When Diplomacy Fails has been immensely fortunate over the years to have the chance to talk to several interesting people. Be they podcasters, authors or historians, or a mixture of all three, we here at WDF have learned a lot from these folks. Sometimes they appear to talk about a given subject they specialise in, other times they're just there to talk about history and where they fit into it all. Collaborations, or collabs as I like to call them, contain great conversation, interesting revelations and an opportunity to look at historical eras and different people in a new light. As always, yours truly Zack Twamley asks the tough questions (not really), so that you get the best audio experience. Know of someone you'd like to see me talk to in a collab, or maybe you'd like to talk to me yourself? Are you a historian with an upcoming book or a podcaster that I have yet to find, make sure to email me wdfpodcast@hotmail.com subject 'Collab' and we can take it from there.
The podcast reviewer extraordinaire joins us for a fun and detailed collaboration as we talk through a number of interesting points. The world of history podcasting comes under our microscope, and Anne [pronounced "AW-NUH"] lets us in on his view of it all. Anne has been around the block, and began talking about history podcasting waaay before it was what it is today. His podcast review blog can be found here: http://anneisaman.blogspot.ie/
This was what got him started in this crazy world, and ever since he's been sinking all of his teeth into history podcasts, some he liked, and some he didn't, but all came under his microscope. Sometimes referred to as Anne the GRUMPY Man, Anne's opinions are important, and even if I don't agree with EVERYTHING he says, for the most part he's got my vote, and was a tremendous guest to have for the show. As a guest he makes this whole project come full circle, so I hope you'll give it a listen in its entirety!
In Part 2, Anne stays with us for an important rundown on the varied events of podcasting. Anne asks me some interesting questions, which for the most part I wasn't expecting! Where did the name When Diplomacy Fails come from? Do I worry that people will see WDF and connect the dots to Mark Maron if you know what I mean? We get into it all here, and connect the dots together, rounding out what was a really enjoyable conversation, so hopefully it will be just as good to listen to. Remember you can find Anne http://anneisaman.blogspot.ie/ pr by simply searching for him in all good search engines. He's got a lot to say and you should listen, for he is wise! Thanksss for listening history friends, and remember to let us both know what you thought by tweeting at Anne @rabiakiva
We are here with a huge two parter from our friend Aziz, from the History of Westeros podcast. Some of you may be super excited to hear what he has to say on a whole range of topics, others may be skeptical that a guy whose podcast is on "history" can have anything worthwhile to say - well ye of little faith! Aziz is full of wisdom, and his podcast on the History of Westeros explores the Game of Thrones universe as though it was a true life setting - an incredible fact when you consider that such a universe was all born from one man's mind - that of George RR Martin.
Aziz is plainly a massive fan of the guy's creation, much like I am of Bismarck, and there's a lot to be said for the ability to create a world that lives and breathes like ours. Give it a listen and let Aziz and I know what you thought - and a huge welcome of course to all those that joined me here from the History of Westeros just to hear what their favourite host Aziz had to say for himself - I hope I do your maester proud!
In Part 2, We return with part two of the collab, where we talk about historical inspiration, turning your art into a profession, the importance of history to what Aziz does, to continue our theme of course, and whether a fan of fantasy a la Game of Thrones can be led into loving history, or maybe historical fiction as a kind of gateway drug, so to speak. All very interesting stuff, and I also get a bit real as I discuss what happened to me recently thanks to my own silly ambitions. Maybe you're not all that interested in my personal life - that is of course fine - but I hope you'll give the episode a listen anyways history friends!
To those of you that are joining me again from the History of Westeros after our sneaky plug, you're very welcome! And I hope you will all let me know what you thought through the usual channels, remember guys it's simply a matter of http://www.historyofwesteros.com/
That's right - the master of all things Napoleon Bonaparte and many other topics besides, J David Markham is here! We are absolutely indebted to David for coming on the show and talking to us - in a three part interview no less - about everything from his own career and experiences in the field of academia and scholarship, to the ins and outs of Napoleon the man, the legend, the enigma. It is, taken together, one of the greatest celebrations during Five Weeks To Run Wild, so I hope you'll give it a listen and let me know what you all thought. Remember to check out J David Markham and Cameron Reilly's podcast experience in Napoleon 101, where the idea for linking up with him first entered into my mind. It is still incredible to me that I managed to get him on the show - this guy was on the first conversational podcast I ever listened to, and on the second actual podcast to boot - but here he is!
In Part 2, We unwrap Napoleon Bonaparte with J David Markham. David is one of the foremost authorities on Napoleon in his field, and first shot into my ears with his Napoleon 101 podcast, undertaken alongside the podcast god Cameron Reilly. Make sure you track him down by going to:
http://napoleonbonapartepodcast.com/
In this second part of our talk together we delve into a number of Napoleonic issues, including: the question of when JDM first become interested in the person of Napoleon, the fact that David takes issue with a number of misconceptions about Napoleon, and which in particular really bother him. We then change tack and ask whether there's much that can still be learned about Napoleon? What can we learn from him? Is there any room for further study on additional aspects of his life/personality/struggles etc.? What books on Napoleon can David recommend to us?
In Part 3, we spill the final beans on Napoleon Bonaparte and ask the final, most pressing questions of all. We are of course so proud to have J David Markham on the show, and it cannot be stated enough how grateful I am to him personally for helping us out here, and helping in the process to make history thrive, as well as make a certain history friend's pipe dream a reality. I had an absolute blast, and I would be remiss if I failed to mention J David Markham's initial foray into Napoleon for the final time too - remember check out:
http://napoleonbonapartepodcast.com/
So what's in this final box then? Well in this third and final part of the collab David and I examine the following issues: whether JDM thinks that Boney pushed Europe too far; whether Europe simply wasn't ready for someone like him or whether such issues can be explained by other means, and much more!
We here at WDF are so privileged and excited to be joined by Turtle Bunbury - one of Ireland's foremost freelance historians and genealogists. Turtle has a wealth of works and experience behind him working in the field of history, and the best place to find out more about him is www.turtlbunbury.com He can also be found on Twitter, @turtlebunbury
In this conversation here we talk about everything, from where Turtle got his name, to his incredible family history, to his love for history, to his opinions on how it's being taught, to the importance of podcasting for history as a discipline. Turtle did us a great service by coming on here and talking things out, so make sure you all return the love and let him know how much you enjoyed hearing him on this podcast! Thankssss!
Welcome to my publisher!
In Part 1, we talk to Vincent W Rospond, the publisher at Winged Hussar Publishing, who is responsible both for my recent book, 'A Matter of Honour', and for the next two books in my contract. Yet he's also a super interesting guy, and I hooked up with him in this two parter to give you guys an idea of what publishing is really like. Here we talk about Polish history in a good bit of detail, as well as some other bits of info on publishing which we pick up more on in the second part. I hope you'll give it a listen, and I hope you'll check out Mr Rospond's works at https://www.wingedhussarpublishing.com/ Vince is a great guy and a Patron of this podcast to boot, and he, like me, is doing his level best to make history thrive, so give him some love @Vincestigator
In Part 2, Vincent stays with us to talk more about publishing, why history is important today and why you should just go for it if you have an idea or a dream you want to pursue. It's a great conclusion to a great interview, and a huge thankssss again to Vincent for being as great a guest as he is a publisher and friend. This is unlikely to be the last you see of him, especially considering his interests in Polish history, not to mention his books! A reminder again, show Vincent some love @Vincestigator and find his publishing co. at https://www.wingedhussarpublishing.com/
I hope you guys enjoyed what was a really fun interview to host, make sure to let me know about it!
Hello there, as if we couldn't drag out the Franco-Prussian War any further, here I am joined by everyone's favourite podcast machine Travis J Dow, purveyor and publisher of 349 million podcasts - probably, but you can find his stuff at http://www.podcastnik.com/
Here we have a great conversation about all things Franco, some things Prussian and of course a whopper dosage of Bismarck. Let me know what you think, as there's plenty more to come! Thanksss again to Travis for taking part in the 5th birthday party - make sure to show him some love!
Mark Painter is the extraordinary podcaster responsible for the History of Twentieth Century podcast, and his is a podcast and world you need to familiarise yourself with - hence why I simply needed to get him on here to help us out with the Russians, Japanese and getting down to party of course! Thanksss again for joining us Mark, and if history friends want to show some love they can find him at https://historyofthetwentiethcentury.com/
Welcome to another discussion episode, because you know you want more! Here we're joined by Ben Jacobs of the Wittenberg to Westphalia podcast, which is a brilliant show you should all love, and which serves as a great prequel in many ways to mine. I hope you'll show Benny boy some love by heading to http://wittenbergtowestphaliapodcast.weebly.com/
Thanksss again to Ben for joining the party and unpacking the man and the lovable scamp - Freddy the Greatest!
Stephen Guerra of the History of the Papacy Podcast joins Zack to unpack more of the incredible story which was the War for the Spanish Throne. Over time we saw the story change, as the fortunes of each actor improved or decreased in the mad world which was the early 18th century. By its end it seemed France and Spain and Europe itself had been forever changed. You can find Stephen and show him some love at http://atozhistorypage.com/index.html
To wrap up our coverage of the First Italo Ethiopian War and to serve as our final word on the Remastered project (sniff sniff) we have none other than Mr Italy himself, Benjamin Ashwell. Benjamin's a great guy who's been on WDF's radar since the beginning, so it was only right we got him on for a conversation that sheds true light on the plight of Italy, and delves into issues and questions which my analysis could not. Make sure to check Mr Ashwell out by going to http://www.talkinghistorypodcast.com/ and you can also tweet at him and let him know how much you care @TalkHistoryPod
Jamie Redfern from the HistoryOf podcast joins us for a brilliant show which is part American Revolution, part general banter and part serious talk about the problems we as young podcasters trying to break into academia face. It's a frank, sincere and friendly conversation and I am quite fond of it, as I am fond of Jamie for joining us for this hour and taking time out of his own busy schedule. The man is a podcast machine don't you know, check him out at http://thehistoryofpodcast.blogspot.ie/
Remember to tweet me and let me know you enjoyed the episode! @wdfpodcast Tell Jamie we make a great couple so that he won't leave me again @HistoryJamie
Be sure to tell people that you support me, and that you are a proud member of the WDF family - history friends unite! Let's get the word out to as many peoples as possible! You guys are all awesome - happy birthday to us!
We are very excited to be joined on the podcast by Chris Stewart from a History of China, a chronological narrative of Chinese history from the most unpronounceable dynasty to the even more unpronounceable! Chris is a great historian, podcaster and fellow Agora alumni, so make sure you check him out and show him some love by visiting him https://thehistoryofchina.wordpress.com/ and tell him you loved hearing his unique take on the Boxers by tweeting him @thocpodcast
My Agora besty Thom joins me to unwrap some more of the details about the nature of the Mex Us War. I hope you'll join us for the ride - Thom is an accomplished podcaster and great friend of the podcast to boot, which is probably the greatest combination a guy could ask for. He was also super nice and agreed to come on board with this insane project of ours, so he deserves props for that too. Make sure you track him down by going to https://www.acast.com/americanbiography and make sure you tweet him about it and tell him that you love us both together @american_bio
How about that! We have none other than Mr History of English Podcast himself, Kevin Stroud on the podcast, because this is the best birthday ever and you are all invited! It should be added, that this is Part 1 of 2, and that the second part is available exclusively for Patrons. I gotta be businesslike at some point history friends, but you can rest assured that those Patrons who are now feasting upon the second part of Mr Stroud's interview are really glad they signed up! I hope you're not too angry at me history friends, because there's a whole load of other great content to come even if you feel miffed about missing out here. I mean like, a whole lot. I hope you guys understand, but I gotta home to keep don't ya know!
Anyways, Kev is a great guy and an even greater podcaster, and he was super obliging and just genuinely nice, so you can feel feel great about loving his stuff, and I can feel great about bringing this quality content to you guys. The first part is related to questions I had for him in podcasting and how Kevin does what he does, the second part is more in depth with how words in the English language developed in the realm of diplomacy and war, so I hope you enjoy it! Exciting times indeed history friends, so make sure you tell people about it and let them share in the fun!
We're both privileged and delighted to be joined by Robin Pierson from the History of Byzantium podcast, which you of course know very well! He's a great history friend and we talk through some fascinating issues ranging from how the Byzantines did diplomacy, to who was just really bad at it. If you somehow don't know Robin, make sure you check him out by going to https://thehistoryofbyzantium.com/
In Part 1, Sebastian Major, otherwise known as the man, the myth, the legend behind Our Fake History, joins us for the first of two parts in this very special collab.
In this first part, we talk to Sebby on a personal level, history podcaster to history podcaster, and find out what makes him tick, why he decided to begin history podcasting, what his day job is and why exactly the concept of Our Fake History so appealed to him in the first place. So much more goes on in here that I can't even recount it all, but join us here if you like your conversations fun and the atmosphere warm.
In Part 2, Sebastian talks to us about all things to do with the Last Siege of Vienna, an event which has really captured our narrative and which will hold our attention for the next few months, so it should come as no surprise that Mr Major was enthralled by it too! What does he like about the event, what myths really struck him about it, and what are some of the dangers about the myths which can be commonly perpetuated? Find out here, in our final part of a lovely collab.
A huge thankssss again to Mr Major, and if you want to check out his wonderful pod be sure to head on over to www.ourfakehistory.com
What an incredible treat we have for you today! Norman Ohler, internationally bestselling author responsible for one of the most significant new perspectives on the Third Reich and Adolf Hitler joins us on the podcast for a very special collaboration. Ohler's ideas have been plucked straight from the previously underrated notes of Dr Theodor Morell, Hitler's personal physician, so you know they hold water, as Morell saw Hitler more than anyone else in the last portion of his life.
A window into the insane world of Nazi Germany is what Ohler's book provides, as the use and abuse of a whole range of drugs sheds stunning new light on what we think we know about Hitler, the Nazis and their greatest military triumphs. We talk about: the state of drug use in both the Weimar Republic and the Third Reich before the outbreak of WW2, where the happy pill Pervitin came into all this, how careful Ohler had to be in expressing his views, the controversies and critics, the much-appreciated praise, the research process, incredible facts about the archives and how untouched they remain to this day, the hypocrisy and myths surrounding the Nazis and their willing abuse of drugs, the way in which Hitler came to depend upon the cocktail of drugs which Morell fed to him and what we can take from such incredible revelations.
Norman Ohler took time out of his very busy schedule to talk to little old me about his book and I really appreciate it. You can show some love to Ohler and his efforts by visiting his site, and of course buying his book - I can tell you now you won't regret it!
Remember that we wrote a blog post for this episode, so if you want some further analysis or to put faces to some of the names mentioned here, be sure to visit that post in our Vassal State blog, head to www.wdfpodcast.com/thevassalstate
