Hostile History

Latest Episodes:

Dissent in the Barracks: Queer Voices in the GI Underground Oct 21, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Hostile History, David Borys is joined by historian Travis Salley as they explore how, during the Vietnam War, the GI underground press became more than a voice of dissent...it became a lifeline. These underground newspapers, created by service personnel, created rare spaces where queer service members could find community, share experiences, challenge discrimination, and connect with others. This then coalesced into a broader activist movement that challenged racism and the war itself, revealing a hidden history of identity and resistance deep within the U.S. military.

Guest: Travis Salley

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Instagram: @canyonentertainment

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Neighbours not Enemies: The Canadian-American Alliance during the Second World War Oct 14, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Hostile History, David Borys is joined by the hosts of two award- winning podcasts.

From Canadian History Ehx Craig Baird and from the Webby and Ambies nominated show American History Tellers, Lindsay Graham.

Together, they explore how the Second World War became the catalyst for cooperation between Canada and the United States and, in the process, transformed both nations.

While Canada emerged as a leading middle power, with increasing confidence and influence on the world stager the United States, stepped into its role as the world’s pre-eminent superpower.

Two countries forged their own path but did it side by side.

Guests:

Lindsay Graham,

@lindsayagraham

https://lindsayagraham.com/shows/american-history-tellers

Craig Baird

@craigwbaird

https://canadaehx.com/

Contact:

@canyonentertainment,

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hostilehistory/

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The Good Allies: Canada and the US in WW2 Oct 07, 2026

Show notes

Join David Borys as he interviews renowned historian Tim Cook about how Canada and the United States forged one of history's most important wartime alliances during the Second World War. Together they explore shared sacrifice, military cooperation, and the partnership that helped reshape North America and the outcome of the global conflict.

Guest: Tim Cook

Contact:

Instagram: @canyonentertainment

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hostilehistory/

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Announcement: Hostile History and World War Two Oct 05, 2026

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The Birth, Death and Rebirth of Captain America Sep 30, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Hostile History, David Borys is joined by pop culture historian Robert Weiner as they look at how the Second World War birthed one of the world’s most famous superheroes. They explore how the war provided clear villains for Captain America and his sidekick Bucky in the form of the Axis powers, but in the aftermath of the war, Captain America suddenly found himself on rocky ground as the world changed. New villains emerged and old animosities were forgotten. Captain America had to change with it or perish.

Guest: Robert Weiner

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Instagram: @canyonentertainment

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hostilehistory/

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Beyond the Panels: Comic Books and the World Wars Sep 23, 2026

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On this episode of Hostile History, David Borys is joined by historian Cord Scott to explore how the world wars became a catalyst for the mass production of comic books. While the First World War saw their introduction as comic strips, the success of these ‘strips’ resulted in a comic book boom in the inter-war period. Superheroes like Batman and Superman were the result, making their debut in the late 1930s. When the Second World War broke out comic books were mobilized for the war effort. Even before the United States entered the war superheroes like Captain America were already gracing the pages of comic books both in the United States and all over the world.

Guest: Cord Scott

Contact:

Instagram: @canyonentertainment

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hostilehistory/

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Commit to the Myth – Nazi War Crimes and the Problem of Guilt Sep 16, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Hostile History, David Borys is joined by historian and drag queen Karla Marx as they dive deep into the reasons that the myth of the clean Wehrmacht became so powerful in the years after the war. The war became both a landscape for righteousness by those who fought against the Nazi’s but also a vehicle by which morality and ideology could be judged and justified. As a post-war Germany sought to rebuild itself and as a post-war United States sought to defend the values of democracy the way the war was remembered and discussed became crucial to both national and international objectives.

Guest:

Karla Marx @karla.marx1917

Contact:

Instagram: @canyonentertainment

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hostilehistory/

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Innocent Until Proven Guilty: The Myth of the Clean Wehrmacht Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

How much of the German army’s conduct during the Second World War can really be separated from Nazi Germany’s crimes?

In this episode of Hostile History, David Borys is joined by historian Waitman Beorn to examine one of the most persistent myths surrounding the Second World War: the idea that the German armed forces were largely honourable and professional, while responsibility for Nazi atrocities rested almost exclusively with the SS.

Why did the myth emerge after the war, and why did it prove so enduring? What did the Wehrmacht actually know, do, and tolerate? And what happens when we separate the image of the professional soldier from the reality of the war he was fighting?

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Unpacked – Hannah Snell Sep 02, 2026

Show notes

The Woman Who Went to WarShow Notes: Hannah Snell was an 18th-century English woman who defied every expectation, disguising herself as a man to join the British military. She fought in brutal battles, survived multiple wounds while hiding her identity, and returned home to reveal one of history's most astonishing stories of courage, endurance, and reinvention.

Contact:

Instagram: @canyonentertainment

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hostilehistory/

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Women at War: Europe’s forgotten fighters Aug 26, 2026

Show notes

History remembers the generals, the kings, and the men who marched beneath national flags. But buried are other stories of support systems and networks that included spies, resistance fighters, smugglers, and revolutionaries. Women, who stepped into battle while the world tried to erase them from it.

In this episode, we are joined by Margaret Hunt, emeritus from Uppsala University in Sweden, as we travel Europe between the 15th and 17th centuries to tear down misconceptions and uncover the forgotten story of Europe’s women at war.

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