Conflicted: A History Podcast

With the Nika Riots behind them, Justinian and Theodora rebuild Constantinople and pursue a bold new agenda for the Byzantine Empire. Belisarius sails to war against the Vandal Kingdom. John the Cappadocian seeks to drive a wedge between the imperial couple.    SOURCES: Bridge, Antony. Theodora: Portrait in a Byzantine Landscape. 1978. Potter, David. Theodora: Actress, Empress, Saint. 2015. Parnell, David Alan. Belisarius & Antonina: Love and War in the Age of Justinian. 2023. Hughes, Bettany. Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities. 2017. Sarris, Peter. Justinian: Emperor, Soldier, Saint. 2023. Kaldellis, Anthony. The New Roman Empire: A History of Byzantium. 2023. Cesaretti, Paolo. Theodora: Empress of Byzantium. 2003. Procopius. The Secret History.  Procopius. The Wars of Justinian.  Phillips, Robin. West, Jeff. Who in the World Was The Acrobatic Empress? 2006. Norwich, John Julius. Absolute Monarchs: A History of the Papacy. 2011. Evans, James Allan. The Empress Theodora: Partner of Justinian. 2002.  Holmes, Nick. Justinian's Empire: Triumph and Tragedy. 2024.  Charles Rivers Editors. Justinian the Great: The Life and Legacy of the Byzantine Emperor. 2014. Captivating History. The Byzantine Empire. 2018 Captivating History. The Vandals. 2018 Dahm, Murray. Combat: Byzantine Cavalryman vs Vandal Warrior. 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After being crowned Emperor and Empress of the Byzantine Empire, Justinian and Theodora face their first major test as rulers, the deadly Nika Riots of 532 AD.  SOURCES: Bridge, Antony. Theodora: Portrait in a Byzantine Landscape. Potter, David. Theodora: Actress, Empress, Saint.  Parnell, David Alan. Belisarius & Antonina: Love and War in the Age of Justinian Hughes, Bettany. Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities.  Sarris, Peter. Justinian: Emperor, Soldier, Saint.  Cesaretti, Paolo. Theodora: Empress of Byzantium. Procopius. The Secret History.  Phillips, Robin. West, Jeff. Who in the World Was The Acrobatic Empress?  Norwich, John Julius. Absolute Monarchs: A History of the Papacy Evans, James Allan. The Empress Theodora: Partner of Justinian.  Holmes, Nick. Justinian's Empire: Triumph and Tragedy Charles Rivers Editors. Justinian the Great: The Life and Legacy of the Byzantine Emperor. Captivating History. The Byzantine Empire. 2018 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From 527 to 565 AD, Emperor Justinian I and his Empress Theodora ruled over the Byzantine Empire in Constantinople. Together, they reshaped the Mediterranean world, weathering political upheaval, wars of conquest, and an outbreak of bubonic plague. In this first installment of a multi-part series, we explore the early years of New Rome's greatest power couple. Rising from a disreputable background in the brothels of Constantinople, the actress-turned-informant Theodora catches the eye of Prince Justinian, heir to the Byzantine throne... SOURCES: Bridge, Antony. Theodora: Portrait in a Byzantine Landscape. Potter, David. Theodora: Actress, Empress, Saint.  Parnell, David Alan. Belisarius & Antonina: Love and War in the Age of Justinian Hughes, Bettany. Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities.  Sarris, Peter. Justinian: Emperor, Soldier, Saint.  Cesaretti, Paolo. Theodora: Empress of Byzantium. Procopius. The Secret History.  Phillips, Robin. West, Jeff. Who in the World Was The Acrobatic Empress?  Norwich, John Julius. Absolute Monarchs: A History of the Papacy Evans, James Allan. The Empress Theodora: Partner of Justinian.  Holmes, Nick. Justinian's Empire: Triumph and Tragedy Charles Rivers Editors. Justinian the Great: The Life and Legacy of the Byzantine Emperor. Captivating History. The Byzantine Empire. 2018 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On December 3rd, 1971, India and Pakistan go to war on two fronts, battling for the future of Bangladesh. In the East, the Indian army races against time, hoping to capture Dacca and force a Pakistani surrender before the United Nations can demand a ceasefire. Meanwhile, Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger unleash a fusillade of diplomatic pressure to frighten a defiant Indira Gandhi into compliance. After months of imprisonment, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman learns what has happened to his country. The war ends, and a new era begins.  SOURCES: Bass, Gary K. The Blood Telegram: Nixon, Kissinger, and a Forgotten Genocide. 2013. Bennet-Jones, Own. The Bhutto Dynasty. 2020. Carney, Scott. Miklian, Jason. The Vortex: A True Story of History's Deadliest Storm, an  Unspeakable War, and Liberation. 2022. Chang, Jung. Halliday, Jon. Mao: The Unknown Story. 2005. Frank, Katherine. Indira: The Life of Indira Nehru Gandhi. 2001. Gewen, Barry. The Inevitability of Tragedy: Henry Kissinger and his World. 2020. Hiro, Dilip. The Longest August: The Unflinching Rivalry Between India and Pakistan. 2015. Hitchens, Christopher. The Trial of Henry Kissinger. 2001. Hoodbhoy, Pervez. Pakistan: Origins, Identity and Future. 2023. Jalal, Ayesha. The Struggle for Pakistan. 2014. James, Lawrence. Raj: The Making and Unmaking of British India. 1997. Jayakar, Pupul. Indira Gandhi: A Biography. 1975. Khosa, Faisal. The Making of Martyrs in India, Pakistan & Bangladesh. 2021. K.S. Nair. December In Dacca. 2022. Keay, John. India: A History. 2000. Mookherjee, Nayanika. The Spectral Wound. 2015. Raghavan, Srinath. 1971: A Global History of the Creation of Bangladesh. 2013. Rose, Leo. Sisson, Richard. War and Secession. Pakistan, India, and the Creation of Bangladesh. 1990. Saikia, Yasmin. Women, War, and the Making of Bangladesh. 2011. Schanberg, Sydney.”He Tells Full Story of Arrest and Detention.” New York Times Jan 1972 Schendel, Willem van. A History of Bangladesh. 2009. Schwartz, Thomas Alan. Henry Kissinger and American Power. 2020. Sengupta, Nitish. Land of Two Rivers: A History of Bengal. 2011. Siddiqi, A. R. Yahya Khan: The Rise and Fall of a Soldier. 2020.  Tudda, Chris. A Cold War Turning Point: Nixon and China, 1969-1972. 2012. Walsh, Declan. The Nine Lives of Pakistan. 2020. Zakaria, Anam. 1971: A People's History from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India. 2019. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Yahya Khan's crackdown in East Pakistan sparks a refugee crisis and a guerilla insurgency, the neighboring nation of India, led by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, must decide how to respond. Meanwhile, President Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger pursue secret talks with Communist China. In Madison Square Garden, musicians George Harrison and Ravi Shankar organize a massive charity concert for the people of Bangladesh.  SOURCES: Bass, Gary K. The Blood Telegram: Nixon, Kissinger, and a Forgotten Genocide. 2013. Bennet-Jones, Own. The Bhutto Dynasty. 2020. Carney, Scott. Miklian, Jason. The Vortex: A True Story of History's Deadliest Storm, an  Unspeakable War, and Liberation. 2022. Chang, Jung. Halliday, Jon. Mao: The Unknown Story. 2005. Frank, Katherine. Indira: The Life of Indira Nehru Gandhi. 2001. Gewen, Barry. The Inevitability of Tragedy: Henry Kissinger and his World. 2020. Hiro, Dilip. The Longest August: The Unflinching Rivalry Between India and Pakistan. 2015. Hitchens, Christopher. The Trial of Henry Kissinger. 2001. Hoodbhoy, Pervez. Pakistan: Origins, Identity and Future. 2023. Jalal, Ayesha. The Struggle for Pakistan. 2014. James, Lawrence. Raj: The Making and Unmaking of British India. 1997. Jayakar, Pupul. Indira Gandhi: A Biography. 1975. Khosa, Faisal. The Making of Martyrs in India, Pakistan & Bangladesh. 2021. K.S. Nair. December In Dacca. 2022. Keay, John. India: A History. 2000. Mookherjee, Nayanika. The Spectral Wound. 2015. Raghavan, Srinath. 1971: A Global History of the Creation of Bangladesh. 2013. Rose, Leo. Sisson, Richard. War and Secession. Pakistan, India, and the Creation of Bangladesh. 1990. Saikia, Yasmin. Women, War, and the Making of Bangladesh. 2011. Schendel, Willem van. A History of Bangladesh. 2009. Schwartz, Thomas Alan. Henry Kissinger and American Power. 2020. Sengupta, Nitish. Land of Two Rivers: A History of Bengal. 2011. Tudda, Chris. A Cold War Turning Point: Nixon and China, 1969-1972. 2012. Walsh, Declan. The Nine Lives of Pakistan. 2020. Zakaria, Anam. 1971: A People's History from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India. 2019. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join me for a special featured episode of BEEF, a scripted podcast narrated by award-winning host Bridget Todd. This episode tells the story of explorers Sir Richard Burton and Captain John Hanning Speke as they face unimaginable dangers, and their own divisiveness, while searching for the source of the Nile River. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On March 25th, 1971, President Yahya Khan launches Operation Searchlight in East Pakistan, a brutal military crackdown intended to snuff out Bengali separatism and restore West Pakistani authority. Meanwhile, an American diplomat in Dacca named Archer Blood begins reporting and documenting the slaughter, hoping to convince his government to step in and restrain Yahya. In Washington, D.C., President Richard Nixon and his national security advisor Henry Kissinger weigh the political costs of intervening in the atrocities, while secretly planning a groundbreaking outreach to Communist China.  SOURCES: Bass, Gary K. The Blood Telegram: Nixon, Kissinger, and a Forgotten Genocide. 2013. Bennet-Jones, Own. The Bhutto Dynasty. 2020. Carney, Scott. Miklian, Jason. The Vortex: A True Story of History's Deadliest Storm, an  Unspeakable War, and Liberation. 2022. Chang, Jung. Halliday, Jon. Mao: The Unknown Story. 2005. Frank, Katherine. Indira: The Life of Indira Nehru Gandhi. 2001. Gewen, Barry. The Inevitability of Tragedy: Henry Kissinger and his World. 2020. Hiro, Dilip. The Longest August: The Unflinching Rivalry Between India and Pakistan. 2015. Hitchens, Christopher. The Trial of Henry Kissinger. 2001. Hoodbhoy, Pervez. Pakistan: Origins, Identity and Future. 2023. Jalal, Ayesha. The Struggle for Pakistan. 2014. James, Lawrence. Raj: The Making and Unmaking of British India. 1997. Jayakar, Pupul. Indira Gandhi: A Biography. 1975. Khosa, Faisal. The Making of Martyrs in India, Pakistan & Bangladesh. 2021. K.S. Nair. December In Dacca. 2022. Keay, John. India: A History. 2000. Mookherjee, Nayanika. The Spectral Wound. 2015. Raghavan, Srinath. 1971: A Global History of the Creation of Bangladesh. 2013. Rose, Leo. Sisson, Richard. War and Secession. Pakistan, India, and the Creation of Bangladesh. 1990. Saikia, Yasmin. Women, War, and the Making of Bangladesh. 2011. Schendel, Willem van. A History of Bangladesh. 2009. Schwartz, Thomas Alan. Henry Kissinger and American Power. 2020. Sengupta, Nitish. Land of Two Rivers: A History of Bengal. 2011. Tudda, Chris. A Cold War Turning Point: Nixon and China, 1969-1972. 2012. Walsh, Declan. The Nine Lives of Pakistan. 2020. Zakaria, Anam. 1971: A People's History from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India. 2019. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the wake of the deadly Bhola Cyclone, 50 million Pakistanis go to the polls on December 7th, 1970 and cast their votes in a national election, which yields unexpected and destabilizing results. As the emergent factions fight for control of Pakistan's nascent democracy, the political process slowly disintegrates and the gulf between East and West Pakistan becomes irreconcilable. SOURCES: Bass, Gary K. The Blood Telegram: Nixon, Kissinger, and a Forgotten Genocide. 2013. Bennet-Jones, Own. The Bhutto Dynasty. 2020. Carney, Scott. Miklian, Jason. The Vortex: A True Story of History's Deadliest Storm, an  Unspeakable War, and Liberation. 2022. Chang, Jung. Halliday, Jon. Mao: The Unknown Story. 2005. Frank, Katherine. Indira: The Life of Indira Nehru Gandhi. 2001. Gewen, Barry. The Inevitability of Tragedy: Henry Kissinger and his World. 2020. Hiro, Dilip. The Longest August: The Unflinching Rivalry Between India and Pakistan. 2015. Hitchens, Christopher. The Trial of Henry Kissinger. 2001. Hoodbhoy, Pervez. Pakistan: Origins, Identity and Future. 2023. Jalal, Ayesha. The Struggle for Pakistan. 2014. James, Lawrence. Raj: The Making and Unmaking of British India. 1997. Jayakar, Pupul. Indira Gandhi: A Biography. 1975. Khosa, Faisal. The Making of Martyrs in India, Pakistan & Bangladesh. 2021. K.S. Nair. December In Dacca. 2022. Keay, John. India: A History. 2000. Mookherjee, Nayanika. The Spectral Wound. 2015. Raghavan, Srinath. 1971: A Global History of the Creation of Bangladesh. 2013. Rose, Leo. Sisson, Richard. War and Secession. Pakistan, India, and the Creation of Bangladesh. 1990. Saikia, Yasmin. Women, War, and the Making of Bangladesh. 2011. Schendel, Willem van. A History of Bangladesh. 2009. Schwartz, Thomas Alan. Henry Kissinger and American Power. 2020. Sengupta, Nitish. Land of Two Rivers: A History of Bengal. 2011. Tudda, Chris. A Cold War Turning Point: Nixon and China, 1969-1972. 2012. Walsh, Declan. The Nine Lives of Pakistan. 2020. Zakaria, Anam. 1971: A People's History from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India. 2019. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In March 1971, the nation of Pakistan was split apart by a vicious civil war, eventually culminating in the creation of a new state: Bangladesh. In this first episode of a multi-part series, we trace the origins of the conflict and introduce the key historical figures involved.    SOURCES: Bass, Gary K. The Blood Telegram: Nixon, Kissinger, and a Forgotten Genocide. Bennet-Jones, Own. The Bhutto Dynasty.  Carney, Scott. Miklian, Jason. The Vortex: A True Story of History's Deadliest Storm, an  Unspeakable War, and Liberation.  Chang, Jung. Halliday, Jon. Mao: The Unknown Story.  Frank, Katherine. Indira: The Life of Indira Nehru Gandhi.  Gewen, Barry. The Inevitability of Tragedy: Henry Kissinger and his World.  Hiro, Dilip. The Longest August: The Unflinching Rivalry Between India and Pakistan.  Hitchens, Christopher. The Trial of Henry Kissinger.  Hoodbhoy, Pervez. Pakistan: Origins, Identity and Future.  Jalal, Ayesha. The Struggle for Pakistan. James, Lawrence. Raj: The Making and Unmaking of British India.  Jayakar, Pupul. Indira Gandhi: A Biography.  Khosa, Faisal. The Making of Martyrs in India, Pakistan & Bangladesh.  K.S. Nair. December In Dacca Keay, John. India: A History.  Mookherjee, Nayanika. The Spectral Wound.  Raghavan, Srinath. 1971: A Global History of the Creation of Bangladesh.  Rose, Leo. Sisson, Richard. War and Secession. Pakistan, India, and the Creation of Bangladesh. Saikia, Yasmin. Women, War, and the Making of Bangladesh.  Schendel, Willem van. A History of Bangladesh. Schwartz, Thomas Alan. Henry Kissinger and American Power.  Sengupta, Nitish. Land of Two Rivers: A History of Bengal.  Tudda, Chris. A Cold War Turning Point: Nixon and China, 1969-1972. Walsh, Declan. The Nine Lives of Pakistan.  Zakaria, Anam. 1971: A People's History from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In January of 1948, Alfred Kinsey releases his first book, Sexual Behavior in the Human Male, igniting a firestorm of controversy across the United States. As the Professor scrambles to capitalize on his newfound fame and pen a sequel, his methodology comes under attack from skeptical academics and religious conservatives. Meanwhile, Kinsey's research team at the Institute of Sex Research embarks on a series of increasingly bizarre – and politically dangerous – sexual adventures.  SOURCES: Allen, Judith A. The Kinsey Institute: The First Seventy Years. 2017. Brenot, Phillipe. The Story of Sex. 2016.  D'Emilio, John. Freedman, Estelle. Intimate Matters: The History of Sexuality in America. 1988. Donna J. Drucker, “‘A Noble Experiment': The Marriage Course at Indiana University, 1938-1940,” IMH September 2007 https://www.jstor.org/stable/27792817?read-now=1&seq=7#page_scan_tab_contents Gary, Brett. Dirty Works. Obscenity on Trial in America's First Sexual Revolution. 2021. Hardy, Gathorne. Sex: The Measure of All Things: A Life of Alfred C. Kinsey. 1998. Hegarty, Peter. Gentlemen's Disagreement. 2013. Jones, James H. Alfred C. Kinsey: A Life. 1997. Wimpee, Rachel. Iacobell, Teresa. “Funding a Sexual Revolution: The Kinsey Reports.” Jan 9 2020. Rockefeller Archive Center. https://resource.rockarch.org/story/funding-a-sexual-revolution-the-kinsey-reports/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Dr. Alfred Kinsey begins his foray into sex research in 1938, he faces a rising tide of controversy at Indiana University, and is soon confronted with an ultimatum. While his research develops and his methodology takes shape, Kinsey is forced to reckon with hard truths about sex – and himself.  SOURCES: Allen, Judith A. The Kinsey Institute: The First Seventy Years. 2017. Brenot, Phillipe. The Story of Sex. 2016.  D'Emilio, John. Freedman, Estelle. Intimate Matters: The History of Sexuality in America. 1988. Donna J. Drucker, “‘A Noble Experiment': The Marriage Course at Indiana University, 1938-1940,” IMH September 2007 https://www.jstor.org/stable/27792817?read-now=1&seq=7#page_scan_tab_contents Gary, Brett. Dirty Works. Obscenity on Trial in America's First Sexual Revolution. 2021. Hardy, Gathorne. Sex: The Measure of All Things: A Life of Alfred C. Kinsey. 1998. Hegarty, Peter. Gentlemen's Disagreement. 2013. Jones, James H. Alfred C. Kinsey: A Life. 1997. Wimpee, Rachel. Iacobell, Teresa. “Funding a Sexual Revolution: The Kinsey Reports.” Jan 9 2020. Rockefeller Archive Center. https://resource.rockarch.org/story/funding-a-sexual-revolution-the-kinsey-reports/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1948, Dr. Alfred Kinsey wrote the book on sex. “The Kinsey Report”, as it came to be known, was a pioneering scientific study on the sexual habits of ordinary Americans. Divided into Male and Female Volumes, it challenged longstanding myths about sex and the religious ideology that upheld them. In this first installment of a three-part series, we explore the life, times and motivations of the enigmatic man behind the Kinsey Report – Dr. Alfred Kinsey.  SOURCES: Allen, Judith A. The Kinsey Institute: The First Seventy Years. 2017. Brenot, Phillipe. The Story of Sex. 2016.  D'Emilio, John. Freedman, Estelle. Intimate Matters: The History of Sexuality in America. 1988. Donna J. Drucker, “‘A Noble Experiment': The Marriage Course at Indiana University, 1938-1940,” IMH September 2007 Gary, Brett. Dirty Works. Obscenity on Trial in America's First Sexual Revolution. 2021. Hardy, Gathorne. Sex: The Measure of All Things: A Life of Alfred C. Kinsey. 1998. Hegarty, Peter. Gentlemen's Disagreement. 2013. Jones, James H. Alfred C. Kinsey: A Life. 1997. Wimpee, Rachel. Iacobell, Teresa. “Funding a Sexual Revolution: The Kinsey Reports.” Jan 9 2020. Rockefeller Archive Center. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This featured guest episode of History Daily examines the events of November 16th, 1720. On that day, the trials of notorious pirates Anne Bonny, Mary Read, and John Rackham began in Spanish Town, Jamaica. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1974, a Japanese soldier named Hiroo Onoda emerged from the Philippine jungle, unaware that World War 2 had been over for nearly 30 years. During those three decades, Onoda waged a murderous guerilla insurgency against the residents of Lubang island, leaving a trail of corpses and broken lives in his wake. Meanwhile, the defeated Empire of Japan was undergoing a radical transformation that would reshape the trajectory of East Asia. In this standalone episode of Conflicted, we weave these two parallel stories together into an examination of the nature of loss, persistence, and hope. SOURCES: Ballinger-Fletcher, Zita. “Was Hiroo Onoda a Soldier or Serial Killer?” History Net. May 2 2023. Betuel, Emma. “73 Years Later, The A-Bomb Trees Still Grow in Hiroshima” Inverse. Aug 6 2018. Buruma, Ian. Year Zero. A History of 1945. 2013.  Dower, John W. Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II. 1999. Gallicchio, Marc. Unconditional: The Japanese Surrender in World War II. 2020.  Harmsen, Peter. War in the Far East: Asian Armageddon 1944-1945. 2021. Onoda, Hiroo. No Surrender: My Thirty Year War. 1974. Paine, S.C.M. The Japanese Empire. 2017.  Spector, Ronald. In The Ruins Of Empire. 2007.  Toll, Ian W. Twilight of the Gods: War in the Western Pacific 1944-1945. 2020.  Walker, Brett L. A Concise History of Japan. 2015. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On January 17th, 1991, Operation Desert Storm begins. As President Bush braces for high casualties, Saddam Hussein desperately seeks a path to survival. In Baghdad, Coalition air forces rain hell on Iraqi soldiers and civilians alike, while American diplomats scramble to defuse a potential crisis in Israel. US infantrymen come face-to-face with the fourth largest army in the world…with surprising results. As oil wells burn and journalists jockey for access, the war reaches a bloody climax at the “Highway of Death”.  SOURCES: Aburish, Said K. Saddam Hussein: The Politics of Revenge. 2000. Atkinson, Rick. Crusade: The Untold Story of the Gulf War. 1993. Al-Radi, Nuha. Baghdad Diaries. 1998. Baudrillard, Jean. The Gulf War Did Not Take Place. 1991.  Bergen, Peter L. The Rise and Fall of Osama bin Laden. 2021. Charles Rivers Editors. The Gulf War. 2018. Coll, Steve. Ghost Wars. 2004. Coll, Steve. Branigin, William. “US scrambled to shape view of ‘Highway of Death'”. 3.11.1991. Corrigan, Jim. Desert Storm Air War. 2017. Coughlin, Con. Saddam: His Rise and Fall. 2005.  DeGhett, Torie Rose. “The War Photo No One Would Publish”. 8.8.2014. Dunnigan, James F. Macedonia, Raymond M. Getting It Right. 1995.  Engel, Jeffrey A. When the World Seemed New.  Finlan, Alastair. The Gulf War 1991. 2003.  Gordon, Michael R. Trainer, Bernard E. The General's War. 1995.  “The Gulf War” / FRONTLINE. PBS. Jan 9, 1996. Hallion, Richard P. Desert Storm 1991. 2022.  Hiro, Dilip. Desert Shield to Desert Storm: The Second Gulf War. 1991.  Hiro, Dilip. Cold War in the Islamic World. 2018. Karsh, Efraim. The Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988. 1989. Karsh, Efraim. Rautsi, Inari. Saddam Hussein. A Political Biography. 1991. Khadduri, Majid. Ghareeb, Edmund. War in the Gulf, 1990-1991. 1999. Jarecke, Kenneth. Cervenka, Exene. Just Another War. 1991.   Lockwood, Stuart. 2015 June 5. “That's Me In The Picture”. The Guardian. MacArthur, John R. Second Front: Censorship and Propaganda in the 1991 Gulf War. 1992.  Mufson, Steven. 1990 Aug 6. “Kuwait Assets Form Vast, Frozen Empire”. The Washington Post. Murray, Williamson. Woods, Kevin M. The Iran-Iraq War. 2014. Meacham, Jon. Destiny and Power. 2015. Morris, David J. Storm on the Horizon. 2004.  Riedel, Bruce. Kings and Presidents: Saudi Arabia and the United States. 2019. Swofford, Anthony. Jarhead. 2003.  Woodward, Bob. 1991, May 4. “Regal Audience for a Forceful Presence”. The Washington Post Wyndham, Buck. Hogs in the Sand. 2020.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you're a fan of Conflicted, we think you'll enjoy this special featured episode of The French History Podcast. In this episode, host Dr. Gary Girod breaks down what really happened at the Battle of Poitiers, one of the largest battles in early Medieval Western Europe. But was it the cataclysm so many people think it was?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Iraqi army digs into Kuwait, the world considers how to respond to Saddam Hussein's breach of national sovereignty. President George H.W. Bush vows that the aggression “will not stand” and begins assembling an international coalition to force a withdrawal. Invited into Saudi Arabia, the recently reformed American military prepares for an eventual confrontation with Iraq's battle-hardened forces. Meanwhile, a hostage crisis unfolds and a domestic debate threatens to fracture Bush's Coalition.  SOURCES: Aburish, Said K. Saddam Hussein: The Politics of Revenge. 2000. Atkinson, Rick. Crusade: The Untold Story of the Gulf War. 1993. Al-Radi, Nuha. Baghdad Diaries. 1998. Baudrillard, Jean. The Gulf War Did Not Take Place. 1991.  Bergen, Peter L. The Rise and Fall of Osama bin Laden. 2021. Charles Rivers Editors. The Gulf War. 2018. Coll, Steve. Ghost Wars. 2004. Coll, Steve. Branigin, William. “US scrambled to shape view of ‘Highway of Death'”. 3.11.1991. Corrigan, Jim. Desert Storm Air War. 2017. Coughlin, Con. Saddam: His Rise and Fall. 2005.  Dunnigan, James F. Macedonia, Raymond M. Getting It Right. 1995.  Engel, Jeffrey A. When the World Seemed New.  Finlan, Alastair. The Gulf War 1991. 2003.  Gordon, Michael R. Trainer, Bernard E. The General's War. 1995.  “The Gulf War” / FRONTLINE. PBS. Jan 9, 1996. Hallion, Richard P. Desert Storm 1991. 2022.  Hiro, Dilip. Desert Shield to Desert Storm: The Second Gulf War. 1991.  Hiro, Dilip. Cold War in the Islamic World. 2018. Karsh, Efraim. The Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988. 1989. Karsh, Efraim. Rautsi, Inari. Saddam Hussein. A Political Biography. 1991. Khadduri, Majid. Ghareeb, Edmund. War in the Gulf, 1990-1991. 1999.  Lockwood, Stuart. 2015 June 5. “That's Me In The Picture”. The Guardian. Mufson, Steven. 1990 Aug 6. “Kuwait Assets Form Vast, Frozen Empire”. The Washington Post. Murray, Williamson. Woods, Kevin M. The Iran-Iraq War. 2014. Meacham, Jon. Destiny and Power. 2015. Morris, David J. Storm on the Horizon. 2004.  Riedel, Bruce. Kings and Presidents: Saudi Arabia and the United States. 2019. Swofford, Anthony. Jarhead. 2003.  Woodward, Bob. 1991, May 4. “Regal Audience for a Forceful Presence”. The Washington Post Wyndham, Buck. Hogs in the Sand. 2020.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On August 2, 1990, Saddam Hussein invaded the tiny emirate of Kuwait. The resulting conflict triggered a chain reaction that changed the world. In this first installment in a three-part series, we trace the origins of the Kuwait crisis, chronicle Saddam's rise to power in Iraq, and explore America's symbiotic relationship with the Persian Gulf.  SOURCES: Aburish, Said K. Saddam Hussein: The Politics of Revenge. 2000. Atkinson, Rick. Crusade: The Untold Story of the Gulf War. 1993. Al-Radi, Nuha. Baghdad Diaries. 1998. Charles Rivers Editors. The Gulf War. 2018. Coll, Steve. Ghost Wars. 2004. Coll, Steve. Branigin, William. “US scrambled to shape view of ‘Highway of Death'”. 3.11.1991. Corrigan, Jim. Desert Storm Air War. 2017. Coughlin, Con. Saddam: His Rise and Fall. 2005.  Dunnigan, James F. Macedonia, Raymond M. Getting It Right. 1995.  Finlan, Alastair. The Gulf War 1991. 2003.  Gordon, Michael R. Trainer, Bernard E. The General's War. 1995.  Hallion, Richard P. Desert Storm 1991. 2022.  Hiro, Dilip. Desert Shield to Desert Storm: The Second Gulf War. 1991.  Hiro, Dilip. Cold War in the Islamic World. 2018. Karsh, Efraim. The Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988. 1989. Karsh, Efraim. Rautsi, Inari. Saddam Hussein. A Political Biography. 1991. Khadduri, Majid. Ghareeb, Edmund. War in the Gulf, 1990-1991. 1999.  Mufson, Steven. 1990 Aug 6. “Kuwait Assets Form Vast, Frozen Empire”. The Washington Post. Murray, Williamson. Woods, Kevin M. The Iran-Iraq War. 2014. Meacham, Jon. Destiny and Power. 2015. Morris, David J. Storm on the Horizon. 2004.  Riedel, Bruce. Kings and Presidents: Saudi Arabia and the United States. 2019. Swofford, Anthony. Jarhead. 2003.  Wyndham, Buck. Hogs in the Sand. 2020.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Where does the two-day weekend come from? In this standalone episode of Conflicted, we trace the historical trajectory of that oasis of leisure and free time we call “the weekend”.  From its mystical beginnings in the religions of antiquity to its hard-fought development in Gilded Age America, we'll untangle the surprising origins of everyone's favorite part of the week.  SOURCES: Hunnicutt, Benjamin. Free Time: The Forgotten American Dream. 2013. Onstad, Katrina. The Weekend Effect. 2017.  Loomis, Erik. A History of America in Ten Strikes. 2018. Murolo, Priscilla. Chitty, A.B. From the Folks Who Brought You the Weekend. 2001. Green, James. Death in Haymarket. 2006.  Brecher, Jeremy. STRIKE! 1972.  Zinn, Howard. A People's History of the United States. 1980. Thomas, Gordan. Morgan-Witts, Max. The Day the Bubble Burst. 1979. BBC. (2019, September 5). Who invented the weekend? BBC Bitesize. Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. “Presidential Speeches: Downloadable Data.” Accessed Feb 19, 2023. data.millercenter.org  Captivating History. The Industrial Revolution. 2020.  Grossman, Jonathan. “Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938: Maximum Struggle for a Minimum Wage.” Monthly Labor Review 101, no. 6 (1978): 22–30. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41840777. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a plot to assassinate Mohandas Gandhi unfolds, the Mahatma goes to existential lengths to reconcile India's Hindu, Sikh and Muslim communities. Meanwhile, a shadow war erupts between India and Pakistan over the picturesque kingdom of Kashmir, threatening the future of both nations. Jawaharlal Nehru bids farewell to friends, a lover, and the innocence of the nation he must now lead. A dying Muhammed Ali Jinnah reflects on his choices.  Sources: Akbar, M.J. Tinderbox: The Past and Future of Pakistan. 2011. Tharoor, Shashi. Nehru: The Invention of India. 2003. Tharoor, Shashi. Inglorious Empire: What The British Did To India. 2017. Khan, Yasmin. The Great Partition: The Making of India and Pakistan. 2007. Guha, Ramachandra. Gandhi: The Years That Changed The World. 2018. Collins, Larry; Lapierre, Dominique. Freedom at Midnight. 1975.  Sarila, Narendra Singh. The Shadow of the Great Game. 2005. Charles Rivers Editors. The Punjab. 2018. Charles Rivers Editors. British India. 2017. Puri, Kavita. Partition Voices: Untold British Stories. 2019. Malhotra, Aanchal. Remnants of Partition: 21 Objects From A Continent Divided. 2017. Von Tunzelmann, Alex. Indian Summer. 2007. Zakaria, Anam. The Footprints of Partition. 2015. Ahmed Akbar. Jinnah, Pakistan and Islamic Identity. 1997. Urvashi, Butalia. The Other Side of Silence: Voices from the Partition of India. 1998. White-Spunner, Barney. Partition. 2017. Lawrence, James. Raj: The Making and Unmaking of British India. 1997. Hamdani, Yasser Latif. Jinnah: A Life. 2020. Fischer, Louis. Gandhi. 1950.  Kidwai, Anis. In Freedom's Shade. 2011.  Saxena, Chandni. “ON RELIGION AND ITS IMPLICATIONS ON WOMEN DURING PARTITION OF INDIA.” 2014.  “India: A People Partitioned” Broadcast on the BBC World Service, 1997. Compiled and presented by Andrew Whitehead, producer Zina Rohan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The “chief sufferers” of Partition, according to Mohandas Gandhi, were women. As the subcontinent descended into chaos, women of all three religious communities become prime targets in the war for honor and land. Across the Punjab, tens of thousands of women and girls were assaulted, abducted and trafficked across the border. In response, the governments of India and ­Pakistan worked together to recover them – with mixed, and tragic, results.  Sources: Akbar, M.J. Tinderbox: The Past and Future of Pakistan. 2011. Tharoor, Shashi. Nehru: The Invention of India. 2003. Tharoor, Shashi. Inglorious Empire: What The British Did To India. 2017. Khan, Yasmin. The Great Partition: The Making of India and Pakistan. 2007. Guha, Ramachandra. Gandhi: The Years That Changed The World. 2018. Sarila, Narendra Singh. The Shadow of the Great Game. 2005. Charles Rivers Editors. The Punjab. 2018. Charles Rivers Editors. British India. 2017. Puri, Kavita. Partition Voices: Untold British Stories. 2019. Malhotra, Aanchal. Remnants of Partition: 21 Objects From A Continent Divided. 2017. Von Tunzelmann, Alex. Indian Summer. 2007. Zakaria, Anam. The Footprints of Partition. 2015. Ahmed Akbar. Jinnah, Pakistan and Islamic Identity. 1997. Urvashi, Butalia. The Other Side of Silence: Voices from the Partition of India. 1998. White-Spunner, Barney. Partition. 2017. Lawrence, James. Raj: The Making and Unmaking of British India. 1997. Hamdani, Yasser Latif. Jinnah: A Life. 2020. Fischer, Louis. Gandhi. 1950.  Kidwai, Anis. In Freedom's Shade. 2011.  Saxena, Chandni. “ON RELIGION AND ITS IMPLICATIONS ON WOMEN DURING PARTITION OF INDIA.” 2014.  “India: A People Partitioned” Broadcast on the BBC World Service, 1997. Compiled and presented by Andrew Whitehead, producer Zina Rohan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Partition finally becomes reality in August 1947, the new boundary sparks a mass migration in the Punjab and Bengal. Atrocity and ethnic cleansing soon follow. The Sikhs, a long-ignored but well-armed religious minority, mobilize to stake their claim. Edwina Mountbatten and Jawaharlal Nehru plunge into the fray, desperate to assuage a refugee crisis in the city of Delhi.  Sources: Akbar, M.J. Tinderbox: The Past and Future of Pakistan. 2011. Tharoor, Shashi. Nehru: The Invention of India. 2003. Tharoor, Shashi. Inglorious Empire: What The British Did To India. 2017. Khan, Yasmin. The Great Partition: The Making of India and Pakistan. 2007. Guha, Ramachandra. Gandhi: The Years That Changed The World. 2018. Sarila, Narendra Singh. The Shadow of the Great Game. 2005. Charles Rivers Editors. The Punjab. 2018. Charles Rivers Editors. British India. 2017. Puri, Kavita. Partition Voices: Untold British Stories. 2019. Malhotra, Aanchal. Remnants of Partition: 21 Objects From A Continent Divided. 2017. Von Tunzelmann, Alex. Indian Summer. 2007. Zakaria, Anam. The Footprints of Partition. 2015. Ahmed Akbar. Jinnah, Pakistan and Islamic Identity. 1997. Urvashi, Butalia. The Other Side of Silence: Voices from the Partition of India. 1998. White-Spunner, Barney. Partition. 2017. Lawrence, James. Raj: The Making and Unmaking of British India. 1997. Hamdani, Yasser Latif. Jinnah: A Life. 2020. Fischer, Louis. Gandhi. 1950.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's 1947. After many long years of struggle, India is about to gain its independence from the British Empire. But freedom will come at a cost. To facilitate the handover of power, the Crown sends Lord Louis Mountbatten – the last Viceroy – to hammer out a deal between the competing political factions. Muhammed Ali Jinnah battles his terminal illness and uncovers a shocking secret. Jawaharlal Nehru falls for a captivating woman. And all the while, India's Muslim and Hindu communities prepare for a bloody civil war.   Sources: Akbar, M.J. Tinderbox: The Past and Future of Pakistan. 2011. Tharoor, Shashi. Nehru: The Invention of India. 2003. Tharoor, Shashi. Inglorious Empire: What The British Did To India. 2017. Khan, Yasmin. The Great Partition: The Making of India and Pakistan. 2007. Guha, Ramachandra. Gandhi: The Years That Changed The World. 2018. Sarila, Narendra Singh. The Shadow of the Great Game. 2005. Charles Rivers Editors. The Punjab. 2018. Charles Rivers Editors. British India. 2017. Puri, Kavita. Partition Voices: Untold British Stories. 2019. Malhotra, Aanchal. Remnants of Partition: 21 Objects From A Continent Divided. 2017. Von Tunzelmann, Alex. Indian Summer. 2007. Zakaria, Anam. The Footprints of Partition. 2015. Ahmed Akbar. Jinnah, Pakistan and Islamic Identity. 1997. Urvashi, Butalia. The Other Side of Silence: Voices from the Partition of India. 1998. White-Spunner, Barney. Partition. 2017. Lawrence, James. Raj: The Making and Unmaking of British India. 1997. Hamdani, Yasser Latif. Jinnah: A Life. 2020. Fischer, Louis. Gandhi. 1950.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the British Raj crumbles, old animosities begin to stir in the subcontinent's communities. Mohandas Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru face a formidable new adversary in the form of Muhammed Ali Jinnah, who calls for the creation of a separate Muslim nation - Pakistan. Hindu-Muslim tensions, fueled by political polarization and corrosive rhetoric, explode into sectarian violence during the Great Calcutta Killing of August 1946.  Sources: Akbar, M.J. Tinderbox: The Past and Future of Pakistan. 2011. Tharoor, Shashi. Nehru: The Invention of India. 2003. Tharoor, Shashi. Inglorious Empire: What The British Did To India. 2017. Khan, Yasmin. The Great Partition: The Making of India and Pakistan. 2007. Guha, Ramachandra. Gandhi: The Years That Changed The World. 2018. Sarila, Narendra Singh. The Shadow of the Great Game. 2005. Charles Rivers Editors. The Punjab. 2018. Charles Rivers Editors. British India. 2017. Puri, Kavita. Partition Voices: Untold British Stories. 2019. Malhotra, Aanchal. Remnants of Partition: 21 Objects From A Continent Divided. 2017. Von Tunzelmann, Alex. Indian Summer. 2007. Zakaria, Anam. The Footprints of Partition. 2015. Ahmed Akbar. Jinnah, Pakistan and Islamic Identity. 1997. Urvashi, Butalia. The Other Side of Silence: Voices from the Partition of India. 1998. White-Spunner, Barney. Partition. 2017. Lawrence, James. Raj: The Making and Unmaking of British India. 1997. Hamdani, Yasser Latif. Jinnah: A Life. 2020. Fischer, Louis. Gandhi. 1950.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the summer of 1947, the British Raj relinquished its hold over the Indian subcontinent. In its wake, two new nations were created: India and Pakistan. The hastily-drawn border between the countries slashed through communities and bisected entire provinces, triggering one of the largest forced migrations in human history. In the first episode of a multi-part series, we examine the twilight years of the British in India, as well as the forceful personalities who helped loosen its colonial grip. From Mohandas Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru to the elegant Earl of Mountbatten, we'll begin assembling the cast that that will be forced to grapple with the looming crisis.  Sources: Akbar, M.J. Tinderbox: The Past and Future of Pakistan.  Tharoor, Shashi. Nehru: The Invention of India.  Tharoor, Shashi. Inglorious Empire: What The British Did To India. Khan, Yasmin. The Great Partition: The Making of India and Pakistan.  Guha, Ramachandra. Gandhi: The Years That Changed The World.  Sarila, Narendra Singh. The Shadow of the Great Game.  Charles Rivers Editors. The Punjab.  Charles Rivers Editors. British India.  Puri, Kavita. Partition Voices: Untold British Stories. Malhotra, Aanchal. Remnants of Partition: 21 Objects From A Continent Divided.  Von Tunzelmann, Alex. Indian Summer.  Zakaria, Anam. The Footprints of Partition.  Ahmed Akbar. Jinnah, Pakistan and Islamic Identity.  Urvashi, Butalia. The Other Side of Silence: Voices from the Partition of India.  White-Spunner, Barney. Partition.  Lawrence, James. Raj: The Making and Unmaking of British India.  Hamdani, Yasser Latif. Jinnah: A Life Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On September 1st, 1983, a South Korean commercial airliner inexplicably drifted 200 miles off course into restricted Soviet airspace. In response, a Soviet fighter plane intercepted the aircraft, fired two missiles, and shot it down, killing all 269 people on board. In this standalone episode, we examine one of the most enduring outrages of the Cold War, a mystery that baffled investigators and inflamed political animus for more than a decade.  SOURCES: Degani, Asaf. Taming HAL: Designing Interfaces Beyond 2001.  Westad, Odd Arne. The Cold War: A World History. 2017. Service, Robert. The End of the Cold War. 2015. Downing, Taylor. 1983: Reagan, Andropov, And A World On The Brink. 2018. Dobbs, Michael. Down With Big Brother. 1997.  Hersh, Seymour. The Target Is Destroyed. 1986.  Dallin, Alexander. Black Box: KAL 007 and the Superpowers. 1985. https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/public/digitallibrary/dailydiary/1982-09.pdf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After weeks of uncertainty and fear, the Great Crash finally arrives on October 24th, 1929. While America's financial infrastructure burns, Jesse Livermore makes $100 million in a single week. Wall Street's great cheerleader, Sunshine Charlie Mitchell, schemes and maneuvers to puff up the bull market and preserve his legacy. Amidst the wreckage of the Great Depression, a scrappy immigrant lawyer named Ferdinand Pecora leads a Federal investigation into Sunshine Charlie and National City Bank that shakes the very bedrock of American financial law.    SOURCES: Ahamed, Liaquat. Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World. 2009. Allen, Frederick Lewis. Only Yesterday: An Informal History of the 1920s. 1931 Blumenthal, Karen. Six Days in October. 2002.  Charles Rivers Editors. Jesse Livermore. 2021. Charles Rivers Editors. Wall Street. 2020. Galbraith, John Kenneth. The Great Crash 1929. 1955. Galbraith, John Kenneth. A Short History of Financial Euphoria. 1990. Geisst, Charles R. Wall Street: A History. 1997. Klein, Maury. Rainbow's End. 2001.  Morris, Charles R. A Rabble of Dead Money. 2017. Nations, Scott. A History of the United States in Five Crashes. 2017. Parker, Selwyn. The Great Crash. 2008. Perino, Michael. The Hellhound of Wall Street. 2010. Rubython, Tom. Jesse Livermore: Boy Plunger. 2016. Thomas, Gordon. Morgan-Witts, Max. The Day the Bubble Burst. 1979. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special featured episode of History Daily, host Lindsay Graham gives an atmospheric retelling of the events of December 2nd, 1956. On that day, the communist revolutionary Fidel Castro launched the Cuban Revolution.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As economic disaster looms in the Fall of ‘29, the American public is blissfully unaware, entranced by stratospheric share prices and the sunny proclamations of Wall Street cheerleaders. Jesse Livermore, the infamous “Boy Trader”, follows his hunches and prepares for the coming catastrophe. The Federal Reserve, rudderless and impotent after the untimely death of its leader Ben Strong, sits on its hands. “Sunshine” Charlie Mitchell, chief executive of the country's largest bank, injects fresh life into the boom as the stock market bubble inflates to dangerous heights of make-believe.  SOURCES: Ahamed, Liaquat. Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World. 2009. Allen, Frederick Lewis. Only Yesterday: An Informal History of the 1920s. 1931 Blumenthal, Karen. Six Days in October. 2002.  Charles Rivers Editors. Jesse Livermore. 2021. Charles Rivers Editors. Wall Street. 2020. Galbraith, John Kenneth. The Great Crash 1929. 1955. Galbraith, John Kenneth. A Short History of Financial Euphoria. 1990. Geisst, Charles R. Wall Street: A History. 1997. Klein, Maury. Rainbow's End. 2001.  Morris, Charles R. A Rabble of Dead Money. 2017. Nations, Scott. A History of the United States in Five Crashes. 2017. Parker, Selwyn. The Great Crash. 2008. Perino, Michael. The Hellhound of Wall Street. 2010. Rubython, Tom. Jesse Livermore: Boy Plunger. 2016. Thomas, Gordon. Morgan-Witts, Max. The Day the Bubble Burst. 1979. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the worst financial disasters in history unfolded on Wall Street in late October of 1929. Within a week, 30 billion dollars had disappeared into thin air, leaving the global economy in tatters and heralding the beginning of a worldwide Depression. But what exactly happened? And why? In Part 1 of this 3-Part series on the Wall Street Crash of 1929, we discover how the American public became fatally infatuated with the stock market during the “Roaring 20's”; and how one debauched day trader – Jesse Livermore – saw the whole thing coming.  SOURCES: Ahamed, Liaquat. Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World. 2009. Blumenthal, Karen. Six Days in October. 2002.  Charles Rivers Editors. Jesse Livermore. 2021. Charles Rivers Editors. Wall Street. 2020. Galbraith, John Kenneth. The Great Crash 1929. 1955. Galbraith, John Kenneth. A Short History of Financial Euphoria. 1990. Geisst, Charles R. Wall Street: A History. 1997. Klein, Maury. Rainbow's End. 2001.  Morris, Charles R. A Rabble of Dead Money. 2017. Nations, Scott. A History of the United States in Five Crashes. 2017. Parker, Selwyn. The Great Crash. 2008. Perino, Michael. The Hellhound of Wall Street. 2010. Rubython, Tom. Jesse Livermore: Boy Plunger. 2016. Thomas, Gordon. Morgan-Witts, Max. The Day the Bubble Burst. 1979. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some revere it as an art form, others revile it as a blood sport, but no matter where you stand, few traditions stir up strong emotions quite like the centuries-old ritual of bullfighting. Born in the villages of rural Spain, refined in the crowded arenas of Seville, and fetishized by wandering aficionados like Ernest Hemingway, the “corrida de toros” holds a special place not only in Spanish cultural life but in human history. Beneath the pomp and pageantry, will we find senseless animal cruelty? Or a transcendent reflection on the human condition?  SOURCES: Bailey, C. (2007). “Africa Begins at the Pyrenees”: Moral Outrage, Hypocrisy, and the Spanish Bullfight. Ethics and the Environment. Bentley, Logan. (1962). “What The Horns Couldn't Do”. Sports Illustrated. Colenutt, Mark. Spanish Bull: A Provocative Guide to Bullfighting. 2014. Conrad, Barnaby. The Death of Manolete. 1958. Dozier, Thomas. (1955) “The One Who Lived”. Sports Illustrated. Gamado, Ignacio. Discovering the World of Bullfighting. 2021. Hardouin-Fugier, Elisabeth. Bullfighting: A Troubled History. 2010. Hemingway, Ernest. Death in the Afternoon. 1932 Kennedy, A.L.: On Bullfighting. 1999. McCormick, John. Bullfighting: Art, Technique & Spanish Society. 1998 Mitchell, Timothy. Blood Sport: A Social History of Spanish Bullfighting. 1991. Ribezzo, Viviana. Adresi, Marta. The Corrida: The History of Bullfighting from its Origins to Present Day. 2018. Tauromaquia. Jaime Alekos. 2017. Tynan, Kenneth. (1955) “The Death of Manolete”. The Paris Review  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's 1992. The 40th Army is long gone and the Soviet Union has collapsed, but war still rages across Afghanistan. As the Afghan communist regime crumbles, Ahmed Shah Massoud and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's forces clash in Kabul. While America turns its back and the Mujahideen turn on each other, new threats arise and threaten to sweep the old generation of freedom fighters away – The Taliban and Osama bin Laden. (Part 4 of Ghosts in the Mountains) SOURCES: Ahmadi-Miller, Enjeela. The Broken Circle: A Memoir of Escaping Afghanistan. 2019. Alexievich, Svetlana. Zinky Boys. 1989. Ansari, Mir Tamim. Games Without Rules: The Often-Interrupted History of Afghanistan. 2012. Barfield, Thomas. Afghanistan: A Cultural and Political History. 2010. Borovik, Artyom. The Hidden War. 1990. Braithewaite, Rodric. Afgantsy: The Russians in Afghanistan, 1979-1989. 2011. Coll, Steve. Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan and Bin Laden from the Soviet Invasion to 2001. 2004.  Dobbs, Michael. Down with Big Brother: The Fall of the Soviet Empire. 1997. Feifer, Gregory. The Great Gamble: The Soviet War in Afghanistan. 2009.  Fremont-Barnes, Gregory. The Soviet-Afghan War, 1979-89. 2012. Galeotti, Mark. Storm-333: KGB and Spetsnaz Seize Kabul. 2021. Gall, Sandy. Afghan Napoleon: The Life of Ahmed Shah Massoud. 2021. Grad, Marcela. Massoud: An Intimate Portrait of the Legendary Afghan Leader. 2009. Goodwin, Jan. Caught in the Crossfire. 1987.  Grau, Lester W. The Bear Went Over the Mountain: Soviet Combat Tactics In Afghanistan. 1996. Hosdon, Peregrine. Under a Sickle Moon: A Journey Through Afghanistan. 1986. Kalinovsky, Artemy. A Long Goodbye: The Soviet Withdrawal from Afghanistan. 2011. Kaplan, Robert D. Soldiers of God: With Islamic Warriors in Afghanistan and Pakistan. 2001. Rosen, Ethan. The Bear, The Dragon, & the AK-47. 2017. Tanner, Stephen. Afghanistan: A Military History of Afghanistan from Alexander the Great to the War Against the Taliban. 2009.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the CIA wages a covert proxy war against the Soviet 40th Army, the Mujahideen are showered with billions of dollars and cutting-edge weaponry. An old animosity between two prominent Mujahideen commanders – Ahmed Shah Massoud and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar - turns into a bitter, deadly rivalry. Meanwhile, Soviet reformers led by Mikhail Gorbachev attempt to extricate the USSR from Afghanistan with a shred of dignity intact. After the Soviet withdrawal, the world turns it back on Afghanistan as a civil war rages between the Mujahideen factions – and the Taliban emerges.  SOURCES: Ahmadi-Miller, Enjeela. The Broken Circle: A Memoir of Escaping Afghanistan. 2019. Alexievich, Svetlana. Zinky Boys. 1989. Ansari, Mir Tamim. Games Without Rules: The Often-Interrupted History of Afghanistan. 2012. Barfield, Thomas. Afghanistan: A Cultural and Political History. 2010. Borovik, Artyom. The Hidden War. 1990. Braithewaite, Rodric. Afgantsy: The Russians in Afghanistan, 1979-1989. 2011. Coll, Steve. Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan and Bin Laden from the Soviet Invasion to 2001. 2004.  Dobbs, Michael. Down with Big Brother: The Fall of the Soviet Empire. 1997. Feifer, Gregory. The Great Gamble: The Soviet War in Afghanistan. 2009.  Fremont-Barnes, Gregory. The Soviet-Afghan War, 1979-89. 2012. Galeotti, Mark. Storm-333: KGB and Spetsnaz Seize Kabul. 2021. Gall, Sandy. Afghan Napoleon: The Life of Ahmed Shah Massoud. 2021. Grad, Marcela. Massoud: An Intimate Portrait of the Legendary Afghan Leader. 2009. Goodwin, Jan. Caught in the Crossfire. 1987.  Grau, Lester W. The Bear Went Over the Mountain: Soviet Combat Tactics In Afghanistan. 1996. Hosdon, Peregrine. Under a Sickle Moon: A Journey Through Afghanistan. 1986. Kalinovsky, Artemy. A Long Goodbye: The Soviet Withdrawal from Afghanistan. 2011. Kaplan, Robert D. Soldiers of God: With Islamic Warriors in Afghanistan and Pakistan. 2001. Rosen, Ethan. The Bear, The Dragon, & the AK-47. 2017. Tanner, Stephen. Afghanistan: A Military History of Afghanistan from Alexander the Great to the War Against the Taliban. 2009.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Soviet 40th Army invaded Afghanistan in the closing days of 1979. They would not leave for another nine years. Exhausted and frustrated by their inability to decisively crush the elusive freedom fighters in the mountains – the Mujahideen – the Soviets turn to atrocity and criminal violence to achieve their objectives. Meanwhile, adrenaline-seeking journalists and idealistic Western reporters illegally sneak into the war zone to uncover the truth behind the war.  SOURCES: Ahmadi-Miller, Enjeela. The Broken Circle: A Memoir of Escaping Afghanistan. 2019. Ansari, Mir Tamim. Games Without Rules: The Often-Interrupted History of Afghanistan. 2012. Barfield, Thomas. Afghanistan: A Cultural and Political History. 2010. Borovik, Artyom. The Hidden War. 1990. Braithewaite, Rodric. Afgantsy: The Russians in Afghanistan, 1979-1989. 2011. Coll, Steve. Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan and Bin Laden from the Soviet Invasion to 2001. 2004.  Dobbs, Michael. Down with Big Brother: The Fall of the Soviet Empire. 1997. Feifer, Gregory. The Great Gamble: The Soviet War in Afghanistan. 2009.  Fremont-Barnes, Gregory. The Soviet-Afghan War, 1979-89. 2012. Galeotti, Mark. Storm-333: KGB and Spetsnaz Seize Kabul. 2021. Goodwin, Jan. Caught in the Crossfire. 1987.  Grau, Lester W. The Bear Went Over the Mountain: Soviet Combat Tactics In Afghanistan. 1996. Hosdon, Peregrine. Under a Sickle Moon: A Journey Through Afghanistan. 1986. Kalinovsky, Artemy. A Long Goodbye: The Soviet Withdrawal from Afghanistan. 2011. Kaplan, Robert D. Soldiers of God: With Islamic Warriors in Afghanistan and Pakistan. 2001. Rosen, Ethan. The Bear, The Dragon, & the AK-47. 2017. Tanner, Stephen. Afghanistan: A Military History of Afghanistan from Alexander the Great to the War Against the Taliban. 2009.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Soviet Russia invaded Afghanistan in December of 1979, few could have imagined what a seismic impact it would have on the modern world. In an attempt to prop up a wobbly client regime, the Soviets sparked a transnational jihad, inflamed Cold War tensions, and hastened the downfall of their own empire. Often referred to as “Russia's Vietnam”, the Soviet-Afghan War is an overlooked, deeply misunderstood, and immensely important conflict. In this first installment of a multi-part series, we will explore how the Soviets found themselves ensnared in the “graveyard of empires”, through the eyes of the everyday people who experienced it firsthand.  SOURCES: Ahmadi-Miller, Enjeela. The Broken Circle: A Memoir of Escaping Afghanistan. 2019. Ansari, Mir Tamim. Games Without Rules: The Often-Interrupted History of Afghanistan. 2012. Barfield, Thomas. Afghanistan: A Cultural and Political History. 2010. Borovik, Artyom. The Hidden War. 1990. Braithewaite, Rodric. Afgantsy: The Russians in Afghanistan, 1979-1989. 2011. Coll, Steve. Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan and Bin Laden from the Soviet Invasion to 2001. 2004.  Dobbs, Michael. Down with Big Brother: The Fall of the Soviet Empire. 1997. Feifer, Gregory. The Great Gamble: The Soviet War in Afghanistan. 2009.  Fremont-Barnes, Gregory. The Soviet-Afghan War, 1979-89. 2012. Galeotti, Mark. Storm-333: KGB and Spetsnaz Seize Kabul. 2021. Grau, Lester W. The Bear Went Over the Mountain: Soviet Combat Tactics In Afghanistan. 1996. Hosdon, Peregrine. Under a Sickle Moon: A Journey Through Afghanistan. 1986. Kalinovsky, Artemy. A Long Goodbye: The Soviet Withdrawal from Afghanistan. 2011. Kaplan, Robert D. Soldiers of God: With Islamic Warriors in Afghanistan and Pakistan. 2001. Rosen, Ethan. The Bear, The Dragon, & the AK-47. 2017. Tanner, Stephen. Afghanistan: A Military History of Afghanistan from Alexander the Great to the War Against the Taliban. 2009.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The infamous Koh-I-Noor diamond currently sits in the Tower of London among the crown jewels of the British monarchy, but its bloody, eon-spanning journey began in the riverbeds of ancient India. Cut, coveted, and stolen multiple times over, this is the story of the world's most controversial gem. Told through a series of five chapters, we will look at some of the diamond's most consequential owners, and how it shaped (or destroyed) their lives.  SOURCES: Dalrymple, William; Anand, Anita. Kohinoor: The Story of the World's Most Infamous Diamond. 2016.  Tharoor, Shashi. Inglorious Empire: What the British Did to India. 2017.  Axworthy, Michael. Sword of Persia: Nader Shah. 2006.  Singh, Patwand; M. Rai, Jyoti. Empire of the Sikhs: The Life and Times of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. 2008.  Atwal, Priya. Royals and Rebels: The Rise & Fall of the Sikh Empire. 2020. Eraly, Abraham. The Mughal Throne: The Saga of India's Great Emperors. 2004. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the Battle of Midway, the Japanese Navy is in tatters and Yamamoto’s hopes of a quick victory against the Unites States have evaporated. He has no choice but to fight a war he knows Japan will lose. Tom Lanphier, Rex Barber, and the pilots of the 70th earn their stripes at Guadalcanal. The U.S. codebreakers at Hypo Station uncover the secret to intercepting the hated Yamamoto. John “Mitch” Mitchell plans and executes a borderline miraculous operation. Tom and Rex learn that victory builds careers, but destroys friendships. (Part 2 of 2) SOURCES: Davis, Donald A. Lighting Strike: The Secret Mission to Kill Admiral Yamamoto and Avenge Pearl Harbor. 2005.  Lehr, Dick. Dead Reckoning: The Story of How Johnny Mitchell and His Fighter Pilots Took On Admiral Yamamoto and Avenged Pearl Harbor. 2020.  Hampton, Dan. Operation Vengeance: The Astonishing Aerial Ambush That Changed World War 2. 2020.  Paine, S.C.M. The Japanese Empire: Grand Strategy from the Meiji Restoration to the Pacific War. 2017. Harmsen, Peter: Storm Clouds Over The Pacific, 1931-1941. 2018. Davis, Burke. Get Yamamoto. 1969. Hoyt, Edwin P. Yamamoto: The Man Who Planned Pearl Harbor. 1990. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1941, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto was the most hated man in America. As the architect of Japan’s December 7th surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States military decided Yamamoto had to die by any means necessary. Two years later, over the jungles of Southeast Asia, a daring aerial ambush gave the American people the closure they craved.  But who was Yamamoto really? Did his death have any impact on the outcome of the war? And who actually landed the killing blow? After the success of “Operation Vengeance”, as it came to be known, two American flyboys would become locked in a decades-long feud over who deserved the credit for avenging one of the deadliest days in American history.  A visionary Admiral. A longshot mission. A broken friendship. SOURCES: Davis, Donald A. Lighting Strike: The Secret Mission to Kill Admiral Yamamoto and Avenge Pearl Harbor. 2005.  Lehr, Dick. Dead Reckoning: The Story of How Johnny Mitchell and His Fighter Pilots Took On Admiral Yamamoto and Avenged Pearl Harbor. 2020.  Hampton, Dan. Operation Vengeance: The Astonishing Aerial Ambush That Changed World War 2. 2020.  Paine, S.C.M. The Japanese Empire: Grand Strategy from the Meiji Restoration to the Pacific War. 2017. Harmsen, Peter: Storm Clouds Over The Pacific, 1931-1941. 2018. Davis, Burke. Get Yamamoto. 1969. Hoyt, Edwin P. Yamamoto: The Man Who Planned Pearl Harbor. 1990. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Civil war has torn the Caliphate apart. In 656 AD, Aisha marches with an army at her back. Ali, newly crowned as Caliph, has no choice but to oppose her. Muawiya sees an opportunity to grab power and start a dynasty of his own. Hussein begins his inevitable path towards Karbala…and martyrdom. THE CAST: Aisha – The Prophet’s widow. “Mother of the Faithful”. Brave, jealous, and calculating. Muawiya – Governor of Syria “Son of the Liver Eater”. Master politician, ruthless and cunning.  Ali – The Prophet’s son-in-law. “Lion of God”. The Fourth Caliph.  Hussein – Grandson of the Prophet. Murdered at Karbala. Martyr of the Shi’a faith. Abu Bakr – Aisha’s father; The Prophet’s oldest friend. The First Caliph.  Umar – Hothead, bruiser, warlord; The Second Caliph.  Uthman – “He of the Two Lights”; The Third Caliph. Muhammed – The Prophet. A merchant-turned-messenger from God.  Fatima – Wife of Ali. Daughter of Muhammed. Mother to Hussein. SOURCES: Humphreys, Steven. Mu’awiya ibn abi Sufyan: The Savior of the Caliphate. 2006. Madelung, Wilferd. The Succession to Muhammad: A Study of the Early Caliphate. 1996. Kennedy, Hugh. The Great Arab Conquests: How the Spread of Islam Changed the World We Live In.  2007. Shah-Kazemi, Reza. Imam ‘Ali: From Concise History to Timeless Mystery. 2019. Hazleton, Lesley. The First Muslim: The Story of Muhammed. 2013. Hazleton, Lesley. After The Prophet: The Epic Story of the Shi’a-Sunni Split in Islam. 2009. Louer, Laurence. Sunnis and Shi’a: A Political History. 2020. Hoyland, Robert G. In God’s Path: The Arab Conquests and the Creation of an Islamic Empire. 2014. Betts, Robert Brenton. The Sunni-Shi’a Divide. 2013. Charles Rivers Editors. The History of the Sunni and Shia Split: Understanding the Divisions Within Islam.2014. Armstrong, Karen Keishin. Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time. 2007. Cole, Juan. Muhammed: Prophet of Peace Amid the Clash of Empires. 2018. Safi, Omid. Memories of Muhammed. 2009. Holland, Tom. The Shadow of the Sword: The Birth of Islam and the Rise of the Global Arab Empire. 2012. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Prophet is dead. In 632 AD, the armies of Islam explode out of Arabia, led by a series of aggressive new Caliphs. The Prophet’s young widow Aisha struggles to understand her new role as “Mother of the Faithful”. Meanwhile, Ali, snubbed for the title of Caliph, grapples with his conflicting feelings of bitterness and commitment to the stability of the Muslim community. All the while, an ambitious new rival, Muawiya, schemes and cajoles his way to absolute control over the new Islamic Empire. THE CAST: Aisha – The Prophet’s widow. “Mother of the Faithful”. Brave, jealous, and calculating. Muawiya – Rising star. “Son of the Liver Eater." A master politician, ruthless and cunning.  Ali – The Prophet’s son-in-law. “Lion of God”. The Fourth Caliph.  Abu Bakr – Aisha’s father; The Prophet’s oldest friend. The First Caliph.  Umar – Hothead, bruiser, warlord; The Second Caliph.  Uthman – “He of the Two Lights”; Corrupt and controversial. The Third Caliph. Muhammed – The Prophet. A merchant-turned-messenger from God.  Fatima – Wife of Ali. Daughter of Muhammed. Mother to Hussein. Hussein – Grandson of the Prophet. Murdered at Karbala. Martyr of the Shi’a faith. SOURCES: Humphreys, Steven. Mu’awiya ibn abi Sufyan: The Savior of the Caliphate. 2006. Madelung, Wilferd. The Succession to Muhammad: A Study of the Early Caliphate. 1996. Kennedy, Hugh. The Great Arab Conquests: How the Spread of Islam Changed the World We Live In.  2007. Shah-Kazemi, Reza. Imam ‘Ali: From Concise History to Timeless Mystery. 2019. Hazleton, Lesley. The First Muslim: The Story of Muhammed. 2013. Hazleton, Lesley. After The Prophet: The Epic Story of the Shi’a-Sunni Split in Islam. 2009. Louer, Laurence. Sunnis and Shi’a: A Political History. 2020. Hoyland, Robert G. In God’s Path: The Arab Conquests and the Creation of an Islamic Empire. 2014. Betts, Robert Brenton. The Sunni-Shi’a Divide. 2013. Charles Rivers Editors. The History of the Sunni and Shia Split: Understanding the Divisions Within Islam.2014. Armstrong, Karen Keishin. Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time. 2007. Cole, Juan. Muhammed: Prophet of Peace Amid the Clash of Empires. 2018. Safi, Omid. Memories of Muhammed. 2009. Holland, Tom. The Shadow of the Sword: The Birth of Islam and the Rise of the Global Arab Empire. 2012. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the Prophet Muhammed died in 632 AD, it triggered a succession crisis amongst his followers. After the dust settled, two divergent branches of the faith remained – Sunni and Shi’a. It is a deeply misunderstood story that has been unearthed and repackaged in the 21st century to inflame political animus and give superficial labels to complex tensions. In this episode, we will examine the very human, very relatable drama that unfolded against the backdrop of the rise of the Islamic Empire in the 7th century. THE CAST Muhammed – The Prophet. A merchant-turned-messenger from God.  Aisha – The Prophet’s favorite wife; Charming, fiery, and envious.  Ali – The Prophet’s cherished son-in-law. Lion of God. Humble, loyal, and honorable to a fault. Fatima - Daughter of the Prophet and wife to Ali. Abu Bakr – Aisha’s father, Muhammed’s close friend, and first Caliph. Hussein – Grandson of the Prophet. Murdered at Karbala. Martyr of the Shi’a faith. SOURCES: Hazleton, Lesley. The First Muslim: The Story of Muhammed.  Hazleton, Lesley. After The Prophet: The Epic Story of the Shi’a-Sunni Split in Islam. Louer, Laurence. Sunnis and Shi’a: A Political History. Hoyland, Robert G. In God’s Path: The Arab Conquests and the Creation of an Islamic Empire.  Betts, Robert Brenton. The Sunni-Shi’a Divide.  Charles Rivers Editors. The History of the Sunni and Shia Split: Understanding the Divisions Within Islam.  Armstrong, Karen Keishin. MuhammedL A Prophet for Our Time.  Cole, Juan. Muhammed: Prophet of Peace Amid the Clash of Empires.  Safi, Omid. Memories of Muhammed.  Holland, Tom. The Shadow of the Sword: The Birth of Islam and the Rise of the Global Arab Empire.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fake coffee. Rotten meat. Poison milk. This is the story of a few good men and their bitter fight to make America’s food supply safe. Hounded by enemies and discredited at every turn, a handful of scientists and activists challenged the titans of the 19th century food industry – and won.  SOURCES: Blum, Deborah. The Poison Squad: One Chemists Single-Minded Crusade for Food Safety at the Turn of the Twentieth Century. 2018. Morris, Edmund. The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt. 1979  Sinclair, Upton. The Jungle. 1906. Hilts, Philip J. Protecting America’s Health: The FDA, Business, and One Hundred Years of Regulation. 2003. Wilson, Bee. Swindled: The Dark History of Food Fraud, from Poisoned Candy to Counterfeit Coffee. 2008. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tank battles, Cold War politics, and nuclear alerts. This is the epic conclusion of a two-part series on the Yom Kippur War. On October 6th, 1973, Egypt and Syria launch a brilliant surprise attack on the nation of Israel. Golda Meir struggles to restrain her generals from unleashing doomsday weapons, and Dr. Henry Kissinger navigates the perilous world of Cold War diplomacy in hopes of bringing the conflict to a swift end. Even Nixon makes an appearance. SOURCES: Morse, David R. Kissinger and the Yom Kippur War. 2015. Boyne, Walter J. The Two O’clock War. 2002. Blum, Howard. The Eve of Destruction. 2003. Klagsbrun, Francine. Lioness: Golda Meir and the Nation of Israel. 2017. Herzog, Chaim. The War of Atonement. 1975. Charles Rivers Editors. The Yom Kippur War. 2017. Abraham Rabinovich. The Yom Kippur War. 2004. Bregman, Ahron. The Spy Who Fell To Earth. 2016. Oren, Michael B. Six Days of War. 2002. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Yom Kippur War of 1973 has been described as the greatest military intelligence failure since Pearl Harbor. This is the story of how a vengeful surprise attack almost destroyed the nation of Israel. Told through the eyes of titanic personalities like Anwar Sadat, Golda Meir, and Moshe Dayan. (Part 1 of 2). SOURCES: Boyne, Walter J. The Two O’clock War. 2002. Blum, Howard. The Eve of Destruction. 2003. Klagsbrun, Francine. Lioness: Golda Meir and the Nation of Israel. 2017. Herzog, Chaim. The War of Atonement. 1975. Charles Rivers Editors. The Yom Kippur War. 2017. Abraham Rabinovich. The Yom Kippur War. 2004. Bregman, Ahron. The Spy Who Fell To Earth. 2016. Oren, Michael B. Six Days of War. 2002.

On June 5th, 1864, the Shogun’s secret police raced against time to foil a sweeping terrorist plot in Kyoto. The ensuing bloodbath would have far-reaching consequences for the future of Japan.  SOURCES: Hillsborough, Romulus. Shinsengumi: The Shogun’s Last Samurai Corps. 2005. Hillsborough, Romulus. Samurai Revolution. 2014.  Hillsborough, Romulus. Samurai Assassins. 2017.  Jansen, Marius B. The Making of Modern Japan. 2000. Ravina, Mark. The Last Samurai: The Life and Battles of Saigo Takamori. 2004. Esposito, Gabriele. Japanese Armies, 1868-1877. 2020. Charles Rivers Editors. Commodore Matthew Perry. 2020. 

The Marquis De Sade was a pariah in his time, a monster on the page, and a genius in death. But what crimes did the namesake of “sadism” actually commit? Where did his real-life appetites end…and his literary fantasies begin? (Explicit, obviously) SOURCES: Thomas, Donald. The Marquis de Sade. 1976. Du Plessix Gray, Francine. At Home with the Marquis de Sade. 1998. Lever, Maurice. Sade. 1994. Schaeffer, Niel. The Marquis De Sade: A Life. 1999. Gorer, Geoffrey. The Life and Ideas of the Marquis de Sade. 1933. Marquis de Sade. The 120 Days of Sodom. Marquis de Sade. Letters from Prison.

How the US government deliberately sent thousands of mentally-disabled men into combat during the Vietnam War. A bonus episode and companion to Episode 12: "The Good Guys". SOURCES: Gregory, Hamilton. McNamara's Folly: The Use of Low-IQ Troops in the Vietnam War. 2015.  Hsiao, Lisa. “Project 100,000: The Great Society’s Answer to Military Manpower Needs in Vietnam”. 1989. Hastings, Sir Max. Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy (1945-1975). 2018.  Turse, Nick. Kill Anything That Moves. 2013. Charles Rivers Editors. The My Lai Massacre. 2015.  Jones, Howard. My Lai. 2015.  Fitzgerald, Frances. Fire In The Lake. 1972. O’Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. 1990.

The 1968 My Lai Massacre shocked Americans, but the true nature of the Vietnam War went far beyond anything the public could’ve imagined. This is the story of the war within the War, between the soldiers who brutalized Vietnamese civilians, and the unsung men who tried to stop them. SOURCES: Jones, Howard. My Lai. 2015.  Hastings, Sir Max. Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy (1945-1975). 2018.  Hersh, Seymour M. Cover-Up. 1972. Charles Rivers Editors. The My Lai Massacre. 2015.  Fitzgerald, Frances. Fire In The Lake. 1972. O’Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. 1990. Turse, Nick. Kill Anything That Moves. 2013.

In 1945, the German city of Dresden was consumed in a firestorm engineered by the Allies. Many consider it to be a war crime. Others, a necessary evil.SOURCES Taylor, Frederick. Dresden: Tuesday, February 13th, 1945. 2004.McKay, Sinclair. The Fire and the Darkness: The Bombing of Dresden 1945. 2020.Charles River Editors. The Firebombing of Dresden and Tokyo. 2017.Gregg, Victor. Dresden: A Survivor’s Story. 2013.Harris, Arthurs. Bomber Offensive. 1947.Klemperer, Victor. I Will Bear Witness: A Diary. 1995.Harmon, Christopher. "Are We Beasts?: Churchill and the Moral Question of World War 2 Area Bombing". 1991.Editors, History.com. "Massive fire burns in Wisconsin". Nov 2009  

A bonus episode concerning the Praetorian Guard's musical and murderous relationship with Rome's fabulous fifth Emperor, Nero. An epilogue to E10: "Kingbreakers"SOURCES:Strauss, Barry. Ten Caesars:  Roman Emperors from Augustus to Constantine.2019De La Bodeyere, Guy. Praetorian: The Rise and Fall of Rome’s Imperial Bodyguard. 2017Rankov, Boris. The Praetorian Guard. 1994Bingham, Sandra. The Praetorian Guard. 2012Suetonius. Lives of the Caesars. AD 121Dando-Collins, Stephen. Caligula: The Mad Emperor of Rome. 2019.Tacitus, Cornelius. The Complete Works. 1994.

The story of Rome through the eyes of the infamous Praetorian Guard, feared bodyguards who wielded the power and leverage to make – or break – the Emperors they swore to protect.SOURCES: Strauss, Barry. Ten Caesars:  Roman Emperors from Augustus to Constantine. 2019De La Bodeyere, Guy. Praetorian: The Rise and Fall of Rome’s Imperial Bodyguard. 2017Rankov, Boris. The Praetorian Guard. 1994Bingham, Sandra. The Praetorian Guard. 2012Beard, Mary. SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome. 2015Beard, Mary. The Roman Triumph. 2007. Suetonius. Lives of the Caesars. AD 121Dando-Collins, Stephen. Caligula: The Mad Emperor of Rome. 2019.Tacitus, Cornelius. The Complete Works. 1994.