Say It With History: Stories That Shaped the Past with Holley Snaith

Holley Snaith
  • 5.0 (23)
  • History
  • Updated Weekly

From unsung trailblazers to cultural icons, Say It with History explores how the past shapes the stories we tell—and the lives we lead. Hosted by historian Holley Snaith, who has worked at two presidential libraries, a nonprofit honoring a beloved First Lady, and published numerous pieces on influential historical figures, each episode offers engaging, insightful, and often surprising journeys through time. Whether you’re a lifelong history lover or simply curious about the stories behind the past, this show brings history to life in fresh and meaningful ways.

  1. Sep 18

    Bluegrass and the Grand Ole Opry: Shaping the Sound of Nashville

    Women have long helped shape bluegrass and country music, even when their contributions were not always given equal attention. Singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist Pam Gadd reflects on her career from bluegrass festivals to the Grand Ole Opry, sharing stories of Wild Rose, Earl Scruggs, Porter Wagoner, Dolly Parton, and the changing opportunities for women in country music. Key Topics Women’s roles in bluegrass and country musicThe formation and significance of the all-female band Wild RoseMeeting and playing banjo with Earl ScruggsPerforming with Porter Wagoner on the Grand Ole OpryWorking with Dolly Parton and other country music legendsFinding an authentic voice as a musician and songwriterPassing country and bluegrass traditions to new generationsGuest Bio Pam Gadd is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and educator whose career spans bluegrass and country music. A founding member of Wild Rose, she has performed with artists including Porter Wagoner and Patty Loveless and appeared extensively on the Grand Ole Opry. Today, she continues to perform, record, and teach banjo, mandolin, and guitar. Connect with Pam: Facebook | Instagram Pam’s Music: Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube Channel Pam’s Work: Wild Rose Performing “Home Sweet Highway” | Porter Wagoner & Pam Gadd Sing “The Queen of the Silver Dollar” | Pam Gadd & Dolly Parton Perform “Applejack”   Connect with Holley: Buy Me A Coffee | Website | LinkedIn Listen on YouTube: Channel

    Bluegrass and the Grand Ole Opry: Shaping the Sound of Nashville

  2. Sep 11

    The Myth of the Hollywood War Hero: Lew Ayres, Conscience, and World War II

    Lew Ayres is best remembered for All Quiet on the Western Front, but his life and career extended far beyond the role that made him famous. Film scholar Lesley L. Coffin explores Ayres’s Hollywood career, his controversial decision to become a conscientious objector during World War II, his intellectual and spiritual pursuits, and what his story reveals about celebrity, public perception, and the persistence of Hollywood myths. Key Topics Lew Ayres and All Quiet on the Western FrontHis career within Hollywood’s studio systemBecoming a conscientious objector during World War IIMisconceptions surrounding his wartime serviceAyres’s letters, unpublished writings, and intellectual interestsHis return to Hollywood and later careerCelebrity, public image, and the creation of Hollywood mythsGuest Bio Lesley L. Coffin is a film scholar, journalist, interviewer, and critic with a master’s degree in star studies from New York University. She is the author of Hitchcock’s Stars: Alfred Hitchcock and the Hollywood Studio System and Lew Ayres: Hollywood’s Conscientious Objector, published by University Press of Mississippi. Connect with Lesley: LinkedIn Lew Ayres: Hollywood’s Conscientious Objector: University Press of Mississippi | Bookshop Ebook Books Mentioned: The Stars Appear by Richard Dyer Maccann Bookshop Connect with Holley: Buy Me A Coffee | Website | LinkedIn Listen on YouTube: Channel

    The Myth of the Hollywood War Hero: Lew Ayres, Conscience, and World War II

  3. Sep 4

    Unit 731: War Crimes and the Cover-Up of Wartime Atrocities

    Unit 731 remains one of the most disturbing and lesser-known chapters of World War II. Historian Jenny Chan explores Japan’s secret biological warfare program, the role of the U.S. government in its postwar history, and why these atrocities remained largely unfamiliar to Western audiences for decades. Key Topics Unit 731 and Japan’s biological warfare programThe U.S. government’s role in the postwar aftermathWhy these atrocities remained little known in the WestWorld War II in the Asia-Pacific regionMedia narratives and the shaping of public memoryPreserving and teaching difficult historiesGuest Bio Jenny Chan is the director of Pacific Atrocities Education, a nonprofit dedicated to researching and teaching the history of World War II atrocities in the Asia-Pacific region. Her work encompasses subjects including Unit 731, the Nanjing Massacre, the invasion of Manchuria, and the “comfort women” system through research, publications, digital archives, and educational Connect with Jenny: Website | Instagram | Facebook | X | YouTube Books Mentioned: Marutas of Unit 731 by Jenny Chan Paperback  Connect with Holley: Buy Me A Coffee | Website | LinkedIn Listen on YouTube: Channel

    Unit 731: War Crimes and the Cover-Up of Wartime Atrocities

  4. Aug 28

    The Man Behind the Legend: Joe DiMaggio, Fame, and American Memory

    Joe DiMaggio became one of America’s most recognizable sports figures, but the man behind the public image remains more complicated than the legend. Researcher Kelly Lacroix explores DiMaggio’s relationship with fame and the press, his marriage to Marilyn Monroe, and the enduring myths that have shaped how he is remembered in American culture. Key Topics Joe DiMaggio’s rise from baseball star to cultural iconHis complicated relationship with fame and the mediaJoe DiMaggio and Marilyn MonroeMyths and misconceptions surrounding his lifeThe intersection of sports and Hollywood historyHow celebrity and cultural memory shape historical reputationsGuest Bio Kelly Lacroix is a French-born researcher and film professional based in the United Kingdom. A longtime student of classic Hollywood, she has spent the past five years researching Joe DiMaggio through her Finding Joe DiMaggio project, examining the gap between the public mythology surrounding him and the man behind the legend. Connect with Kelly: Instagram | Threads | Facebook Items from the Estate of Joe DiMaggio—Hunt Auction House: View Lots Connect with Holley: Buy Me A Coffee | Website | LinkedIn Listen on YouTube: Channel

    The Man Behind the Legend: Joe DiMaggio, Fame, and American Memory

  5. Aug 21

    The Power Behind the American Founding: Elizabeth Willing Powel and Women’s Influence in Early America

    Elizabeth Willing Powel occupied a fascinating place within the political and social world of America’s founding generation. Historian Samantha Snyder explores Powel’s relationships with figures such as George Washington and John Adams, the ways women exercised influence through correspondence, conversation, hospitality, and social networks, and why Powel’s role in the early republic deserves greater recognition. Key Topics Elizabeth Willing Powel’s life and legacyWomen’s influence during the American foundingPowel’s relationships with George Washington and John AdamsPolitics and society in early PhiladelphiaCorrespondence, hospitality, and social networks as forms of influenceChallenging misconceptions about women’s roles in the founding eraGuest Bio Samantha Snyder is a Research Librarian at the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon and author of the forthcoming A Remarkable Woman: Elizabeth Willing Powel and the Founding of the American Republic. She has spent nearly a decade researching Powel’s life, drawing on archival research and public history to recover her place in the story of the American founding. Connect with Samantha: Website | Instagram | LinkedIn Connect with Holley: Buy Me A Coffee | Website | LinkedIn Listen on YouTube: Channel

    The Power Behind the American Founding: Elizabeth Willing Powel and Women’s Influence in Early America

  6. Aug 14

    Lauren Bacall: The Making of a Hollywood Legend

    Lauren Bacall became an icon of Hollywood almost overnight, but her life and career extended far beyond the image created during her early years. Film historian Anthony Uzarowski explores Bacall’s rise to fame, her legendary relationship with Humphrey Bogart, and her decades-long effort to establish herself as an actress and public figure on her own terms. Key Topics Lauren Bacall’s rise to fame during Hollywood’s Golden AgeThe creation of her distinctive public imageBacall’s relationship and career with Humphrey BogartBuilding an identity and career beyond Bogart’s legacyHer transition between Hollywood and BroadwayThe challenges and reinventions of a seven-decade careerThe woman behind the enduring “Queen of Cool” imageGuest Bio Anthony Uzarowski is a film historian and author of Lauren Bacall: The Queen of Cool. His other books include Jessica Lange: An Adventurer’s Heart and Ava Gardner: A Life in Movies, and his writing on film and the arts has appeared in The Guardian, Turner Classic Movies, Film International, and other publications. Connect with Anthony: Instagram Lauren Bacall: The Queen of Cool: Hardcover | Ebook | University Press of Mississippi Connect with Holley: Buy Me A Coffee | Website | LinkedIn Listen on YouTube: Channel

    Lauren Bacall: The Making of a Hollywood Legend

  7. Aug 7

    Family History Research: How Documents and Archives Reveal the Past

    Family history can reveal far more than names, dates, and family trees. Author Ben Robinson explores how letters, photographs, and archival records helped him reconstruct the life of his great-grandmother Charlotte and uncover a larger family story shaped by two world wars, resilience, and change across the twentieth century. Key Topics Using letters, photographs, and archives to uncover family historyMoving beyond names and dates to reconstruct individual livesWomen’s voices and experiences in family historyFamily life during World War I and World War IIBalancing historical evidence with fictionalized storytellingPreserving family stories for future generationsThe connections between personal history and larger historical eventsGuest Bio Ben Robinson is a British writer, educator, and author of Finding Charlotte, a part-fictionalized historical memoir inspired by the life of his great-grandmother. Drawing on more than 100 family letters, documents, and photographs, his work explores family, war, memory, and the ways personal stories can illuminate the broader past. Connect with Ben: Instagram Finding Charlotte: Books-A-Million | Amazon Shows Mentioned: The Narrow Road to the Deep North (2025) Connect with Holley: Buy Me A Coffee | Website | LinkedIn Listen on YouTube: Channel

    Family History Research: How Documents and Archives Reveal the Past

  8. Jul 31

    The Power Behind the Presidency: Missy LeHand and Martha Washington

    Marguerite “Missy” LeHand was one of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s closest and most influential aides, yet her role in his presidency has often been misunderstood or overlooked. Author Kathryn Smith explores LeHand’s partnership with FDR, the importance of Warm Springs in their story, and the broader ways women exercised influence behind the scenes of American political power. Key Topics Missy LeHand’s life and partnership with Franklin D. RooseveltHer influence within the Roosevelt White HouseMyths and misconceptions surrounding Missy’s roleThe significance of Warm Springs in FDR and LeHand’s storyWomen working behind the scenes of presidential powerParallels between Missy LeHand and Martha WashingtonBringing historical figures to life through research and performanceGuest Bio Kathryn Smith is a journalist, historian, author, and speaker whose work explores overlooked people and stories in American history. She is the author of The Gatekeeper: Missy LeHand, FDR, and the Partnership that Defined a Presidency, Gertie, Baptists and Bootleggers, and Methodists and Moonshiners. She also co-authors the Missy LeHand Mystery series with Kelly Durham. The Gatekeeper: Paperback | Ebook Connect with Kathryn: Website | Facebook | Substack Explore Kathryn’s Other Works: Evening Post Books Books Mentioned: The Washingtons by Flora Fraser Paperback | Ebook Connect with Holley: Buy Me A Coffee | Website | LinkedIn Listen on YouTube: Channel

    The Power Behind the Presidency: Missy LeHand and Martha Washington
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About

From unsung trailblazers to cultural icons, Say It with History explores how the past shapes the stories we tell—and the lives we lead. Hosted by historian Holley Snaith, who has worked at two presidential libraries, a nonprofit honoring a beloved First Lady, and published numerous pieces on influential historical figures, each episode offers engaging, insightful, and often surprising journeys through time. Whether you’re a lifelong history lover or simply curious about the stories behind the past, this show brings history to life in fresh and meaningful ways.

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