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When British forces occupied and helped create Iraq after World War I, they faced insurgencies, revolts, and multiple religious factions. Gertrude Bell, a British national who helped establish the Iraqi state, wrote detailed letters describing the country and its occupation.

Historian Sundiata Keita Cha-Jua, author of America's First Black Town, Brooklyn, Illinois, 1830-1915, talks about black settlements throughout American history.

Wazmah Osman, associate professor of Globalization and Development Communication at Temple University, puts the day's events into historic perspective.

Peter Harrigan Reviews "Empire of the Scalpel"

Jim Beloff is the author of a coffee-table book called The Ukulele: A Visual History. Beloff bought a used ukulele at a flea market about five years ago and became passionate about this little instrument. The book is filled with pictures of beautiful Hawaiian ukuleles and bizarre novelty versions. Beloff details the path of the instrument from Hawaii to the U.S. mainland, including portraits of some of the greatest players.

Two auctions houses in Ireland are about to hold a joint sale of memorabilia charting the history of the Irish struggle for independence. Fonsie Mealy of Mealy's Auctioneers in County Kilkenny tells Liane Hansen about the auction.

NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Sarah Barringer Gordon, a historian of religion and a professor of law at the University of Pennsylvania. Barringer Gordon says polygamy became a contentious issue in the 19th century United States, when some Mormons adopted the practice in the Utah Territory. Historians say the federal government's role in resolving that conflict could influence how the gay marriage debate is handled.

When it comes to American Revolutionary War history, we messed up and should be tarred and feathered. NPR's Robert Siegel and Kelly McEvers correct a mistake we should have caught on Friday's program: when the Revolutionary War actually ended.

Author Richard Conniff has written about the natural world for National Geographic and Smithsonian magazines.