Military History Inside Out: Recent Episodes
Cris Alvarez
Codebreaking at Bletchley Park – Book tour interview with Jan Slimming Check out this book here https://amzn.to/3yrIEkM Interview Timeline Jan Slimming is a publishing professional who was six when she first heard of Bletchley Park, but it was decades later that she was compelled to research and write about this little-known part of her mother’s…
The history of John Browning and his guns with Nathan Gorenstein Check out this book here https://amzn.to/2UUJ2Jy Interview Timeline Nathan Gorenstein is a former reporter and editor for The Philadelphia Inquirer, where he covered city and state politics. He is also the author of Tommy Gun Winter, the story of a Boston gang from the…
The fall of the Western Roman Empire and why the Roman military failed – Interview with Michael Kulikowski Check out this book here https://amzn.to/2Uh27Fu Interview Timeline Michael Kulikowski is the author of Rome’s Gothic Wars, Late Roman Spain and Its Cities, and The Triumph of Empire. Michael has appeared on a number of shows and…
Medal of Honor recipient Jack Jacobs discusses the Vietnam War and his US Army career Check out this book here https://amzn.to/3d8G4Y1 Interview Timeline Colonel Jack Jacobs (US Army, Retired) retired from the Army as a full Colonel in 1987. He is a widely regarded military analyst and serves on a number of charitable boards of…
An overview of Napoleonic era artillery – Interview with Kevin Kiley Check out this book here https://amzn.to/3gIAEnM Interview Timeline Kevin F. Kiley is a retired US Marine Corps artillery officer and a graduate of West Point. He has a master’s degree in Military History from and has written extensively on historic artillery and other topics.…
What motivated the Medieval Crusader Bohemond to conquer – Interview with Georgios Theotokis Check out this book here https://amzn.to/34YYkyF Interview Timeline Georgios Theotokis studies and teaches medieval history. He has writtene xtensively on the subject and he’s recently published a book studying the strategy and tactits of the medieval crusader Bohemond. We spoke about the…
How WWII hung in the balance in the Mediterranean Sea – Interview with Sir Max Hastings Check out this book here https://amzn.to/3p5MJHk Interview Timeline Sir Max Hastings is the author of twenty-six books, most about conflict, and between 1986 and 2002 served as editor-in-chief of the Daily Telegraph, then editor of the Evening Standard. He…
How was a successful Marine Corps strategy in Vietnam implemented and then shot down – Interview with Ted Easterling Check out this book here https://amzn.to/3fh5Las Interview Timeline Ted Easterling served as a U.S. Marine combat engineer in the Vietnam War. He received his Ph.D. in history from the University of Akron, where he taught history.…
Why the US Army charged into Mexico and found itself in trouble in 1916 – Interview with Jeff Guinn Check out this book here https://amzn.to/33PemdW Interview Timeline Jeff Guinn has written numerous best-selling history books and he is a member of the Texas Literary Hall of Fame. He recetly wrote a book on the US…
How Francis Drake and Elizabeth I crafted a new English naval empire – Interview with Laurence Bergreen Check out this book here https://amzn.to/3vXr720 Interview Timeline Laurence Bergreen is a bestselling author and has written numerous books about past and present day exploration. He recently released a book on Francis Drake, Elizabeth I and English maritime…
How murder and violence permeated Ancient Roman society, politics, and military affairs – Interview with Emma Southon Check out this book here https://amzn.to/2Skr7KZ Interview Timeline Dr. Emma Southon holds a doctorate in ancient history and is the author of Marriage, Sex and Death: the Family and the Fall of Rome and Agrippina. She recently released…
How a major Vietnam battle was hidden from the public for decades with Ed Sherwood Check out this book here https://amzn.to/2QCLd2x Interview Timeline Ed Sherwood led an infantry platoon at Tam Ky in Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry, fighting with the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division and was wounded in action on June 2,…
How the French Royal Navy used privateers to augment their naval operations with Henning Hillmann Check out this book here https://amzn.to/3efdp3n Interview Timeline Henning Hillmann is professor of economic and organizational sociology at the University of Mannheim. He wrote a book on the privateers of France in the long 18th century in order to understand…
Why the battlefields of ISIS were so horrible with Hollie McKay Check out this book here https://amzn.to/2OJH1NJ Interview Timeline Hollie McKay is a foreign policy expert and war crimes investigator. She has worked in many areas hit by political, humanitarian, and conflict crisis and has written numerous articles on these events. She recently published a…
How pagan medieval kingdoms were conquered and became Christian with Carsten Selch Jensen and Stephen Bennett Check out this book here https://amzn.to/31RZnit Interview Timeline Carsten Selch Jensen has published many works on the process of Christianization, warfare, and crusading, especially in the Baltic. Stephen Bennett is a historian specializing in medieval warfare. I spoke to…
The messy US invasion of France in WWII with Robert Fuller Check out this book here https://amzn.to/3cA1DB3 Interview Timeline Robert Fuller is a professor and historian who took on the task of understanding the true nature of the US presence of France in WWII. We spoke about the war and the many ways in which…
Why did three Dutch girls decide to became deadly spies against the Nazis with Tim Brady Check out this book here https://amzn.to/2NHXj9j Interview Timeline Tim Brady has written on history extensively including three previous books on WWII. We spoke about what prompted him to write this book about young Dutch spies . Three Ordinary Girls:…
How a platoon of Marines wreaked havoc on the Japanese in WWII Check out this book here https://amzn.to/2PXfOHp Interview Timeline Joseph Tachovsky is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and the son of Frank Tachovsky who was commanding officer of the 40 Thieves on Saipan. We spoke about the book and the platoon that…
How the ancient Persians managed to create and hold a vast empire with Sean Manning Check out this book here https://amzn.to/38lJvZb Interview Timeline Dr. Sean Manning has studied the ancient Persians and their way of war for years and wrote his PhD thesis on the subject. He released a book on the subject and we…
How did the British lose the Saratoga Campaign and the American Revolution with Kevin Weddle Check out this book here https://amzn.to/2PrwGpB Interview Timeline Kevin J. Weddle is Professor of Military Theory and Strategy at the US Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He graduated from West Point and served in the US Army for 28…
How the OSS supported Yugoslavia independence movements in WWII – Interview with Blaz Torkar Check out this book here https://amzn.to/2ZDmiwM Interview Timeline Blaž Torkar is an assistant professor of history at the Military Schools Centre of the Slovenian Armed forces. He researches the history of intelligence services, Allied military missions in Yugoslavia during WWII, the…
How Ancient Rome and its enemies financed their armies with Michael Taylor Check out this book here https://amzn.to/3qqbD4r Interview Timeline Michael Taylor is an assistant professor of history and holds a PhD in Greek and Roman history. He has also served as an officer in the California National Guard, with deployments to Iraq and Kosovo.…
Bryan Gibby discusses his Korean War military history book “Korean Showdown” (University of Alabama Press, 2021) Check out this book https://amzn.to/3aQv7bA Interview Timeline Bryan R. Gibby is a US Army colonel and an associate professor at the US Military Academy at West Point,a s well as acting deputy head of the Department of History. He…
Georgianne Burlage discusses her WWII history book about her father’s captivity in “Living in the Shadow of a Hell Ship” Check out this book here https://amzn.to/2MdHS8d Interview Timeline Georgianne Burlage is daughter of WWII veteran George Burlage. She has taught secondary history and journalism for more than thirty years and is a national officer of…
What ever happened to Wyatt and the Earp brothers with David de Haas Check out this book here https://amzn.to/3sVpst0 Interview Timeline David de Haas has written extensively on Old West history. He recently co-authored a book on a subject not written on before, the Earp bootlegging operation at the Sawtelle Old Soldiers’ Home in Sawtelle,…
What was life like with the US cavalry and the Buffalo soldiers with John Langellier Check out this book here https://amzn.to/3p3NvU3 Interview Timeline John P. Langellier has written numerous studies of the technical aspects of the US Army in the Old West. He recently wrote a book on the personal history of a US cavalry…
How swords lost their shine in the 1600s and more sword history with Kristen Neuschel Check out this book here https://amzn.to/36Ysunu Interview Timeline Kristen Neuschel has studied and taught cultural history for years and has recently [published] written a book on the cultural history of swords in Britain and France from 600 to 1600. We…
How badly did the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943 go with James Holland Check out this book here https://amzn.to/33ouDGU Interview Timeline James Holland has written numerous books on WWII and has also appeared on shows and radio to discuss WWII. He recently published a book on the 1943 invasion of Sicily. We spoke about…
Peter Kuznick talks about the Cold War from 1942-1960 from the US and Soviet perspectives Check out this book here https://amzn.to/38ZJFqq Interview Timeline Peter Kuznick has studied, taught, and written on US and Cold War history for decades. He has also produced a documentary with Oliver Stone on the history of the United States, looking…
How did a top United Nations official end up dying in the forests of Africa with Ravi Somaiya Check out this book here https://amzn.to/2ICsBM4 Interview Timeline Ravi Somaiya has been a journalist for the New York Times and has written for many other major publications. He has also produced documentaries on major news topics. He…
The Vietnam War from the North Vietnamese perspective – Pierre Asselin Check out this book here https://amzn.to/2K7nhRz Interview Timeline Dr. Pierre Asselin is a specialist on the Vietnam War. He spoke to me about the how the war progressed from start to finish from the North Vietnamese perspective. (THE AUDIO PLAYER IS AT THE BOTTOM…
David Nasca discusses his book on US amphibious warfare “The Emergence of American Amphibious Warfare 1898-1945” Check out this book here https://amzn.to/3lditre Interview Summary David Nasca served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps and has graduate degrees in international relations, diplomacy, history, military studies, political science, national security and strategic studies as…
Frank “Gus” Biggio interview about his Afghanistan War military history book “The Wolves of Helmand” Check out this book here https://amzn.to/322IKAV Interview Timeline Frank “Gus” Biggio served in the US Marine Corps in the 1990s and got out to pursue a career in law. But during the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq he felt like…
Lesley M.M. Blume interview about her WWII history book John Hersey and his 1946 reporting about Hiroshima Check out this book here https://amzn.to/3jrcwFt Interview Summary Lesley M.M. Blume is an award-winning journalist, historian, and bestselling author. She’s written a huge amount of material and her latest publication, Fallout, is a study of John Hersey’s reporting…
Frank Sisson and Robert Wise talk about the WWII military history book “I Marched With Patton” Check out this book here https://amzn.to/3lQUOwO Interview Summary Frank Sisson joined the US Army in 1943 at the age of 18. He went into the artillery and fought in Europe alongside Patton’s forces. He wrote his memoir with Robert…
Paul Dickson discusses the US Army in WWII Check out this book here https://amzn.to/3lBmxRW Interview Summary Paul Dickson has written numerous books on American history ranging from WWII, to baseball, to the space program. He recently completed a book on the development of the US Army just before the start of WWII. We spoke about…
Ugur Ungor discusses Paramilitarism Check out this book here https://amzn.to/3ivil4q Interview Summary Ugur Umit Ungor is a professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies and has researched paramilitarism for years and has recently published a book on the topic. We discussed the book and the various paramilitaries that have formed in the twentieth century and…
Check out this book here https://amzn.to/36d5SQe Steven Woodworth has been studying, writing about, and teaching US Civil War history for years. He co-edits the Southern Illinois University Press series on the US Civil War Western Campaigns series and we spoke about the latest volume in the series about the Siege of Vicksburg. (THE AUDIO PLAYER…
Rob Havers and Todd DePastino interview – WWII history book – “Drawing Fire” (Pritzker Military Museum & Library, 2020) Check out this book here https://amzn.to/2RFQQKa Rob Havers is a British military historian who currently serves as the president of the Pritzker Military Museum & Library. Todd DePastino was a professor of social and cultural history…
Thomas Penn interview about his Medieval warfare history book “The Brothers York” Check out this book here https://amzn.to/3iuUBy0 Interview timeline Thomas Penn is a medieval historian and the editorial director of Penguin UK. He wrote a very well-regarded biography of Henry VII and has written medieval history for years. He recently published a book on…
Phillip Meilinger interview about his military history and lessons book “Thoughts on War” Check out this book here https://amzn.to/2R2Bu24 Interview Timeline Phillip Meilinger has spent decades both in the military as an Air Force officer and teaching military history and issues in staff and war colleges. He’s written numerous essays on military history and he’s…
Dmitar Tasic interview about his WWI and 1920s military history book “Paramilitarism in the Balkans” Check out this book here https://amzn.to/3jlpFQP Interview Timeline Dmitar Tasic studies and teaches Balkan history. He’s recently published a book on his studies of the paramilitary groups that existed in Yugoslavia and surrounding regions during WWI and into the 1920s.…
Geoffrey Plank interview about his 15th to 19th centuries military history book “Atlantic Wars” Check out this book here https://amzn.to/3j22eMb Interview Summary Geoffrey Plank has been a historian for many years focusing on Nova Scotia, Quakers, and now military history. He’s written an expansive review of warfare across the Atlantic from the 15th to 19th…
Brian Herskowitz talks about the Vietnam War show Tour of Duty Check out this book here https://amzn.to/2PUQNJG Check out the show here https://amzn.to/3aD11YZ Interview Summary Brian Herskowitz has been a screenwriter for years and has taught the subject too. When he first started in Hollywood, one of his first assignments was working on the popular…
Check out this book here https://amzn.to/3k8zaE6 Howard Blum has been a successful reporter for many years and has written numerous books on war subjects. He recently [published] released a book about a German attempt to assassinate FDR, Churchill, and Stalin during WWII. We spoke about the subject and writing the book. (THE AUDIO PLAYER IS…
Alex Mikaberidze Napoleonic Wars Interview Interview Summary Check out this book here https://amzn.to/308FVxH Alex Mikaberidze has been studying and writing on the Napoleonic Wars and Middle Eastern history for many years. He recently completed a ten year project writing on the global impact of the Napoleonic wars. We spoke about the Napoleonic wars, Napoleon, the…
How Poland was torn in half in 1939 – Interview with military history author Roger Moorhouse Check out this book here https://amzn.to/3eXW7Gp Interview Timeline Roger Moorhouse has been a historian for the Third Reich, Poland, and WWII for many years and has written many books on the subject. He recently published a book on the…
Check out this book here https://amzn.to/392NdWN Patricia worked for many years in the US Foreign Service. Before this time, she was with a non-profit organization and met nine women who fought against the French and the Americans in the Vietnam War. Patricia kept in touch with these women and after retiring from the foreign service…
How US artillery dominated the Iraq military in the First Gulf War – Interview with L. Scott Lingamfelter Check out this book here https://amzn.to/3e5qbza Interview Timeline L. Scott Lingamfelter was a senior Artillery Officer and Middle East expert when he participated in the First Gulf War as XO of 1st ARTY. He wrote a book…
Check out this book here https://amzn.to/2ZnM73r Boaz Dvir is a journalist, writer, and filmmaker. He spent ten years researching the creation of the Israeli Air Force in 1948. He produced a documentary on the subject titled “A Wing and a Prayer” which was shown on PBS. He then wrote a book on the subject. We…
Check out this book here https://amzn.to/2A73z3E Gaj Trifkovic has had a lifelong interest in WWII especially as it relates to Yugoslavia. He earned his history degree in the subject and wrote his first book – a history of prisoner exchange in Yugoslavia during WWII. We spoke about the war in Yugoslavia, the book, and the…
How the NIH developed US scientists like Anthony Fauci and Nobel prize winners during the Vietnam War – Interview with Raymond Greenberg Check out this book here https://amzn.to/3hMKfcL Interview Timeline Raymond Greenberg has spent decades in the field of medicine. He recently wrote a book on Nobel prize winners who worked at the National Institutes…
Check out this book here https://amzn.to/2zxBjGZ Skip Finley spent many years in the radio broadcasting business. He developed a passion for the study of whaling captains and wrote a book on whaling captains of color. This is his first non-fiction book and we spoke about the book and the writing process. 1:06 – Skip talks…
Check out this book here https://amzn.to/2B0MNTC Dr. Monica Bontty is a professor of archaeological studies and ancient history. She teaches at the University of Louisiana-Monroe and she wrote a book on misconceptions about Ancient Rome. We spoke about the ancient Roman military from the Republic to the Empire and the research she did for the…
Check out this book here https://amzn.to/2A2aOJU Nicholas Michael Sambaluk is an assistant professor of military science and technology. He has a degree in history and has recently published his fourth book which focuses on cyber warfare. We discussed the history of cyber warfare and current issues. 0:57 – Nick talks about why he wrote a…
Check out this book here https://amzn.to/3elj3PK Emily Meierding has studied history and political science. She wrote her first book thinking she would prove that a number of wars have been started over oil and found the opposite. We spoke about the book and the research she did for it. (The audio player is at the…
Check out this book here https://amzn.to/2XdDsj2 Garth Ennis is a successful and prolific writer whose best known works are with such comic books as the Preacher and The Boys. However he’s also written many war comics. His latest work is The Stringbags which focuses on a WWII aviation arm of the British Royal Navy. The…
Check out this book here https://amzn.to/3dIM4ok Dr. Daniel Preston has spent much of his career compiling and editing the papers of early American Revolution hero and then President James Monroe. We spoke about the latest completed volume of his papers, volume 7, which covers the middle and end of the War of 1812 and then…
Check out this book here https://amzn.to/2YL6JUu Johanna Katrin Fridriksdottir studies and teaches Viking era poetry and literature. She recently wrote a book on the idea of the Valkyrie in Viking culture. We spoke about this subject, Viking warfare, Viking sagas and the process of writing the book itself. (Audio player at the end of the…
Check out this book here https://amzn.to/2SnEpUe Richard DiNardo has written extensively on the German military in WWI. He recently released a book about the eastern Front in 1915. We spoke about the book, the events of the Eastern Front, the research involved and more. 0:36 – Richard talks about how he got into researching WWI.…
Check out this book here https://amzn.to/2RPMPDo David Blome became interested in Ancient Greek warfare while in the Marine Corps. He later earned his doctorate degree while also doing archaeological research in Greece. His first book is on Ancient Greek warfare and we discussed his work. 1:01 – David talks about how his interest in Ancient…
Check out this book here https://amzn.to/2y56tEs Dr. Constantinos Lagos is a Greek historian who teaches at the Hellenic Air Force Academy in Greece. He’s written two books on Greece in World War II but he has also recently co-authored a book on the very famous ancient Greek battle of Marathon. The book offers a reappraisal…
Check out this book here https://amzn.to/3dHHiZ6 Dr. Amy Rutenberg studies gender history. Her first book is about the US draft during the Cold War, especially during the Vietnam War. We discussed the book. 0:56 – Amy talks about how she got into writing on the US draft of the early 20th century. 2:08 – Amy…
Check out this book here https://amzn.to/2vhwBLu Chris Mackowski is an academic deeply engaged in the study of the US Civil War and how it impacts the country today. We spoke about his latest edited collection of essays on how the US Civil War has been presented in various media. 1:06 – Chris talks about how…
Check the book out here https://amzn.to/38GWtih Dr. John Kuehn is a former US Naval officer and currently studies, teaches, and writes history at the United States Command and General Staff College. We spoke about his latest co-authored book on some of the world’s worst military disasters. 1:48 – John talks about how he developed the…
Check out the book here https://amzn.to/3bxeXn6 Alexander Clifford is a history teacher and has a passion for study of the world wars. He delved into the Spanish Civil War and wrote a book about the Republican Army. We spoke about his new book. Check out the book here https://amzn.to/3bxeXn6 1:09 – Alex discusses how it…
Check the book out here: https://amzn.to/3aQGcbV Sir Max Hastings has written extensively on military history, especially on World War II. He has a storied career as a newspaper writer and editor and now applies his skills to the writing of history. We spoke about his latest book, Operation Chastise (HarperCollins, 2020) 1:08 – Sir Max…
John Bruning is a historian with a passion for WWII aviation. He’s written books on the subject and we spoke about his most recent book about the WWII race to be America’s top aviation ace Race of Aces. Check the book out here: https://amzn.to/2Rdem20 0:42 – John talks about how he got into writing on…
Samurai military history book – “Samurai” (ABC-CLIO Press, 2019) – Constantine Vaporis interview Check out the book here https://amzn.to/2uImEGh Dr. Constantine Vaporis teaches and writes on Japanese history, especially that of the samurai. We recently discussed his latest book on the samurai of the Tokugawa period. Samurai (ABC-CLIO Press, 2019) 0:38 – Constantine talks about…
Ed Darack is a prolific writer who wrote a book about his experiences embedded with a Marine unit in Iraq. We spoke about his experiences there and the Marines he wrote about. Check out the book here. 1:02 – Ed talks about how he got into writing this book. 5:52 – Ed talks about how…
Dr. Thomas Robb is a historian who studies and teaches British and US military history. We spoke about his latest co-authored book on how the ANZUS and SEATO treaties were developed. Check out the book here. 0:44 – Thomas Robb talks about how he got into writing on Cold War Asia-Pacific military relations. 4:03 –…
Dr. Vladimir Solonari is a history professor at the University of Central Florida. He has written extensively on ethnic cleansing in Romania during WWII and we discussed his latest book on Romanian occupation of Transnistria in Ukraine during WWII. Check out the book here. 0:45 – Vladimir talks about why he is writing about Romanian…
Jon Mikolashek is a military historian who has written extensively on US military history. We discuss his latest book about George Patton’s life during WWI. Check out the book here. 0:51 – Jon talks about how he became interested in writing on Patton 2:50 – Jon talks about his book is different from other Patton…
Paul Poast is a professor and writer in the field of International Relations. We spoke about his latest book on how military pacts are negotiated. 1:00 – Paul talks about his research on military pacts. 3:53 – Paul talks about the 1939 negotiations between the French, British and Soviet Union. 7:13 – The book covers…
Stephen Harding is currently editor of Military History Magazine. He’s been an Army staff historian, a magazine writer and editor and he’s written numerous popular books on World War II. We talk about his latest book “Escape from Paris” which focuses on three B-17 gunners shot down over France and the young French woman and…