Shows
History for Cocktail PartiesBefore Camelot: The bootlegging, securities fraud, suspicious homicide and other sins of Joseph Kennedy Sr., which built one of America’s largest fortunes and political dynastiesIn Episode 3 of Before Camelot, hosts James Ottley and Thornton Kennedy continue to peel back the veneer of America’s most storied political dynasty. It begins with the death of Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Originally groomed for the presidency, Joe Jr.'s tragic end in World War II forced his younger brother John into the political spotlight, with Bobby soon following. The episode traces the family's rise to power, built on Joseph Kennedy Sr.’s fortune and ambition, and the burden his sons carried as heirs to a legacy forged in secrecy and scandal. From wartime sacrifice to political triu...2025-06-1734 minHistory for Cocktail PartiesBefore Camelot: The bootlegging, securities fraud, suspicious homicide and other sins of Joseph Kennedy Sr., which built one of America’s largest fortunes and political dynasties. Episode 2In the latest episode of Atlanta History for Cocktail Parties, hack historians James Ottley and Thornton Kennedy take a sharp-edged dive into the complicated life of Joseph P. Kennedy, the original architect of America's most storied political dynasty. From his savvy — and often suspect — stock market plays to his strategic forays into Hollywood and real estate, Kennedy emerges as a master of timing and influence. The conversation tracks his behind-the-scenes role in securing FDR’s nomination, his controversial stance on Prohibition, and his tangled relationships with both the British crown and organized crime.2025-06-0636 minHistory for Cocktail PartiesBefore Camelot: The bootlegging, securities fraud, suspicious homicide and other sins of Joseph Kennedy Sr., which built one of America’s largest fortunes and political dynasties. Episope 1Hack historians James Ottley and Thornton Kennedy explore the dark origin story of America’s most glamorous political dynasty. Long before JFK captured the nation's imagination, his father Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. was amassing a fortune through bootlegging, stock manipulation, insider trading, and political backroom deals — with more than a few suspicious deaths along the way. This is the story of how the house of Kennedy was really built: Before Camelot.2025-06-0435 minHistory for Cocktail PartiesAn attempted murder, a Spanish Governor’s revenge, German U-boat attacks and millionaires club that shaped the history of Georgia’s largest state park — Jekyll Island Part 2Before it became a millionaire’s retreat and before U-boats prowled its shores during World War II, Jekyll Island began as a gift — an honor bestowed by James Oglethorpe upon one of Britain’s most principled and peculiar political minds: Sir Joseph Jekyll. A fiery Whig reformer, Jekyll spent four decades fighting corruption in Parliament, championing sobriety to the point of needing personal security, and helping bankroll Oglethorpe’s fledgling Georgia colony. His reward? A slice of untamed coastal wilderness in the New World that would one day bear his name. 2025-05-2336 minHistory for Cocktail PartiesAn attempted murder, a Spanish Governor’s revenge, German U-boat attacks and millionaires club that shaped the history of Georgia’s largest state park — Jekyll IslandBefore it became a millionaire’s retreat and before U-boats prowled its shores during World War II, Jekyll Island began as a gift — an honor bestowed by James Oglethorpe upon one of Britain’s most principled and peculiar political minds: Sir Joseph Jekyll. A fiery Whig reformer, Jekyll spent four decades fighting corruption in Parliament, championing sobriety to the point of needing personal security, and helping bankroll Oglethorpe’s fledgling Georgia colony. His reward? A slice of untamed coastal wilderness in the New World that would one day bear his name. 2025-05-2028 minHistory for Cocktail PartiesJekyll Island & the Secret Origins of the Federal Reserve Episode 4In the final episode of Jekyll Island and the Secret Origin of the Fed, hack historians Thornton Kennedy and James Ottley peel back the curtain on the conspiracy theories—and cold, hard truths—surrounding the creation of the Federal Reserve. What was really at stake when six men, representing some of the wealthiest interests in America, met in secrecy on Jekyll Island? Was it public good or private gain that drove them? With a cocktail in hand and a raised eyebrow, your hosts explore the Fed’s shadowy birth, its elusive mechanics, and the enduring suspicion that it was less a...2025-05-0921 minHistory for Cocktail PartiesJekyll Island & the Secret Origin of the Federal Reserve Episode 3In Episode 3 of Jekyll Island and the Secret Origin of the Fed, hack historians James Ottley and Thornton Kennedy recount the 1910 journey right out of a movie of America’s financial power players to a secluded Georgia island under the guise of a duck hunting trip. Using only first names and traveling in stealth, the group—including a man who had never hunted duck in his life—crafted the blueprint for what would become the Federal Reserve. It’s a tale of hidden agendas, private railcars, and one of the most consequential meetings in U.S. history.2025-05-0726 minHistory for Cocktail PartiesJekyll Island & the Secret Origins of the Federal Reserve Episode 2In the second leg of the journey to Jekyll Island and the secret 1910 meeting that laid the groundwork for the Federal Reserve System, History for Cocktail Parties hosts James Ottley and Thornton Kennedy dive into the economic chaos triggered by the 1890 Silver Purchase Act and the devastating Panic of 1893. This episode uncovers how debates over gold and silver shaped America’s monetary system, fueled the rise of the Populist Party, and inspired one of the most enduring allegories in American culture: The Wizard of Oz. With political unrest, economic collapse, and symbolism hiding in plain sight, the road to Je...2025-05-0219 minHistory for Cocktail PartiesJekyll Island & the Secret Origins of the Federal Reserve Episode 1History for Cocktail Parties hosts James Ottley and Thornton Kennedy take listeners on a journey that ultimately leads to Jekyll Island, Georgia — the secluded site of a secret 1910 meeting that laid the groundwork for the Federal Reserve System. This episode explores the dramatic history of American money, revealing how financial panics, backroom deals and banking reforms shaped everything from the formation of political parties to the location of the nation’s capital.2025-04-3033 minHistory for Cocktail PartiesThe Masters Episode 3: From Augusta to ImmortalityIn the final installment of our three-part series on The Masters Tournament, hosts James Ottley and Thornton Kennedy take listeners back to the very first tee-off in Augusta. This episode explores the inaugural 1934 tournament and how Bobby Jones—after serving with distinction during World War II—returned home to find his dream had taken root. Ottley and Kennedy trace how Jones' postwar legacy and vision helped elevate The Masters into one of the most prestigious events in all of sports. 2025-04-1120 minHistory for Cocktail PartiesThe Masters Episode 2: Golf in Augusta, GeorgiaIn this episode of History for Cocktail Parties, hosts James Ottley and Thornton Kennedy explore the origins of Augusta National Golf Club, delving into why Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts selected Augusta, Georgia, as the site for their course. They discuss the club's early financial challenges and how these struggles led to the creation of the inaugural Augusta National Invitation Tournament in 1934, which would become the prestigious Masters Tournament. The episode offers a compelling look at the vision and determination that transformed the former Fruitlands Plant Nursery into one of golf's most iconic venues.2025-04-1127 minHistory for Cocktail PartiesThe Masters: Bobby Jones, Cliff Roberts and Alister MacKenzieIn the debut episode of History for Cocktail Parties on The Masters — a tradition unlike any other — hack historians James Ottley and Thornton Kennedy dive into the story behind the creation of Augusta National Golf Club. They explore the unlikely partnership of golf legend Bobby Jones, Wall Street financier Cliff Roberts and renowned golf course architect Alister MacKenzie. Despite coming from vastly different backgrounds, together they crafted one of the most iconic golf courses in the world.2025-04-0423 minHistory for Cocktail PartiesHFCP R.E.M. Episode 4In this final episode of our four-part series on R.E.M., we’re diving into the band’s evolution during the early-80s. Join James Ottley and Thornton Kennedy as we explore the pivotal moments that helped shape R.E.M. into one of the most influential bands of the era. 2025-03-2821 minHistory for Cocktail PartiesR.E.M. Episode 2In this episode of History for Cocktail Parties, hosts Thornton Kennedy and James Ottley take listeners back to the early days of R.E.M., one of the most influential alternative rock bands of all time. They explore the fortuitous meeting of drummer Bill Berry and bassist/backing vocalist Mike Mills at a high school in Macon, Georgia — a chance encounter that would change the course of rock history.2025-03-2615 minHistory for Cocktail PartiesR.E.M. Episode 3In Episode 3 of our series on legendary Athens alternative rock band R.E.M., James Ottley and Thornton Kennedy talk about how Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, Bill Berry, and Mike Mills came together for their legendary first show in a historic church.2025-03-1817 minHistory for Cocktail PartiesR.E.M. Episode 1In the first episode of History for Cocktail Parties, James Ottley and Thornton Kennedy take you back to the early days of R.E.M., the legendary alternative rock band that rocketed out of Athens, Georgia in the 1980s. We’ll explore the story of a young Mike Stipe, how a simple magazine subscription changed the course of his life and the serendipitous meeting with guitarist Peter Buck that set the stage for alternative rock's greatest band.2025-03-1825 min