TONIGHT: The holiday show begins with Professor Serhii Plokhy recounting the backstory of the Russo-Ukrainian War. Then to Professor Peter Stansky to learn the education of Eric Blair who would in time adopt the pen name of George Orwell and write up his

TONIGHT: The holiday show begins with Professor Serhii Plokhy recounting the backstory of the Russo-Ukrainian War.  Then to Professor Peter Stansky to learn the education of Eric Blair who would in time adopt the pen name of George Orwell and write up his struggles in the Spain Civil war and in wartime Europe.  Also a conversation with WSJ journalist Brett Forrest about the disappearance of the sad young man who invented himself as an FBI helpmate during the war on terror and then turned his peculiar talent for adventure to the Russian attack on Ukraine.  Finally the tragedy of JFK as told by Paul Gregory, who spent much time with Lee and Marina Oswald in the summer of 1962 and who is convincing in telling that Lee Oswald was not a "little man"" or a "patsy" for a conspiracy -- was a deceitful, murderous schemer who believed himself to be destined for history, and who acted entirely alone...

1937 Spain