Welcome to History Happy Hour

with Christopher Anderson & Rick Beyer

Christopher Anderson and Rick Beyer wearing caps

A space where we crowd into the virtual bar to discuss highs and lows and ups and downs of the human story and kibbitz over juicy tidbits.

Sundays at 4PM EDT, host-historians Christopher Anderson (London) and Rick Beyer (Chicago) grab cocktails and talk history - and maybe some smack - live. Fascinating, knowledgeable guests such as Andrew Roberts, Joe Balkoski, Lynne Olson, and Hampton Sides join them in lively conversation sparked by your questions and comments.

The bar opens every Sunday at 4 PM ET on the History Happy Hour Facebook page and YouTube channel.

History Happy Hour, where history is always on tap.

Brought to you with support and assistance from Stephen Ambrose Historical Tours.

Now available as a podcast on
Apple Spotify Stitcher
and elsewhere!

This Week on HHH:

History Happy Hour Episode 223: Secret Science for D-Day Invasion

Guest: Dr. Rachel Lance

Nov 10, 2024

This Week on History Happy Hour: The story of British scientists who developed cutting-edge underwater science that helped make D-Day possible.

Chris and Rick welcome Rachel Lance, author of Chamber Divers. A long-classified tale of eccentric researchers who conducted life threatening experiments on themselves to pioneer the safe use of miniature submarines and breathing apparatuses used to reconnoiter the D-Day beaches.

Sunday at 4PM ET on History Happy Hour, where history is always on tap.

Dr. Rachel Lance is a biomedical engineer and blast-injury specialist who works as a scientific researcher on military diving projects. Dr. Lance spent several years as an engineer for the United States Navy, working to build specialized underwater equipment for use by navy divers, SEALs, and Marine Force Recon personnel. She is also the author of “In the Waves” and her writing has appeared in Time, Wired, Scientific American, and more. She lives in Durham, North Carolina.

Recent episodes

Nov 3, 2024: History Happy Hour Episode 222: Native Nations

Guest: Kathleen DuVal

This Week on History Happy Hour : One thousand years ago, Native American cities in North America rivaled urban centers around the world in size and scope. But has the surprising history of Native Americans has been obscured by historians’ intent on minimizing the role of their still thriving societies? Chris and Rick talk about one thousand years of Native American history with Kathleen DuVal, author of Native Nations: A Millennium in North America ,” a book The Wall Street Journal calls “An essential American history. ” Sunday more

Oct 27, 2024: History Happy Hour Episode 221: Six Plantagenet Kings and England’s Rise

Guests: Dr Caroline Burt and Richard Partington

This Week on History Happy Hour : Between 1199 and 1399, English politics was high drama. These two centuries witnessed savage political blood-letting – including civil war, deposition, the murder of kings and the ruthless execution of rebel lords. Chris and Rick discuss did into this tumultuous period with Dr. Caroline Burt and Richard Partington, authors of Arise, England: Six Kings and the Making of the English State. How did these six Plantegenet Kings, colorful and complicated, manage the development of an English state that would become one more

Oct 20, 2024: History Happy Hour Encore Episode 220: A Combat Nurse in WWII

Guest: NCR Davis

This Week on History Happy Hour : A close-up look at how WWII looked to combat nurse Lt. Mary Elizabeth Balster, who spent months caring for the sick and wounded just behind the front lines of General Patton’s Third Army. In this encore episode, Chris and Rick welcome NCR Davis, Lt. Balster’s daughter, and author of For the Boys: The War Story of a Combat Nurse in Patton’s Third Army. The true story of a richly rebellious and intense woman trying to navigate her life and nurture her sanity more