Key Battles of American History

In this episode, Sean and James turn south and east to explore the lesser-known fronts of World War I in 1916 and 1917. From the brutal mountain battles along the Isonzo River and the Italian disaster at Caporetto to Romania’s ill-fated entry into the war and the stagnant Allied front at Salonika, the hosts trace how the war’s southern theaters shaped the fate of nations. They also exa...

In this episode, Sean and James discuss the oldest film they have reviewed to date. Wings (1927) is a silent epic that follows two young American men from a small town who become fighter pilots in the First World War, tracing their rivalry, friendship, and romantic entanglements as they are transformed by combat. Renowned for its groundbreaking aerial photography and large-scale battle sequences,...

In this episode, Sean and James take to the skies to explore the dramatic rise of air combat during World War I. We trace how fragile, open-cockpit reconnaissance planes evolved into deadly fighters and bombers. We also will see how the various combatants introduced aerial tactics, which gave rise to aces like the Red Baron. We will discuss the first large-scale strategic bombing campaigns. We exp...

In this episode, Sean and James review the 1999 film The Trench. The Trench follows a group of young British soldiers during the tense hours leading up to the first day of the Battle of the Somme in 1916, focusing on their fears, friendships, and fragile hopes as they wait in the trenches. Rather than depicting large-scale combat, the film emphasizes psychological strain, class divisions, and the...

In this episode, Sean and James return to the Western Front to examine the Battle of the Somme—the bloodiest and most infamous clash of World War I. They explore the ambitious Allied plan, the disastrous first day that saw nearly 60,000 British casualties, and the grinding months of attrition that followed. Along the way, they discuss the debut of tanks, the shifting German command, and how...

This episode presents an overview of the Brusilov Offensive of 1916, Russia’s most successful campaign of World War I. General Alexei Brusilov’s innovative tactics—focused artillery barrages, surprise attacks, and small, specialized assault units—devastated the Austro-Hungarian forces and captured vast territory. But although the offensive caused over a million Central Powe...

In this episode, Sean and James explore the crucial naval dimension of World War I, where technological innovation and global strategy collided on the high seas. Your lovable hosts examine the early clashes between the Royal Navy and the German High Seas Fleet, the tightening British blockade that slowly strangled Germany’s economy, and the escalating submarine campaign that threatened Brita...

In this episode, Sean and James discuss the 1997 film Regeneration, a powerful drama set in Craiglockhart War Hospital during World War I. We explore how the film portrays the psychological toll of combat through the stories of Siegfried Sassoon, Wilfred Owen, Billy Prior, and the conflicted psychiatrist W.H.R. Rivers. Our discussion examines the movie’s themes of trauma, duty, and the moral...

In this episode Sean and James examine the Battle of Verdun, the first of 1916’s colossal offensives and one of the longest and bloodiest battles in world history. They discuss German commander Erich von Falkenhayn’s plan to “bleed France white” by attacking the fortress city of Verdun, and how General Philippe Pétain’s leadership and innovations kept the Frenc...

James and Sean discuss the 1981 Australian film Gallipoli, which tells the story of a group of Australian young men who are introduced to the horrors of war at the 1915 Battle of Gallipoli. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Sean and James turn to the Eastern Mediterranean to examine the Ottoman Empire’s entry into the Great War and the tragic Allied attempt to seize the Dardanelles. We trace how Turkey joined the Central Powers, setting the stage for the Gallipoli Campaign—an ambitious plan to knock the Ottomans out of the war that instead ended in disaster and immense loss of life. The c...

James and Sean discuss the classic 1957 anti-war film Paths of Glory, starring Kirk Douglas. In this film, a French colonel tries to save three of his men who are sentenced to be executed for cowardice. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Sean and James explore how World War I spread beyond the Western Front into a truly global conflict. They trace massive campaigns across Eastern Europe, where Germany and Austria-Hungary drove deep into Russian territory, and in the West, where repeated Allied offensives in Artois, Champagne, and Ypres failed to break the stalemate. The episode also covers the fall of Serbia, the...

James and Sean discuss the award-winning 2019 film 1917, in which two British soldiers are sent on a dangerous mission to save another unit from disaster. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Sean and James dive deep into the gritty realities of trench warfare on the Western Front. They explore the evolution of trench design, the brutal conditions soldiers endured — from mud, vermin, and disease to constant shellfire and psychological trauma — and the routines that defined daily life. The episode also highlights the technological shifts that favored defense...

James and Sean discuss the outstanding 2018 Peter Jackson documentary They Shall Not Grow Old, which combines interviews with British World War I veterans with colorized and slowed-down footage from the war. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Sean and James step away from battles and politics to focus on the daily lives of the ordinary men who fought in World War I. They explore what soldiers from the major powers wore, ate, and carried into battle, as well as the terrifying wounds and diseases that claimed millions of lives. The episode traces dramatic advances in medical care, from battlefield triage and antiseptic s...

While the Western Front quickly descended into trench warfare, the fighting in the East remained highly mobile, spanning vast distances across Eastern Europe. In this episode, Sean and James discuss Austria-Hungary’s failed invasions of Serbia, Russia’s disastrous defeats at Tannenberg and the Masurian Lakes, and the massive but costly Russian victory over Austria at Galicia. Listeners...

In this episode, Sean and James explore Jean Renoir’s The Grand Illusion (1937), a World War I masterpiece that examines class, nationalism, and the bonds that form even among enemies. They discuss the film’s unforgettable characters—from working-class Maréchal and aristocratic Boeldieu to the dignified German officer Rauffenstein—and the ways their relationships rev...

In August 1914, the German army launched an invasion of Belgium as a first step to their planned march through France and capture of Paris. As the Germans swept through Belgium and advanced on the French capital, the Allies made a desperate stand along the Marne River. The resulting “Miracle on the Marne” halted the German advance and ended hopes of a quick war. What followed was the g...

In this episode, James and special guest Sean McIver discuss the classic 1930 anti-war film All Quiet on the Western Front. Based on the novel of the same name, All Quiet on the Western Front set the standard for all future war movies, especially those which present war in a negative light. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Sean and James explore how Europe’s fragile balance of power unraveled in 1914 — from rival alliances and Balkan tensions to the assassination in Sarajevo that sparked a global catastrophe. Join us as we discuss how in just six weeks, the Great Powers turned a regional crisis into the First World War. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this kickoff to our new series on The Great War, James and Sean take a sweeping look at the state of Europe in 1914—just before the world changed forever. They explore the continent’s dominant empires, their military might, political tensions, and the fragile balance of power that had kept peace for nearly a century. From rising nationalism and colonial rivalries to the tangled web...

In this episode, Sean and James rank the top World War II fighter planes used by the Axis powers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, suggested by Early’s Raiders member Mark Porter, James discusses American military chaplains in the Second World War and the many important roles that they fulfilled. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.