History

Books
Arts

How Thousands Of Nazis Were 'Rewarded' With Life In The U.S.

7:27pm November 05, 2014

After World War II, thousands of Nazis became informants in the Cold War against the Soviet Union — and then got entry into the U.S. Eric Lichtblau's new book, The Nazi Next Door, tells the story.

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Debra Blackmon (left) was sterilized by court order in 1972, at age 14. With help from her niece, Latoya Adams (right), she's fighting to be included in the state's compensation program.

Payments Start For N.C. Eugenics Victims, But Many Won't Qualify

8:13am November 05, 2014

by Eric Mennel

North Carolina forcibly sterilized thousands of people between 1929 and 1976. The state has begun compensating victims, but some who were sterilized may never receive restitution from the fund.

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Carlos Santana visits NPR for an interview about his new memoir The Universal Tone: Bringing My Story to Light.

Carlos Santana: 'I Am A Reflection Of Your Light'

6:10am November 05, 2014

by NPR Staff

Musician Carlos Santana shares his journey from a difficult childhood in Mexico to international stardom in the new memoir, The Universal Tone: Bringing My Story to Light.

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This gladiator tombstone was excavated in a cemetery for these ancient power athletes in what was once Ephesus, in modern-day Turkey.

Gladiator Gatorade? Ancient Athletes Had A Recovery Drink, Too

5:54pm November 04, 2014

by Maria Godoy

Gladiators guzzled a drink made from plant ash to help their bodies recover after a hard day of sword fighting, according to Roman accounts. New tests of old bones back up that idea.

Brian Moynahan's other books include Jungle Soldier and The Russian Century.

Amid Hunger And Cold, An Unforgettable Symphony Premiere

12:30pm November 04, 2014

by NPR Staff

A year into the siege of Leningrad, a haggard group of musicians defiantly — and improbably — performed Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. 7, which was dedicated to the suffering city.

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Many Views Of Muhammad, As A Man And As A Prophet

7:21pm November 03, 2014

by NPR Staff

In her new book, The Lives of Muhammad, Boston University professor Kecia Ali discusses the different ways that Muslim and non-Muslim biographers have depicted the prophet over the centuries.

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Nepal's sacred goats are escorted to a field to grab a bite. Luckily for them, they will never become a bite.

Holy Goats! They're Kind Of A Big Deal In One Nepali Town

3:07pm November 03, 2014

by Donatella Lorch

The people of Nepal like goat dishes. They like goat sacrifices. But not all local goats meet such a fate. In one town, goats do as they please. After all, they're divine!

Olivia Sedwick, student government president of Winston-Salem State University, and Tom Hanchett, historian of the Levine Museum of the New South, offered perspective about voting rights.

Ahead Of Midterms, Voting Rights And Wrongs In North Carolina

10:04am November 02, 2014

by Michel Martin

North Carolina is one of the states at the heart of the debate about voting laws. So what do its citizens think about new regulations? Michel Martin heads to Charlotte to find out.

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This photo, taken at Katherine Tucker Windham's Selma house, shows reporter Nikki Davis Maute — and in the background, some say, the spirit the family calls Jeffrey.

Books
Arts

Spine-Tingling With A Twang: Great Alabama Ghost Stories

7:41pm October 31, 2014

by Debbie Elliott

There's nothing like a good ghost story on Halloween — and some of the best tales were told by the late storyteller and NPR commentator Kathryn Tucker Windham.

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Religion

The Creepiest Ghost And Monster Stories From Around The World

4:32pm October 31, 2014

by Gene Demby

Did you know about the bat-demon of Tanzania? Or the Japanese girl who haunts school bathrooms? We've rounded up some spooky stories that come from different cultural contexts. The chills translate.