Battlecast is the world’s foremost podcast about war and it’s sociopolitical impact. Each month Dr. Luke Wolf works to bring you an unfiltered understanding of the most important battles and wars of mankind’s history. The official motto of the show: “not left, not right: above,” provides a fresh look at the conventional understandings found in history books. So pull up a chair, grab a beer, and join the conversation.
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi and the 2012 Benghazi Attack /// 51
Mar 26, 2021
The 2012 Benghazi Attack on two isolated American diplomatic and intelligence compounds is a well-known story to millions of film-viewers across the world. In tonight’s show, a few Americans will battle for their lives against overwhelming odds. It’s a case study of static defense warfare in the modern setting: cut off and alone – hundreds of miles away from reinforcements, a few American security operators faced down hundreds of onrushing attackers. It’s thirteen hours of pain distilled into 70 minutes of podcast. It’s all here and it’s all free on Battlecast – the world’s foremost podcast on war and its sociopolitical impact.
Rogers, Mike & Ruppersberger, Dutch. Investigative report on the terrorist attacks on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, September 11-12, 2012. November 21, 2014.
Vandewall, Dirk. A history of modern Libya. 2nd edition.
Wehrey, Frederick. The burning shores: Inside the battle for New Libya.
Zuckoff, Mitchell. (2014). 13 hours: The inside account of what really happened in Benghazi.
Leslie Bull Allen: Australian Hero /// 50
Feb 26, 2021
Leslie Bull Allen: orphan, pig farmer, day laborer, hero.
Seventeen: that’s how many wounded and helpless men were saved from direct modern combat by Bull Allen – a man beyond measure. Bull braved dangers that actually drove him insane. The thing is: he didn’t have to do it. He volunteered to do the impossible. There are those who say heroes aren’t real; they never really existed. But today’s show proves them all wrong. Leslie Bull Allen is a real hero. Hundreds of Americans and Australians are alive today because of his actions. We can say with Faramir: “Australia must be a truly great realm where pig farmers are held in high honor.” Here is a man who braved machine gun fire and Bushido ethics to save the lives of Americans he never met before. Here is a man who bit his tongue and did his duty no matter the cost. Here is a hero.
It’s all here and it’s all for free on Battlecast – the world’s foremost podcast on war and its sociopolitical impact.
Today’s episode is a partial sequel to episode 16 on the battle of Kokoda. You can find it here.
After the war, Bull Allen worked as a day laborer and farmerBull Allen’s Silver StarThe area around Wau saw heavy fightingAs did the area around Mount Tambu
References
The New Guinea offensives by David Dexter. See especially volume VI.
Hell’s battlefield: the Australians in New Guinea in World War II by Phillip Bradley
All the King’s enemies: a history of the 2/5th Australian Infantry Battalion by S. Trigellis-Smith
New Guinea: The Allied jungle campaign in World War II by Jon Diamond
The Encyclopaedia of Australia’s Battles: “Battle of Wau.” by Dudley McCarthy. Edited by Chris Clark.
The Ghost Mountain boys: Their epic march and the terrifying battle for New Guinea by James Campbell
War at the end of the world: Douglas MacArthur and the forgotten fight for New Guinea, 1942-1945 by James Duffy.
A military history of Australia by Jeffrey Grey
A concise history of Australia by Stuart Macintyre
The Cambridge history of Japan by Peter Duus
Hirohito’s war: The Pacific War, 1941–1945 by Francis Pike
A bastard of a place: The Australians in Papua by Peter Brune
Operations of the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces in the Papua New Guinea theater during World War II by Kengoro Tanaka
The rising sun: The decline and fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945 by John Toland
The Siege of Jerusalem is one of the most important battles in human history. The siege has a direct and lasting impact on millions of Jews and Christians across the globe. It’s a story of hundreds of thousands of deaths, forced enslavement, and barbaric mass destruction. It’s the fall of the temple that could not fall. It’s a massive city burned at 1400 degrees Fahrenheit. Tonight’s story is a tale of mass suicide – a suicide that inspires Jews even until this day. It’s all here and it’s all for free on Battlecast – the world’s foremost podcast on war and its sociopolitical impact.
This is part 2 of a two part series. You can find episode one here: episode 48
The History of the Jews in the Greco-Roman World by Peter Schafer
Jews in the Greco-Roman World by Martin Goodman
The First Jewish Revolt: Archaeology, History and Ideology by Andrea Berlin and J. Andrew Overman
The Histories by Tacitus
A History of the Jewish War: A.D. 66–74 by Steve Mason
Rome and Jerusalem by Martin Goodman
The Jewish Revolt AD 66–74 by Si Shepperd
Between Rome and Jerusalem: 300 years of Roman-Judean Relations by Martin Sicker
Jewish Reactions to the Destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. by Kenneth Jones
Jerusalem’s traitor: Josephus, Masada, and the fall of Judea by Desmond Seward
City of Ruins by Derek Daschke
Great World Religions: Judaism. 12-part video series by Isaiah Gafni
A History of the Jews by Paul Johnson
A History of the Jewish People by Haim Hillel Ben-Sasson et al.
The Great Revolt: The First Jewish-Roman War /// 48
Dec 27, 2020
It’s a war that goes by many names: The First Jewish-Roman War, The Great Revolt, The Jewish War; but whatever name you prefer, The Great Revolt was a war that influences untold millions today. The Revolt directly altered the entire calendar of the Western World – moving the sacred day of rest (and your primary day off from work) from Saturday to Sunday. It influences millions of Christians today who either see it as a direct fulfillment of a key prophecy of Jesus Christ or argue against the position that the war is a fulfillment of divine revelation. Regardless of their positions, Christian scholars pour over this war the way bankers calculate changing interest rates: zealous devotion. Moreover, this war has directly impacted the English language – forcing diligent students in Korea and China to look up the etymology of words like zealous and zealot. Here is a war that is more than battles and blood, a horrible tale of whole cities reduced to sex slavery and death; this is a war that fundamentally altered Judaism – changing it from a religion of the temple to a religion of the synagogue.
And how many of you know anything about it? What a fine education we give our children in the Western World. We speak a language whose foundations are lost. We take days off and don’t know why. Here is the story of prophecy, pain, and forced prostitution: The Great Revolt.
It’s all here and it’s all for free on Battlecast – the world’s foremost podcast on war and its socio-political impact.
The History of the Jews in the Greco-Roman World by Peter Schafer
Jews in the Greco-Roman World by Martin Goodman
The First Jewish Revolt: Archaeology, History and Ideology by Andrea Berlin and J. Andrew Overman
The Histories by Tacitus
A History of the Jewish War: A.D. 66–74 by Steve Mason
Rome and Jerusalem by Martin Goodman
The Jewish Revolt AD 66–74 by Si Shepperd
Between Rome and Jerusalem: 300 years of Roman-Judean Relations by Martin Sicker
Jewish Reactions to the Destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. by Kenneth Jones
Jerusalem’s traitor: Josephus, Masada, and the fall of Judea by Desmond Seward
City of Ruins by Derek Daschke
Great World Religions: Judaism. 12-part video series by Isaiah Gafni
A History of the Jews by Paul Johnson
A History of the Jewish People by Haim Hillel Ben-Sasson et al.
A Military History of Modern Israel: The Yom Kippur War /// 47
Nov 27, 2020
This is part four of a four part series on the military history of modern Israel. You can find the other three parts here: part three, part two, and part one.
It’s all here and it’s all for free on Battlecast – the world’s foremost podcast on war and its socio-political impact.
Great World Religions: Judaism. Twelve-part video series by Isaiah Gafni
Great World Religions: Islam. Twelve-part video series by John Esposito
Likud leaders: the lives and careers of Menahem Begin, Yitzhak Shamir, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Ariel Sharon by Thomas Mitchell
Netanyahu and Likud’s leaders: the Israeli prince by Gil Samsonov
Israel’s wars: a history since 1947 by Ahron Bregman
The evolution of operational art: from Napoleon to the present by Martin Van Creveld and John Andreas Olsen
The land of blood and honey: the rise of modern Israel by Martin van Creveld
Palestine in Israeli School Books: Ideology and Propaganda in Education by Nurit Peled-Elhanan
Brother against brother : violence and extremism in Israeli politics from Altalena to the Rabin assassination by Ehud Sprinzak
Secularism and Religion in Jewish-Israeli Politics by Yaacov Yadgar
Ben-Gurion: Father of Modern Israel by Anita Shapira
The Palestine Arab Minority in Israel, 1948-2000 by As’ad Ghanem
Israel and Palestine: The Complete History by Ian Carroll
A Military History of Modern Israel: The Six-Day War
Oct 27, 2020
In the Six-Day War, Israel once again faced much of the combined might of the Soviet-equipped Arab world. Once again, Israel stunned the world in her elegant defense of her borders and conquest of hundreds of square miles of territory. Tens of thousands of men were either killed, wounded, or taken prisoner – over a period of six days. It’s a battle that’s often studied in military academies across the world and it’s all free on Battlecast – the world’s foremost podcast on war and its socio-political impact.
This is episode 3 of a three part series. You can find episode two here and episode one here.
Great World Religions: Judaism. Twelve-part video series by Isaiah Gafni
Great World Religions: Islam. Twelve-part video series by John Esposito
Likud leaders: the lives and careers of Menahem Begin, Yitzhak Shamir, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Ariel Sharon by Thomas Mitchell
Netanyahu and Likud’s leaders: the Israeli prince by Gil Samsonov
Israel’s wars: a history since 1947 by Ahron Bregman
The evolution of operational art: from Napoleon to the present by Martin Van Creveld and John Andreas Olsen
The land of blood and honey: the rise of modern Israel by Martin van Creveld
Palestine in Israeli School Books: Ideology and Propaganda in Education by Nurit Peled-Elhanan
Brother against brother : violence and extremism in Israeli politics from Altalena to the Rabin assassination by Ehud Sprinzak
Secularism and Religion in Jewish-Israeli Politics by Yaacov Yadgar
Ben-Gurion: Father of Modern Israel by Anita Shapira
The Palestine Arab Minority in Israel, 1948-2000 by As’ad Ghanem
Israel and Palestine: The Complete History by Ian Carroll
A Military History of Modern Israel: The Suez Crisis /// 45
Sep 25, 2020
In 1956 the world held it’s breath. Israel invaded Egypt, penetrating to within ten miles of the Suez Canal – a key choke point for the world economy. The Egyptians struggled to stem the Israeli tide of shrapnel-spewing steel. The British and French threatened to intervene. The United Nations fell into an uproar. The Soviet Union crushed a Hungarian rebellion against Communist rule. We covered the Hungarian rebellion in episode 26: here. The Middle East was exploding and all eyes were fixed on this one spot – the Canal, the irreplaceable, vital Canal. It’s war. It’s diplomacy. It’s Battlecast.
This is part two of a multiple part series. You can find the first episode in this series here: episode 44
Great World Religions: Judaism. Twelve-part video series by Isaiah Gafni
Great World Religions: Islam. Twelve-part video series by John Esposito
Likud leaders: the lives and careers of Menahem Begin, Yitzhak Shamir, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Ariel Sharon by Thomas Mitchell
Netanyahu and Likud’s leaders: the Israeli prince by Gil Samsonov
Israel’s wars: a history since 1947 by Ahron Bregman
The evolution of operational art: from Napoleon to the present by Martin Van Creveld and John Andreas Olsen
The land of blood and honey: the rise of modern Israel by Martin van Creveld
Palestine in Israeli School Books: Ideology and Propaganda in Education by Nurit Peled-Elhanan
Brother against brother : violence and extremism in Israeli politics from Altalena to the Rabin assassination by Ehud Sprinzak
Secularism and Religion in Jewish-Israeli Politics by Yaacov Yadgar
Ben-Gurion: Father of Modern Israel by Anita Shapira
The Palestine Arab Minority in Israel, 1948-2000 by As’ad Ghanem
Israel and Palestine: The Complete History by Ian Carroll
A Military History of Modern Israel: The First Arab-Israeli War /// 44
Aug 23, 2020
100,000 British soldiers – a massive army in the annals of human history; that’s how many soldiers The United Kingdom sent to Palestine in order to quell the budding revolt of the Israeli nation. It didn’t work. Thousands died. Tens of thousands of Arab and Israeli soldiers clashed. Hundreds of thousands of people lost everything they owned – reduced to nothing – an illustration for the dictionary entry on “penury.” This is their story. It’s a story that tells of the hopes of hundreds of generations suddenly, unbelievably, finding fruition. And it’s also the story of a nation sinking low. As always: there’s blood, there’s pain, there’s insights for all of us – insights about politics, international law, man qua wolf and man qua angel. The truth is man is neither an angel or a wolf. He is both. And this is the story of his heavenly dirge, his dismal symphony. And it’s yours, too.
It’s all for free and it’s all on Battlecast – the world’s foremost podcast on war and its socio-political impact. This show is dedicated to Ricky from Omaha – who gave so that we could enjoy this show. I’m very thankful for Ricky and I’m thankful for you who are reading this.
Burn Ward 13: Modern Military Medicine /// 43
Jul 24, 2020
Today’s show is the story of modern military medicine. It’s burns. It’s amputations. It’s disfigurement. It’s the story of medical staff and wounded in war zones – the horror, the deaths, the exhaustion. It’s a brief history of pain and it’s all for free on Battlecast – the world’s foremost podcast on war and it’s sociopolitical impact.
Hiroshima diary : the journal of a Japanese physician, August 6-September 30, 1945 by Michiko Hachiya
This republic of suffering: Death and the American Civil War by Drew Gilpin Faust
Emergency war surgery by Borden Institute US Army Medical Department Center and School Health Readiness Center of Excellence Fort Sam Houston, Texas, 5th edition.
Tactical combat casualty care: Lessons and best practices by United States Army
Practical pathology of gunshot wounds by J. Scott Denton, Adrienne Segovia, and James Filkins in Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Volume 130(9), (Sep 2006): pages 1283-1289
May 1968: The Month France Exploded /// 42
Jun 23, 2020
In May 1968 the nation of France came apart at the seams. Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators flooded into the streets. Strikes across the nation brought production to a standstill. Veteran politicians fled the country. Protestors met police in the streets: club versus bat, stone versus grenade. This is the story of the month France turned the corner and rushed headlong into post-modernity. It’s all here and it’s all for free on Battlecast – the world’s foremost podcast on war and its sociopolitical impact.
El Narco: The Mexican Drug War /// 41
May 26, 2020
Today we’re diving back into a war that has touched all our lives – the Mexican Drug War. It’s the deaths behind so many parties across the length and breadth of North America – the sin behind the fun – the endless pain that birthed endless euphoria. It’s a war that lays bare our true values, our real core beliefs. It’s a war that shows us the true meaning of politics; and it’s a war with violence out of a Dario Argento film. I’m going to introduce you to the Pozolero – the stew maker – who liquidated bodies in large vats of bubbling hot caustic soda. I’m going to tell you about Decena Guzman, who turned an elite special forces squad into one of the most feared and dangerous cartels in the history of mankind. Today’s show has crucifixions and decapitations – heads sewn onto soccer balls – and it all stems from you and me – from American and Canadian and even Australian drug users. It’s all free and it’s all on Battlecast – the world’s foremost podcast about war and its sociopolitical impact.
Ricardo C. Ainslie. The Fight to Save Juárez: Life in the Heart of Mexico’s Drug War. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 2013.
Malcolm Beith. The Last Narco: Inside the Hunt for El Chapo, the World’s Most Wanted Drug Lord. New York: Grove Press, 2010.
Charles Bowden. Murder City: Ciudad Juárez and the Global Economy’s New Killing Fields. New York: Nation Books, 2010.
Howard Campbell. Drug War Zone: Frontline Dispatches from the Streets of El Paso and Juárez. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 2009.
Isaac Campos. Home Grown: Marijuana and the Origins of Mexico’s War on Drugs. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2012.
George W. Grayson and Samuel Logan. The Executioner’s Men: Los Zetas, Rogue Soldiers, Criminal Entrepreneurs, and the Shadow State They Created. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 2012.
Ioan Grillo. El Narco: Inside Mexico’s Criminal Insurgency. New York: Bloomsbury Press, 2011.
Paul Rexton Kan. Cartels at War: Mexico’s Drug-Fueled Violence and the Threat to US National Security. Washington, DC: Potomac Books, 2012.
Jerry Langton. Gangland: The Rise of the Mexican Drug Cartels from El Paso to Vancouver. Mississauga, Ontario, Canada: J. Wiley & Sons Canada, 2011.
Sylvia Longmire. Cartel: The Coming Invasion of Mexico’s Drug Wars. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011.
David A. Shirk. The Drug War in Mexico: Confronting a Shared Threat. New York: Council on Foreign Relations, 2011.
George Grayson. The executioner’s men : Los Zetas, rogue soldiers, criminal entrepreneurs, and the shadow state they created
Mexico’s Drug War (Viewpoint Series) by Margaret Haerens (editor)
Malcolm Beith, “Mexico’s Drug War: The Battle Without Hope,” New Statesman, August 8, 2012.
Tonight we’re going back to Scotland – back to the front line where Robert the Bruce is going to roll the dice and gamble it all – facing down the gathered strength of England. He traded wine and women – a comfortable chair by the fire – for the bitter cold of water-drenched journeys, bloodshed and pain. It’s the story of a puzzle called the United Kingdom. I’m going to tell you about the time the corner piece fell off. I’m going to tell you the story of Robert the Bruce.
It’s all for free and it’s all on Battlecast – the world’s foremost podcast on war and its sociopolitical impact.
Download the Outlaw King – Robert the Bruce here: Download
References:
Robert the Bruce, King of Scots by Ronald Scott
Robert Bruce: Our Most Valiant Prince, King and Lord by Colm Mcnamee
King and Outlaw by Chris Brown
Scotland: The Story of a Nation by Magnus Magnusson
A Short History of England by Simon Jenkins
Stirling Bridge and Falkirk, 1297-1298 by Pete Armstrong
In the Footsteps of William Wallace by Alan Young and Michael J. Stead
Freedom’s Sword by Pete Traquair
William Wallace: The King’s Enemy by D.J. Gray
William Wallace: The True Story of Braveheart by Chris Brown
William Wallace: Man and Myth by Graeme Morton
Medieval Britain, c. 1000-1500 by David Crouch
Braveheart: William Wallace and the Battle for Scotland /// 39
Mar 26, 2020
William Wallace is an enigmatic figure – most of what we know about him was written by his enemies but tonight we go deep down the rabbit hole to find every shred of evidence that we know about his life. It’s an epic tale complete with guerilla warfare, vicious torture, and the making and breaking of several kingdoms. Many houses will rise and many will fall – it’s like Game of Thrones but it all really happened. It’s all here and it’s all for free on Battlecast – the world’s foremost podcast on war and its sociopolitical impact.
Scotland: The Story of a Nation by Magnus Magnusson
A Short History of England by Simon Jenkins
Stirling Bridge and Falkirk, 1297-1298 by Pete Armstrong
In the Footsteps of William Wallace by Alan Young and Michael J. Stead
Freedom’s Sword by Pete Traquair
William Wallace: The King’s Enemy by D.J. Gray
William Wallace: The True Story of Braveheart by Chris Brown
William Wallace: Man and Myth by Graeme Morton
Medieval Britain, c. 1000-1500 by David Crouch
The Battle of Dunkirk: Operation Dynamo /// 38
Feb 26, 2020
Dunkirk. It’s a battle that has inspired countless filmmakers, novelists, and historians – a battle that saved a nation, and quite possibly, the modern world as we know it. As a direct result of the actions of the men you will hear about in this episode, Great Britain survived to fight another day. The cornerstone of the modern world order was laid and mortared with the blood and sweat of the hundreds of thousands of men in today’s show. It was their sacrifice which built many of your civil rights. It was their blood that made possible the tens of thousands of bureaucrats growing fat on the largesse of the United Nations.
We often hear about the hundreds of thousands saved off the coast of France – the lucky ones who made it across the channel. But we rarely hear the story of the cooks who transformed into heroes, of snipers who dueled in the dusk – where two men entered a village but only one walked away; it’s the story of men who lost their minds defending key highway intersections against thousands of battle-hardened German veterans. And it’s the lamentable story of the men left behind, the men shattered and broken, breathing their last ragged breaths on a fetid beach before darkness finally fogged their eyes. In today’s show we’ll hear them all. Their stories will live again like a second resurrection.
Mandatory Credit: Photo by The Weiner Library/REX/Shutterstock (3992417a) Wrecks of British trucks on the beach at Dunkirk in Summer 1940 WARTIME HISTORICAL Photo Archive Box 23. On back: ‘Steckengebliebender Kraftwagen’
Mandatory Credit: Photo by The Weiner Library/REX/Shutterstock (3992439a) Dead soldier on Dunkirk beach, France, Spring/Summer 1940 WARTIME HISTORICAL Photo Archive Box 23
References:
To Lose a Battle: France 1940 by Alastair Horne
The Collapse of the Third Republic: An Inquiry into the Fall of France in 1940 by William Shirer
The Fall of France: The Nazi invasion of 1940 by Julian Jackson
Dunkirk: The men they left behind by Sean Longden
The Miracle of Dunkirk: The True Story of Operation Dynamo by Walter Lord
The Times Atlas of the Second World War by John Keegan
History of the Second World War by B.B. LIddell Hart
Supplying War by Martin van Creveld
The Second World War by John Keegan
Scorched Earth: Concentration Camps and Guerilla Conflict in the Boer War /// 37
Jan 25, 2020
During the Boer War the British laid waste to huge swaths of South Africa. Homes were burned. Children starved. Battle raged across the countryside. Entire populations were imprisoned in concentration camps. Thousands died. This is the story.
This is part 2 of a two part series. You can find part one here: Boer War part 1
Disease and Starvation were a Chronic Problem in the Camps
British Concentration Camp near Bloemfontein
Southern Africa 1899
The scene on top of Spion Kop – “an acre of massacre.”
References:
The Boer War by Thomas Pakenham
The Afrikaners: Biography of a People by Hermann Giliomee
Scorched Earth by Fransjohan Pretorius
The Washing of the Spears: The Rise and Fall of the Zulu Nation by Donald Morris
God Does Not Forget by Deneys Reitz
A History of South Africa by Frank Welsh
A History of South Africa by Leonard Thompson
The Boer War 1899-1902 by Gregory Fremont-Barnes
A Military History of South Africa by Timothy Stapelton
Letters from Kimberley: Eyewitness Accounts from the South African War by Edward Spiers
Letters from Ladysmith: Eyewitness Accounts from the South African War by Edward Spiers
The Cambridge History of South Africa by Robert Ross et al.
De La Rey – Lion of the West by Johannes Meintjes
General Louis Botha: A Biography by Johannes Meintjes
President Steyn: A Biography by Johannes Meintjes
The Boer War /// 36
Dec 24, 2019
The Boer War was fought across the length and breadth of modern-day South Africa. It started as a conventional fight but degenerated into a protracted guerilla war that cost the British people 230 million pounds, approximately 27 billion pounds in today’s money. But the war left another legacy in South Africa – a legacy of concentration camps that left tens of thousands of women and children dead. It was a modern war – a war of trenches and machine guns. It was a war that wiped two nations off the face of the planet and almost destroyed the Boer people as a distinct nation. The British thought the war would be a walk in the park. What they got was a promenade through hell. This is the story.
The Afrikaners: Biography of a People by Hermann Giliomee
Scorched Earth by Fransjohan Pretorius
The Washing of the Spears: The Rise and Fall of the Zulu Nation by Donald Morris
God Does Not Forget by Deneys Reitz
A History of South Africa by Frank Welsh
A History of South Africa by Leonard Thompson
The Boer War 1899-1902 by Gregory Fremont-Barnes
A Military History of South Africa by Timothy Stapelton
Letters from Kimberley: Eyewitness Accounts from the South African War by Edward Spiers
Letters from Ladysmith: Eyewitness Accounts from the South African War by Edward Spiers
The Cambridge History of South Africa by Robert Ross et al.
De La Rey – Lion of the West by Johannes Meintjes
General Louis Botha: A Biography by Johannes Meintjes
President Steyn: A Biography by Johannes Meintjes
The First Crusade and the Conquest of the Holy Land /// 35
Nov 29, 2019
The war for the Holy Land – the First Crusade. On today’s show, we’re taking the besieged crusaders all the way from Antioch to Jerusalem. It’s an epic story filled with war, savagery, and even ghosts the whole way. It’s the story of the Holy Lance of Christ and the bloody conquest of Palestine. It’s Greek Fire and cannibalism. It’s cults and trial by fire. Get ready, because this show will make your headphones drip with blood. This is part 2 of a two part series. You can find part one here: First Crusade part 1. It’s all free and it’s all on Battlecast – the world’s foremost podcast on war and its socio-political impact.
Dana C. Munro, “Urban and the Crusaders”, Translations and Reprints from the Original Sources of European History, Vol 1:2, (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, 1895).
Thomas Asbridge. The First Crusade.
Thomas Asbridge. The Crusades: The Authoritative History of the War for the Holy Land.
Kenneth Setton. A History of the Crusades. Volumes 1-6.
Anonymous. Gesta Francorum.
H.A.R. Gibb. The Damascus Chronicle of the Crusades, Extracted and Translated from the Chronicle of Ibn al-Qalanisi.
Albert. Albert of Aachen: Historia Ierosolimitana, History of the Journey to Jerusalem. Oxford Edition.
Fulcher of Chartres. Fulcher of Chartres, A History of the Expedition to Jerusalem, 1095-1127.
Raymon Ibrahim. Sword and Scimitar: Fourteen Centuries of War between Islam and the West.
Rene Groussett. Histoire des Croisades. Volumes 1-3.
A. Krey. The First Crusade: The Accounts of Eyewitnesses and Participants.
The First Crusade and the Double Battle of Antioch /// 34
Oct 29, 2019
The First Crusade was a watershed moment in both Islamic and Christian history – influencing history across Africa, Europe, and Asia for centuries to come. This is the story. It’s all here and it’s all for free on Battlecast – the world’s foremost podcast on war and it’s sociopolitical impact.
I also want to give a shout out to Eric and everybody listening at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait. I know it’s hot out there. We’ll keep the beers on ice for you.
Dana C. Munro, “Urban and the Crusaders”, Translations and Reprints from the Original Sources of European History, Vol 1:2, (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, 1895).
Thomas Asbridge. The First Crusade.
Thomas Asbridge. The Crusades: The Authoritative History of the War for the Holy Land.
Kenneth Setton. A History of the Crusades. Volumes 1-6.
Anonymous. Gesta Francorum.
H.A.R. Gibb. The Damascus Chronicle of the Crusades, Extracted and Translated from the Chronicle of Ibn al-Qalanisi.
Albert. Albert of Aachen: Historia Ierosolimitana, History of the Journey to Jerusalem. Oxford Edition.
Fulcher of Chartres. Fulcher of Chartres, A History of the Expedition to Jerusalem, 1095-1127.
Raymon Ibrahim. Sword and Scimitar: Fourteen Centuries of War between Islam and the West.
Rene Groussett. Histoire des Croisades. Volumes 1-3.
A. Krey. The First Crusade: The Accounts of Eyewitnesses and Participants.
The H.L. Hunley: First Combat Submarine /// 33
Sep 26, 2019
The H.L. Hunley was the first submarine in human history to effectively engage and destroy an enemy. The story of the Hunley is equal to the story of the Wright brothers’ first flight or Armstrong’s moon landing – a first step with dire repercussions for the future of the world. This is the story. It’s all here and it’s all for free on Battlecast – the world’s foremost podcast on war and its sociopolitical impact.
Raising the Hunley: The Remarkable History and Recovery of the Lost Confederate Submarine by Brian Hicks and Schuyler Kropf
The CSS Hunley: The Greatest Undersea Adventure of the Civil War by Richard Bak
The Hunley by Mark K. Ragan
A History of the Confederate Navy by J. Thomas Scharf
Sea of Darkness: Unraveling the Mysteries of the H.L. Hunley by Brian Hicks
The H. L. Hunley: The Secret Hope of the Confederacy by Tom Chaffin
The Civil War by Shelby Foote
A History of South Carolina by Walter Edgars
Cover image is “The Final Mission” by Mort Künstler
9/11: The September 11 Attacks /// 32
Aug 26, 2019
The September 11 attacks. Almost 3,000 died. Hundreds of millions of dollars of property was destroyed. 15 pregnant women lost their babies – their bodies spontaneously aborting their children as their fellow citizens fled from the crashing towers in absolute terror. But behind all these figures – these faceless, nameless numbers – there are tens of thousands of stories. Stories that can make the most heartless men regain their heart. Stories of innocents being cooked alive in the ovens they formerly called their offices. Stories of men trampling down one another. Panic. Sheer terror – unmixed, unmitigated terror. This is the story of a day that made widows of hundreds of thousands – a day that inaugurated wars half a world away. A day of doom. A black day. A day called September 11.
A scene from inside the towers. Many thousands saw this when they poured from the burning towers.
The Banality of Heroes. Much is made of the normalness of evil men. The same is often true of heroes like Frank De Martini. They are angels served by people who never knew them for what they were. (Hebrews 13:2)
The Tet Offensive part 2 / Hue and Khe Sanh /// 31
Jul 30, 2019
The battles for Hue and Khe Sanh were some of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War. Hue was the third largest city in South Vietnam and its capture by Communist forces led to the first urban conflict of the Marine Corps since the Korean War. Khe Sanh was the battlefield where classical encirclement strategies faced off against the overwhelming technological might of the United States. It all makes for a riveting show and it’s all free on Battlecast – the world’s foremost podcast on war and its sociopolitical impact.
This is the conclusion of a two part series on the Tet Offensive. Find part 1 here: Tet part 1.
Map of Hue. Notice the Perfume river cutting through the city. The heavy black lines represent the citadel.A scene from Tet.References:The Tet Offensive: A Concise History by James Willbanks The Ten Thousand Day War : Vietnam 1945-1975 by Michael MacLear Vietnam: A History by Stanley Karnow The Soldier’s Story: Vietnam in their own Words by Ron Steinman From Colony to Superpower: U.S. Foreign Relations since 1776 by George Herring Hue 1968: A Turning Point of the American War in Vietnam by Mark Bowden
Battle for Hue: Tet 1968 by Keith Nolan
Battle for Saigon: Tet 1968 by Keith Nolan “An Interview with General Giap,” New York times Magazine, June 1990, pages 131-135. Interview conducted by Stanley Karnow. The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason Dispatches by Michael Herr
The Tet Offensive part 1 /// 30
Jun 30, 2019
The Tet Offensive. It’s not a battle – it’s a campaign, a campaign that would change the course of American history. Tet combined major set-piece battles with guerrilla strikes up and down the length of South Vietnam, there was fighting everywhere. One Colonel said his situation map lit up like a pinball machine. With this one stroke, General Giap and the North Vietnamese high command undercut the American war effort in Southeast Asia and considerably hobbled American foreign policy for decades. It wasn’t talk or ideas or values that seriously curtailed American policy ambitions – it was a battle – it was war. It was Tet.
It’s all here and it’s all for free on Battlecast – the world’s foremost podcast on war and its sociopolitical impact.
Download link: downloadMaps and Figures:Notice the vulnerable location of Khe Sanh in the northwest of South VietnamInitial Communist thrusts of the battle for SaigonReferences:The Tet Offensive: A Concise History by James Willbanks The Ten Thousand Day War : Vietnam 1945-1975 by Michael MacLear Vietnam: A History by Stanley Karnow The Soldier’s Story: Vietnam in their own Words by Ron Steinman From Colony to Superpower: U.S. Foreign Relations since 1776 by George Herring Hue 1968: A Turning Point of the American War in Vietnam by Mark Bowden
Battle for Hue: Tet 1968 by Keith Nolan
Battle for Saigon: Tet 1968 by Keith Nolan
Lone Survivor: Operation Red Wings /// 29
May 30, 2019
Lone Survivor. It’s the deadliest day for United States special forces since World War II. Four Navy Seals, cut off and alone, fought for their lives on a literal mountain of pain – in terrain so hostile it actually fought against the men. I mean this literally, the terrain cut them, smashed them – foiled their plans. The true story is different from the movie and we’ve got it all here for you – with every resource the libraries of the world can bring to bear on this story. Every shot, every cut, every fall, every sacrifice – they’re all here and it’s all for free on Battlecast – the world’s foremost podcast on war and its socio-political impact.
(L to R) Matthew Axelson, Daniel Healy, James Suh, Marcus Luttrell, Eric Patton, Michael Murphy
The inset shows the area of Afghanistan where Operation Red Wings took place
This map shows the topography of the battlefield
This was a planning map used by the Americans in Operation Red Wings
References:
Seal of Honor: Operation Red Wings and the Life of Lt. Michael P. Murphy, USN by Gary Williams
Victory Point: Operations Red Wings and Whalers – the Marine Corps’ Battle for Freedom in Afghanistan by Ed Darack
Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 by Marcus Luttrell and Patrick Robinson
Afghanistan: A Cultural and Political History (Princeton Studies in Muslim Politics) by Thomas Barfield
Afghanistan: A Military History from Alexander the Great to the War against the Taliban by Stephen Tanner
Simo Hayha – the Greatest Sniper of all Time /// 28
Apr 29, 2019
Simo Häyhä was the greatest sniper that ever lived. Using only iron sights and the normal equipment of the Finnish soldier in the Russo-Finnish Winter War, he carried out a 90-day reign of terror on the Soviet invaders of his homeland. They called him “The White Death.” He had over 200 confirmed kills. He gave all he had to give and never stopped – engaging the Russians in constant combat. Here is the story of a man worthy of a Hollywood epic. Here is a man that can show you the way to self-mastery and achievement. Here is Simo Hayha – the greatest sniper of all time. His story and the story of the Winter War are all free on Battlecast – the world’s foremost podcast on war and its socio-political impact.
Simo with his favorite dogSimo recovering from his woundsSimo in retirementAtlas of the Winter War. Simo operated in the region above Lake Ladoga
References:
The White Sniper: Simo Häyhä by Tapio Saarelainen
A Frozen Hell: The Russo-Finnish Winter War of 1939-1940 by William R. Trotter
The Winter War: The Soviet Attack on Finland, 1939-1940 by Eloise Engle and Lauri Paananen
Finland at War: The Winter War 1939–40 by Vesa Nenye, Peter Munter, et al.
Waterloo /// 27
Apr 01, 2019
Waterloo. It’s a battle that’s on the top of every list of decisive battles in human history. It’s a day that changed the world forever. It’s the nail in the coffin for one of the greatest military leaders in human history and it’s all covered on Battlecast, the world’s foremost podcast on war and its socio-political impact.
Map of the battlefield. The French are in blue. The British are in red.
References: Waterloo: Day of Battle by David Howarth The Fifteen Most Decisive Battles of the World by Edward Creasy The Face of Battle by John Keegan With Napolean at Waterloo by Mackenzie Mcbride and Edward Bruce Waterloo by Alessandro Barbero Waterloo: 1815 by Thierry Lentz Napoleon: A Life by Andrew Roberts Napoleon: A Concise Biography by David Bell
The Hungarian Revolution of 1956
Feb 28, 2019
In 1956 the Hungarian nation revolted against their Soviet masters. The Soviets responded with massive force – columns of tanks that went on for miles, like an interminable death train. The rest of the world looked on dumbfounded. They did nothing. The Hungarians fought against overwhelming odds – in the teeth of air strafing, tanks, and artillery – they fought and they died. And the rest of the world drank tea and chased women as the youth of Hungary were massacred by their gallant Soviet allies – as the dictatorship of the proletariat murdered workers in the street. It’s a little told story. Most people have never heard of it. Today you won’t be one of them. It’s all for free on Battlecast – the world’s foremost podcast on war and it’s sociopolitical impact.
Twelve Days: The Story of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution by Victor Sebestyen
The Cambridge History of the Cold War edited by Melvyn P. Leffler and Odd Arne Westad
The Hungarian Revolution 1956 by Erwin Schmidl et al.
Show 25: War to the Knife – the Paraguayan War II
Jan 30, 2019
This is the second part of our series on the Paraguayan War, the bloodiest war in South American history. It’s a war of waste, of burned cities and child soldiers. It’s a war of tyrants and monarchs. It’s a war to the knife. It’s all here and it’s all for free on Battlecast – the world’s foremost podcast on military history and its sociopolitical impact. You can find the first episode in this series here: link
The Road to Armageddon by Thomas Whigham link: amazon
The Paraguayan War: Causes and Early Conduct by Thomas Whigham link: amazon
I Die with my Country: Perspectives on the Paraguayan War by Hendrik Kraay and Thomas Whigham
Francisco Solano Lopez and the Ruination of Paraguay by James Saeger
Seven Eventful Years in Paragay by George Masterman
The War in Paraguay by George Thompson
Maps
Show 24: The Paraguayan War and the Battle of Tuyutí
Dec 30, 2018
The Paraguayan War. It’s the bloodiest inter-state war in South American history. It’s the bloodiest war in modern history on a per capita basis. Because of this war, the Paraguayan people, an entire culture, almost ceased to exist. And how many of you even knew about it before you read this? But it’s not just me on the show today. Riding shotgun is Dr. Thomas Whigham, Professor of Latin American history at the University of Georgia and the definitive historian on the Paraguayan War. In our show tonight, you’ll hear about the bloodiest battle in South American history – the battle of Tuyutí. You’ll hear about Solano Lopez – the man who took dictatorial control over the nation of Paraguay and brought his people to the brink of annihilation. You’ll hear about pain, blood, sacrifice. So much sacrifice. Sacrifice that you can’t even imagine. Starvation. Limbs hacked with machetes. Men blown to pieces. Trench warfare. Devastation. Waste. Child soldiers. And it won’t cost you a dime. It’s all here on Battlecast – the world’s foremost podcast on war and its socio-political impact.
The Road to Armageddon by Thomas Whigham link: amazon
The Paraguayan War: Causes and Early Conduct by Thomas Whigham link: amazon
I Die with my Country: Perspectives on the Paraguayan War by Hendrik Kraay and Thomas Whigham
Francisco Solano Lopez and the Ruination of Paraguay by James Saeger
Seven Eventful Years in Paragay by George Masterman
The War in Paraguay by George Thompson
Maps
Show 23: Christmas at the Battle of the Bulge
Dec 01, 2018
Christmas, 1944. The weakest sector of the American line is getting ready to celebrate the Yuletide when Nazi Germany, like a second-Mordor, disgorged multiple armies no one knew Hitler even had into the green American troops. The tide of steel was overwhelming. Hundreds of thousands of men would die. Hundreds of thousands of mothers would weep. And the Devil laughed because it was his best Christmas ever. The battle is the Battle of the Bulge – the bloodiest battle in American military history. It’s all here and it’s all free, our gift to you in this most holy time where the bird of dawning sings all night long and no spirit dare stir abroad. But with our battle tonight we’ll make the planets strike.
The beer this episode is Winter Lager by our favorite Patriots, Samuel Adams Brewing Company. 4.5 bullets out of five.
German Plan of AttackActual German AttackRed lines show German thrusts. Blue lines show Allied counterattacks.
References
Battle of the Bulge Volumes 1 and 2 by Hans Wijers
Citizen Soldiers by Stephen Ambrose
The Second World War by John Keegan
The Longest Winter by Alex Kershaw
Atlas of the Second World War by John Keegan
Ardennes 1944: The Battle of the Bulge by Antony Beevor
Battle – The Story of the Bulge by John Toland
A Time for Trumpets by Charles Macdonald
Show 22: The Real Dracula
Oct 19, 2018
Dracula. He’s a legend who will appear at innumerable parties on Halloween. Children will wear capes and not understand why. Adults will watch movies about vampires sucking blood and never know why they do it. As Armand said in Interview with the Vampire: “I know nothing of God, or the Devil. I have never seen a vision nor learned a secret that will damn or save my soul. And as far as I know, after four hundred years, I am the oldest living vampire in the world.” Armand was wrong. The oldest vampire was Dracula. On tonight’s show, we will show you the first vampire. We will tell you the origins of the cape you will see on every American street. We know why the legend of blood-sucking appeared. We have the answer for the stake-through-the-heart. Allow us to introduce you to Vlad Tepes, the real Dracula. You hear his orchestral soundtracks in your mind’s ear; he still haunts your children’s nightmares. Here he is and the truth, if you can believe it, is more brutal than the art it imitates. It’s all free and it’s all on Battlecast- the world’s foremost podcast about war and it’s sociopolitical impact.
The beer this episode is Pumpkin Ale by Sam Adams: 3.5 bullets out of 5.
Contemporary depiction of ConstantinopleBattle map. Notice the shape of the walls.A modern reconstruction of the walls.The space between the walls was open.Schematic of the walls.
References
1453: The Holy War for Constantinople and the Clash of Islam and the West by Roger Crowley
Diary of the Siege of Constantinople 1453 by Nicolo Barbaro
The Fall of the Byzantine Empire: A Chronicle by George Sphrantzes translated by Marios Philippides
History of Mehmed the Conqueror by Kritovoulos, translated by Charles T. Riggs
The Fall of Constantinople 1453 by Steven Runciman
History of the Byzantine State by George Ostrogorsky
Show 20: Total Jihad – Fetih 1453 and the Last Battle of Constantinople
Sep 02, 2018
It’s a holy war between Islam and Christianity. It’s a battle known the world over. It’s the last outpost of Christian Europe in the Near East facing down a Turkish onslaught. It’s a battle that has profound and lasting implications for our modern world: from debates about Turkish entry into the European Union to the role of religion in warfare. It’s called the Battle of Constantinople. We’ll recount it all and we’ll analyze it all on Battlecast – the world’s foremost podcast on warfare and its socio-political impact.
1453: The Holy War for Constantinople and the Clash of Islam and the West by Roger Crowley
Diary of the Siege of Constantinople 1453 by Nicolo Barbaro
The Fall of the Byzantine Empire: A Chronicle by George Sphrantzes translated by Marios Philippides
History of Mehmed the Conqueror by Kritovoulos, translated by Charles T. Riggs
The Fall of Constantinople 1453 by Steven Runciman
Show 19: The Last Hell is Never the Very Last – Stalingrad part 2
Jul 30, 2018
What can you write to describe this battle? It’s Stalingrad. It’s a scar on all ethics – all morality – all outlooks that men are basically good. Were men good when they massacred each other, starved each other, shot and stabbed and exploded one another at Stalingrad? Homo homini lupus – Man is a wolf to Man, according to Hobbes. This is the story of wolves shaped like men. This is Stalingrad.
The beer this episode is Bitburger – 4 bullets out of 5.
Frontsoldaten: The German Soldier in World War II by Stephen G. Fritz
The West Point Military Atlas of Modern War edited by Thomas E. Griess
The West Point Military History of The Second World War edited by Thomas E. Griess
The Second World War by John Keegan
Diary of a German Soldier by William Hoffman
A Soviet Veteran Recalls by Anton Kuzmich Dragan
Winter Storm: The Battle for Stalingrad and the Operation to Rescue 6th Army by Hans Wijers
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany by William L. Shirer
Inside the Third Reich by Albert Speer
Stalin: A Political Biography by Isaac Deutscher
Hitler by John Toland
Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar by Simon Sebag Montefiore
Atlas of the Second World by John Keegan
Battle Maps:
A military atlas depiction of the Soviet Winter Offensive
A closer view of the Soviet counterattack
The large red arrow represents operation Winter Storm. The blue-dashed lines represent the Soviet counter attack towards Rostov.
Crushing the can: the Soviet attack on the Stalingrad pocket. The red arrows indicate Soviet thrusts. Notice the shape of the pocket.
Show 18: Enemy at the Gates: The Battle of Stalingrad part 1
Jul 01, 2018
Stalingrad. It’s a name we’ve all heard before. It’s a showdown between two totalitarian systems and a battle that sent millions of people to the grave. Can you even imagine millions upon millions of men at war? Think about it. In our show today, this tragedy will take place in your ear drums, will desecrate your speakers. It’s beyond entertainment, though it is that. It’s beyond history, but it’s that too. And before you listen, know, there are no words in human language to describe the tragedy of this show – the limitless suffering. All I can say is thank you for joining us for another episode. Thank you for taking the time to listen and to hear about the darkest corners of human capacity. Solzhenitsyn said, “The line between good and evil runs through the heart of every man.” Press play and I will take you over the line and show you the evil side in your heart, and my heart, and all of our hearts. It’s all for free and it’s all on Battlecast – the world’s foremost podcast about war and its sociopolitical impact.
The drink this episode is Green Mark Vodka – 4 bullets out of 5.
Frontsoldaten: The German Soldier in World War II by Stephen G. Fritz
The West Point Military Atlas of Modern War edited by Thomas E. Griess
The West Point Military History of The Second World War edited by Thomas E. Griess
The Second World War by John Keegan
Diary of a German Soldier by William Hoffman
A Soviet Veteran Recalls by Anton Kuzmich Dragan
Winter Storm: The Battle for Stalingrad and the Operation to Rescue 6th Army by Hans Wijers
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany by William L. Shirer
Inside the Third Reich by Albert Speer
Stalin: A Political Biography by Isaac Deutscher
Hitler by John Toland
Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar by Simon Sebag Montefiore
Atlas of the Second World by John Keegan
Battle Maps:
Army group B drives to Stalingrad; Army group A drives to the Caucasus Mountains
A Russian map showing the German drive (in red) to the city. Notice the shape of the city.
Show 17: The Caravan of Death – The Chilean Coup
May 28, 2018
On September 11, 1973, tanks ground the pavement of Chile’s capital city. Chilean air force jets bombed the presidential palace. Men fought in the streets. Snipers danced in between buildings, shooting friend and foe, and even each other. The whole nation was under martial law. The radio was taken over. The schools were taken over. Everything: taken over. Imagine it in your country: jets bombing the White House, tanks massing in downtown Atlanta, the military blocking websites and broadcasting coup justifications. Well, it all happened to nine million Chileans. This is their story and it’s only on Battlecast – the world’s foremost podcast on military history and its socio-political impact.
Beer this episode is Hop Dang Diggity from the great people at Jekyll Brewing. 4.5 bullets out of five. Check out their website at Jekyll Brewing.
Show 16: Australia Turns the Tide – The Kokoda Track
May 01, 2018
Japan Triumphant
On December 7, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on the United States navy at Pearl Harbor. On December 8, the United States declared war on Japan. But Japan didn’t stop at Pearl Harbor, she launched a series of daring assaults across the Pacific theater of war. On the tenth of December, the Japanese invaded the Philippines and Guam fell. On December 23, General Macarthur began his long withdrawal from Manila to Bataan. On February 22, General Douglas Macarthur is ordered to leave the Philippines. 25,000 Americans are taken prisoner. About 500 would survive the horrors of Japanese internment. The Dutch East Indies, Singapore, Hong Kong – all fall to the Japanese.
But this whole time, the Japanese know America is massing forces for a counterattack. At the same time, Australia is at war with Japan. If Australia can be isolated, the whole of the Southern Pacific Ocean would lay secure in Japanese hands. The Japanese forces could concentrate on the westward thrust of the Americans, freeing valuable resources and manpower to blunt the American counterattack that was already forming in January 1942.
Australia in the way
All that stood in the way of the Japanese advance south were a few isolated Australian platoons on Papua New Guinea. The Japanese easily landed on the north coast of New Guinea at Buna and made their way south, on the Kokoda Trail. The Kokoda Trail is a mountainous track through dense, equatorial jungle. It’s literally only a man wide and vehicles cannot penetrate it. The vegetation blots out the sun and gives the entire place a somnambulant, ghostly quality. Artillery, grenades, and hand to hand combat would decide the outcome here, not machines. It’s men against men. It’s blood. It’s mud. It’s guts and it’s all for free on Battlecast – the world’s foremost podcast on military history and its socio-political impact.
Beer this week: Cooper’s Original Pale Ale, 4.5 bullets out of 5.
Australia in the War of 1939–1945: Volume 6 by David Dexter
A Bastard of a Place: The Australians in Papua by Peter Brune
Reaping the Whirlwind: The German and Japanese Experience of World War II by Nigel Cawthorne
The Path of Infinite Sorrow: The Japanese on the Kokoda Track by Hajime Marutani
The Turn of the Tide, July 1942-February 1943: Shifting Strategic Initiative in the Pacific in World War II (doctoral dissertation) by Sean Judge, Ohio State University
From Port Moresby to Guadalcanal: Roots of Japanese Failure (masters thesis) by Michael Foster, University of Nebraska
Show 15: Death Forest – Battle of Teutoburg Forest
Apr 02, 2018
In today’s episode we have one of the most important battles in world history: Teutoburg Forest. A loose confederation of Germanic tribes, led by a Romanized German named Arminius, seeks to stem the irresistible Roman advance into the heart of Germany. It was Arminius’s actions that saved the German language. It was his actions that saved countless Germans from Roman dominion. And Roman dominion was harsh: by 9 A.D., the Roman peninsula had undergone a massive shift. It is a land teeming with slaves and poverty-stricken freemen, where 15,000 elites rule over approximately 7,000,000 disenfranchised subjects. Rome was coming and she had perfected warfare. Her soldiers are better-trained than the Germans. Her civilization is more advanced than the Germans. It should have been an easy victory for the Romans. It wasn’t. It’s epic history and it’s all for free on Battlecast – the world’s foremost podcast on warfare and its socio-political impact.
The beer this episode is Konig Ludwig – 4.5 bullets out of 5.
The Oxford History of the Classical World by Griffin Murray (ed.)
A History of Rome (3rd edition) by Marcel Le Glay, Jean-Louis Voisin and Yann Le Bohec
Roman History by Cassius Dio
The Annals by Tacitus
The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World: from Marathon to Waterloo by Edward Shepherd Creasy
Maps and Illustrations:
Map showing the Roman Empire and the rough location of the battle:
Map of the battle
Picture of the Teutoburg Forest today
Recreation of the wooden walls used by the Germans to constrict Roman movement
Monument dedicated to Arminius in modern-day Germany
Show 14: Canada Must Fall – the Plains of Abraham
Mar 01, 2018
The Battle of the Plains of Abraham was fought outside the walls of Quebec City. It decided the fate of not only the French in North America but also hundreds of Native American tribes across the continent. In today’s show we have ethnic cleansing on a vast scale – entire provinces and regions deliberately depopulated. We have human sacrifice. We have the destruction of villages and towns. We outline a war and a battle that echoes across our time today. We show the direct link this battle has on modern Canadian politics – the vast sums spent, the thousands of man hours exhausted and the tensions of the modern Canadian state. All of it starts here, on the Plains of Abraham. In our show you’ll meet a young George Washington, who arguably starts a war between the French and British Empires. The burnt homes, the weeping widows, the lost languages, lost cultures, lost religions – it all begins at this one point in time. Steel and blood carved the modern Canadian and American states – nothing else. It’s all on today’s show and it’s all for free on Battlecast – the world’s foremost podcast about military history and its socio-political impact.
The beer this episode is La Fin du Monde from the great people at Unibroue, 4.5 bullets out of 5.
The War That Made America: A Short History of the French and Indian War by Fred Anderson
The Penguin History of Canada by Bob Bothwell
A Short History of Quebec: Fourth Edition by John A. Dickinson and Brian Young
British Newspaper Accounts of Braddock’s Defeat by N. Darnell Davis. The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography Vol. 23, No. 3 (1899), pp. 310-328
A Journal of the Expedition up the River St. Lawrence by a Serjeant-Major of Gen. Hopson’s Grenadiers
An Independent Quebec: The Past, the Present and the Future by Jacques Parizeau and Robin Philpot (Translator)
Colonial Pennsylvania: A History by Joseph E. Illick and Milton M. Kline
Colonial New York: A History by Michael G Kammen
The Cajuns: Americanization of a People by Shane K. Bernard
Maps and Illustrations:
Map of France’s land claims in North America. The area shaded yellow shows French claims. The area shaded green shows British claims.
The Death of General Wolfe by Benjamin West. Oil on canvas, 1770
General Montcalm, mortally wounded on the Plains of Abraham, is taken to Quebec. Watercolour by Louis Bombled
Initial deployment of Anglo-Americans flanking Quebec
Map illustrating the battle of the Plains of Abraham
Land Acquired by British at the conclusion of the war.
A Canadian monument showing the depopulation of Nova Scotia called La Grand Derangement
Show 13: Black Hawk Down – The Battle of Mogadishu part 2
Jan 28, 2018
It’s our anniversary show here at Battlecast and we’re starting our second year off with an action-packed episode on the Battle of Mogadishu. In today’s episode you’ll hear an epic story of self-sacrifice as two Delta Force operators attempt to hold back an entire city of hostiles. Meanwhile, General Garrison struggles to scrape together a relief column for the 100 men still battling for their lives in Mogadishu. It’s a battle that spawned the epic film Black Hawk Down and it’s one of our most widely requested battles. It’s modern war in all its savagery and it’s only on Battlecast – the world’s foremost podcast on military history.
The beer this month is Tusker: 2 bullets out of 5.
Show 12: Black Hawk Down – the Battle of Mogadishu part 1
Dec 22, 2017
It’s October 3, 1993 and 160 soldiers of an American task force are making a routine raid into Mogadishu. It should have been just another minor skirmish. It became a battle that would cost the lives of thousands. On today’s show we’ve got a classic showdown of cutting-edge military technology and training versus the sheer numbers of the ill-led Somali militias. It’s a unique battle made famous in the epic war-film Black Hawk Down. It’s also our first show about modern warfare here on Battlecast – the world’s foremost podcast about war. We released this one a week early as a Christmas gift to you and want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a safe New Year. To all of you traveling out there, stay warm and stay safe.
The beer this episode is Sam Adams Winter Lager – 4 bullets out of 5.
Show 11: Texas Forever – The Battle of the Alamo
Dec 02, 2017
Join Chris and Luke in the North Georgia bunker as they recount the Battle of the Alamo, the famous battle from the Texas Revolution. General Santa Anna, an opium addict and dictator, is bringing an army of 7,000 men to decimate the homes and firesides of Texas. Only 200 men stand in their way – more a citizen-militia than an army. Led by some of the most famous characters in American legend: William Travis, Davie Crockett, and James Bowie – the Texans will break the tide of Santa Anna’s legions on the rocks of the Alamo. Sit back and grab a beer as we tell you the story of a latter-day Thermopylae. It’s all here and it’s all for free on Battlecast – the world’s foremost podcast about the greatest battles in history.
The beer this episode is Lonestar – 2.5 bullets out of 5.
Map of Battlefield
Isaac Millsap’s letter to his family from the doomed Alamo garrison
The Alamo Today
Come and Take it Flag with Cannon
Book References
Texans in Revolt: The Battle for San Antonio, 1835 by Alwyn Barr
Lone Star: A History of Texas and the Texans by T.R. Fehrenbach
The Oxford History of Mexico by William Beezley and Michael Meyer
Fire and Blood: A History of Mexico
Music References
“Deguello” by traditional.
Show 10: Clearing Hell – The Battle of Iwo Jima part 3
Nov 03, 2017
“Among the Americans who served on Iwo Island, uncommon valor was a common virtue.” — U.S. Navy Fleet Adm. Chester W. Nimitz, March 16, 1945
Join Chris and Luke as they guide you through one of the bloodiest battles in American history: the Battle of Iwo Jima. In this episode the marines will drive across the island in savage fighting, clearing the death-jigsaw of Japanese Mastermind Tadamichi Kuribayashi strongpoint by strongpoint. The planners in Hawaii had thought tanks would do the hard fighting. Kuribayashi anticipated this threat by creating a series of mutually supporting strongpoints in a position called the “Meat Grinder.” Tanks could hardly operate in the Meat Grinder. The Marines cleared it with hand grenades and flame throwers. They took heavy casualties. The Japanese fought to the last man. It was a fight through hell and we’re taking you there tonight on the world’s premier podcast about warfare: Battlecast. So grab a chair, grab a beer and get ready for battle.
Beer this episode is Kirin Ichiban, 3 bullets out of 5.
Show 9: Storming Hell – The Battle of Iwo Jima part 2
Oct 02, 2017
It’s February 20, 1945 and the United States Marine Corps has bisected the neck of the island of Iwo Jima. In this show, the Japanese will unleash the fearsome kamikaze and we’ll hear from a kamikaze who miraculously survived to tell the tale. Thousands of Navy personnel and hundreds of Japanese pilots won’t be so lucky. Meanwhile, Japanese commander Tadamichi Kuribayashi is decimating the Marines in the beachhead, slamming shell after shell into their positions from heavily fortified strong points, many of them imperceptible to the human eye. The shelling, flamethrowers, and constant bombing reduced the island to a hell-like pit of destruction. The marines are going to have to storm through this hell to attack the Japanese strong points. They said it was like storming hell. And this is their story.
Episode 8: A Nightmare In Hell – Iwo Jima part 1
Sep 02, 2017
Iwo Jima – an eight-square-mile island transformed into a death trap. Literally, every square inch of the island spewed death. The whole rock was a front line. Join Chris and Luke as they take you, like a second Virgil, on a trip through a Nightmare in Hell – the battle of Iwo Jima. For months, the Japanese mastermind Tadamichi Kuribayashi turned the island into a factory of hell the marines dubbed “the meat grinder.” For months, the Americans returned the favor by shelling and bombing the island with impunity. Over 200,000 men participated in this battle. This is their story. We’ve made every attempt to let them speak for themselves.
The beer this show is Sapporo, 3 bullets out of 5.
Episode 7: The Death of a World – The Battle of Zama
Aug 06, 2017
Join Luke and Chris in the bunker as they recount the battle of Zama – the final battle of the Second Punic War. Beer this month is Celtia, 3 bullets out of 5. In this battle, Roman commander Scipio Africanus faces Carthaginian legend Hannibal Barca. The battle would decide the fate of much of our world today and many of our languages bear the imprint of this fateful battle. In this episode, you’ll hear more than a battle but the story of a death of a world.
Hannibal begins the battle with his war elephants charging at Roman front. Scipio orders his cavalry to blow loud horns to terrify the charging elephants. The panicked elephants turn at the Carthaginian left wing and disorder it.
Roman right wing charges and routs the Carthaginian cavalry, followed by the Roman left wing routing the Carthaginian right wing. Remaining elephants are lured through the lanes and killed.
Carthaginian cavalry routed off the field. Scipio attacks Hannibal’s first and second line of infantry and routs both lines.
Scipio and Hannibal rearrange their troops in a single line and battle remains a stalemate until Roman cavalry returns and attacks Hannibal’s infantry at the rear. References:
Rome and Carthage by T.A. Dorey and D.R. Dudley
The Histories by Polybius
History of Rome from its Foundations by Livy
The Oxford History of the Classical World by Griffin Murray (ed.)
A History of Rome (3rd edition) by Marcel Le Glay, Jean-Louis Voisin and Yann Le Bohec
Episode 6: Punic Stalingrad – The Battle of Metaurus
Jul 12, 2017
Join Luke and Chris in the bunker as they recount the battle of Metaurus – the Stalingrad of the Second Punic War. Beer this month is Birra Moretti, 3.5 bullets out of 5. In this battle, Roman commander Nero attempts to turn the tide in the decisive confrontation of the Second Punic War. This battle has it all: war elephants, drunken Gauls, atypical and risky battle maneuvers, and a twist of fate.
The battle took place somewhere along the Metaurus river, which is highlighted red on the map below.
Initial phase of the battle:
Second phase of the battle:
Nero realizes he cannot attack the Gauls and leads a part of his forces behind the Roman army and flanks the Carthaginians on the left flank, attacking from the river. The Carthaginians start to retreat.
Third phase of the battle:
The Carthaginians are attacked from the front and right flank. The retreat turns into a rout and massacre of the Carthaginians.
References:
Rome and Carthage by T.A. Dorey and D.R. Dudley
The Histories by Polybius
History of Rome from its Foundations by Livy
The Oxford History of the Classical World by Griffin Murray (ed.)
The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World by Edward Shepherd Creasy
Join Chris and Luke in the North Georgia Bunker as they recount the Battle of Cannae. The beer this month is Peroni, 3 bullets out of 5. Note this map is dated wrong, the battle took place in 216 B.C.
Join Chris and Luke in the Atlanta Ivory Tower as they discuss the battle of Atlanta and drink beer. The beer this episode is Sweetwater Blue, bunker grade: 3.5 out of 5 bullets.
Episode 3 – Battle of Atlanta part one
May 13, 2017
Join Luke and Chris in the bunker as they drink beer and review the greatest battles in history. Beer this episode is Laughing Skull Craft Lager: four bullets out of five.
Diary of a Confederate Soldier by William C. Davis
Episode 2: Hastings
May 07, 2017
Join Chris and Luke in the bunker as they recount the battle of Hastings. The beer this episode is Fuller’s London Porter. Bunker rating: 4 bullets out of 5.
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
Stay Connected
