on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Big Birthday Party

calendar_today Feb 12, 2026 schedule 32:00

Despite his disdain for birthdays, Malcolm finds himself celebrating ten years of Revisionist History by looking back on the making of the show with producers past and present. And, of course, his mother. Referenced Episodes: Season 1, Episode 5: Food Fight Season 6, Episode 10: The Dog Will See You Now Season 2, Episode 4: The Foot Soldier of Birmingham Season 9, Episode 5: Guns Part 5: The Footnote Season 11, Episode 9: Hitler's Olympics, Part 9: A Plague on Both Your Houses. Season 14, Episode 1: The Alabama Murders - Part 1: The True Church Season 1, Episode 6: My Little Hundred Million Season 3, Episode 10: Analysis, Parapraxis, Elvis Season 11, Episode 6: Hitler's Olympics, Part 6: The Jiggle & the Giddy Up See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zootopia Exposed! (Part One)

calendar_today Mar 5, 2026 schedule 31:36

Screenwriter Gary Goldman claimed the creators of the Disney franchise Zootopia stole his story. Malcolm investigates.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zootopia Exposed! (Part Two)

calendar_today Mar 12, 2026 schedule 31:11

Did Disney make an anti-Disney movie? Ben and Malcolm engage in a bit of literary sleuthing to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Sony Hack | The Mistakes Series

calendar_today Apr 16, 2026 schedule 30:15

The former head of Sony Pictures Entertainment, Michael Lynton, tells Malcolm about a time he made a really big mistake: greenlighting a film that would lead to an international incident.   You can learn more about Michael Lynton and Josh Steiner’s book, From Mistakes to Meaning, here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Tragedy in Texas | The Mistakes Series

calendar_today Apr 23, 2026 schedule 29:49

General David Goldfein, former Chief of Staff of the US Air Force, and Dr. Heather Wilson, former Secretary of the Air Force, tell the story of the worst day in their professional careers and what it taught them about leadership.  You can find their book, Get Back up: Lessons in Servant Leadership, here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


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Revisionist History