Reckoning with Jason Herbert

In this episode of Reckoning with Jason Herbert, I’m joined by historian Megan Kate Nelson to talk about her new book The Westerners: Mythmaking and Belonging on the American Frontier—and why the frontier myth refuses to die.We dig into the stories of seven people who lived the West in real time—Indigenous women, Black frontiersmen, Chinese migrants, and white settlers—and how their lives complicate the familiar narrative of pioneers and progress.Along the way, we explore: The origins of the frontier myth and why it still shapes American identity  Figures like Sacagawea and Jim Beckwourth—and the messy, human realities behind the legends  Why cities like Denver were central to the making of the West  How race, gender, and power determined who got written into history—and who didn’t  What these stories reveal about land, belonging, and conflict in America today This is a conversation about myth, memory, and the stories we choose to tell—and the ones we’ve ignored for far too long.If you think you know the West, this episode might change your mind.

What if time travel wasn’t about discovery—but control?In this episode of Reckoning with Jason Herbert, we dive into the 1994 sci-fi action film Timecop—a quintessential 90s blockbuster starring Jean-Claude Van Damme that blends time travel, political corruption, and high-octane action into something far more revealing than it first appears.Joining me are Reckoning stalwarts and my great friends, historians Robert Greene II and John Wyatt Greenlee. Together, we explore what Timecop tells us about the 1990s—an era shaped by anxieties over government power, deregulation, and the growing sense that the past itself could be weaponized.We talk about:How Timecop reflects 90s fears of political corruption and unchecked authorityThe idea of “policing time” and who gets to control historyWhere Van Damme fits in the action hero pantheonWhy a film built on spectacle still raises meaningful historical questionsThis episode is part of our ongoing Historians At The Movies series, where we use film as a lens to think more deeply about history, culture, and the stories we tell ourselves about both.🎧 If you enjoy conversations that bring together history, film, and sharp cultural insight, make sure to follow, rate, and review the show on Apple Podcasts—it helps more people find the conversation.

In this episode, I sit down with historian James Longhurst, author of Bike Battles, to break down the 1979 film Breaking Away and what it reveals about cycling and American life. We talk about why this coming-of-age sports movie still resonates, how it captures class and masculinity, and what it says about the 1970s bike boom. Along the way, we dig into the history of bicycling in America, the politics of the road, and how debates over bike infrastructure, cities, and transportation continue today. From Greg LeMond to Lance Armstrong to the rise of e-bikes, this is a conversation about film, history, and who gets to belong on the American road. 

Wildfires are no longer rare disasters in the American West—they are a defining feature of the landscape. But very few people have seen them up close.In this episode, Jason Herbert speaks with Kelly Ramsey, author of Wildfire Days: A Woman, a Hotshot Crew, and the Burning American West. Ramsey spent multiple seasons on an elite wildland firefighting crew—known as hotshots—the teams sent to the most dangerous parts of massive fires.Ramsey was also the only woman on her crew, navigating a demanding and deeply male-dominated culture while battling some of the largest fires in recent Western history.Together we explore:What it actually feels like to stand on the firelineThe intense culture and camaraderie of hotshot crewsThe growing reality of megafires in the American WestGender, belonging, and earning trust in one of the toughest jobs in AmericaWhat these fires reveal about the future of the Western landscapePart adventure story, part personal reckoning, Wildfire Days offers a powerful look at life inside the fires that are reshaping the American West.

Barbecue is American history — but not the version most of us were taught.In this episode, I talk with James Beard Award–winning historian Adrian Miller about the untold story behind his book Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue.Who built American barbecue? How did enslaved pitmasters shape a national cuisine? Why have Black barbecue traditions been minimized in the stories we tell about Texas brisket, Memphis ribs, and Southern food culture?We dive into Juneteenth celebrations, church barbecues, political gatherings, regional myths, and the fight over what counts as “authentic” barbecue.If barbecue is America’s food, this conversation asks a bigger question: What happens when we forget who built it?

What if Clue isn’t just a cult comedy — but a sharp satire of the Cold War?In this episode of Reckoning with Jason Herbert, historian Julio Capó Jr. joins me to unpack the surprisingly profound history lesson hidden inside the 1985 film Clue. Set in a 1950s mansion but released during the Reagan era, Clue plays with paranoia, anti-communism, class anxiety, and America’s nostalgic myths about the past — all while delivering rapid-fire jokes and multiple endings.We explore how the film reflects Cold War politics, the cultural mood of the 1980s, and why its farcical dinner party still resonates today. Is Clue simply a beloved murder mystery comedy? Or is it a clever commentary on power, fear, and the stories Americans tell about themselves?If you love film history, Cold War history, political satire, or cult classics, this conversation will make you see Clue in an entirely new light.🎙️ Subscribe, rate, and share Reckoning with Jason Herbert wherever you get your podcasts.

Today on the podcast, we’re stepping inside The Gray House—not just the story you see on screen, but the one behind it. This episode is a behind-the-scenes look at how this series came to life: how it was conceived, how it was built, and why it mattered enough to tell it this way.I’m joined by executive producers Lori McCreary and Leslie Greif, along with director Roland Joffé. Together, they walk us through the creative choices, the production challenges, and the larger questions they were wrestling with as they made The Gray House. What did they want this series to say—not just about the past, but about the moment we’re living in now? And what do they hope stays with viewers long after the final scene fades to black?This is a conversation about storytelling, history, collaboration, and intent—and about why some stories demand to be told as more than just entertainment. Let’s get into it.

In this episode, I sit down with cultural geographer Rashad Shabazz to dissect the 1984 classic starring Prince — and ask the uncomfortable questions.Is The Kid a tortured genius… or a young man replaying generational trauma?Is the final performance redemption — or dominance?And what does Minneapolis represent in a film about Black masculinity, ambition, and control?We unpack race, space, violence, desire, artistic genius, and the myth of upward mobility — all through the lens of one of the most iconic soundtracks of the 1980s.This is Purple Rain as you’ve never heard it discussed before.🎧 Press play.

In Episode 183 of Reckoning with Jason Herbert, historian Heather Cox Richardson joins the show for a lively and surprisingly sharp conversation about the film Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter—and what it reveals about American mythmaking.What happens when we place a fantastical, axe-wielding Abraham Lincoln alongside the real political crises of the 1860s—and our own? We explore the Civil War, Reconstruction, the endurance of the “Lost Cause,” and the power of storytelling in shaping national memory. Along the way, we ask whether some myths refuse to die… and whether that might be the point.Smart, funny, and unexpectedly timely, this episode blends pop culture with serious history—reminding us that the stories we tell about the past often say more about the present than we realize.

In this episode of Reckoning, historian Andrew Wehrman, author of Contagion of Liberty, explores how smallpox and inoculation shaped the American founding—and ignited some of the earliest debates over liberty, risk, and public health.Long before COVID-19, Americans wrestled with questions of bodily autonomy, religious belief, communal obligation, and government authority, all in the shadow of a deadly disease and without modern medical knowledge. From local resistance to inoculation to George Washington’s controversial decision to mandate it in the Continental Army, this conversation places early American public health in its full moral and political context.By looking closely at how Americans responded to smallpox, this episode shows why vaccine controversy is not a modern anomaly—but a recurring feature of American life—and what our past can (and cannot) teach us about navigating public health crises today.