Lancaster Region

The British Empire once held a quarter of the world’s land and people under its sway. At the center of this imperial colossus lay the seething, vibrant city of London. Founded as a humble Roman army camp, London grew over the centuries to become a world-class capital of commercial, intellectual, and artistic life. This program takes you on a lively tour through London’s dramatic past and delightful present – from the Black Death and the Blitz to the British Museum and Buckingham Palace. You’ll also meet some of the city’s most famous residents, including George Frideric Handel, Sherlock Holmes, and Charlie Chaplin.

This lecture will enable listeners to understand the many ways in which the American people transformed during the course of the Second World War. In addition to building a mighty arsenal - including army, navy, and air force to fight a global war - they transformed their thinking about their role in the world. Moving from isolationism to global leadership in a few short years, the American people had to reinvent their national identity and develop a new relationship to the wider world.