Podcasts

Mark talked to Greg Berg, host of The Morning Show on NPR affiliate WGTD about the history of U.S. attempts to absorb Canada, the definition of annexation, some of the more unusual places around the world that the U.S. once had its eye on, and much more. Berg called the book “really carefully researched and meticulously written” and said he “really, truly did enjoy your book.” 

Mark chatted with Ira Sternberg on Ira's Everything Bagel podcast about this week's Greenland news, the history of American expansionism, the surprising story of Rio Rico, the history of American interest in the Galápagos Islands, and lots more. 

Mark had a great conversation with Martin Di Caro on the History As It Happens podcast. We talked about why Donald Trump hasn't been successful with any of his annexation ideas, the three phases of American annexation, and when the country transitioned from adding states to adding territories. 

Before the Civil War, thousands of Southern men joined a secret society complete with castles, passwords, elaborate oaths, medieval costumes, and dreams of conquest. They called themselves the Knights of the Golden Circle, and beneath all the pageantry was a serious ambition: expand slavery by building a vast new empire across Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Listen to Mark's third episode of Our American Stories. 

In the 1850s, William Walker had an extraordinary idea: Why not conquer a country of his own? The Tennessee-born doctor, lawyer, and journalist gathered a small army of Americans, invaded Mexico, and declared himself ruler of a new republic. When that collapsed, he tried again. This time, he set his sights on Nicaragua. Listen to Mark's second episode of Our American Stories.

When President Donald Trump floated the idea of buying Greenland in 2019, many Americans thought the proposal came out of nowhere. In reality, the United States had been eyeing the Arctic island for more than 150 years. We especially wanted it after Denmark fell into Nazi hands. Listen to Mark's first episode of Our American Stories.

Jen Gerson interviewed Mark on The Line podcast. They discussed the history of American attempts to annex Canada, as well as some other expansion attempts around the world, including those involving El Salvador, Ecuador, and Japan. 

It was "a fascinating conversation about ambition, empire, national identity, and the often-overlooked constraints on American power."

Scott Rank interviewed Mark on the History Unplugged podcast. They discussed El Salvador's request to join the Union, a scheme to acquire Kamchatka, Syria’s fate after World War I, what makes for a good future U.S. state, and much more.