Hostile History

Latest Episodes:

The Battle of the Somme: Tolkien and the Reality of War Nov 11, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Hostile History, David Borys travels to France with J.R.R Tolkien as he’s deployed on the Western Front in the summer of 1916 only to take part in one of the bloodiest offensives of the entire war. On July 1st 1916 thousands of soldiers were sent over the top into hell itself. The Somme became a bloodbath that exemplified the horrific meat-grinder that was the Western Front and embedded itself in the British psyche for decades afterwards. Today, the Somme remains a haunting symbol of sacrifice, unimaginable slaughter, lost generations, and the terrible human cost of the First World War.

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Trenches to Mordor: The Lord of the Rings & War Nov 04, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Hostile History, David Borys is joined by historian Christopher Snyder to explore how J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings was forged in an age of unprecedented conflict.

From the mud and terror of the First World War to the devastation of the Second World War and the dawn of the atomic age, Tolkien lived through a century transformed by violence and shaped Middle-earth—not as a simple allegory, but as a world wrestling with courage, sacrifice, grief, power, and the terrible cost of war.

Guest: Christopher Snyder

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Hidden in Plain Sight: Uncovering Queer Voices in Military History Oct 28, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Hostile History, David Borys is joined by Emily Gioskos from the Queer Collective. Together they discuss the challenges and triumphs of uncovering queer voices within a historical discipline that has traditionally silenced them. From the battlefields of the First World War to the turbulent days of the Vietnam War, instances of resistance, organization, defiance and agency all come to light in this episode.

Guest: Emily GioskosInstagram: @queer.collectiveInstagram: @knockaboutmediaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/queer.collective.to

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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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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/

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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

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

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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

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