Not since the Civil War had the American national consciousness been as strained as it was by the conflict in Southeast Asia. Indeed, the controversies that the Vietnam War spurred on the home front are more familiar to many Americans than the policies and motives that guided the conflict. The History of the Vietnam War fills that gap. From a distance of 50 years, you will reexamine the war and its lessons. Throughout, Prof. Brigham sheds light on the United States and its place in the world today.

World War II was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, involving the majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing military alliances. The major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities into the war effort. It was by far the deadliest conflict in human history, resulting in 70 to 85 million fatalities, due to actual battles as well as genocides (the Holocaust), starvation, massacres, and disease.

The relationship between church and state is a powerful thread stitching the medieval era to modern history. Through this captivating course on Charlemagne, you can follow it back to its inception in the Holy Roman Empire.

Alexander the Great (ca. 356-323 BCE) was a Macedonian general who brought Greek civilization to the edge of modern-day India. After studying the Iliad, he believed himself to be Achilles reincarnated, imitating the hero of the epic poem in his own military campaigns. Even before he died barely into his 30s, the legends surrounding him were larger than life. In this compelling new audio course, you’ll explore the history and lore surrounding this real man and mythic figure, often by consulting the ancient sources themselves.

Join Christopher Fee, co-editor of An Encyclopedia of American Myth, Legend, and Folklore, for an entertaining and revealing look at our nation’s folkloric imagination. In this compelling 24-lecture audio series, you’ll meet figures such as Daniel Boone and John Henry, and learn the stories of characters such as Water Jar Boy and the Woodcutter and the Fairy. Specters also abound, and you’ll encounter frightening figures ranging from the Headless Horseman to La Llorona.