Throughline

by NPR
13,746

The past is never past. Every headline has a history. Join us every week as we go back in time to understand the present. These are stories you can feel and sounds you can see from the moments that shaped our world.

Subscribe to Throughline+. You'll be supporting the history-reframing, perspective-shifting, time-warping stories you can't get enough of - and you'll unlock access bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org/throughline

Recent Episodes
  • Ralph Nader, Consumer Crusader
    Apr 18, 2024 – 47:11
  • The 14th Amendment
    Apr 11, 2024 – 49:34
  • The Land of the Fee (Throwback)
    Apr 4, 2024 – 45:08
  • A History of Hezbollah
    Mar 28, 2024 – 49:57
  • The Great Textbook War
    Mar 21, 2024 – 47:40
  • Radiolab: Worst. Year. Ever
    Mar 19, 2024 – 38:37
  • A Symphony of Resistance (Throwback)
    Mar 14, 2024 – 55:31
  • The Rise of the Right Wing in Israel
    Mar 7, 2024 – 53:05
  • The Right to An Attorney
    Feb 29, 2024 – 50:37
  • Dance Yourself Free (Throwback)
    Feb 22, 2024 – 50:01
  • Love, Throughline
    Feb 15, 2024 – 53:17
  • The Scent of History
    Feb 8, 2024 – 51:28
  • James Baldwin's Shadow (Throwback)
    Feb 1, 2024 – 44:24
  • Bonus: The Empty Grave of Comrade Bishop
    Jan 30, 2024 – 49:46
  • The Man Who Cured Aging
    Jan 25, 2024 – 49:46
  • The Right to Bear Arms
    Jan 18, 2024 – 51:48
  • When Things Fall Apart (Throwback)
    Jan 11, 2024 – 49:59
  • The Nostalgia Bone (2021)
    Jan 4, 2024 – 56:32
  • Editing Reality (2023)
    Dec 28, 2023 – 52:20
  • Apology: The Way Back (2023)
    Dec 21, 2023 – 52:26
  • Dare to Dissent
    Dec 14, 2023 – 50:16
  • The Lord Of Misrule
    Dec 7, 2023 – 49:10
  • A.D.A. Now! (2020)
    Nov 30, 2023 – 58:10
  • How U.S. Unions Took Flight
    Nov 23, 2023 – 47:29
  • A History of Hamas
    Nov 16, 2023 – 51:41
  • Grenada: Nobody's Backyard (2021)
    Nov 9, 2023 – 57:51
  • The Supreme Court's Shadow Docket
    Nov 2, 2023 – 49:42
  • The Three Faces of Ataturk
    Oct 26, 2023 – 53:27
  • The Dance of the Dead (2021)
    Oct 19, 2023 – 50:20
  • The Contradictions of Abraham Lincoln
    Oct 12, 2023 – 49:16
  • Two Miles Down The Road
    Oct 5, 2023 – 55:01
  • Tenochtitlán: A Retelling of the Conquest (2021)
    Sep 28, 2023 – 52:33
  • David v Goliath
    Sep 21, 2023 – 51:48
  • A Tale of Two Tribal Nations
    Sep 14, 2023 – 51:15
  • Silicon Island (2022)
    Sep 7, 2023 – 48:49
  • How Korean Culture Went Global (2022)
    Aug 31, 2023 – 48:25
  • By Accident of Birth (2022)
    Aug 24, 2023 – 58:24
  • The Characters That Built China (2022)
    Aug 17, 2023 – 49:22
  • The Lavender Scare
    Aug 10, 2023 – 51:07
  • Getting to Sesame Street (2022)
    Aug 3, 2023 – 49:13
  • The Hidden War
    Jul 27, 2023 – 52:24
  • All Wars Are Fought Twice (2022)
    Jul 20, 2023 – 47:54
  • No Bad Ideas?
    Jul 13, 2023 – 51:12
  • The Legacy of Henry Kissinger
    Jul 6, 2023 – 49:25
  • After Roe: A New Battlefield (2022)
    Jun 29, 2023 – 52:11
  • The Labor Of Love
    Jun 22, 2023 – 52:37
  • Affirmative Action
    Jun 15, 2023 – 49:41
  • Before Roe: The Physicians' Crusade (2022)
    Jun 8, 2023 – 52:48
  • The Ghost in Your Phone
    Jun 1, 2023 – 52:19
  • The Freedom of Speech
    May 25, 2023 – 49:07
Recent Reviews
  • 123321123321467
    NPR Used To Be Great
    Felt bad to unfollow as the premise of this show is classically great NPR. However it was not spared from the progressive takeover that has poisoned the intellectual well at NPR. Not to say the journalists are not intelligent, they most certainly are, but rather not courageous enough to be journalists to overcome the institutional capture of NPR.
  • Andrew H Brown
    Informative but unbalanced
    I just listened to "land of the Fee" episode and found the historical perspective. Interesting. However, the peace really only looked at the negative sides of the tipping economy. It did not speak to the meritorious benefits of tipping and how and otherwise unskilled or poorly educated worker can make very good money, much more than they could an hourly rate. for example, I know servers who can make $200 or more in a four hour shift.
  • Eclectic Music Lover 123
    Getting More & More Political
    This is a great show, with the exception of a few recent episodes where it is clear your political opinions are taking over the story telling. Quit, please.
  • lion rock heart
    Thanks for the tip, Radiiolab
    On Radiolab’s suggestion I went to check out this podcast and instantly fell in love with it. Narrative journalism takes a tremendous amount of resources to produce and I wish there were more of it—especially of this caliber. I’m also having fun reading the critical reviews by thick-browed, television addicts who are triggered by public radio. You’re obviously doing something right, Throughline! ❤️
  • RWB.RWB
    Super biased against Israel
    I used to love this show because I thought it was so well researched, but then they started making episodes about a conflict that I know pretty well and realized that it’s very one-sided. I’m really sad to unsubscribe from Throughline because it used to be one of my very favorite podcasts.
  • Peepsy Plum
    Carefully researched
    This history show brings forward perspectives I’ve been unaware of when the topics are ones I’ve read a lot about, which means I am more interested to hear the various perspectives documented in episodes dealing with topics with which I have less familiarity.
  • Hhgfyum
    Masterfully weaving and revealing history
    An enthralling podcast that masterfully weaves history into the fabric of our present. With captivating storytelling and meticulous research, it sheds light on pivotal moments, leaving listeners both informed and inspired. A must-listen for curious minds!
  • L,.L,.
    Always one sided
    Team is clearly biased on so many issues and only presents partial stories most of the times. Can’t wait till the cover the American Civil War and blame it on Lincoln’s aggression without even noting that maybe slavery had something to do with it.
  • Vote2018
    Great show
    Excellent!
  • labugreen
    Thorough and nuanced
    Consistently thorough and nuanced research. Truly unmatched in the arena of NPR podcasts. Also one of the few podcasts at NPR not casually spouting pro-Zionist messaging parading as facts. I love your work and thank you for continuing!
  • Katie the Pest
    Poor Research and Vetting
    Throughline’s decision to feature professor Sara Yael Hirschhorn on your recent episode “A Look into the Rise of Right-Wing Israel” is seriously egregious and makes me question the integrity of your research. Have the producers of the show actually read her book City on a Hilltop (Harvard UP)? Just because something is published by a prestigious university press does not mean its ideas are sound or its ideologies are not violent and illiberal. Hirschhorn ahistorically launders the American Jewish settler movement as a “liberal” project and casts anyone to the left of Baruch Goldstein as misunderstood and “not that bad.” The book is decidedly pro-settlements while finger wagging at a few bad apples to save face. Hirschhorn is an obvious supporter of the settler movement (she can claim the opposite all she wants, “Wah, I do not self-report as racist”) and very recently railed against the Biden administration’s decision to sanction a handful of extremist settlers, because, you know… the political ramifications, certainly not her personal sympathies. Spend five minutes scrolling through her Twitter feed. Her views are barely distinguishable from any right wing Israeli minister championing endless slaughter in Gaza. Perhaps you should have interviewed her as an example of the rise of the right wing in Israel rather than as an objective expert on it? Really shoddy work and poor judgment, not that I expect more from an NPR outfit!
  • Blorp The Alien
    I love this show but …
    …I’m pretty sure Ramtin has Rund locked in the basement. She hasn’t made an actual appearance in a year at least. We only ever hear her voice from old snippets taped together like a ransom note.
  • Asheville23
    Great!
    Such a great show!
  • MahliNickles
    Shout out to Radiolab
    Found this from the Radiolab share. Bow a thankful. Binging is happening🥴
  • FNOMINL
    Truth be told…
    …I don’t know how I forgot about Throughline when I had shifted from my radio listening of NPR, to podcasting my favorite shows! Throughline is actually one of the NPR shows that makes you a more informed and intelligent human being! Now I can binge all the shows that I missed!! Thanks Radio Lab for the reminder!
  • buddhafrog
    Important / beautiful / unique
    Certainly one of the best podcasts. Important voices on important stories that stand a little outside the mainstream The opening of A Symphony of Resistance episode is everything this podcast is about
  • Genie
    Disappointing
    Your coverage of the rise of the right wing Israeli government is very screwed. Not once you mention the hundreds of rockets fired into Israel by hamas, Islamic jihad, and hezbollah. Not a word about Munich hostages, not a word about expulsion of Jews from Arab countries, nothing on the extend of suicide bombing. Tragic events are happening today. Loud voices are demanding ceasefire, but I’m not hearing any mention of the hostages. Also the anti Jewish sentiment, violence, and vandalism in Europe and the US seem very telling…
  • SHAUMT
    Sits squarely to the left of left
    Update: News flash. Palestine doesn’t want a two state solution. I used to enjoy this podcast but now every topic is an agenda. Exhausting. Sadly it has hit rock bottom with the racist attack on Capitalism. Would these unbiased journalists prefer socialism/communism, perhaps a dictatorship, a completely irreligious nation with laws provided by the whims of those in power?
  • SaraMichelleB
    Fantastic podcast
    Timely episodes providing historical context for current events
  • Eitansays
    Full blown propaganda
    3/7/24 episode The Rise of the Right Wing in Israel — I’ve been listening to Throughline since it came out and would NEVER have expected what I’m hearing right now. The doom music looming in the background of the entire episode, the transparent demonization of Zionism as a concept, the singular, depraved narrative of Israeli defensive / preemptive action without consideration of the precedent events that led to it… This is THE MOST biased, offensive story I’ve listened to in the last 5 months. YOU ALL SHOULD BE ASHAMED
  • Nope6p
    Latest episode is trash
    It’s not war there is no army on one side. Unfollow journalism is dead
  • d00dles4science
    Awesome
    Loved the Things Fall Apart episode
  • TheMollster89
    great show
    really loved the public defenders episode
  • Mamabear1953
    Always good
    Throughline covers wide ranging subjects and always unique and thoughtful. It’s one of my favorites and I’m grateful to the talented people who make it.
  • Shaycr16
    Dating
    Try dating in your 50s!! I have gotten off all dating sites. I say meet people in person through Meetup.com or some group. What is your hobby? Find a group of people who love what you love. That is what I plan to do as soon as my 17 year old son goes off to college. Right now I want to spend as much time as possible with him and going to his Waterpolo tournaments. FYI, I started a Meetup group 10 years ago to become comfortable swimming in the ocean, I met my goal and met some amazing people. I didn’t meet my LTR match, but I believe it was not and is not the right time yet. Be adventurous, go do what you love and hopefully we will all find someone we connect with and can say, ya he/she is my people, my special person that gets me! Much LOVE to you all!! and to the hosts of this amazing podcast, I always look forward to hearing another episode! Thank you!
  • B C V
    Still the best
    Still the best at tying history to present
  • braggmama2
    I absolutely adore this podcast
    The deep dives into timely topics and their histories are necessary for good citizenship.
  • Chilistructure
    The man who cured aging
    So poorly presented. Basically a conspiracy theory which never once mentions the gut biome actual modern science about some of these issues.
  • angrylf
    Wallowing on wokeness
    This show will appeal to people who use terms like ‘Latinx’ (which none of my Latin friends use) - a bunch of bourgeois nonsense for wealthy people who have the time and energy to contemplate their navels. This is exactly why I stopped donating to NPR.
  • jgr314
    Recent 2nd amendment episode was very strong
    This was a very good episode, with a very effective thread tracing the history of the issues related to this amendment. If anything could have made it stronger, I would have loved to include some additional voices, for example Carol Anderson, the author of The Second: Race and Guns in a Fatally Unequal America.
  • banned in new england
    Audio quality/mixing HORRIBLE
    I like this show's concepts and content a lot! Unfortunately, the audio mixing is so inconsistent in a single episode, I can only hear 2/3rds of it...
  • D Real JD
    Love the perspective
    Love the perspective this show captures. Love the neutral position the show attempts to tell us history from. Only complaint is we need more history episodes!!!! LOL But seriously great show. Look forward to learning more about history from Throughline.
  • MSZListener
    Apology: the way back
    Appropriate name for this show: MAMA - Make Apologies Matter Again
  • USWListner
    So good!
    Fantastic, thought provoking podcast! I recommend it to all my friends.
  • Flyingvirtuoso
    Unlistenable Anti-American Drivel
    Features literal communist sympathizers. If you hate America, this is the podcast for you.
  • Sonny eyes
    Dare to Dissent
    Inspiring and knowledgeable
  • RockyZ124
    Wonderful podcast
    The partition episode was an all-timer for me.
  • RaeOn1999
    Over the top sound design, I love Throughline
    The best sound design is the one most people don’t notice. Oh my God did I notice. Thank you for all you do.
  • Kacy Faulconer
    Sound engineer is first rate
    The sound engineer doesn’t have to go so hard but they always do—especially on The Lord of Misrule 👏👏👏
  • cydwel
    What’s with the Audio Drops?
    Usually, the audio quality of “Throughline” is impeccable. But the latest ADA episode - in Througline+ no less! - had periodic audio drops that took out so many words that it made it unlistenable. Obviously, this isn’t what I’m paying extra for.
  • bailindsey
    The Absolute Best!
    I look forward to listening to each episode of Throughline. I either learn something new or I am corrected on something I was sure I thought I knew. Whichever it is I am enlightened. The hosts Rund Abdelfatah and Ramtin Arablouei are so good at making me feel I am included in the conversation. Special kudos for the History of Hamas episode. It brought together for me what I have seen, what I have read and what I have heard regarding the Middle East conflict.
  • Ku meli
    Thank you!
    I really appreciate your tale of two tribes episode. We don’t often hear this history and I appreciate the representation.
  • newsjunqui
    History of Hamas
    This podcast was informative & enlightening. It revealed how complex the issues are, the competing motivations among the groups & ultimately how difficult it will be to achieve peace. Nonetheless I appreciate the effort to produce this podcast - the research, assembling experts who can speak with authority. Thank you very much for educating me. Please do not stop what you are doing.
  • missle rat
    How Unions Took Flight
    The episode left out one very salient point; strikes by federal employees are illegal. There was no sympathy for the controllers. The union thought the government wouldn’t be able to fire them because it would paralyze the air traffic system. They were wrong. I was a federal employee at the time and no one, including our union, was in favor of their action.
  • Unemployed Hero
    Would Be Great
    The added music & sound effects are ridiculously loud, often overpowering the person speaking. Throughline covers important topics, has interesting guests, and good hosts. The blaring music & wacky sound effects are out of place and take away from what could be a great, compelling podcast
  • ukufdjjffijg
    History of hamas
    I’m very disappointed with the biased reporting and lack of context put into the history of hamas episode. It genuinely makes me concerned that this may be someone’s first exposure to what hamas is. If you’re going to listen to it please don’t take it at face value and please look for other perspectives or other sources. I don’t believe this is a credible podcast after listening to the reporting in this one unfortunately.
  • Diana_roundtheworld
    Excellent perspective
    “A History of Hamas” presents a thoughtful and well balanced history not only of Hamas, but of its context within the greater Israel-Palestine conflict. This background is much needed!
  • Child of Verona
    Went downhill
    What happened to you? You used to be honest, you used to be the good guys! Disappointed at the progressive drop in the quality of your stories (I skipped most of this season’s episodes), and the whitewashing of the history of Palestine. You could have covered the story from a different angle, instead you chose to reinforce the focus on Hamas (funded by Israel in the first place to counter the secular PLO precisely because of their Islamist views which would wreck the path for peace as it did) to further the rethoric that justifies killing civilians as mandated by the US government that's backing this whole mess instead of financing more urgent crisis like securing the border, education, healthcare, the environment.. But I guess it's National Public Radio after all and expected to be a mouthpiece in this case... anyways I think I'm done with Throughline
  • ellensmrek
    Palestinian representation
    I’m disappointed to see an episode on the history of Hamas without the history of Palestine, without the history of the colonial taking of Palestinian land by Israel.
  • Blanchflower7
    Latest show is so disappointing
    I was waiting in anticipation for what Rund Abdelfatah and Ramtin Arablouei would come up with regarding current events. I was sure it would be a powerful stance of Solidarity with the people of Palestine. But actually, it was weak. I can’t help but wonder if NPR is editing/silencing/diluting what they would say if they didn’t have a boss. Rund Abdelfatah’s voice was missing :( why?! Free Palestine!
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