The Napoleonic Wars Podcast

Who says men get all the fun? This is a genuinely important episode in which the patriarchy gets an absolute kicking, as an all star cast of female historians (Kate Jamieson, Beatrice de Graaf, Jacqueline Reiter and Rachael Stark), make the case for an all star cast of female figures in Napoleonic history (championing Emma Hamilton, Dorothea von Lieven Mary Wollstonecraft and Empress Josephine res...

Malcolm Crook joins Zack and Josh to talk about the troubled birth of democracy in France, and why democracy is something that doesn't really exist in this period. Our socials, patreon and mailing list: ⁠https://linktr.ee/napwarspod⁠

How did the people of the Napoleonic period feed themselves? How did the captains of the Napoleonic period feed their sailors? And how were the enslaved people of the Napoleonic period, themselves satisfying Europe's sweet-tooth, kept alive by what they ate? All this and more is the topic of the day as food history superstar Rebecca Earle joins Zack and Josh on today's culinary adventure back in t...

In the second instalment of the series, Kevin Linch returns to talk about the politics behind how the British Army operated, the role of the king, and turmoil of the regency, and the implications of Britain's global mindset on how the army went about its business. Georgian Army officers database:  https://www.georgianarmyofficers.org Buy Kevin's book:  https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-British-A...

Emma MacLeod returns for the second instalment of the double bill on women and patriotism in Britain during the Napoleonic Wars. We talk about the shifts in mood over Britain's involvement in the war, how women were an equally energetic discussant of politics, and the implications of all of this on a wider scale. Read about Emma's research and find information on how to buy her books here:  https:...

What happens when you have prisoners of war, yet neither side is willing to acknowledge the legitimacy of the others' combatants? This was precisely the problem at play during the American War of Independence/Revolution. Award winning historian Trenton Cole Jones joins Zack and the Beau to explore this knotty problem, whilst Zack speculates that this conflict was the American Civil War 0.5, Englis...

Who was Napoleon's greatest marshal? The final heat of the series examining Napoleon's best and brightest commanders features a series of underdogs, as pitches are heard for Oudinot, Poniatowski, Grouchy and Marmont. Who will triumph, and claim the final semi-final places? Support our work at https://www.patreon.com/c/thenapoleonicwarspod Check out our merch at https://napoleonic-wars-podcast.prin...

Steve Brown joins us to discuss what it took to command within the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars. We explore a wide range of issues including their social structure, advancement and the pressures due to atritional losses. Steve Brown - Biography | Helion & Company | Military History Books

In the first instalment of a new series on the show, we explore the nature of warfare in the 18th century, as we endeavour to understand the origins and impacts of key themes, ideas and trends that straddle the 1750-1820 period. Guests Andrew Dorman, Alex Burns and Robbie MacNiven help us probe into the myths of conflict during the period. Buy Alex's book: https://www.helion.co.uk/people/alexander...

Amidst the upheavals of the Napoleonic era, European music was undergoing a profound transformation of its own. Today, Christopher Kimbell talks us through key developments in Western art music during the age of Napoleon. And Zack exposes himself as a Swiftie. Christopher Kimbell's brand new book can be found here!: https://www.routledge.com/Tradition-Community-and-Nationhood-in-Richard-Wagners-Di...

The Podcast’s Quartermaster Liam Telfer joins Zack to unveil a new line of apparel that will put your lace-clad friends to shame. We talk about why we’ve chosen to embark on this sartorial adventure, the joys of modelling merch in a balmy Waterloo dawn, and Zack goes off on a bizarre anecdote about battlefield dogs (don't ask - we edited most of it out!). Buy our merchandise at: https://napoleonic...

How was the British Army of the Napoleonic Wars formulated? In the first instalment of a many part series we sit down with Dr Kevin Linch, a leading expert in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars. We talk about how the army is formulated at a constitutional and political level, and the impact this had for how the army operated. Buy Kevin's book The British Army, 1783-1815 at https://www...

Who was the sickly boy who would go on to become the darling of British naval history? Kate Jamieson returns to talk about the early years of the career of Horatio Nelson, exploring the patronage, the ability, and the hugely contentious question of whether he was a supporter of slavery. Exciting new merch available at  https://napoleonic-wars-podcast.printify.me/products Support out work at https:...

What did patriotism look like in a country that was still trying to define what it stood for? And how could you express devotion to your country, when you weren't allowed to express a political opinion? Dr Emma Macleod joins us to talk about how women could engage with patriotism in the first instalment of a wide ranging double-bill. Read about Emma's research and find information on how to buy he...

Was it possible to fire four rounds a minute with a musket, like it was claimed in Sharpe? We put the myth to test with re-enactor Liam Telfer. Support out work at https://www.patreon.com/c/thenapoleonicwarspod

Andrew Lyter joins us to explore the careers of black pilots serving with HMS Poictiers during the War of 1812 and how they leveraged their vital knowledge to carve out identities as free maritime professionals. Sailors, Ships and Sea Fights | From Reason to Revolution 1721-1815 | Helion & Company

Why was Antwerp so significant during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars? Paul Leyland joins us to talk about how and why Antwerp became so strategically important to all sides, it's affect on naval policy and it's legacy. Support our work at The Napoleonic Wars Podcast | creating a Napoleonic era Podcast, Youtube show & fan community | Patreon

David O'Brien makes his debut on the show, painting a picture of the fine arts in the Napoleonic period. We discuss the politics of portraits, the representation of ordinary people, and the ways in which Napoleon himself was portrayed during and after his life. David O'Brien's books can be found at: https://frit.illinois.edu/directory/profile/obrien1

What as going on in Japan during the Napoleonic era? Thomas Gidney joins us to talk about why Japan had closed its borders to European influence, and how Napoleon may have inadvertently helped. Support our work at https://www.patreon.com/thenapoleonicwarspod

Callum Easton provides the final instalment of our War and Peace coverage, talking about the demographics of the Royal Navy. Support our work: https://www.patreon.com/thenapoleonicwarspod

Severine Angers is Vox-popped in the penultimate instalment of our War and Peace Conference series, as she discusses her work looking at how soldiers talked about trauma and loss in letters home to their families. Support out work at https://www.patreon.com/thenapoleonicwarspod

Andrew Bamford talks to us at the War and Peace Conference about his latest research into the casualty returns from the British Army during the Peninsular War. Support our work at https://www.patreon.com/thenapoleonicwarspod

Re-Up: To celebrate to publication of Graeme Callister's new book on the attack of I Corps, we're making the original three part odyssey available for listeners in one nice, neat, 3 hour special. Sink your teeth into it if you want to revisit this remarkable interview (the longest single interview we've ever done on the show). Most importantly, go and buy Graeme's book: https://www...

Jacqueline Reiter talked to Luke ahead of her keynote speech at the War and Peace in the Age of Napoleon Conference, where she discussed why the women seem to have been written out of the narrative of the Napoleonic Wars. Support out work at https://www.patreon.com/thenapoleonicwarspod

Sophie Horrocks talks to Luke from the War and Peace Conference, as they talk about her research into theatre during the allied occupation of France at the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Support out work at: https://www.patreon.com/thenapoleonicwarspod