S8 Ep300: Guest: Ronald White. This segment introduces Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain's early life and intellectual formation. In 1848, Chamberlain passed a rigorous entrance exam for Bowdoin College by reciting classical Greek and Roman literature from memory. Raised
The John Batchelor Show
John Batchelor
4.6 • 2.7K Ratings
🗓️ 11 January 2026
⏱️ 11 minutes
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Summary
Guest: Ronald White. This segment introduces Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain's early life and intellectual formation. In 1848, Chamberlain passed a rigorous entrance exam for Bowdoin College by reciting classical Greek and Romanliterature from memory. Raised in Brewer, Maine, by "hardy congregationalist" parents, he balanced his father's love for physical pursuits like sailing and riding with his mother's religious devotion. Although his father desired a military career for him at West Point, Chamberlain attended Bangor Theological Seminary, mastering nine languages. He also met his future wife, Fanny Adams, a talented organist with a troubled, "shadowed" childhood, while leading a church choir.
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| 0:34.4 | with Indeed. |
| 0:43.9 | This is CBS Eye on the World. |
| 0:46.0 | Here's John Batchelor. |
| 0:50.5 | It is the winter of 1848, |
| 0:53.3 | Brunswick, Maine, Bowden College. |
| 1:00.0 | A young man, his name is Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain called Lawrence, stands before the faculty. |
| 1:03.2 | The test is to enter Bowden late. |
| 1:04.7 | This is the second term. |
| 1:07.7 | And he's prepared for this all his life. |
| 1:10.6 | I welcome Ronald White. |
| 1:12.9 | He's the author of a new biography of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain |
| 1:15.0 | entitled On Great Fields |
| 1:17.0 | The Life and Unlikely Heroism |
| 1:19.3 | of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain |
| 1:21.6 | called Lawrence. |
| 1:24.0 | Ron, a very good evening to you. |
... |
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