Terry Gross

New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman just returned from a trip to Israel, Jordan and Syria. He talks with us about the war between Israel and Hezbollah, and where Syria fits in. Friedman's most recent book is The World is Flat: A Brief History of the 21st Century.

Christopher Dickey, Paris bureau chief and Middle East regional editor for Newsweek magazine, discusses the crisis in the Middle East.

Singer and musician David Johansen was the lead singer for 1970s pre-punk punk rock band New York Dolls. The band has recently reunited and has a new CD, One Day it Will Please Us to Remember Even This. Johansen is also known as Buster Poindexter, a pompadour- and tuxedo-wearing lounge lizard. This interview originally aired on Dec. 7, 2004.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are marking their 30th year in the business with a U.S. tour, and Petty has a new solo album, Highway Companion.

Professor Daniel Byman talks about new book, Deadly Connections: States That Sponsor Terrorism. He explores the symbiotic relationship between terrorist organizations and their state sponsors. Byman is associate professor in Georgetown University's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service and director of Georgetown's Security Studies Program and Center for Peace and Security Studies.

Thomas Ricks, senior Pentagon correspondent for The Washington Post, talks about his new book, Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq, Ricks, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, takes a hard look at the American military invasion and occupation of Iraq.

Political reporters Tom Hamburger and Peter Wallsten talk about their new book, One Party Country: The Republican Plan for Dominance in the 21st Century. The authors are reporters for The Los Angeles Times.

Washington Post senior Pentagon correspondent Thomas Ricks. His new book is called Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq. Ricks is a Pulitzer Prize winning reporter. He talks about the possibility of U.S. involvement in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. This is the first of a two part interview.

Country singer Ray Price, a close friend and protege of Hank Williams, was known for hits such as "Talk to Your Heart," "Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes," "I'll be There" and "Crazy Arms." In 1996, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Next month, the hall will feature an exhibit devoted to PRICE's life and music. This interview originally aired on Jan. 19, 1999.

Crime writer Mickey Spillane died Monday at age 88. Spillane was most famous for his sex- and violence-drenched Mike Hammer detective novels. His titles include Kiss Me Deadly and I the Jury. While critics rarely praised Spillane, his books were bestsellers. This interview originally aired on Nov. 22, 1989.