About the Show
Who are the American History Guys?
Ed Ayers is President of the University of Richmond. Previously, he served as Hugh P. Kelly Professor of History and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Virginia.
Brian Balogh is Mayo Distinguished Teaching Professor of History at the University of Virginia and Co-Chair of the Governing America in a Global Era Program at UVA’s Miller Center of Public Affairs.
Peter Onuf is the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation Professor of History at the University of Virginia.
BackStory is a brand-new call-in radio show that brings historical perspective to the events happening around us every day. Each week, renowned U.S. historians Ed Ayers, Peter Onuf, and Brian Balogh tear a topic from the headlines and plumb its historical depths. Over the course of a show, the hosts are joined by fellow historians, people in the news, and callers who want to explore the roots of what’s going on now. Together, they drill down to colonial times and earlier, revealing the connections (and sometimes, the disconnections) between past and present. With its passionate, intelligent, and irreverent approach, BackStory is fun and essential listening no matter who you are. A compelling alternative to partisan talk radio, it’s the best history course you’ve never taken--curiosity is the only prerequisite.
