TRUTH About Emanuel Nobel, Tom Brady's Viral Catwalk Look, & Colbert's Gross Comments, w/ Doug Brunt

Hey everyone, I'm Megan Kelly. Welcome. to the Megan Kelly show. Oh, do we have. a fun show for you today with a special. special guest happens to be my spouse. Doug Brunt. He is here to discuss his. new book and some of the latest culture. headlines as well, including Meghan. Markle's big speech over the weekend. with zero crowd. I mean, literally. almost no one was there. It was amazing. And the reaction from the people in the. background speak for us all. And Doug's. also got thoughts on Tom Brady's all. leather look on the Gucci Cruise runway.

show. What he was wearing would never be. worn by any man on any cruise anywhere, but we'll get Doug's take on it. He's. got a very interesting opinion on Tom. Brady, shall we say. Joining me now, Doug Brunt. He's author of the brand new. book out today called The Lost Empire of. Emanuel Nobel. Romanovs, revolutionaries, [music] and the. forgotten titan who fueled the world. Don't miss a moment. Subscribe to this.

show on YouTube and follow me on Insta, Facebook, and X. If you are heading into. summer without a medical emergency kit, you're taking a risk most people don't. think about until it's too late. Summer. colds linger and can turn into sinus. infections that last for weeks. I can I. tell you my friend's family member just. had one of these that got out of. control. Actually dangerous. You do have. to stay on top of sinus infections. Getting sick right before vacation can. derail everything. And when you're.

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sooner and feel better faster. Order. yours online in minutes and it is. shipped to your door. And save 45 bucks. with my promo code MK at. urgentcarekit.com/mk. That's promo code MK. Go to. urgentcarekit.commk. Duggar. Hi. >> It's great to be here. >> Great to [music] have you. Fix your ear. your. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Um, how's it going? >> Great. Good start. >> Here's the big book. I love the cover.

The Lost Empire of Emanuel Nobel. I have. to say every single word was poured over. and I really like who fueled the world. Yeah. The forgotten Titan who fueled the. world as opposed to ruled the world. But. he literally did fuel the world. >> He built an oil enterprise that was the. largest in the world. By the time the. Great War started, World War I started, his oil enterprise was larger than. Rockefeller. He essentially pioneered. the Russian oil industry down by the. Caspian Sea. in Baku which is now.

Azarbaian but at the time was part of. the Russian Empire and he he took the. whole oil market by storm. They. pioneered the very first uh oil tanker. So they started distributing oil around. the world and shocked even Rockefeller. >> Okay, before we get into the the details. of how he did it and what happened to. him because it it like his basically the. book revolves around two central. figures. There's a young man named. Emanuel Nobel and it starts even before. Emanuel was born um with his. >> grand. >> grandfather who's also he's Emanuel like.

Emanuel but spelled with an I. >> and um we start to hear about this guy. in Sweden and his multiple sons and the. one son that I Emanuel had was. >> Lwig. >> and then Lwig had Emanuel our star. >> right. >> but at the same time eventually our star. Emanuel was coming up. So was another. little boy in Georgia. >> Mhm. >> Right. Right off of Russia. >> Yep. In southern G in in southern Russia. in the country of Georgia, right by the.

Caspian Sea where Emanuel Nobel is. building his oil empire is this you know. young Georgian who becomes Joseph. Stalin. >> Yes. And so he he's you know right by. he's just adjacent to this whole oil. empire and he actually worked in the oil. fields of Nobel and the other large. Russian oil company at the time was run. by the Rothschilds and and so Stalin as. a youth worked in the oil fields for the. Rothschilds and the Nobels which is. crazy. >> So like when he was young and coming up. Stalin he was nothing like he was nobody.

ever thought he was destined for. greatness. He had no connections to. power whatsoever. he was like a. workingclass kid. And then what the book. is basically about is the rise of these. two titans and the pending clash between. them that the reader can see coming but. neither man can see coming. >> And it's almost, you know, a battle of. good and evil. Not to boil it down too. simply, but it kind of is. Yeah. you. know, one who wanted to do things in a. way that would be very familiar to most. Americans and build his fortune and work. hard and treat people right and, you.

know, foster a capitalist approach to. the world that could benefit everybody. and one who with brute force wanted to. steal all of that. Yeah. >> For himself and eventually his country. >> Zibby Owens, who does a lot in the book. world, she had a great review of the. book where she was really making it, she. took it as like a family drama because. it is generations of the Nobels and. Emanuel Nobel is the nephew of Alfred. Nobel. That's the Nobel that we all know. about in the west. What happened in. Russia to Emanuel Nobel and his father.

has been buried from the west. What. we'll get to this I guess a little bit. more later, but what Joseph Stalin and. the communists did to Emanuel Nobel was. the inspiration for George Orwell's. 1984, you know, the the scene in 1984. where they talk about they changed the. street names and they tore down the. statues and they rewrote the history. That's exactly what Stalin and the. communists did to Emanuel Emanuel Nobel. and his oil enterprise. He also in the. north by St. Petersburg had the empire's. largest munitions and machine factory. He was the largest manufacturer of.

diesel engines. He built rifles and. undersea mines are Nobel did all the. Stalin and the communist took it all. >> and that the practice of what the. communist did during that takeover after. the Bolevik revolution was Orwell's. inspiration. Uh so that that whole story. um is is insane, you know. We'll get to. that. >> It's crazy that it's real that it. actually happened. So yeah, you. >> I was going to say Zibby sort of took it. as like a family drama. Like so we get. this broad canvas huge events of World. War I and the Russian Revolution and the. Russian Civil War, but we experience it.

through this family and through this. individual. And halfway through the. book, then you realize, oh my gosh, this. guy, Emanuel Nobel, that I've never even. heard of was the most powerful. industrialist in the world. And the only. reason I don't know about him is what. Stalin did. He took over these. businesses. >> Everybody knows the name John D. Rockefeller. I mean, Rockefeller is. ubiquitous across the world as a super. famous guy. Um, Nobel, we know about the. Nobel prizes. That's what we know. Nobel. prizes. And that's Alfred Nobel, who's. this guy's uncle. >> He's Alfred's the brother of Ludwig,

Emanuel's dad. >> Mhm. >> And that's what people know. And I don't. think most people don't even know beyond. that that Alfred basically invented. dynamite. Um, and that the family was. big into munitions. I mean, if you're. over in Sweden, you know that, but here. in America, you just kind of know the. Nobel Prizes. I don't know what it is. But this guy, Emmanuel, who was the. nephew of Alfred, was the biggest Nobel. of all and was greater in power and. success than the Rockefellers. Yeah. >> And for a long time, he built it. He. considered it. He he founded it. He. refined it. He he is the reason that.

John McCain famously said. >> Russia is an oil of gas station, oil. company masquerading as a country. >> Yes. So it's because of Emanuel Noel. >> pioneered all all of that. But nobody. knows about him because of a man named. Joseph Stalin. >> During World War I, they did. Everyone. was going for Nobel's oil. World War I. was our first mechanized war. We had. tanks and trucks and planes and ships. running on fuel oil. So all of a sudden. we needed petroleum more than any other. conflict in the past. Suddenly petroleum. is more important than food for these.

armies and navies. And everyone was. coming for Nobel's oil. And toward the. end of World War I, Russia had already. pulled out. They'd had the revolution. They were in the midst of a civil war. in the middle of World War I still. happening. Everyone needs oil to fuel. their armies. They're all coming for. Nobel's oil in Baku in southern Russia. The Red Army, this the communists are. fighting their civil war. They're trying. to get to the oil to stay alive. Now, Emanuel is sort of a refugee at this. time, but he's writing letters to the. British foreign secretary Balffor who's. in Versailles, sort of concluding the.

peace terms of World War I, and he says, "Stalin is coming for the oil in Baku.". Baku is presently held by about a. thousand British troops which is nowhere. near enough to defend it. And he writes. to Balffor and he says in the spring of. 1919 and he's saying if by August Lenin. and Stalin and the Reds haven't gotten. here to Baku to take the oil, they're. done. They they will choke out for lack. of oil, but they're coming and you don't. have enough people here to defend it. You need to reinforce with more British. troops. Balffor basically says, "We have.

no appetite for that. We've just fought. this four-year war. We haven't spent. anything on social programs in four. years. It's been all for the war. I. can't muster a thousand 100,000 troops, which is what Churchill says. Churchill. and Nobel are saying the same thing. Churchill says if we get 100,000 troops. in there, we nip communism in the bud. Stalin and Lenon are done and they don't. send the troops and everything happens. exactly as Emanuel Nobel predicted. The. troops came down by August. They took. Baku. They got the oil and the reds won. the civil war. >> It was like communism could have died in.

its crib. Yeah. And the British didn't. take the opportunity even though people. like Winston Churchill were jumping up. and down saying you should you need to. and Nobel jumping up and down saying we. we we should because if they ran out of. oil then the Bolevixs which is what the. communist party was used to be called um. would fall and and what the book makes. clear is that when when there was this. revolution cuz like the the revolution. happened in 1917 first there was one in. 1905 but really this one got underway in. 1917 and for like a little while there.

there was a hope of a capitalist future. in Russia and the reason that didn't. happen is basically Lenin and Stalin and. Trosky right who had their own ideas. about what Russia's future should look. like but it wasn't going to be easier. easy and no one took them seriously. because it was like this weird band of. rebels and brute thugs and they didn't. think they could do it so no outside. country was like we should help these. more capitalist like Russians stop the.

takeover because they were like, "Look. at these losers. They're never going to. be able to take over." And Russia is in. good hands. And that turned out to be. totally wrong. >> Totally wrong. Yeah. No one thought. Stalin, Len, Trosky, they'd never run. anything in their lives, let alone this. crazy huge empire. So the British and. others thought, well, we don't even need. to send troops in there because these. guys are going to fall in their faces in. a few months anyway. No one predicted. the Bolevixs, who had very little. support. They had far less support than. the Mencheviks or other parties. Now, the Mencheviks, as I understand it, because I learned this from your book, they were more like they were also.

socialist, but they were more um less. radical than they were system a little. bit. Like, if they got concessions, they. would take it, whereas the Bolsheviks. didn't want concessions. They wanted. only war and blood and revolution. They're not looking to like. >> Bolsheviks represent in my mind exactly. what I think of when I think of Stalin. Yeah. >> Just brute force. Brute force. You don't. want anything to do with them. And it's. true communism. Yeah. Yeah, >> like Lenin Marks Stalin. >> and and the book it goes back to, you. know, the Tsarist era as well because.

Russia has had this cycle of reform, repress, reform, repress over and over. like Zar Alexander II, he's the one who. freed the surfs two years before Lincoln. freed the slaves in America. He was. almost a sort of model for what Lincoln. ended up doing. You know, he was an. autocratic Zar, >> which it was like 20 million of them, right? It was some huge number of. slaves. and he tried other liberal. reforms around freedom of assembly and. freedom of press and then you know the. sort of subversive groups did organize. and come together and then they.

assassinated him. So then his son comes. in and is like we're rolling back all. those liberal reforms. He comes in with. a very oppressive regime. It's the same. kind of cycle that we got from, you. know, Gorbachev into Lenin into into. Putin. >> Putin. So, but before we would get. there, it would happen again in the. early 1900s where you had a weak Zar. Nicholas II. >> who was in power. And our audience may. know this guy Nicholas II because this. was the last Zar. And um his death has. been portrayed over and over and over.

again in modern movies, modern TV shows, and modern literature because it was so. brutal. So he was like teetering before. we get to his death and the death and. the murder of Nicholas II and his wife. and his family. Um let's just step back. one second because he came to power and. he wasn't ever very strong, right? >> Wasn't ever very strong and it was his. wife that. befriended Rasputin. >> Yes. >> And that's another name that I'm like. how do I know that? I know that. What.

does Rasputin do? But I would say he is. one of the most, if not the most. colorful character in the book. Again, we're speaking to Douglas Brunt on his. new book, The Lost Empire of Emanuel. Nobel. Buy it today. Your copy uh can be. in the mail today because it just hit. the publishing circuit today and the. audio is read by Doug if you prefer an. audio book. Um but let's spend a minute. on Rasputin because we got to set the. stage for what's going to happen. We had. Emanuel. He's growing up. He's still, you know, at this point he's got his oil. business and it's flourishing in Russia.

But there's government turmoil because. this Zar is kind of weak. He's tied in. well with the government, which he had. to be. But this Zar is kind of weak. sauce. And his wife is kind of weird. And she befriends somebody even weirder, Rasputin, who would actually prove to be. very important to what's about to happen. in Russia. >> Yeah. So Rasputin, he comes from Eastern. Siberia. I He's so far away from. Petrorad and Moscow. And. >> Petrorad is. >> St. Petersburg. >> Uh yeah, they changed the name in World.

War I. So, and he makes it all the way. out there and he he's sort of this. charming weird, you know, there was. questions about whether he was even. literate in his early years, but he's. just got that like cult leader. personality where he just manages to. charm himself into every room. He charms. himself all the way into the Winter. Palace where he meets the Zar and Zarina. >> that's in St. Petersburg. >> Yeah. And their kid, the the the only. male potential heir, has the uh oh my. gosh, what's the disease? The Queen. Victoria. He's a hemophiliac, which the.

every monarchy around Europe has it. because Queen Victoria had the gene and. she's the grandmother of Europe. So all. these monarchs all over Europe are. hemophiliacs, including. >> Roger had that. I was just about to say. >> wonder if he had any lineage. >> to Queen Victoria. Yeah, maybe. >> there is a there's a. >> So uh he he is known as a healer. So he. comes in and when the Zarovich is having. a a bout of pain, >> the prince like basically. >> the zar to be is suffering from a. terrible bout of it, you know, you you. bump yourself a little bit and the.

bruise won't stop bleeding internally. and you're in terrible pain and your. joints ache and he comes in and he says. he's going to be fine and the next. morning he is fine. He sort of talks. soothingly to the boy and heals him. So. then the Zarina is convinced that. Rasputin is a healer and that her son. needs to have him. So he's got sort of. like a you know a green light to be in. the palace at all times and he comes to. be you know a person of huge influence. They think of him as a man of God and. they trust his advice not just on their. son but on politics and military issues. >> But you write in the book so he's like.

6'6 and that he smelled like a goat. >> Yeah. >> I remember that line from. >> stringy greasy beard and hair and. smelled terrible but he was having sex. with half of the aristocrats in Russia. >> Oh okay. and rumors that he was having. sex with her. >> There's a line in the book from Rasputin. to the effect of how how can we seek. redemption if we have not sinned. [laughter]. >> Oh yeah. >> So he was a bit of a poet. >> Yeah. >> So but she loved him. I get it. If they. if you get this weird guy who smells. like a goat who you think has cured your.

child of a devastating disease or of. near-death experiences that he's having. over and over, you want that guy around. all the time. Yeah. And so he won the. favor of the Zarina and therefore of the. Zar as well. >> But the rest of the the aristocracy and. the government minister is like, I can't. believe that this lunatic charlatan monk. is influencing the Zar and it really. destabilizes the government. And this is. why it's important for the Nobel story. like it's the context of how even Lenin. said if it weren't for the feckless.

leadership of Nicholas II and Rasputin. who destabilized the monarchy even. further, there could have been no. revolution. >> Wow. And that's in the story of Emanuel. Nobel who was you know basically. thriving beyond anyone's imagination in. the Russian Empire with his munitions. and machine factory and his oil empire. How that the only way that could. collapse is if communism which doesn't. exist anywhere in the world somehow. enters the Russian empire. And so this. kind of context in telling the Nobel.

story, the the context is the story in a. way like you can't understand what. happened in Nobel without understanding. Rasputin and Nicholas II and you know. the Zars that came before it all sort of. folds together into how Stalin and Lenin. and the communists are introduced into. the empire as well. >> That is like incredibly bad luck for. poor Emanuel. Like of all things, imagine building an oil business bigger. than Rockefellers's and it's lost. through no fault of your own because you. happen to live in Russia and Joseph.

Stalin took over who wants your entire. business and that of every private. industry. >> And to like to bring it to present day. stuff like the more things change the. more they stay the same because the the. effort to capture the sources of energy. is the story of our times. You open up. the newspaper today to almost any. section of the newspaper and that's part. of a story in one way or another. The. price of gas, the price of milk, the. price of a book, you know, to ship. around the straight of Hormuz, Venezuela, it's all capturing our. sources of energy. And this story, this.

is like the first oil war, you know, >> look what they're look what they're. arguing over right now in the straight. of Hormuz, right? It's like oil. That's. that's really what we're upset about. The Iranians want to ship it. We don't. want to let them. We're blocking their. ports. They know if they can stop others. from going through that same straight. and exporting their oil. They hold all. the cards. We're still arguing over it. >> Yeah. And Baku has been the most. abundant source of it, you know, for the. first half of the of the 20th century, even in World War II. >> And explain what Baku is again. Where is. it? Is it that's not part of Georgia. It's like part of Russia.

>> Azarbaian, right on the coast of the. Caspian Sea, the west coast of the. Caspian. >> That doesn't help me. >> It's between the Caspian Sea and the. Black Sea. Okay. You know, >> but southern Russia. >> Southern Russia basically. I mean, not. it's not Russia anymore. or it's. Azarbaijan but it was the Russian Empire. >> then and and. >> that's where Nobel built his oil fortune. >> in Baku oil fields all around Baku and. the Caspian Sea. So you from the Caspian. Sea you could take the Vulga River north. into Russia or you could take uh they. built a train that could go from the. Caspian to the Black Sea and from the. Black Sea you could get out into the. Mediterranean and and the rest of the.

world. But Baku has been sought after not only. in in Emanuel Nobel's time, but in World. War II, Hitler was trying to get down to. Baku uh to get the oil. Like he's like, "My Nazi army needs oil. The only way to. get it is to get down into southern. Russia and get that oil." So when he was. that what we now know as the battle of. Stalenrad, where the Nazis actually. stalled out, they were on their way to. Baku. The battle for Stalingrad is. sometimes called really it was the. battle for Baku because that's where. Hitler was going to get there. >> What was Stalin? What what was what was.

Stalenrad? Wasn't that also St. >> uh Zariten? It was everything's been. renamed. >> Yeah, I know. It's hard to keep track. >> Um but Lennengrad was also St. Petersburg, wasn't it? Okay, I can't. keep track. But St. Petersburg has been. named everything. Petrorad and. Lennengrad. Um and it's St. Petersburg. now and it's got the Winter Palace where. I actually have been. I actually had the. team tee this up. I I went to Russia a. couple times to interview Putin. The. first time was in 2017 and that and I. met him at a different palace that's. used by the royals or used to be and now.

is used by heads of state and that's. where I met both Putin and Prime. Minister Modi of India. Here's a little. bit a quick look at where we met. This. is uh in St. Petersburg steps from the. royal from the winter. >> Good evening. >> Very nice to meet you. It's an honor. >> Hi. Very nice to meet you. Megan Kelly. >> I saw your picture. >> Oh yes. You're. a Twitter. >> Yes. [laughter].

>> You'll kind of grill us with questions. >> That's right. I'm looking forward to. [laughter] that. >> Are you ready for me? >> Okay. So, that was just sort of like a. basement entrance to this big palace. where Putin stays in St. Petersburg, but. it's where he was born. >> It's where he feels like closest to. That's the city in Russia that's nearest. and dearest to his heart. It's where the. Winter Palace is. And the Winter Palace. would be used by Katherine the Great and.

all these Russian rulers, including um. ultimately Stalin and others. And uh. also in Moscow, not too far away, is. where the Kremlin is. And and Stalin. also lived there. I actually looked that. up. >> Peter the Great founded St. Petersburg. in around sear 1700s and then he made it. the capital and it was the capital all. the way through until Lenon took over. and he actually moved from St. Petersburg to Moscow because he was. worried about the German army coming uh. to get them in St. Petersburg. So he.

shifted the. >> You're right on the coast there on St. Petersburg. It's actually beautiful. It's like a mixture between like Paris. and all the bridges and the sane and um. I don't know maybe Florence. It's just. got a ton of charm. It's actually very. sad to me that you can't go there. Obviously, we given the war and it would. have been dicey even before that, but. someday maybe. >> It is beautiful and charming. It. actually reminds me of a cool part of. the book because there there's some fun, you know, the whole book isn't about war. and petroleum and communism. It's a lot. of it and also the American interests to. sort of dive into Russia after all the.

chaos of the civil war for our sort of. Wall Street economic interests. But. there are some charming detours in the. book, particularly around like St. Petersburg. Nobel was the largest. customer of Fabraier. And so when he had. a big banquet, he'd have all these. dignitaries. One event in 1911, he was. having 50 dignitaries to host in St. Petersburg. And so he went to Fabraier. uh and he had, you know, he'd been a. customer of Peter Carl Fabraier for. years. And he said, "I want to get a. piece of jewelry when for all these.

dignitaries and their spouses, he wanted. to put for every woman coming a piece of. jewelry in their napkin." So he goes. over there and they have this meeting. and Peter Carl Fabraier's greatest. designer is this young woman named Alma. Peele. She's 22 years old. She's already. identified as the star jewelry designer. And he says, "I want to give a piece of. jewelry to them that sort of reflects. the spirit of St. Petersburg." So they. have this big meeting. He leaves. Alma. Peele sits down at her drafting table. with her sketch pad as the sun's coming. up. It's a freezing February morning in. St. Petersburg. The window is frosted.

with ice crystals. The sun hits it and. she's like, "That's it." the sun's like. glinttering through the thing. So, she. designs this winter motif that becomes. the the main design that they're going. to use and she makes these like little. pieces of jewelry out of diamonds and. platinum and silver. Amazing. Yeah. And. every napkin gets one. >> It's unbelievable. >> Yeah. And then so then they have and. there's a photo of it in the book. There's some really cool photos in the. book. Um one of the Nobel ice eggs. So. the the Romanov did these imperial eggs,

Easter eggs that they would give away, these famous, you know, priceless. things. >> There it is. >> And there they're a handful. That's it. there. Yeah. And it's in the book, too. There handful that are considered, >> what are we seeing there? One looks like. a silver football. And then there's. something. >> the egg is on the left, and it's, you. know, on a pedestal there. And then on. the right is a surprise pendant watch. And the surprise is that that fits. inside the egg. And so there are a few. Imperial eggs and others that are. considered imperial quality. The Nobel. Ice Egg is. So that's so it's really. beautiful. It has this winter motif that.

because Nobel um contracted with Fabri. for it, he owns the motif. Zar Nicholas. II was like, Emanuel, this is so. beautiful. Like do you mind? And so he's. like, "Sure, Zar." And so Zar Nicholas. also made a winter imperial egg for his. wife. >> But imagine showing up at a dinner party. and by the way, the genuine general. custom is you bring the host a gift. The. host doesn't give you a gift, but. instead you get a gift from Fabraier. And it's some exorbitant.

platinum. >> Yeah. From one of the richest men, if. not the richest man in the world, Emanuel Nobel. >> And these things must be out there. somewhere because it's actually very. interesting. Vladimir Putin gave me a. couple of gifts when I went over to. Russia. >> Yeah. >> And uh one of them was a caviar. dispenser, which we still have, which. has these beautiful designs on it, and. these knives, these. >> in the design of an egg. in the design. of an egg which is very Russian and like. an homage almost I guess to like some of. the history there. Um but this was like.

this fabraier thing was huge with. Emanuel. He was he loved it. He loved. giving people gifts and he had money. coming out of his ears. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> I mean he truly was he the richest man. in the world? I it's hard to know. because sort of pulling together the. financial documents of Tsarist Russia. and then into the into the revolution is. really hard to know but certainly one of. if not the he was probably the richest. in Russia outside the Zsar and could. have been one of the richest in the. world. >> So let's take a he he controlled more. than half of Russian oil at the time of.

World War I. It's insane and that was. the biggest supply in the world. >> Again, we're talking to Douglas Brunt. about his new book, The Lost Empire of. Emanuel Nobel. Let's take a step back. and talk a bit about how he got there. because the this the family Nobel is. very interesting. It's like they had a. bunch of overachievers. I talked about. Emanuel who's the his Emanuel's grandpa. >> He had these three sons who you write. about. >> There was Robert. There was Ludwig who's.

Emanuel's dad. >> And there was Alfred who we know about. from the Dynamite and the Nobel Prizes. But Robert plays a critical role in the. birth of the oil fortune too. He was. sort of the kerogenly nar do well. I. mean like he was smart but he was. >> his own worst enemy. I don't know. I. think he might have had asberers. Like. he didn't do well socially. >> He did not. He's sort of he rubbed. everybody the wrong way but he was this. adventurous free-spirited guy. >> And so I I'm Emanuel the grandfather. came over. He was sort of this inventive. genius tinkerer. He designed undersea.

mines and he was a chemist and dealt. with explosives. So it kind of got the. family started down that track. >> But he had been bankrupt like he he. didn't start off with a lot of. >> he escaped bankruptcy in Sweden and went. alone to the Russian Empire in the 1840s. and left his family behind. And then. once he got a contract selling undersea. mines to the Zar sent for the rest of. the family and they all come over to. Russia near St. Petersburg as immigrants. from Sweden and then he goes bankrupt. again after the Crimean War. You know. they they actually are using the mines.

in the Crimean War. They mine the Baltic. Sea to to fight. But then the Russians. lose the war and all the contracts that. Nobel had with Thesar are not honored. And so he goes bankrupt again and he. returns to Sweden. But his son Ludwig. and Robert stay and they rebuild a. munitions uh factory and an engine. factory. And they get another contract. So now Europe of course is rearming. again by the 1860s. You know, it's like. it's off and on again. And they get a. contract for 100,000 rifles. And so.

Ludwig, who's the boss, sends his. brother Robert down to the caucuses by. the Caspian Sea where these huge walnut. trees because they need wood for the. shoulder stocks of the rifles. So Robert. goes down there with 20,000 silver. rubles to buy a bunch of wood. And he. gets down there and he gets into this. area along the Caspian Sea that is also. it's like the the land of the eternal. flame where natural gas is seeping. through fissures and rocks and ignites. and has an eternal flame there. There's. so much oil in the ground that it's. puddling up on the surface of the ground.

and people just skim it. There's no. drilling. There's no technology. They. just skim the oil off the surface. They're so. >> Did they know it was liquid gold at that. time? >> They used it for like a um a lubricant. or a solve or something like that, but. they weren't really uh you know drilling. or refining it in any big way. >> And uh Robert gets down there, he's. like, "Oh my god, like forget the trees. I'm buying land for oil." Which he does. He takes the 20,000 without telling his. brother. doesn't buy the wood, buys land. and a refinery. And the Nobels who've. been building engines and you know they.

have tons of technology and resources. They come down, this is 1873, so three. years after Standard Oil was founded in. America. They take the American playbook. and they put it into play in Baku. >> But I love I mean just sorry to. interrupt, but I love it in the book. because it's called the Lost Empire of. Emanuel Nobel. You write about how. Robert's down there and again he's he's. sort of the nerd do well brother of the. three and he's been given this mission. he's been entrusted by Lewig who does. know what he's doing. >> and instead of doing the one thing he.

was told to do which is you get the get. the wood the walnut for the shoulder. stocks he blows the whole fortune on oil. which is not the family business yet no. it hasn't been approved they can't text. they can't call that a letter would take. six to eight weeks. >> there's just no way to get an approval. So he's like, "I'm doing I'm making. executive decision." And at first. they're like, "You did what?". >> Yeah. He gets back up north and and. Ludvig's like, "You did what?" He's. like, "My god, my crazy brother. Can you. do anything right?" And then he starts.

looking at a little bit. He's like, "Wait a minute. This may be like a a. crazy stroke of luck through my wild. brother." I don't know if you have the. photo of that mule cart where they. >> we'll put it in. >> or you know delivering the oil in that. way, but literally there was no. drilling. It was just people digging. with shovels and skimming and putting. the oil in wooden crates and dragging. around by mules. >> It looks like something out of a little. house on the prairie. >> So it still looks like ancient times. when the Nobels get there. >> Yeah. >> And then. >> that's how people were collecting oil at. the time. >> Yeah. They'd put it in a barrel and put. it on a back of a mule cart like that. and and wheel it around and then you get.

your deliver and you know the wooden. barrels are leaky or they just break. altogether. So the Nebels come down with. money and technology and expertise and. suddenly they're on the map as one of. the major oil companies in the world. because there's just such abundant. reserves of oil in the ground. >> and not that many people are doing it. So they figure out how to refine it. >> The laws of Thesar were really backward. then like you couldn't actually own the. land. It was a four-year lease system. So no one's going to build a bunch of. infrastructure on land that they may or. may not be able to renew the lease in. four years. And in 1873. >> Oh the irony.

In 1873, just as the Nobels arrive, they. change that law and they're really. trying to encourage business uh and you. know, infrastructure building. So, they. buy the land and they own it and then. they really invest and and build a great. enterprise. >> So, it takes off and Emanuel really is. the one who winds up I mean Alfred and. the other Nobels are doing it, but Emma. Emanuel winds up being the one to really. expand it and make it a huge thing and. um take it next level. and part of his. story. It's it's not unlike Rudolph. Diesel, who's the star of your last. book, which is a huge New York Times.

bestseller. Thanks to all of you guys. listening, uh, in part, it did so so. well. And, um, that was about the. mysterious case of Rudolph Diesel, who. is the guy behind the diesel engine. Most people don't even know that it's a. proper name. Diesel [clears throat] gas. is spelled with a lower D still at the. gas station. But it that that came from. Rudolph Diesel, a man and um who. invented the the engine. And the the reason I say they're. similar, Rudy, Rudy D, >> Rudy D. >> and Emanuel is they were both good men.

Like they actually cared about the. product they were in investing in or. inventing in Rudy's case and the workers. who would come work for them. Like this. was something in in a country in which. you know Lenin and Stalin would push the. workers like we need a revolt, burn it. all down. F the man, you know, all power. to the Soviet, whatever. >> It was hard to sell that to the workers. who were in the employee of Emanuel.

Nobel who loved him. >> Yeah. Yeah. God, there's there's so much. amazing stuff packed in this book. I. wish I could like go into all of it, but. that's exactly right. The people who. worked for Nobel, Baku in general was a. terrible, dangerous place to work. People who would get lowered into the. oil mines. >> Half the time you're not coming back. out. It was it was very dangerous. When. they hit a gusher, >> it was like an explosion. People working. the rig would go deaf. The concussion. was so big you could go permanently. deaf. >> It would blast sand and rock hundreds of. feet into the air. The oil would would.

uh shoot up for weeks, sometimes poor. they could contain it. if it if there. was even a spark, the whole thing just. turned into a firebomb and killed many. people. So, it was a very dangerous. place to work. Beyond that, the living. conditions in Baku were terrible. You. know, this dirt floors and crime and and. violent crime. But Nobel was different. He built factory or he built employee. housing, schools, hospitals. He built uh. you know things for leisure, pastime. play, you know, like the it wasn't. called bowling, but it was sort of like. bowling. He had a bunch of those kinds.

of things for people, libraries. And so. the employees proudly called themselves. Nobel. It was the place you wanted to. work. It was it was had a reputation as. a benevolent uh place to be. And so when. you mentioned the 1905 revolution when. there was insurgency or or you know when. there was worker agitation often done by. Stalin personally in Baku, he was. constantly agitating the workers in. southern Russia. Nobel got off easy. because the workers would say actually.

he's not he's not the capitalist pig. He's not the one we want to go after. He's actually a good guy. >> I like my boss. >> Yeah. And the people who got it worse. with the Rothschilds who are Jewish, they got it the worst. >> Um. >> but because of anti-semitism, >> anti-semitism was terrible throughout. Europe. In Russia was particularly bad. I mean, laws on the books, making it. hard for Jewish businesses at that time. So, it was it was a it was a bad time to. be running a business as a as a Jewish. person. the Rothschilds were so. influential they could sometimes. overcome that a little bit but it was.

pretty uphill for them even. >> um but then you know when the when the. real. uh things hit the fan there in 1917 and. the revolution when they were literally. dragging capitalist business owners out. throwing him some kangaroo court and. then hanging them or imprisoning them. Nobel's workers were protecting him you. know they they were like this is not the. guy to go after you know we feel loyalty. to him and they really helped him in. that period So this I mean he really he. was both noble and Nobel to quote Karine.

Jean Pierre. Um he was he was a good man. and he actually was trying to do things. the right way and he did everything. right. He he worked with the Russian. government. This is Tsarist the the. Tsarist government before Stalin and. Lenn and all that. Um and got a. government title eventually. He was. Swedish but he eventually became a. Russian citizen. He was trying to like, you know, lean in to his new community. and take care of the people. >> and really did not see this particular. threat coming his way, which who could. >> But the other half of the book, we learn.

all all about Emanuel and the Nobels is. we learn all about little little Joey. Stalin. >> Yeah. >> And what a terrible man he was in so. many ways and for so much of his life. Now, I will say there was one thing, a. couple of things that jumped out like. you did a good job of humanizing him. Yeah. >> In some in the ways that were available. and I thought it was very interesting. that. >> even the greatest villains of the 20th. century were little boys at one time, you know, and you learn about his really. brutal childhood.

>> and he his genuine love for his first. wife. Like he was. >> crazy about his first wife, like. genuinely love and also a poet. What was. it? He was into the arts in some way. I'm trying to remember. >> I mean, he was a big reader. He was a. singer. Um, so he a lot came out about. Stalin after the fall of the Soviet. Union in 91. Some archives become became. more available. So we learn a little. more about the the young Stalin years. In fact, there's a book called Young. Stalin by Simon Sebag Montafuri, which. is very good. And he grew up in these.

hard scrabble streets of the country of. Georgia. He was basically in a street. gang. He was getting his butt kicked. almost daily coming home from school. He. injured his arms. He had one arm that. was kind of a little withered and and. smaller than the other arm. Not good if. you're getting into street fights uh. every day. And then he was of all things. Stalin was studying to be a priest for. many years. He was he was studying to be. a priest and he was a big reader and he. was singing in like the choir.

Uh but in those years he also did get. access to Marxist thinking and writings. And as he was leaving, he abandoned the. priesthood as a path. And just as he did. that, he started writing for a Marxist. paper. And he stayed in southern Georgia. and he he essentially became like a. gangster. He would run protection racket. schemes and he would rob, you know, payroll wagons going to banks and things. like that so that he could take that. money and send it up to to Lenin and. fund the Bolevik party. And he became.

Lenin's sort of like gangster, his main. henchman in southern Russia. So he was. the guy in the Baku area. >> Can you give us a little bit on Lenin. just for people who don't we all know. that name but like how did he emerge and. become the the future leader? He was the. first leader before Stalin of well it. would become the Soviets but you know. Stalin came from like hard scrabble. background. His mother was a sometimes. prostitute to pay the bills. His dad was. an abusive this is all Stalin. His dad.

was an abusive alcoholic. Lenin came. from a much better his his parents were. more academic and like not exactly. nobles but close noble adjacent I guess. but his older brother was a re you know. just as Alexander I was you know. introducing these reforms. His brother. was one of those people who was an. insurgent who was organizing and and. taking advantage of free assembly and. free press to write revolutionary, you. know, doctrine and sort of follow uh,

you know, this sort of like urban. overthrow thesar movement. And he did. attempt to assassinate uh. >> the brother or Lennon's older brother. Lennon's older brother and he was caught. in in an assassination attempt. >> and he was hung. They hanged hanged. >> Hanged. Thank you. Yeah, that's one of. my pet peeves. >> Uh and so as a young boy, uh Vladimir. Lennon watched his older brother get. hanged. >> Gosh. >> Um and so that kind of sent him on a. very radicalized.

>> radicalized path. >> And then he started reading Karl Marx. >> Yep. And he became a a disciple of. Marxist doctrine and founded the the. Bolevik party. >> So when when Lenin started getting. political, was it like was his goal from. the beginning to turn Russia communist? Was that the goal? Like I want to get. rid of the monarchy. I want there to be. a revolution and I want communism here. and worldwide. That's my goal. >> Yeah. Yeah. The international play was. was big. Like and that was one of the. knocks on them after the October.

Revolution. There were some people are. saying, you know, it's almost like today. it's like is it Russia first or. communism first? >> And a lot of people were saying look. let's they're using Russia as just sort. of a stepping stone for it was called. the communist international comment. turn. Um. because they were trying to ferment. revolution in Germany and Britain and. America. There was a communist. >> And you're saying these Russian citizens. are like, I I I want to take a vacation. I want to put food on my table. Can we. worry about Russia first? Like we'll do.

communism here if you say that's going. to work better, but can we worry about. Russia? >> Exactly. >> And they they had bigger goals. Yeah. >> And they did get their literature into. American universities. You point this. out in the book, The Lost Empire of. Emanuel Nobel. >> Yeah. Yeah. There was a there was a. whole communist sort of office set up. here in New York City that the New York. the NYPD raided it and like took the. took the files out. But yeah, it was. very much of an international movement. in those early days, which is why. everyone around Europe was like, "Oh my. god, these communists are a nightmare.". Like and it's why it's also why and this.

is covered a little bit in the crown, but it's why the British monarchy didn't. rescue Nicholas II. You know, they had. the same grave thing like that could be. my head. >> Let's set that up. So Nicholas the. second again just to because there's so. many names. That's the guy who was the. last Zar, who was married to the Zarina, who was fascinated with Rasputin, who. had the hemophiliac son. He was the last. Zar of Russia. When he went down, he. wound up advocating because he was. pushed out like they were like, "You're. you're done. No one respects you. You're. going to have to go." So he went and. then. >> that was 1917 in the context of the.

revolution. And then. >> it doesn't escape Russia. He sort of. >> Yeah. They went into like exile. Yeah. >> And then in 1918, some very bad news. came his way. So he's like out of power. It's not going to happen for him. these. Bolsheviks, you know, they're going to. be Soviets t are taking over Russia. You. know, it's not going to happen for your. hemophiliac son or for you. If you can. get out of this thing alive, it's going. to be a miracle. And so there's like. basically in the basement of a castle. like, "Well, this sucks. Now what?" And. he gets an idea. He's like, "I have a.

card to play. I've got a very famous. powerful cousin.". >> Uh, yes, there are cousins. Yeah. Kaiser. Wilhelm II, Nicholas II, and King George. uh the fourth. Fourth, fifth. Fifth are. cousins. >> Okay. They're all cousins. >> Yeah, >> that's great. That's what a what a. wonderful family tree. So, I don't have. to stay in this basement. I'm going to. write King George a letter saying, "Could you please get me and my family. out of here cuz I'm not sure what these.

rising guys are going to do. >> if they get their hands on me because. I'm still, you know, I abdicated, but I. still have a lot of power." And that. this is all portrayed in the crown and. we've managed to pull the scene so that. >> Oh, you did? Oh, that's so great. Yeah. >> Yeah. So, we can show the audience. So, here's first we're gonna show you the uh. fictional portrayal of King George. receiving the letter from the exiled Zar. who is very scared for his life. >> Your Majesty, your old highness, a.

letter from the Prime Minister. Can't it. wait? concerning their imperial. majesties, the Zar and Zarina of Russia. The government is willing to send a ship. to bring the Romanoffs to safety here in. England. The prime minister does not. wish to do so without your support, public perception, and so forth. The war.

reading a letter from. >> Shall I go back with a yes. >> to their rescue? Show it to your mother. Her judgment is unfailingly better than. mine.

The queen's having a [music] look at the. letter, begging for their help. >> What say you, my love? >> Do we send the ship? >> No. Shaking her head. No. Supposed one. might come to regret it. So they say no. >> Yeah. I mean the ZAR was so unpopular at. this time and they knew it was going to.

be an unpopular move domestically and. jeopardize them. Everyone was worried. about worker uprisings and you know the. quote unquote proletariat. and they just were worried about the PR. of rescuing this enormously unpopular. autocrat. >> Wow. And then okay so viewer warning. We. pulled the second scene. I I actually. just watched this. I I told Matina to. pull it and then I looked it online uh. in my office and I I feel the need to. give you a viewer warning because it's I. didn't realize the crown really went. that explicit, but it's a very explicit.

portrayal of what then happened not long. thereafter to the Zar the Zarina and. their children. Um it wasn't good. It. was absolutely brutal. And viewer. warning, it's portrayed here in this. second scene from The Crown. So. >> who is this dugger doing the killings? >> These are communist guards. >> You can see the children. You can see. the family sitting there looking for.

you. In view of the fact that your. relatives in Europe continue to attack. Soviet Russia. The Ural executive committee has. sentenced you to death. This is for the workers [screaming] for. the revolution. [laughter]. And Lenin was forced to do THIS BECAUSE. the could be a rallying point for the. white army in the civil war. The Russian. civil war is happening as this is all. going.

>> It's the red army and the white army and. the white army is the establishment. [laughter] It's the. >> it's it's basically they're only united. by hating communism. Some want the. zarback. Some want more of a democratic. government. It was a little disorganized. which is why they didn't win really. But. they all hated the reds, the white army. >> Okay. And you were saying Lenin was. forced to do this. >> because because the Czech Legion was. coming in from from the east. They were. where the Zar was being held prisoner. >> The Czech Legion who opposed communism. >> It's a it's a military outfit from.

Czechoslovakia that was still fighting. from World War I. And they hated the. communists too. >> And if they got to where the Zar was. being held, he could have been freed. And so as they started getting closer, Lenin just put in the kill order. you. got to take him out because if he gets. free then it's going to rally the whites. and then we're going to be in a much. worse shape. >> Geez, I wonder whether the king of. England had any second thoughts about. his decision. I mean, reportedly he did. >> He did, I think, because he then, you. know, he was actually advised. not to save thesar. And then after the.

was killed, they held a a public. ceremony in London to honor Thesar. And. he was advised not to attend, but he did. attend anyway. >> Oh, sweet. What a guy. >> Really stuck his neck out. [laughter]. >> Oh my gosh. It's crazy what the how the. crown portrayed it is it was very. brutal. They not only shot all the. family but they bayonetted them. >> Yeah. Yeah. And then they throw them in. like stab throw them in a pit and pour. gasoline, you know, it's like burn them. >> They were really determined to make sure. that they were good and dead and it was.

not ambiguous. So. >> and meanwhile, Emanuel Nobel, all that's. happening while Emanuel Nobel is a. refugee trying to hang on to his oil. empire and preserve it from the Red Army. as well. So he and some other more like. of the Russian elite go take exile. >> They're not leaving. They're not out of. Russia. But what's the it's a very. difficult. >> I had to learn this for the audio book. Kiz Leavodsk. >> K. They go to Kiz Lavodk. >> And he's hanging out there because again. no one really thinks these Bolsheviks.

are going to be able to hold on to. power. It's been quite a revolution. We. get it. Lenin and Stalin have got a. bunch of tricks. We underestimated them. But there's no way these street thugs. and bank robbers and so on are going to. be able to actually govern Russia. >> So we'll bite our time, they'll fall. apart and we'll return to the way things. used to be. >> Yeah. And so he's hanging out in this. resort refugee town where there are. other members of aristocracy and. industrialists. They're all sort of. buffered by a little bit of the white. army there in this southwestern part of.

Russia. And they run out of rubles. And. so Nobel sort of takes over and says, "All right, well, we need another. currency." because they're all running. around with like diamonds and stocks and. hard assets, but you they need to buy. like eggs and things from the things. You can't just put a bag of diamonds on. the table for your eggs. So, he comes up. with this idea of Nobel notes with what. the town calls it. He comes up with a. new currency and they call it Nobel. notes in honor of him. So, they develop. a new currency so that they can actually. sort of live and transact there in this. town because it goes on for a while. And. Lenin is up in the new capital, Moscow,

and Stalin saying, "We got to. nationalize, take over the oil." And so. he's in Lenin's ear saying that they. need to do this. Lenin hesitates doing. it because he's like, "Well, look, we. can take it over, but there's no one in. the communist government who knows how. to run an oil business.". >> What? This is like you and I taking. over. Actually, you now could run an oil. business after writing [laughter] this. book. But yeah, they they're like, "Well, I don't know how to run an oil. business." You. >> Yeah. So we they'd have to secure the. cooperation of Nobel to in order to do. this. And he's sitting in Kovich like. I'm not sure I want to go there given.

what just happened to the Zar and the. Zarina. >> Yeah. So he gets summoned. They send a. note to citizen Nobel, you know, please. come to Moscow so we could talk about. how we're going to run the oil business. after we take it over. And the Nobels. are all there's a great line from them. like they they're asking us to drive the. hearse at our own third class funeral. >> Oh wow. >> Uh so it's um. >> they were too smart for that. >> Yeah. Noel is he's like there's no way. I'm going to Moscow. That would begin. the next phase of a very very powerful. dance that Nobel and Stalin would do.

All documented in Douglas Brun's the. lost empire of Emanuel Nobel. The. subtitle is Romanovs. Like that's what. the Zar was last name. His last name was. Romanov had been the all the Zarus prior. to him for I don't know how long. 300. years. >> Yeah. Romanov's revolutionaries and the. forgotten titan who fueled the world. fueled, not ruled. That's Emanuel Nobel. Uh the one of the This is Jug's. specialty. Like famous people whose. names you know, but whose story you. don't. You and Mike Row bonded over an.

affinity for these kinds of stories. He. tells them on his podcast and his shows, and you tell them longer form in your. books. >> And this one is so fascinating. You. learn so much about Russia, about our. world, about communism, and how it came. to be. It's still influencing, unfortunately, young American radicals. to this day. And how there was this. brief window where where we might have. stopped it and we didn't. The. consequences of that and all about these. historical figures like Stalin, like. Lenin, like Markx, like Trosky. I didn't. I mean I knew that name but I didn't.

know anything about him and the nobel. >> and it replays today like the the. epigraph of the book that line by the. playwright Eugene O'Neal. There is no. present or future only the past. happening over and over. >> That is so perfect. the parallels to. this that the the effort to capture our. sources of energy plays out again and. again. You read this and you're like, "Oh my god, it's happening again today.". >> Well, not only that, I I I know you're. going to go on Jesse Kelly's show, but. when I first read The Lost Empire of. Emanuel Noel, I thought about Jesse. Kelly like every other page because he's.

constantly calling the very far-left. base in this country communists. >> And he's done a lot of study on. communism and communists. And it's all. over every page of this book, like what. they want, this true revolution, like. burn it down, seize the means of. production. It really is explained in. this book how they got that way, what. they really do want, what the end goal. is, and it's no bueno. All right, stand. by. We got to take a quick break. We. will be back on the opposite side with. Douglas Brunt, the author of the brand. new book, The Lost Empire of Emanuel.

Nobel. Order yours now on Amazon, or you. can download the audio and hear Doug. read it. [music] Stand by. Hey, thanks for watching today's full. episode. If you're new here, throw us a. subscribe. See what you think. Stay in. touch. There's plenty more goodness. where this one came from. As always, we. really do value your feedback. So, email. me, too. Megan megnancelly.com. or just leave a comment down below. I do. read them. I meander over and I scroll. through and I find them very. entertaining and really appreciate the. feedback. But in any event, join the.

community by becoming a subscriber so. you miss nothing. We value your support. We may not always agree on positions, but as you know, I'm very open-minded to. people who disagree with me. That's how. I learn. So, thanks and thanks for. trusting us to always talk about it. openly, honestly, and with provocative. conversations. Ever been in a bad. relationship? You know, the kind it just. wears you down. You settle in even. though deep down you know this is not. how it's supposed to be. That's what. daily aches and pains can feel like. You.

stop expecting to feel good. you start. thinking, "Maybe this is just my life. now." But it doesn't have to be. With. Relief Factor, you can break up with. pain just like Anthony did. He wrote, quote, "I was dealing with debilitating. pain and fatigue. I've been taking. Relief Factor for about 2 months, and. now I'm back to running my business, fishing, gardening, doing the things. that really matter to me. Maybe it's. your back pain, knee issues, or. stiffness that's slowing you down.". Relief Factor might help give you your.

mobility back. Relief Factor is 100%. drug-free. It targets the inflammation. that causes pain, helping you move. better, feel better, and actually enjoy. life again. Try the 3-week quick start. for just 1995. Go to reliefactor.com or. call 8004 relief. Break up with pain and. get back to what matters. Back with me now, Doug Brunt. He is host. of [music] Dedicated with Doug Brunt, which is a podcast he does with other. authors. and he is the author of the. brand new book out today, The Lost.

Empire of Emmanuel Nobel. Yes, there it. is on your screens, The Lost Empire of. Emanuel Nobel, Romanovs, Revolutionaries, and the Forgotten Titan. Who Fueled the World. And in the. meantime, in our in our break, honey, our our staff has gone. uh a little procco to toast pub day for. your novel, not your novel, your book, which is. >> noniction. >> Non-fiction. Thank you. Here's to our. our new friend Nobi. Cheers. Thanks, honey. >> Cheers, honey.

>> Now, now I feel right. Now we're. talking. >> Yeah. I mean, it really is like it is. like giving birth to a baby in a way. >> Yeah. >> You know, >> it's I mean, there there many little. milestones along the way. You finish the. rough draft and send it in, you get the. galley, but getting the hard cover and. pub day, like that's that's the big. that's the big uh money day. >> Oh, it's a sweet thing, too. Like when. when we got the first galley which is. the soft color where Simon Shusher just. sends you here's your book with the. mocked up cover but it's got it doesn't. look official yet but it's the closest.

thing. >> and that's what goes out to press and. reviews and things. >> So that when you got that we opened it. and the kids got to see it. We had a. moment and then when this hard cover. came, you know, we get it obviously. before the population gets it. >> That's another moment like holding it up. with the kids. It's so great for them to. see because they like I have lived with. you while you while this was just an. idea while you were kicking around. Diesel was a huge. >> like our trip to Sweden when I was in. the archives in Sweden as we were there. as a family but I took a day out and did. a bunch of stuff while. >> we should show that actually here's.

there's a picture of Doug um that I took. when we were in Sweden and explain what. they're seeing here that's relevant to. Nobel. >> on photo left with the green roof. That's the original Grand Hotel in. Stockholm that's owned by the. Wallenburgg family investor AB. is this. incredibly successful Swedish family. The building just behind my head is the. Belinda Palace. It was the Royal Auto. Club for many years, for like 50 years, but that's now also part of the Grand. Hotel. And when we stayed there, we. stayed in a room that's like right. behind my head. My head's actually. blocking the windows of the room we.

stayed in. And then the red roof all the. way over my left shoulder on photo right. is the Bmana Palace, which is also now. part of the Grand Hotel. So the entire. thing now is the Grand Hotel in. Stockholm. They host every Nobel laurate. since 1901, the first year of the. prizes. They've all stayed there. It's. an incredible beautiful hotel in. >> And Nobel was there. Our our Nobel. >> Well, yeah. I mean, we don't want to. like he did we won't say exactly when or. how because like a huge chunk of the. book is this wild scenario of what plays. out with Nobel and Stalin. But Nobel did.

actually stay in the red roof part of. the Grand Hotel, the the Bmana Palace, which is now part of the main hotel. And. you can stay there. If you go to. Stockholm, you should totally stay. there. >> It's so cool. those like when we when. you were writing diesel, we went to. France. >> and we found in Paris and we found this. little tiny plaque with like graffiti. nearby. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> And that was kind of all the homage to. Rudolph diesel who this guy who you know. as you explained and has become so. relevant with our gas prices and our. diesel prices so up right now fueled the.

world that that guy as well you know he. created this amazing engine which won. the world's fair in 1900. >> and to this day powers everything around. the globe every cargo ship you know any. anything on the road larger than a. passenger car that's all diesel. >> and but like forgotten forgotten and. Doug's first book first non-fiction uh. explains why that happened to diesel. And now this one with with another. homage to another world figure who's. >> whose name not just Nobel because that's. Nobel prizes and it's Alfred. Um but.

this guy Emanuel Nobel should be known. the way Rockefeller is known and that. the last third of the book really. explains why. >> Yeah. And it all comes together in the. it's it's the more things change the. more they stay the same. It's the. original oil war that we've seen it play. out a hundred times. >> through the century. This is where it. started. >> I feel like these dead titans at some. somewhere out in the ether, Duggar, are. going to be grateful to you for like. setting the record straight about who. they were, what they did, and.

remembering them in the way they would. have wanted. >> I hope so. I feel like they're kind of. buddies now. I've spent five years with. Diesel, several years with Nobel, and. also, you know, Nobel is part of the. Diesel story, too, and was how I came. across Nobel and uh I do feel a. connection to them. So, >> so now you we're not going to say what. the you're working on a third in this. trilogy. >> Yes. >> Right now you there is a third character. who's just like these guys in a way. >> Yes. And it it'll be and that'll sort of. complete it in my in my mind, but it's.

it's like a I'm thinking of it as the. turn of the century trilogy because it's. this really charming. It's a a brutal. time to live, of course, with the World. War I. But this quarter century leading. up to and then including World War I is. this amazing. kind of charming time to live. It's like. Downtown Abbey, the early years, the. world lived in a totally different way. There were all these empires that. crumbled as a as a result of World War. I. The Russian Empire, German Empire, Austrian Empire, Ottoman Empire. It's. all different afterwards. And it's a.

fascinating hinge point in history that. World War I completely disrupted. And. then just as we're starting as a as a, you know, as a societ as like a human. species to sort of look back on what. happened there, World War II comes along. and it just gets paved over. So there's. so much about that time period that's. really unexplored. I want to tell the. author or the audience that one of the. people who blurbed this book and loved. this book is somebody it was the first.

thing Tucker texted me about when he saw. your book. >> and it's the thing you were so proud of. when this guy agreed to read it and. blurb it and our our learned audience. >> funny family story. >> Yes. Our learned audience may know the. name Daniel Jurgen, Pulitzer Prizew. winning author of the prize, The Epic. Quest for Oil, Money and Power, and The. New Map, Energy, Climate, and the Clash. of the Nations. Okay, so Doug asked this. guy if he would blurb the book, read the. book, and boy did he ever, he loved it, and he wrote the following. Douglas. Brunt tells the extraordinary story of.

the Nobels, not Alfred of the Nobel. Prize, but his brother Ludwig and nephew. Emanuel, who built one of the world's. greatest industrial enterprises of the. 19th century. and a giant oil company. that rivaled Rockefellers only to see it. all shattered in their fatal collision. with Joseph Stalin and the Russian. Revolution. A haunting elegy for a very. different Russia that might have been. So every man I've talked to the to about. this that seen that the Daniel Jurgen. blurb and the fact that he got involved.

in this Duggar has been so impressed. Why do you love Daniel Jurgen so much. and why did that mean so much to you? that book, The Prize, came out, I think. in 1991, and I studied it in college. I. had a had a course that was dedicated to. The Prize, which is The Epic Quest for. Oil. Uh, and so I've I loved that book. I've kept it on my bookshelf ever since. And then when that blurb for the book. came in that he, you know, and he and I. my first email to him was like, "Dear. Mr. Jurgen," you know, and he So now, but now it's Dan. >> All right, nice. >> Emile Dan and Doug now. So that's uh.

huge though to come from a college. student studying a Pulitzer. surprisewinning book by Daniel Jurgen to. now like having a a. >> an emailing relationship with him where. he loved the book and and he got it too. It is a haunting elegy of a Russia that. might have been. >> Yeah. >> It's a it's maybe the craziest what you. know what happens with Stalin and. Emanuel Nobel is maybe the craziest. sliding doors moment in history. Yeah. >> Imagine a 20th century in which there's. no. >> communist Russia, China, Korea, Cuba, Vietnam, none of it. Wow.

>> It might have been a totally different. thing. And it's only by like a, you. know, the eye of a needle that Lenin and. Stalin got through there. >> And what you see after, you know, we've. set up the conflict for you in our in. our preview of the book, The Lost Empire. of No, Emanuel Nobel. But what you see. is sort of at the precipice where. Emanuel's getting called by Stalin to, you know, go meet and got a choice to. make and both both men have choices to. make and those choices will wind up. affecting the world. it will wind up. affecting the world that you live in.

right today. Like there what they. decided to do and what would happen to. both men would truly change the course. of history. It's documented in Doug's. book and I don't want to give it all. away. >> And of course like Morgan and. Rockefeller and Wall Street interests. also play a huge part in how that all. plays out. It's like it. >> very dramatic, for lack of a better term. Um but I will. tell a funny story. You were you were very excited about the. Daniel Jurgen blurb and actually one. morning we were getting ready in our.

bathroom and we have dual sinks. So you. were at yours and I was at mine and you. were like, "Oh, all the other oil. historians are going to love this." And. [laughter] I I looked and just kind of. laughed at you like the other all the. other [laughter] guys. >> It's very difficult. ties into another. very nice endorsement and review I got. from this organization called History. Nerds United [laughter]. >> who I'm my they're my compadres now. It's like people like you are why we had. to unite in the [laughter] first place.

>> because I mocked you and I bullied you. That's so wrong. So wrong. >> I've got my posi. We're we're good. [laughter]. [gasps]. >> I love that. All the other oil. historians are gonna love [laughter]. that. Sure. Those four guys are going to. they're they they're going to run to not. walk to the nearest [laughter] store. Sorry, so mean. But it's not just for. oil historians. However, the oil. historians are united are excited. >> in their love for the book because.

>> all history nerds are excited. >> All of them and those of us who just. dabble. >> Yeah. >> This is a pivot started with Diesel. This is the second non-fiction from. fiction which you did for your first. three books. >> And how how have you been enjoying that? I I actually prefer narrative. This is. narrative history. It's sort of like an. Eric Larson style book. So, it's history. but told in a novelistic way. Yeah. >> Which is what like getting back to what. Zibby Owens said about it. It's a It's. also like a family saga. >> and it needs to be told as a story. And.

when you experience it as a story, it's. actually indelible in that way. History. textbooks are brutal. Like we know from. our kids, it can be tough. It's not. interesting. It's like just an itinerary. of events. >> Yes. And that's not meaningful unless. you understand how did it change. daytoday. Like if you're looking at a. person who's on the streets of St. Petersburg after the October Revolution, like well what was happening on the. streets? How did their lives changed. Monday to Tuesday as that happened? Are. there people like standing on the. sideboards of cars that they've taken. over with rifles and pitchforks and.

they're in the streets there's blood in. the streets. Crazy stuff is happening. When you hear it, like reading the. memoirs of the ambassadors who were in. St. Petersburg when that was going on, they'll have little details that aren't. things that would show up in a history. textbook again just the itinerary. They're like, "This happened on this. date." You're like, "Okay, this. something I need to memorize." But when. you experience it through a person or a. family, and you get the narrative of. what happens, you're like, "Oh my god, I'm there." The page comes to life. And. that's what I'm trying to do here is. like bring it to life on the page. And.

then you never forget it. It's that Rard. Kipling quote that I love that if. history were taught in the form of. stories, it would never be forgotten. And this is this is the way to get. history. >> I feel like when I read it and then. reread I've read it many times now, but. I wished that I had had the opportunity. to read it before I went and met with. Putin. >> I wish that I had had all that knowledge. in my head because I do think it helps. you understand Vladimir Putin a lot. better. It's not about Vladimir Putin. He gets one mention in the book, but I. think um but not not much. But you you.

come to understand exactly why he rules. the way he rules, who he's like in. history, who might be his mentors, the. style of leadership, what what about it. is attractive to him and to the Russian. people. Um here this is they're showing. a picture of me sitting across from. Putin. Uh that that actually is in. Kenrad where we had a very long sit down. which is where they keep their nukes. But we also went to Moscow which is. absolutely stunning. I have to tell you. like again if if this war ever resolves. and we get back to somewhat normal.

relations with them. >> Russia is a place everybody should go if. they can. >> Um it's the Russian people are. absolutely lovely. You know, I'm not. making any excuses for Putin and what's. happening in Ukraine, but the Russian. people are absolutely lovely. They love. America. They love Americans. I was in. the streets of Moscow. Here I am. freezing my ass off. It's like 30 below. zero here. Um but it's that's Red. Square. And um it it's just every place. you go there is stunning. And the. architecture is absolutely beautiful. I. went I gave my team some pictures of. inside the Kremlin and you can see the.

ornate. chandeliers and the the wall on the the. art on the on the walls and just no. detail was spared. This is just a couple. of shots as I got ready for a live shot. But um and the listening audience, you. can check this out at 12 after the hour. But look at this. I mean like the the. Kremlin is like a spectacular castle. where I also interview Putin here and um. it's got such history in it. That's why. I looked up to see did Stalin live in. the Kremlin and indeed he did. He did.

for a time and then eventually he wanted. to live in his Dhaka which is like. >> summer house kind of where they go. But. look at this. This is just some random. room not being used at all. >> Um. >> that that's the life Nobel was leading. That kind of gilded amazing life. and. the and the street thug that was robbing. banks, Stalin, eventually was too in, >> you know, to your point about. understanding the Russian people and the. style of leadership there, Russia is. sort of this weird combination of east. and west. You know, the Thesar is much. more like a eastern, you know, Japanese.

emperor where they're sort of a deity on. earth. That's how Thesar was. He was he. was the, you know, the Eastern Orthodox. Church, but he was God's deputy on on. earth. And there's a great line from. Nicholas I was teaching Alexander II. This is going back a few Zars but he was. talking about Napoleon and he's saying. you Napoleon he's he says you know to. rule sometimes you are kind and you're. you're helpful and you give and then. other times you're the lion you know and. he was saying to his son he was advising. him about how to become thesar. He was.

saying that works in Western Europe but. in Russia you can be only the lion. And. it kind of plays out because every time. a Russian leader has tried liberalizing. reforms, you know, a couple of years later, someone tries to assassinate them. It's. like you you know, the advice that. Nicholas the first gave to Alexander I. >> kind of made some sense. You can be only. the lion in Russia. >> And it also does like like the Russian. people like a strong leader. >> Yeah. >> They they like a strong leader a lot.

Especially the women. They like a lot of. the women love Vladimir Putin and. they're very attracted to him. I mean, I. asked him that when I interviewed him in. the Kremlin. I said, "Why? Why? What's. what's with all the shirtless photos?". And he said, "I give the people what. they want." [laughter] I was like, "Oh, wow." Um, but they love a strong leader. So, it's like so often we. >> try the Tom Brady uh leather outfit. >> Oh, yeah. We'll get to him. Um, but we. we we impose our own value judgments on. foreign countries, whether it's Russia. or Iran or what have you. And it's like, no, no, no. They don't want some soft,

you know, overly feminized. >> new leftist version of American. leadership. You know, >> can you imagine speak of Barack Obama or. Pete Buddha Judge? You like never. They. would never want that. That person would. be eaten alive if they were ever. elevated. So, it's like, you know, a. couple years ago we were talking about. >> regime changing Putin out of there or. like could somebody assassinate him. after the Ukraine war was started. And. it's like careful what you wish for. because the reason we have Vladimir. Putin is because the people wanted a.

Vladimir Putin. It there I always use. the example of Jeb Bartlet. There's no. Jeb Bartlett in the wings. Nor do they. want that. You know, I don't think the. Iranian people want that. I don't think. the Russian people want that. That's an. American judgment that we. >> Yeah. We're looking at it through a. Western lens when we see that. I mean, the thesar was basically a demigod. and that's a 20th century thing. You. know, Nicholas II was the was the sort. of semi godlike figure ruling Russia all. the way into 1917. So it's like 100. years ago they still thought of it that.

way. >> Yeah. You could have had that level of. autocracy. >> Yeah. Um okay. So well you mentioned Tom. Brady. So that's a good that's is a good. place. Yeah. But before we do, don't. forget to go and buy your copy of The. Lost Empire of Emanuel Nobel by Douglas. Brunt. You will not be sorry you did. you will be entertained and you will. learn something and it's actually stuff. that's very relevant to everything. that's going on in the news today. Um, not necessarily Tom Brady, but maybe I. mean you kind of made the connection, so. maybe it is. Maybe we can make the case. >> Tom Brady, who we've met a few times, I.

don't think is a bad guy. I don't think. you think he's a bad guy. >> However, there is something weird about. Tom Brady. >> Something's happening. >> Something is happening. And we've also. talked about this many time in our. private life. >> What's happening with his looks? Okay, we we're not sure, but he recently. walked the runway at the Gucci Cruz. fashion show in New York. It's all. leather. >> Yeah, >> it doesn't look like anything any man. would want to wear on a cruise. I don't. understand what man would be wear head.

to toe leather on any sort of a cruise. Um, no. That seems off to me. And it has. led to the following comments online. Why is he walking like Robocop? Why is. he walking like the tin man? He appears. to be in some physical pain just. walking. Did he learn nothing from. Jiselle. and on and on it goes. I would say. something else jumped out to both you. and me about him not having to do with. the leather. Care to take it from there? >> I you know so we I remember meeting him. one time that. >> there was that period where this was a.

very brief intersection in time where. the Met Gala people would invite you and. you were in a period where you would be. willing to go. Yeah, >> it's like a nancond intersection. [laughter] in time where those two. things actually met and overlapped. So, he did go and and it was a year when he. was hosting. >> with Adam Winter. So, he's like up there. greeting everyone who comes in along. with like Federer and a few other people. I think. >> Yeah, >> maybe Taylor Swift I think that year. too. It was like an amazing year of. hosting and he was so gracious and. charming like he's got the it factor but.

this is 10 years ago. >> and he was handsome. Like I he should. have like held right there. I I don't. know what is I don't know what we're. seeing. >> here. And I'm a fan of Tom Brady. I got. He's not the greatest athlete, but he's. a great athlete, but he's always gotten. better results than anyone because he's. like I will outwork you and he's. mentally tough and all this stuff. So, I'm a fan, but I don't know what is. going on here. It's like kind I hate to. say it because I'm a fan, but I'm. getting Caitlyn Jenner vibes. [laughter].

Nobody I hate to say it. I don't know. why no one's saying it, though. Like, am. I [laughter] the only one seeing that or. is everyone seeing it and everyone's not. saying it? >> You can go ahead and write in and let us. know. Answer Doug's question. You can. email me Megan Megan Kelly.com. Um, his face, somebody online put the. two side by side, Tom Brady like at the. beginning of his career and Tom Brady. now. And look, [clears throat]. maybe he just lost a lot of weight. >> I don't think so. I think and I actually. asked one of my dermatologists about. this and he too said I see feminization.

surgery going on like some some sort of. >> thing that's a category of thing. >> Yeah. Well, I mean he hasn't examined. Tom Brady for the record. This is just. uh his armchair opinion and looking at. the differences but but look at look. look everything is sharper, more angled. And there is a question about whether. that's just weight loss and a difference. in like workout routine or whether. there's some um you know professional. surgery involved there to try to make.

him look just a little more feminine. slash looks maxie. I don't know. But I. don't think Tom Brady is a stranger to. the plastic surgeon's office. That's. just my own armchair belief. I don't. think that evolution we're watching. there happens naturally. >> It's a lot. Yeah, >> he doesn't he doesn't need to do that. >> It's a lot. Um, you and I have been we it's hard for us. to watch TV because we just don't have a. lot of time and then we make the mistake. of starting a TV show with our kids and.

then we're dead because it's like. >> getting all of us together is. impossible. >> It's so hard. Like you can't watch a. series with the kids anymore. It's just. so hard every between everybody's. schedule. But one of the ones we gave a. shot to, we did watch um Yellowstone. >> Yep. >> Not all of it. Yeah. >> But a lot of it. >> Um. >> Wait, were the kids doing No, they. weren't. They were not that was not. appropriate for the kids. Um and and. that would become relevant in your other. job which is hosting dedicated with Doug. Brunt where you have on. >> very famous authors. It's like been all. of the most famous authors on earth.

>> have swung by except for Stephen King. because he's weird and probably too far. left. He's welcome. >> Yeah. >> He probably looked Googled you and was. like it's a no. >> I don't know if he leaves Maine or. Florida. I don't know. He probably has a. compound. He doesn't leave much. >> Although you get you get lefty authors, you get righty. It doesn't like. >> it's not a political show, right? >> It's not a political show. So on. dedicated with Doug Brunt, which you. guys should download. That's his. podcast. Um they have a cocktail. They. have the writers who's Doug Doug is. hosting their favorite cocktail and they. talk about maybe that author's book and.

maybe just the process by which they. wrote it and write their books in. general and what their life is like. So. like if you're a fan of James Patterson, let's say, or Lee Child, >> it's like sitting in a bar next to him. and having a conversation and learning. all about them. >> Yes. So do you want to set up this clip? Is this CJ Box? Yeah. Yeah. Uh, so CJ. Box, great writer. Um, he writes these. Joe Picket novels where Joe Picket is a. park ranger uh kind of heroic figure out. and CJ Box also lives in Wyoming, but.

that's largely where the books take. place on these ranches and uh parks out. west. And so he's in we're having. cocktails. I guess we're like. >> this episode's coming out this this. Tuesday. A week from today. >> A week from today it'll be out. Sorry. Keep going. Um, so but we just recorded. it uh in New York and so we're a couple. bourbons in and we're we're talking. about, you know, things in the genre. generally of which the tail Taylor. Sheridan shows are. Are you going to. show some of the clips? I'll just Yeah. So the the idea of Taylor Sheridan and. those shows comes up which are very much. in the wheelhouse of these number one.

best-selling books that CJ Box writes. >> Okay, let's let's take a look at this. clip from Dedicated with Doug Brunt S1. >> What do you think of all the Taylor. Sheridan stuff? Is that accurate? you. know, the Yellowstone and. >> um I uh I don't know how accurate it all. is. Um it's certainly popular. I mean, it's everybody we know watches all the. shows. Um I have a trouble with some of. it and some of the renderings. Um ranch. stuff that, you know, is not really.

true, but um but it's also has to. suspend disbelief. And one thing Taylor. Sheridan done is is reintroduce modern. westerns to modern audiences. you know, wildly popular. >> Yeah. So, I guess that's good. I find. after about episode five, I'm like, I. think I've seen enough. It's starting to. feel the same to me. But I love the. first few. Like even with Land Man, I. kind of. >> I tapped out after about five episodes. cuz some of the particularly the female. characters are like caricatures of. themselves and they're just wow, they're. so ridiculous. Every scene, it's like, okay, it's starting to it it was so.

amped up all the time that amped up has. now felt kind of flat. >> I mean, I echo everything you said. I I. was kind of holding back earlier, but I. agree with what what [laughter] I. thought you were going to say. And. here's my friend Taylor over here. >> No, no, no. It's it's some of those are we have the. same thing. I can't say we exact hate. watch them, but um we watch enough that. we can talk to our friends about it. because they're always talking about it. >> Yeah. Yeah. And I mean I at some point. you start enough with you've got like.

nine shows going at one time. It's like. well whatever. I'm sure I I you know I. do enjoy the first five episodes. >> and I do find Okay. So so and I find. some of his themes pretty derivative of. my books. >> ah. >> at times and I know that he's been a. reader. >> but you know that's just one of those. things. >> Go ahead and option the damn thing. That's [laughter] right. >> Oh shots fired. He had something he. wanted to get off his chest about Taylor. Sheridan there and you tapped into it. >> I have to say he was the nicest guy. his.

wife was in studio with us as well and. she she said she's watched every uh. dedicated episode which is great. So she. loves all the authors who've come. through and he said I've watched about. half so I'll take it because he's he's a. big star and a busy guy writing lots of. books but he was so nice and he also has. the reputation. So I I everyone comes. through so whether it's you know Lee. Child or Michael Connelly or you know. all the folks have come through and CJ's. Chuck as he goes by uh off the off the.

book title has a reputation for being. the nicest guy. Everyone says you got to. have CJ Box in here. He is the nicest, best guy and a very talented writer. So. anyways, but yeah, he's uh he's sounds. like he's had it with Taylor. >> I mean, I good for him for for being. honest about it because I I don't blame. him. I bet it is derivative. It's funny. because you've become we actually have. become friends with a fair amount of the. authors who have swung by your podcast. and um one of them was just here. He. went on your show, he went on our show, went on a lot of shows. Jack Carr. >> Yes. And that's great.

>> So after he was here and the audience. may remember this, he came on the show. We had a great exchange. You guys went. to the Hamptons together. >> and when you came back um I think both. you and Jack were hurting severely. [laughter] from having very wrongly been. over served by your host out there. >> Good thing Hampton's has Uber. Yeah, we. went out [laughter] to uh the American. Hotel and and did not make the mistake. of driving ourselves around. >> like Justin Timberlake. >> and uh yeah, hopped in Uber. Yeah, we. shut down the American hotel. I think. they're out of bourbon and uh and then.

staggered back and then we had to do a. event the next we made also made the. mistake though of. >> doing that before the event. So I got up. on stage with Jack and I was just like. people could smell us in the front rows. >> Oh god. See he's a Navy Seal baby. You. don't you shouldn't try to keep up with. him. No, that's you know it's that's. it's wrong. It's the wrong standard. >> Um Elliot Arian is another dear friend. of ours. He and his wife Lee Carpenter. and he interviewed you on your show for. this book. >> Yes. He did a great job too. I mean he. also former special forces you silver.

star, bronze star, purple heart, great. guy. >> He's got it all. >> and a very talented writer. And yes, so. he turned the table so he was the host. and made the cocktails. >> and I was the guest and we talked about. Emanuel Nobel. >> A everything is working out so well for. you. Yeah, that's I think that's today. Yeah. um in your new writing career, you. know, it's like when we met when we met. back in 2006, you were running an internet security. company. I was a very young reporter at. Fox News. I had no money. You You were.

doing very well. You had to pay for my. down payment, my first and last month's. rent when I moved to New York because. >> that was the best investment I've ever. made. [laughter]. >> But it was like life was so different. then. You were you were you enjoyed your. job, but it was much more stressful. Yeah. >> And there was a lot of tumult going on. at like the board level and stuff was. happening there. But like you had been. working on this novel for stress relief. >> Yeah. >> And it wasn't until after Yardley was. born. We we got married. We met in 2006. We got married in 2008 and Yardley was.

Yates came in 09 and Yards came in 11. Yeah. >> And it wasn't until I was pregnant with. Yardley, I think. So was someplace in. the 101 range. >> That walk in Central Park. I just I just. did an interview recently where someone. was asking about the switch from running. a company to writing full-time and I. told that story and how you know you. read the rough draft of what would be. the first novel and you're like this is. actually pretty good like you know you. should pursue this and get an agent and. uh so I told that story and he said what.

if the feedback had been different like. what if she said this is not good you. know she didn't like it like would you. have been a writer at all I'm like. that's actually no one's ever posed it. that way. I don't know what would have. happened, but you always are the first. feedback on each of the books, fiction. and non-fiction. >> Yeah. >> And great. I mean, your judgment for. story and, you know, what's compelling. is always so good that you're always the. sort of first stop for feedback on all. these books. >> Well, I feel like I'm your common man. because I you're so well read. Doug is. so well read. And I spend most of my.

time reading the news. I have to be. honest. I'm not I don't consider myself. well read when it comes to the world of. literature. Although Doug gives me great. recommendations and I pick them up. Um, but you've read everything. You you've. read it all and I think you can't be a. great writer unless you are a great. reader and you love it. So it comes. naturally to you. But I'm your every man. because. >> I can read it. I mean like how many. times do we go back and forth about some. of the terms in the book, you know, like. what were we referring to the oil rigs. as I was like stop saying that. I don't.

remember what they're called. >> Prussia. That's another thing. >> I can't stand Prussia. I can't say I'm. like every time you say pressure you. have to explain that that was like a. German province before we had a Germany. Nobody knows that. >> Yeah. Yeah. So reading is definitely a. key to writing. Well the other one I'll. tell a really quick story if we have a. minute. >> The other is writing. So one of the. other guests that came on dedicated was. Diana Gabaldon who wrote the Outlander. series which became a huge show. And so. she would be on the set of the show and. everyone loves the books. The books are. amazing. The show is amazing. And the. cast, the actors in the show would come.

over to her and of course all the read. the books themselves and they say, "I. love the books. Like how do you write? Like what's the secret? What what advice. can you give me?" And she would say, "Here's what we're going to do. For the. next 10 days, you're going to go write. for 20 minutes every day, and at the end. of 10 days, come back and we'll talk.". And guess what happened? >> What? >> No one ever came back. >> What? >> That's the hard part. Like just the act. of writing is hard enough. Like they No. one can do it. So, if you want to write, just as a quick piece of advice, read.

And you have to write. You actually have. to put pen to paper. And it it sounds. like simple advice. And it doesn't. connect with most people. They just. like, oh, whatever. But you actually you. have to do it. Whether it's a journal. entry or a letter or, you know, a short. story or the beginning of novel, you. have to write every day. And I know you. try to write the beginning of the first. line of the next section before you. close up your notebook for the night. >> Yes. Which is like a famous old. Hemingway trick like trying to leave.

yourself something to grab the next day. You know, leave off with that. >> You write longhand. >> mo with the fiction. Yes. With the. non-fiction, I've done more just keying. it in on the keyboard. >> You write in our dining room, not in. your office. I mean, a little of both. >> Bit of both. >> But the dining room's a lot brighter. >> It's brighter. and the huge table. because especially with the non-fiction, I'm really spread out. I've got all. these source material notes all over me. So, I'm like writing like although I'm. drowning in paper and books. >> No, you look like Claire Danes from um. the the what was it on Showtime.

>> Oh, that show. Oh, yeah. >> With the the number of post-its. everywhere and like the lines connecting. having a psychotic break as I write. >> Yeah. As you once joke, god forbid. somebody ever go in there with a leaf. blower, [laughter]. everything would be lost. Uh and then. you do your own editing on the computer. It's another way to think through. And. then this time you read you read the. book which you did not do for Diesel. >> And how was that? >> That was a fun experience. I mean it's. relentless. You know this you got to go. through all these you know it's 90,000. words and there many retakes. The the.

crazy thing that was happening to me and. I think it was happening to you a little. bit but I would have coffee when I'd get. there and then my stomach was doing. flips like gurgling. So I'd read and the. guy in the sound was like uh your. stomach I kind of heard that. Let's do. it again. And so, you know, I had to do. many, many retakes and finally just. grabbed a big pillow, which they had. there. Like, I'm not the only person. this happens to. They said, "Grab the. pillow." So, I grabbed the pillow, [laughter]. >> put it over my lap, and it sort of. muffles my stomach sounds. >> So, people can picture Doug holding his. his little lovey pillow while he does.

the read for The Lost Empire of Emanuel. Nobel. Out today in a store near you. We're going to be right back. We're. going to take a quick break. Don't go. away. Our sponsor, the Electronic. Payments Coalition, says Washington. politicians are always getting in your. wallet and that now they're messing with. your credit card. They say your credit. card and the security it offers are. under attack and that senators Dick. Durban and Roger Marshall want to change. the nation's payment system to benefit. corporate mega stores like Walmart and.

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is giving first-time gold buyers a. rebate of up to $10,000 on qualifying. purchases. For details and a free. information kit on diversifying into. gold, text MK to the number 989898. Bridgeold can help you convert an. existing IRA or 401k into a tax. sheltered IRA in physical gold. Text MK. to the number 989898 to see if you. qualify for a firsttime gold buyer. rebate of up to $10,000. Doug Brunt is back with me. He's the. author of the brand new book, The Lost.

Empire of Emmanuel Nobel, out today. Go. and get it now. It also will make a. great gift as we go into the Father's. and Mother's Day season. So, check it. out and possibly buy it for somebody who. you love. Um, and speaking of loving. people, I heard the most outrageous set. of sound bites on my pal Moren. Callahan's show, The Nerve, on Friday, which is a great show. you should go and. subscribe. Um, she actually took the.

time to listen to this weird new podcast. that I don't know if it's a real thing. or if they just did it the one time, but. it's these obnoxious, insufferable late. night hosts sitting around patting. themselves on the back. And what they. decided to talk about, you know, as all. married men want to, is which female. guest they've had on their shows, who. they want to sleep with, which woman. would they like to f Honestly, this is. so inappropriate on so many different. levels. And here is Steven Colbear in ST.

10. >> Has there been a guest who was so. attractive that you found it. distracting? >> I'll tell you who I did not expect to be. wildly attracted to. Like I could I. didn't know what to do with myself is. that I did not cuz I don't I don't I. like this person's work, but I never. thought of them as like a bombshell. I. could not I didn't know what to do with. my eyeballs. When Michelle Williams was. on for the first time, she sat down. across from me and I went, "Fuck, what. is wrong with my head? I cannot I better. not look directly at her for this entire.

interview." There was something about. her [clears throat]. her vibe, her face, everything. >> Okay, that is so disgusting. That's so. gross. I can't imagine watching my. husband sitting out there talking like. that where you couldn't even. concentrate. that you couldn't all you. could do is like you were stunned with. this person's beauty and he doubled down. moments later 11. >> I used to have a Rachel Vice problem I. recovered okay when Rachel Vice would be. on the Daily Show I would leave the.

building for fear that I would say. something stupid to her. >> even though I like I feel like I was. afraid I would like stand on the hallway. and go hi you know like you were great. in the Steven you were great in the. constant gardener. >> okay so he was married then he's married. now. >> his wife's not flashy. And somebody. asked him, first of all, he was bragging. about having his hall pass. You know how. some men talk about they've got they've. got a a hall pass to like sleep with. somebody who's not their wife. And.

here's what he said about that. S 12. >> We're going around the table once to. dinner with some friends of mine and. these guys going like, "So, who's your. who's your uh who's your hall pass?". Whatever like that. And the guy next to. me goes, "Pita Portova." And I this was. the midway through the Cobear Report. I. pulled up my phone, opened the People. magazine app on phone, and I was Pina. Portsco Scova's Hall pass. >> Oh my god, that's nice. >> Yeah, that was a flex that I've never. ever been able to match. >> Okay, I I just threw up in my mouth. That is so weird and gross. And as Moren.

pointed out, not not the brag he thinks. it is, not the flex. >> with Rick Oasich. Yeah. Yeah. >> Not even real. That's like a political. comment where she's like, you know, there's no way she's uh. >> and there's no way that he actually just. opened up the People magazine app on his. phone. You know, he has that at the. ready like in his saved photos. >> These are This is It's very weird. These. are like grown men around my age. I. don't think I've had a conversation like. that since college. You know, no one I. know, no guy I know, especially no.

married guy, sits around talking about. the hall pass conversation. >> Are they all gay? You know how like. you've explained to me many times that. the people who talk like this are gay? Uh, I don't know. I don't know if. >> like a gay man's idea of how a straight. man talks. >> There is that for sure. Like we've we've. discussed several incidents of that. Um, I don't know if this is a gay thing or. just a loser thing or what. [laughter] I. But no, no normal guy I know talks like. that. >> or publicly about how you could barely. function in the face of this other. woman's beauty that you definitely want. to sleep with. That's the the topic as.

it was delivered to you. And then, okay, there's the hall pass thing. And listen. to this is the worst one of all. >> Uh, I won't set it up. Just watch S 13. >> Evie knows all this. Who is hers? >> Evie doesn't have a TV show. >> I guess I needed to set it up. They were. asked who they were asked about his wife. Evie and who's her hall pass. And he. said Evie doesn't have a TV show. >> Oh my god. [laughter]. >> Yes.

What? In the absolute f. >> She better get one. [laughter] That's. like the Lawrence Taylor quote when we. better put that in, coach. She better go. get a TV show and then she's off and. running. >> Can you believe that? >> Wow. That's uh that's Someone needs to. get a comment from her about this. >> I feel like tell me you have a loveless. marriage without telling me you have a. loveless marriage. That's what that. whole exchange ought to be labeled. >> Yeah. >> Um pathetic and not entertaining. This. is their excuse for entertainment as. they said around licking their wounds. that everyone's show either got.

cancelled or almost canled and nobody's. got the ratings that they used to have. and so on. Which leads me to Megan. Markle. Doug, she traveled to Geneva, Switzerland to give some speech about. the dangers of social media. She posted. on social media before she went a. picture of herself. surrounded by designer clothing and. Lileette down at her feet staring up at. her mother. Here you can see it. It's.

just me. It's me admiring me as my. daughter admires me in my closet of. designer clothes. This is how I want you. to understand how relatable I am. And. then she went all the way over to Geneva. from Los Angeles, California, or. wherever they are, just north of LA, and. gave this speech. You know, she wants to. be taken seriously. She's a. humanitarian. She started Archwell. Foundation, which already closed. Um, she flies all the way over there. And. would you take a look at the crowd that.

showed up? >> Oh, no. >> Or didn't. Stand by. >> Okay, we sped it up just so you can see. Like, literally nobody is on the side. They have all the ropes up to protect. her from crowds coming. There's one. woman in the background. No one is. there. You just keep watching because we. we panned the camera. We found the shots. to show like, okay, were were there tons. of people in front of her? There were. not. Were there tons of people on the. other side? No. It reads no child lost. to social media. No one is listening to.

her. We have video of a woman behind her. who basically is like putting the jacket. on or a like taking us yawning, stretching. This is This is the crowd, Doug. The guy in Central Park we've seen. blow those enormous bubbles. It gets. [laughter] a way bigger crowd than this. >> It's It's lost even the train wreck. appeal. She's already had about 10 train. wrecks. So now, you know, you think Oh. Oh, sorry. >> Here's jacket lady. Look at her. She. looks riveted, doesn't she? She's like,

I'm I'm near a princess. Oh boy. >> No, she couldn't care less. >> She's not interested. And it's the. public's verdict on we don't give a. about you. Shut up and go live your life. and stop bothering us with your fake. profundities and fake title. >> Yeah. Yeah. She's She's lost all appeal. It it could be like the the train wreck. thing would happen here and there and. that could still get some audience, but. she's had a few of those already. Even. that's not interesting from her anymore. >> Look at her. Like no one cares. It's. like a it's smattering. You know how. they say smattering of applause? This is.

a smattering of audience members. It's. officially over. Over. Um, now you and I. spent the weekend doing something really. fun and interesting, I thought, which. was we watched our oldest child, Yates, who's 16, engage in a tennis tournament. with his classmates. And it was some of. the most riveting, stressful, fun, nailbiting time that we have had in. recent memory. match points all over the.

place going both ways, you know, tiebreers. It was kind of you get a. workout getting a full body workout as. you're sort of like Yes. jerking along. to each shot of the match. >> Yes. And I asked you because you play. tennis. I don't play tennis, but you do. and our kids do. >> Is it worse to be the guy in that. situation? Because I've watched you in a. lot of these matches too where it's like. point point count point counterpoint. back and forth back back and forth. Nobody can really get the leg up and. then like who could win? It could go. either way and it's very very stressful. for the watcher. Yeah.

>> And I was asking which do you prefer? Do. you prefer to be the player in that. moment who's like got to perform with. all these people watching you and like. titles on the line or do you prefer to. be the the dad watching somebody else do. it? You know, like our son do it. >> Way prefer to be playing. is much easier. to be the one on the court because. you're sort of in control then and you. can you can you know control the moment. when you're watching up there and you're. watching your kid or or even like a good. friend. It's I can't even watch it. I. have to I have to walk away sometimes. I. can't even stay there for it.

>> It is so stressful now. I feel like you. understand my world. So I've watched you. play in these tournaments. One of which. wound up in the movie Bombshell is. actually quite funny. >> Um but you do play tennis and I've. watched you play in a lot of these tight. tight games and it is very stressful. It's any parent out there can relate or. spouse if your if your spouse is. athletic to watching your loved one put. it all on the line and it could it could. go one way or the other. You just pray. to God that it works out and it's like. got to. >> all the selft talk I had to do. I prayed. I prayed to God then I did deep.

breathing. I'm like this is what I got. to calm down. This is like a high school. tennis match. >> Unfortunately Yates is so mentally. tough. All three of our kids really are. So you you kind of have that sense like. he's got this. He is going to do it and. then he does and it's it's easy. Like. the other day when we were watching that. lacrosse game and you saw you were. standing next to the couple whose son. ended up scoring the last second goal to. win it and they were tearing up, you. know, they're really wonderful moments. and we were so happy over the weekend. watching. >> It was so beautiful that lacrosse. So. our school also had a lacrosse game and. we went just to support our friends and.

um it was one of these things. There's. overtime. It was double overtime and in. lacrosse that's sudden death and um. >> could have gone either way. Same The. other team was excellent, >> but a guy on our team shot the winning. goal and we did have a the privilege of. just so happening happening. It just so. happened that we were standing right by. that kid's parents. He was a senior and. the mom and the dad were right in front. of us and the mom was like a couple. steps down from the dad. We were like on. the bleachers. She was a couple steps.

down. And so you had the moment you can. see you could see the mom had her hands. over her face like. >> Yeah. You know how you do when you're. overwhelmed with emotion. And the the. dad had his hands like on his head, which can signal relief or despair or I. can't believe it, but in this. circumstance had to be like relief and I. can't believe it. And she turned around. to look at her husband and she had tears. in her eyes and he did too. And they. just had this moment about their son. I.

could tear up now who scored the winning. goal. It's like it doesn't matter who. you are in this world, that moment can. dwarf all the moment. >> Pure moments in sports that are always. still there. I mean, there's so much. perversion around sports with money and. how do you get into college and things. that are screwing it all up, but it. survives because sports still delivers. those moments. >> Yes. >> It's really awesome. >> And don't you think um you know, I don't. play tennis, but I do think tennis and. I'm sure a lot of these other sports and. I now I know tennis better than a lot of. the other sports since I know nothing. about the others. Um it's it's such an.

opportunity for growth and character. development for these kids. Like that's. what I've seen. >> You know, I looked at Yates and these. other boys too out there. >> You are alone on that court. >> Tennis is tough. >> Like it is just you and all the eyes are. on you. You will make or break your own. fortune, your adversary. This is like. the finals of this thing. So it's like. he's going to be amazing. You're not. going to get any passes. It takes such. tmerity for these kids to go out there. and do I I think the same when we go to.

like the plays. Yardley likes to do the. plays. Doesn't matter whether Yardley's. on stage or somebody else is on stage. As soon as that curtain goes up, [clears throat] I start crying cuz it's. like these young girls and young guys. putting it on the line, risking. embarrassment. You know, they could fall. on their faces, but they do it. They say. the lines, they sing. I It just brings. something up in me of like the zest of. life and risking, taking risks and. hopefully getting a huge payoff. >> Yeah, it's great to see. I mean, that's. what I love about high school. There's. so many different things you can sort of.

get into a lane behind, whether it's. drama or different sports or even if. it's like, I don't know, a debate team, you know, you get out there and you you. put your best self forward and you. compete. >> You never did drama? >> No. No, [laughter] I didn't do drama. I. never did drama either. In my school, >> that's the thing. Like it's it's cooler. now. I think. >> it's definitely cooler. In my high. school, if you did drama, that was like. that was. >> Yeah. In my school, you were called a. creamy. You were the creamies did the. drama. No offense to the creamies out.

there. You guys were great. I loved it. And I tried to be a creamy. The truth is. I tried. I auditioned for the show and I. didn't make it. >> I wish I did it. I didn't make any back. I should have done it. >> Yeah. I was triggered. Remember Yardley. had to sing Somewhere Over the Rainbow. to try out for this music group and I. was like trigger. [laughter] That was. the song I had to sing. I did not. >> They gave you the hook. >> I didn't make the chorus. I didn't make. a lead role. I made nothing. They were. like, "We don't want you in this this. play.". >> Back to cheerleading. >> Yes, that's basically what happened. But. I still admire them. So, uh, and just. like the raw display of talent, you.

know, tomorrow, Patrick Mackenroe is. coming on the show. >> Awesome. >> Yeah. The brother of John McEnroe and. he's been railing about. >> He's been running USA tennis for a long. time. >> Well, he's raising a really good point. We are letting in all these foreigners. into our colleges who are taking all the. spots of the Americans. >> Yeah. It's hard to develop our American. tennis program. Yes. If there's if. we're, you know, icing out half of the. spots in American colleges. >> It's true in tennis. It's true in other. sports, too. It's like, and now we got. President Trump talking about let in. 500,000 more Chinese in the.

universities. Okay. It's like Chinese is. Chinese American is one thing. Chinese. is a totally different thing. Um, so I. really hope that the president changes. his mind on that and I hope Patrick. Mackenroe can make him. In any event, we'll see. Um, what else? Did you feel. like it went well. >> today? Yeah. With Noel. Yes. I I was. thrilled to be able to chat about my. buddy Emanuel Nobel. >> That's right. >> And it's like 50/50 actually as I talk. to people. They're like Emanuel Noble. I'm like I'm like so the nephew of. Alfred Nobel. And then they, you know,

they get it. >> Like Karen Jean Pierre. >> Yeah. Exactly. >> The Nobel Prize. It's very noble. If you. can win it, you're noble. Oh my god, it's so humiliating. No, I learned a lot. and I think the audience is going to. love it. The Lost Empire of Emanuel. Nobel. You were saying this morning you. went on with Rosanna Scott who's. amazing. >> She is awesome. She's the best. >> And uh. >> second best. >> and people from uh Simon and Schustster. showed up. >> Yeah. >> And how'd that go? >> It was great. They were doing all the. blocking and tackling for me. You know, you don't always get, you know, a a team. from the publicist uh group when you go.

out to do these things. But we went into. the green room like this green room is. not nice enough for Doug. we need to. find another green room. I'm like, no, no, no. This is this is good. I'm very. happy to be here. Don't need a nicer. green room. Let's not be those people. >> Black was down the hall, you know, the. country music guy and and basically the. same green room. So, I was good. >> Were you satisfied with your green room. here? >> Uh, yes. Actually, it was coffee, water, champagne. >> Yeah. Did you get the star treatment. from from everybody? >> Yeah. Your your green room budget is. higher than Fox TV. >> You know, I told them to roll out the. red carpet outside the red studio for. you, babe. Well, honey, I'm really proud.

of you. Cheers again. >> Cheers. >> It's like the birth of a baby. I love. you, too. love the book. I'm really. proud of you. drinking our procco at 2 in the. afternoon. Thanks to all of you so much. You supported Doug and his first book. and we're both very grateful and I think. you're going to love this one too. Again, it's out today. The Lost Empire. of Emanuel Nobel, Romanovs, Revolutionaries, and the Forgotten Titan who. >> fueled the world. The. >> world Duggar, thank you. We're back. tomorrow with Patrick McEnroe and.

others. Uh our friends from RCP will be. here as well. See you [music] then.