Free Daily Podcast Summary
Booknotes+: Daily Summaries Delivered
by C-SPAN
Taking the concept from Brian Lamb's long running Booknotes TV program, the podcast offers listeners more books and authors. Booknotes+ features a mix of new interviews with authors and historians, along with some old favorites from the archives. The platform may be different, but the goal is the same – give listeners the opportunity to learn something new.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 2 weeks ago1h 11m
Simon Sebag Montefiore, "The Cauldron"
Simon Sebag Montefiore has written nine nonfiction books and three novels. His latest is called "The Cauldron: The Making of the Modern Middle East." The time period covered is from 1900 to the present. In Mr. Montefiore's acknowledgements, he writes: "Family is an important theme in this book, and my own has a slight link to the dynasties that ruled the Middle East. My forebearer Moses Montefiore first met Muhammad Ali the Great, ruler of Egypt, when he visited the Levant in 1827." Author Montefiore focuses on 19 different countries and many more kings, rulers, prime ministers, emperors, and sultans in his book. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- 3 weeks ago1h 41m
John Ryan, "America's Trial"
Only nine men have been convicted, through military commissions at Guantanamo Bay, out of roughly 780 total detainees held there for some time since 2002. However, only 15 prisoners are currently housed at Gitmo. One of those is Khalid Sheikh Mohammed who allegedly said he was the mastermind of 9/11. Mohammed has spent the last 20 years incarcerated and is said to go on trial in June 2028. John Ryan, founder of Lawdragon, has spent the past decade detailing the day-to-day activities at Guantanamo. His book is "America's Trial: Torture and the 9/11 Case on Guantanamo Bay." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Oct 6, 20261h 10m
Sam Roberts, "Are They Dead Yet?"
The name of the book is "Are They Dead Yet?: The Art of the Obit." The author, Sam Roberts, is a 50-year veteran of New York journalism. He says in his book: "I've buried 1,600 or so people during my improbable decade writing obituaries for the New York Times." Reporters who do his kind of reporting are called obituarists. Sam Roberts, in his book's prologue, says he "learned more on the job about accuracy, context, and the distinction between cynicism and skepticism than I would have in any journalism school." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Sep 29, 20261h 4m
Craig Whitlock, Washington Post Investigative Reporter
On Saturday, August 8, on the front page of the Washington Post was this headline: "Some Vets Went Along with Scams of the G.I. Bill." Leading the team of Post reporters was Craig Whitlock. His co-author was Andrew Ba Tran. The dateline on the story was San Diego. The first paragraph of the story was: "At Blue Star Learning, a vocational school that defrauded taxpayers of $29 million in GI Bill funds, learning was not the point." Craig Whitlock, 28-year Washington Post veteran, was a gust on Booknotes+ in both 2021 and 2024, the first time for his book "The Afghanistan Papers" and the second about his book "Fat Leonard," about a Malaysian man now serving a 15-year prison sentence for defrauding the U.S. Navy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Sep 22, 20261h 8m
Andrew Burstein, "Being Thomas Jefferson"
Andrew Burstein recently retired as a professor of history at Louisiana State University. "Being Thomas Jefferson: An Intimate History" is his 16th book about the early years of the United States. In the introduction, Prof. Burstein writes: "This book is about extraordinary drama that punctuated the life of a famous man who had an unusual need to control his environment." Andrew Burstein continues, noting that "as much as his creative imagination led to memorable achievements, the capaciousness of his intellect exacted a price. When enticed by nature's mysteries, his eyes were wide open to new possibilities. And when it came to the clash of egos in public venues, he was acutely sensitive to slights." Professor Burstein says Jefferson "was driven for public celebrity." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Sep 15, 20261h 12m
Jonathan Jordan, "Ike and Winston
Jonathan Jordan devotes 544 pages and 57 chapters of his book "Ike and Winston" to telling the story of the friendship between Dwight David Eisenhower and Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill. President Eisenhower lived to be 78 and died in 1969. Sir Winston died four years before that, in 1965, at age 90. Author Jonathan Jordan says: "Churchill could have had his pick of friendship, but he wanted Ike's. In the beginning, he courted Ike for what Ike could do for Britain. The Kansan held the trust of men like Franklin Roosevelt and George C. Marshall. This influence gave Ike the power to destroy or create, and Ike had the gambler's nerve to use that power. London needed a friend like that." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Sep 8, 20261h 1m
Scott Greenberger, "The Forsaken Founder"
In the beginning of Scott Greenberger's new book, "The Forsaken Founder," Dawn Davis, publisher of the Simon & Schuster imprint 37 Ink, introduces us to this new history of a mostly unfamiliar name. Davis writes: "Hamilton, Franklin, Washington, Madison. These are names we know." However, she writes that "there was another man in the room at the founding, a prodigy whose contributions were just as essential, whose name has largely been forgotten: Gouverneur Morris. Morris, as the penman of the Constitution, wrote the words "We the people," which are his and his alone. The subtitle to Scott Greenberger's book is "Gouverneur Morris, the Unsung Patriot Who Wrote the Constitution, Stood Up to Slavery, and Survived the Reign of Terror." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Sep 1, 20261h 4m
Joby Warrick, "The Jackal"
Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, better known as Carlos the Jackal, has been in prison for 32 years in France. He was captured in Sudan on August 14, 1994. In his book titled "The Jackal," Washington Post correspondent Joby Warrick reports on his 2025 meeting with the jailed terrorist in Paris. Carlos told him: "I killed 83 people with my own hand." Reporter Warrick writes that: "Carlos mattered. He was the human face of a dangerous new form of international terrorism that emerged in the 1970s and the 1980s, which became the template for later groups such as Al Qaeda and the Islamic State." The Jackal will be 77 years old on October 12th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Get Booknotes+ summaries in your inbox
Free AI-powered daily recaps. Key takeaways, quotes, and mentions — in a 5-minute read.
Get Free Summaries →Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
You Might Also Like
Listeners also like.
Slow Burn
Examines pivotal political and cultural moments in American history through archival audio and firsthand accounts.
NPR's Book of the Day
A daily podcast highlighting the most compelling new books across genres, distilled into brief, accessible episodes.
Off The Shelf with Morgann Book
A weekly conversation with authors, actors, and creatives about how stories are developed and adapted from books to screen.
Cannonball with Wesley Morris
Critic Wesley Morris explores cultural moments with writers and artists through personal, nuanced conversations.
PBS News Hour - Full Show
Nightly news coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews, and analysis from PBS.
The Currently Reading Podcast
Two hosts discuss their current reads and offer genre-spanning, spoiler-free book reviews to help listeners choose what to read next.
Popcast
A weekly discussion on pop culture featuring interviews and analysis from New York Times critics Jon Caramanica and Joe Coscarelli.
America At Night with McGraw Milhaven
A nightly news and talk show covering politics, current events, and culture with live guest interviews and audience interaction.
The Book Club
Explores the historical context and author backgrounds behind classic and contemporary books.
What Next | Daily News and Analysis
A daily news podcast that helps you make sense of current events and what they mean for the day ahead.
UNBIASED Politics
A former attorney provides impartial summaries of U.S. political news, elections, and legal developments with clear explanations of constitutional issues.
Americast
Political analysis and social media investigations from BBC journalists covering the Trump White House and key stories shaping America.
About Booknotes+
Taking the concept from Brian Lamb's long running Booknotes TV program, the podcast offers listeners more books and authors. Booknotes+ features a mix of new interviews with authors and historians, along with some old favorites from the archives. The platform may be different, but the goal is the same – give listeners the opportunity to learn something new.
Customized Recaps
AI-powered recaps with compact key takeaways, quotes, and insights.
Straight to Your Inbox
Get key takeaways from Booknotes+ in a 5-minute read.
Save Hours Every Week
Stay current on your favorite podcasts without falling behind.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Podzilla's Booknotes+ daily summary?
It's a free AI-powered email that summarizes new episodes of Booknotes+ as soon as they're published. You get the key takeaways, notable quotes, and links & mentions — all in a quick read.
How does the Booknotes+ podcast summary work?
When a new episode drops, our AI transcribes and analyzes it, then generates a personalized summary tailored to your interests and profession. It's delivered to your inbox every morning.
Is this an official Booknotes+ product?
No. Podzilla is an independent service that summarizes publicly available podcast content. We're not affiliated with or endorsed by C-SPAN.
Can I get summaries of other podcasts too?
Absolutely! The free plan covers up to 3 podcasts, any in the catalog. Basic raises that to 15, Pro to 40 and Max to 100. Browse our full catalog at /podcasts.
How often does Booknotes+ release new episodes?
Booknotes+ publishes weekly. Our AI generates a summary within hours of each new episode.
What topics does Booknotes+ cover?
Booknotes+ covers topics including News, History, Arts, Books, Politics. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
Start getting Booknotes+ summaries tomorrow morning.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.