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Matthew Restall
Professor of History, Anthropology, and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Penn State. Author of "On Elton John: An Opinionated Guide" and other books on Latin American history and pop music.
Best podcasts with Matthew Restall
Ranked by the Snipd community
Oct 8, 2025
• 46min
Navigating around Christopher Columbus: The Nine Lives of the Genoese Sailor Who Became History's Greatest Saint and Sinner
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Matthew Restall, a historian and author specializing in early encounters between Europeans and the Americas, discusses the complexities of Christopher Columbus's legacy. He portrays Columbus as a 'manic narcissist,' whose self-importance and lack of diplomatic skills ultimately led to his failure as a colonizer. Restall also navigates the contemporary debate surrounding Columbus Day versus Indigenous Peoples' Day, arguing that both identities reflect changing societal values. This enlightening conversation reveals how perceptions of Columbus have evolved over 500 years.
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