Endgame with Fintan O'Toole

New York Review Podcasts
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Politics

Join Fintan O'Toole, Advising Editor at The New York Review, as he and his guests discuss the great unraveling of the American order—and imagine what comes next. Each week they'll explore some of the major contradictions that have shaped the United States since its founding 250 years ago, looking closely at subjects that range from Civil War history to contemporary fiction, from Thomas Jefferson to Bernie Sanders, from Gilded Age monopolies to tech oligarchs. What can Shakespeare and Nazi Germany tell us about the current presidency? Making unexpected connections and always drawing out the human drama within complicated ideas, Fintan and his guests—including Annette Gordon-Reed, Ben Lerner, Colin Grant, Jean Strouse, and Dan Chiasson—take the best of New York Review essays and turn them into a conversation. Endgame with Fintan O'Toole is a New York Review podcast. Show Art: Jason Logan

Episodes

  1. 1d ago

    Jefferson, Independence, and Slavery: Annette Gordon-Reed

    For our series premiere, Annette Gordon-Reed joins Fintan O'Toole to discuss Thomas Jefferson's political convictions and contradictions, including his early drafts of the Declaration of Independence, his relationships with the Hemings family, and the contemporary resonance of his advocating for freedom within a racist society. Annette Gordon-Reed is the Carl M. Loeb University Professor at Harvard. She is the author of The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family, which won the Pulitzer Prize in History. Her latest book is Jefferson on Race: A Reader. Endgame with Fintan O'Toole is a New York Review podcast. Our theme music is "Political World" by Bob Dylan, courtesy of Universal Music Publishing Group and Sony Music Entertainment. Our show art is designed by Jason Logan. And our producer is Erica Getto. New episodes drop every Tuesday across podcast platforms and at YouTube.com/@nybooks. For more, head to nybooks.com.

  2. 1d ago ·  Bonus

    The Great Unraveling: Fintan O'Toole

    Welcome to Endgame, where every week Fintan O'Toole will be exploring some of the major contradictions that have shaped the United States since its founding 250 years ago. For our launch week, Fintan dropped by the New York Review offices to reflect on this "endgame" moment, as the midterms approach and the hopes of the world seem to hang on the outcome. After two years of building frustration with an administration that disregards core allies, the rule of law, and even Republican disaffection on issues like data centers, Fintan discusses the possibility of change set against the fundamental nature of American denialism. Endgame with Fintan O'Toole is a New York Review podcast. Our show art is designed by Jason Logan. And our producer is Erica Getto. New episodes drop every Tuesday across podcast platforms and at YouTube.com/@nybooks. For more, head to nybooks.com.

  3. Season 1 Trailer

    Introducing: Endgame with Fintan O'Toole

    Join Fintan O'Toole, Advising Editor at The New York Review, as he and his guests discuss the great unraveling of the American order—and imagine what comes next. Endgame with Fintan O'Toole is a New York Review podcast. New episodes drop every Tuesday across podcast platforms and at YouTube.com/@nybooks. For more, head to nybooks.com.

  • 1 Trailer
    2 Episodes

Trailer

About

Join Fintan O'Toole, Advising Editor at The New York Review, as he and his guests discuss the great unraveling of the American order—and imagine what comes next. Each week they'll explore some of the major contradictions that have shaped the United States since its founding 250 years ago, looking closely at subjects that range from Civil War history to contemporary fiction, from Thomas Jefferson to Bernie Sanders, from Gilded Age monopolies to tech oligarchs. What can Shakespeare and Nazi Germany tell us about the current presidency? Making unexpected connections and always drawing out the human drama within complicated ideas, Fintan and his guests—including Annette Gordon-Reed, Ben Lerner, Colin Grant, Jean Strouse, and Dan Chiasson—take the best of New York Review essays and turn them into a conversation. Endgame with Fintan O'Toole is a New York Review podcast. Show Art: Jason Logan

Information

  • Creator
    New York Review Podcasts
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    3
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The New York Review of Books