The John Batchelor Show

STREAMING THE MAKING OF THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, FEATURING JIM MCTAGUE, 5-21-2026.
1943 TOJO TOURS THE PHILIPPINE OCCUPYING FORCE.
In the source transcript, Jim McTague discusses a "wonderful book about Ford in his early days" that was published in 1954. While the transcript identifies the author as "Alan Nevins," this is a phonetic error or misstatement; the actual author of the definitive biography of Henry Ford published in 1954 is the historian Allan Nevins.
The following details regarding this reference are found in the sources:

Availability: McTague notes that the book has been long out of print and that he was only able to find a copy through a used book website called Alibris.

Content: The book covers the early period of the automobile industry, describing how the technology was initially embraced by the wealthy (such as those in Newport, Rhode Island) before Ford's innovations brought it to the masses.

Historical Context: McTague uses the insights from this biography to draw parallels between the "creative explosion" of the horseless carriage era and the current cycle of AI development. He characterizes Ford during the period described in the book as an "internal combustion engine nerd" who was focused on scientific competition rather than just the accumulation of wealth.

PREVIEW for Later Today: Veronique de Rugy explains that American consumers bear the full cost of Trumpadministration tariffs. These taxes make domestic manufacturing more expensive and products less affordable, contradicting claims that the policy would benefit the economy.
1800 OYSTER STAND NYC

PREVIEW for Later Today: Sadanand Dhume discusses India's efforts to attract supply chains from China. While Apple has successfully diversified iPhone production there, India struggles to compete with more nimble nations like Vietnam in other various economic sectors.

PREVIEW for Later Today: Evan Ellis explores military alternatives for Cuba beyond a traditional invasion. He suggests selective strikes against command nodes or special operations to pressure the regime, providing a hard-line complement to ongoing diplomatic negotiations.
1960 VASTRO AND NASSER

PREVIEW for Later Today: Peter Mauch provides a biographical look at Hideki Tojo, detailing how cronyism in the Imperial Japanese Army fueled his ambitions. Tojo's direct style earned him the nickname "the razor" as he rose to power.
1940 OKINAWA