I am Zack Twamley - history podcaster, author, PhD student and enormous history nerd! I have a keen interest in all things history, and I also love politics and current affairs. What really fascinates me is the why behind the war. What caused diplomacy to fail in some cases, but to flourish in others? What did the path to war look like, and how finely paved was it? What brilliant or ridiculous characters were responsible for making diplomacy fail, and why?

Everyone knows the big wars, but what about the smaller wars - the wars that don't feature as heavily in the curriculum or on the news; those are the wars that often contain the best stories. Sometimes these are wars in unfamiliar settings, with foreign characters, or in other cases we find gold mines - rich histories that captivate and leave us craving more. It’s drama, it’s enthralling, yet somehow it’s also history.

What could be better than telling stories like these?

On 18 May 2012, I started podcasting, and what a journey it has been.

In the course of my research, I encountered some incredible stores. Sometimes heart-breaking, sometimes hilarious, always riveting. When the Dutch flooded their lands to protect the Netherlands from Louis XIV’s France; when Jan Sobieski drove his Winged Hussars against the Turks outside Vienna; when the schemes of Bismarck started a forgotten war; when peacemakers tried their best to bring one to an end; when proxy wars become new centres of intrigue between superpowers; when cold wars become scalding hot….

Every war tells a story, whether that's of human negligence, stunning genius, commendable bravery or the faults of the international system; every war is a story that deserves to be told. Sometimes it's the lesser known wars that tell the best stories, and sometimes it is these stories that we, as historians, amateur or otherwise, can learn the most from.

But if you’ve been with this podcast for a while, you haven’t just seen the podcast go on a journey. You also may have seen Zack Twamley go from a shy 20 year old boy, to a rebel with a BA, to a nerd with a Masters, then a professional researcher, then an author, then a lecturer, and finally a PhD student! I’ve come a long way, and I still have a long way to go. When I started producing podcasts all those years ago I was way out of my depth and had no clue what I was doing. The experience I've gained from doing this has made me a better historian, a better student and a more curious human being. In short, I owe a lot to this podcast of mine, and I'm so glad that all of you have been able to enjoy listening as much as I have enjoyed creating. 

But Zack, what about those degrees you keep talking about, where did they come from?

Good question!

This academic journey began in September 2011 when I started my Bachelor of Arts in History and Politics, and ended in December 2015 when I graduated from my Masters in History, having received a First Class Honours degree and an award for my dissertation in the process. It was quite a journey, but one which I felt I hadn't quite finished yet. I applied for a PhD in History in both Cambridge and Oxford, since I believed that those were the best uni's for history in the world, and that I belonged there. However, though I did receive a yes from BOTH universities - and an incredible boost to my self-confidence and pride as an historian in the process - by spring 2016, I eventually had to postpone the dream owing to want of funds. I put the PhD dream on pause, I started a new job, and then I began lecturing in the Technological University of Dublin. Finally, I was ready and eager to try again, so I applied for a PhD in History at Trinity College Dublin. The journey to add more letters to my name began in September 2019, and in March 2021, I passed the confirmation meeting - the halfway point of becoming Dr Zack Twamley!

Zack from 2012 would have asked - how on earth did you fund a PhD…?

And that brings me to Patreon. In Feb 2017, WDF joined this platform, where creators can enjoy monetary support from fans in exchange for extra content and goodies. Patreon has become the key to the podcast’s success, and continues to support my family even through the difficult Covid times. I cannot begin to express how much this support all means to me, and I make sure to justify this faith in me by banging out as much content as I can, with an hour of extra content a month for $5+ patrons. I have also been known to drop enormous surprises on these patrons, and my wider listener base. Who can forget (or recover from) the time when I released two episodes every day for five weeks, just to celebrate the podcast’s fifth birthday? I do this because this show is my baby, and because my history friends deserve the very best!

I’ve continued to plug away at history in the meantime, finally releasing my long-awaited tome on the Thirty Years War, For God or the Devil, in July 2020. Rumour has it, 2021 is set to be the year when Zack Twamley turns his attention to making history publishing thrive ;)

What else? Well in May 2017 I married an incredible woman with saint-like patience in Anna, so all well wishes are most welcome. We continue to be the baddest history-team on the plannet! Somehow, I did it all - I got the girl, the job AND the podcast, and you guys have been with me since day 1: since a nervous, inexperienced, naive and excited Zack Twamley released his first podcast episode. The rest, as they say, is history.

Thanksssssssss for sticking with me, and I can't wait to see this story grow and develop as my incredible life continues. If you’d like to keep up to date with what I do, the best platform by far is Twitter, where I’m very active indeed! Seek out @wdfpodcast

Zack :D