Plants Go to War

Plants Go to War Guest:  Judith Sumner, author of “Plants Go to War: A Botanical History of World War II” Victory gardens provided 44 percent of produce in 1944, and they could be found anywhere from backyards to rooftops to public squares. But plants had even more impact on the outcome of the war, as they were used for good and ill. Take the humble sugar beet: it provided sugar but was also the source of poison gas. Judith Sumner provides a wide-ranging tour of the plants that shaped the war's outcome. Cork Wars Guest: David Taylor, author of "Cork Wars: Intrigue and Industry in World War II" Sometimes conflict, strife, family life, and fortune can all revolve around the most innocuous of substances—during World War II, one of these was cork.  This is the story of how cork changed the course of the war.