Podcasts about historians

During WW2, Allied propaganda portrayed Adolf Hitler as….er…lacking in certain areas of male physique. Recently, the world's leading forensic DNA scientists have extracted Hitler's genetic material from an old bloodstain - and discovered some remarkable things about his health, his mental state and, yes, the likely state of his genitals. Historian Guy Waters - an expert on the Nazis - joins Phil to explore what all of this means for our understanding of one of history's greatest villains. Guy's book Hunting Evil can be bought here... https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hunting-Evil-Guy-Walters/dp/0553819399/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0And there's information and extracts from Phil's new book here...https://sites.google.com/view/1945thereckoning/homeYou can order his book now on Amazon UK and Amazon Australia, India and NZ - and it is available all around the world as an e-book and an audio book...https://www.amazon.co.uk/1945-Reckoning-Empire-Struggle-World/dp/139971449X/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=#***We now have a Thank You button (next to the 'three dots') for small donations that help support our work***Looking for the perfect gift for a special scandalous someone - or someone you'd like to get scandalous with? We're here to help...https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ScandalMongers*** If you enjoy our work please consider clicking the YouTube subscribe button, even if you listen to us on an audio app. It will help our brand to grow and our content to reach new ears.THE SCANDAL MONGERS PODCAST is also available to listen to watch on YouTube...https://www.youtube.com/@thescandalmongerspodcastThe Scandal Mongers...https://x.com/mongerspodcastPhil Craig...https://x.com/philmcraigYou can get in touch with the show via...team@podcastworld.org(place 'Scandal Mongers' in the heading)Show Produced By Podcast World Soho Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join co-hosts Mark McNease and Rick Rose for our take on the Kennedy Center desecration. From there we lean into the lighter side of the season with a spirited list of the worst holiday movies ever made, celebrating classic clunkers and festive films that missed the mark. The episode culminates in an engaging interview with Herbie J. Pilato, acclaimed pop culture historian and author, who joins Rick to talk classic television, celebrity legacies, media nostalgia, and why decades-old shows continue to resonate in today's streaming-dominated landscape.

fWotD Episode 3152: Foreign volunteers in the Rhodesian Security Forces Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Sunday, 21 December 2025, is Foreign volunteers in the Rhodesian Security Forces.The Rhodesian government actively recruited white personnel from other countries from the mid-1970s until 1980 to address manpower shortages in the Rhodesian Security Forces during the Rhodesian Bush War. It is estimated that between 800 and 2,000 foreign volunteers enlisted. The issue attracted a degree of controversy as Rhodesia was the subject of international sanctions that banned military assistance due to its illegal declaration of independence and the control which the small white minority exerted over the country. The volunteers were often labelled as mercenaries by opponents of the Rhodesian regime, though the Rhodesian government did not regard or pay them as such.The volunteers had a range of motivations for enlisting. These included opposition to governments led by black people, anti-communism, a desire for adventure, racism, and economic hardship. The volunteers generally joined the Rhodesian Security Forces after seeing advertisements or being contacted by recruiters. Many were from the United Kingdom and United States, some being combat veterans. They generally served alongside Rhodesian personnel, though a separate unit made up of Frenchmen was formed. The Rhodesian government regarded the volunteers as unreliable, and they often received a hostile response from members of the units to which they were posted. This contributed to high desertion rates. The remaining volunteers were dismissed from the security forces in 1980 following the end of the war and Rhodesia's transition to Zimbabwe.It was illegal for the citizens of many countries to serve with the Rhodesian Security Forces due to the international sanctions that had been imposed on Rhodesia following its illegal declaration of independence, or broader prohibitions against mercenary activity. The governments of the United Kingdom, United States and several other countries were unable to prevent their citizens fighting for Rhodesia owing to difficulties enforcing their relevant laws. The African nationalist groups who opposed the Rhodesian government believed the presence of volunteers indicated that Western governments supported the regime. Historians have published little on the volunteers, coverage largely forming part of works on broader issues. The volunteers are celebrated by some modern far-right and white supremacist groups that admire Rhodesia.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:03 UTC on Sunday, 21 December 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Foreign volunteers in the Rhodesian Security Forces on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Bluesky at @wikioftheday.com.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Joanna.

Dr. Richard Kopley, distinguished professor of English, emeritus, at Penn State University, joins the "ROI" panelists to discuss "Edgar Allen Poe:  A Life."The host for the 640th edition in this series is Jay Swords, and the history buffs are Brett Monnard and Terri Toppler.Special music used in this episode is "BMV578 Fuga In G (Fugue In G Minor)," James Kibbe/Bach Organ Works.Opinions expressed in this program are those of the hosts and the guest(s), and not necessarily those of KALA-FM or St. Ambrose University. This program is recorded at KALA-FM, St. Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa, USA!

BONUS DISCUSSION:  Dr. Richard Kopley, distinguished professor of English, emeritus, at Penn State University, joins the "ROI" panelists to discuss "Edgar Allen Poe:  A Life."The host for the 640th edition in this series is Jay Swords, and the history buffs are Brett Monnard and Terri Toppler.Special music used in this episode is "BMV578 Fuga In G (Fugue In G Minor)," James Kibbe/Bach Organ Works.Opinions expressed in this program are those of the hosts and the guest(s), and not necessarily those of KALA-FM or St. Ambrose University. This program is recorded at KALA-FM, St. Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa, USA!

Brandon welcomes film critic and Oz historian Ryan Jay to Front Row Classics. Ryan is one of America's most popular nationally syndicated entertainment critics. The two discuss his passion for movies, especially those involving the Oz universe. We also discuss the release and reaction of Wicked: For Good. 

On today's show, host Esty Dinur is joined by scholar Marc Becker to talk about the Trump Administration's rapidly escalating attacks on Venezuela. He puts the strikes on boats allegedly trafficking drugs in the context of Venezuela's oil economy and Latin American politics. Venezuela is considered to have the world's largest oil reserves which leads many mainstream news sources to call the country the wealthiest in Latin America. But Becker says that wealth is poorly distributed. Under the presidency of Hugo Chávez, Venezuela was successful at redistributing that oil wealth. However, the US has worked to remove Chavez and more recently Nicolás Maduro from power. Even the media circulates narratives that these left-wing leaders have “illegitimate” power.   They also talk about how the US embargo has had a catastrophic effect on the Venezuelan economy, how the US might be gearing up for attacks on Cuba, Chinese policy in Latin and South America, and the Ineligibility of María Corina Machado in the recent Venezuelan elections.  Marc Becker is professor of history at Truman State University. He studies the Latin American left with a particular interest in race, class, and gender within popular movements in the South American Andes. Among other works, he is the author of Contemporary Latin American Revolutions (Rowman and Littlefield, 2022); The CIA in Ecuador (Duke University Press, 2020); The FBI in Latin America: The Ecuador Files (Duke University Press, 2017); and Indians and Leftists in the Making of Ecuador’s Modern Indigenous Movements (Duke University Press, 2008. He has served on the executive committees and has been web editor of the Peace History Society (PHS) and Historians for Peace and Democracy (H-Pad). Becker is currently working on a project on Philip Agee and the CIA in Ecuador in the early 1960s. Featured image of a mural outside a Venezuelan state-owned oil and gas company from 2009 via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Did you enjoy this story? Your funding makes great, local journalism like this possible. Donate hereThe post Oil Motivates US Attacks on Venezuela appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

We celebrate Petemas with Pete Johnson. Rebel? Student? Teacher? Historian? We find out how Pete sees himself and his place in the industry. We ask Pete what changes he's seen in the cigar industry over the past 32 years and what he would change if he could. Pete talks about the "unusual suspects," cigar pricing, and how the industry truly is relationship driven. We talk a little about cigar media, cigar reviews, and the "craft" cigar industry.

Welcome Ryan Jay Brandon welcomes film critic and Oz historian Ryan Jay to Front Row Classics. Ryan is one of America's most popular nationally syndicated entertainment critics. The two discuss his passion for movies, especially those involving the Oz universe. We also discuss the release and reaction of Wicked: For Good.  Don't forget to follow/reach … Continue reading Ep. 398- A Conversation with Film Critic/Oz Historian, Ryan Jay →

Communism and Islam are rapidly infiltrating the United States through what is known as the “red–green axis,” a coordinated effort aimed at conquering and dismantling America both as a nation and as an idea, warned legendary historian, Turning Point Education leader, and close associate of Charlie Kirk, William Federer. Speaking with The New American's Andrew ... The post TPUSA’s Top Historian Explains Communist and Islamic Infiltration of U.S. appeared first on The New American.

Janne Sirén johtaa New Yorkin osavaltiossa Buffalo AKG -taidemuseota, joka on Yhdysvaltain johtavia modernin ja nykytaiteen museoita. Aikaisemmin hän on johtanut muun muassa Helsingin ja Tampereen taidemuseoita. Jannen kahdentoista vuoden aikana kehitys AKG:ssa on ollut huikeaa. Sen rooli osana yhteisöä on vahvistunut, sen varainkeruu on onnistunut yli kaikkien odotusten, sen kampus ja tilat ovat täysin uudistuneet ja se on alkanut ottaa roolia myös merkittävänä pohjoismaisen taiteen kerääjänä. Siinä ohessa Janne on taistellut museon puolesta niin lumimyrskyissä kuin mielipidemyrskyissä. Tässä pitkässä ja moniin suuntiin ponnistavassa podcastissa puhumme muun muassa museon tehtävästä löytää "huomisen taiteelliset vallankumoukset jo ennen kuin ne sellaisiksi ymmärretään" sekä siitä, kuinka taide on ikkuna tulevaisuuteen. Kyselen myös, millaisia ovat nykytaiteen nousevat trendit sekä, mitä Suomen suuret kulttuurihankkeet kuten Fuuga, Kansallismuseo ja  Arkkitehtuuri- ja designmuseo voisivat ehkä oppia kokemuksista Buffalossa. Loistavia kuunteluhetkiä!  

Have you ever wondered, “What's the last food you ate in your car—and did you regret it?”

This week John Poz's TMPT welcomes into the show for the feature episode, Historian, and author Dr. Jonathan Foye. The historian, and author is on to discuss his entire professional wrestling journey. Host John Poz and Jon will talk about his new book: Freedom and Faith: Pro Wrestling NOAH, Beyond the Green Mat, his series of books, NOAH, Japanese wrestling, Great Muta, Johnny Ace, AJPW, NJPW, and so much more!Freedom and Faith: Pro Wrestling NOAH - https://www.indiegogo.com/en/projects/hybridshoot/freedom-and-faith-pro-wrestling-noahStore - Teepublic.com/stores/TMPTFollow us @TwoManPowerTrip on Twitter and IG

Send us a textLuke 2 tells us that Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem "to be taxed", and while there, the baby Jesus was born. But, what do we know about that taxing from history? Did everyone travel? What was the general tax environment in the Roman world at the time? Did they actually remit a tax, or, what was the purpose of this trip? Jeff and Scott chat with Roman historian Anna Dolganov about these questions, and more.Anna's previous appearance on the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1878989/episodes/17860482 . One note: On the podcast we talk about how burdensome the tax imposed by the Romans in situations like this was, in terms of days of labor (a la Tax Foundation's "Tax Freedom Day"). Here is a follow-up note from Anna: "A Roman legionary's salary was about 225 denarii per year, and the poll tax rate in Egypt was 8-40 drachmas per year (depending on location and tax privilege). So, not quite Austrian level taxation, but still quite a considerable sum."A denarii and a drachma are equivalent. So, Tax Freedom Day for Mary and Joseph, based only on the poll tax, may have been sometime in mid-February.

Rusty joins Louie on the D4 Land Services Hotline to share his thoughts on all the upcoming CFP Round One games, including No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 10 Miami. He highlights the key battles between the Aggies and Hurricanes and also talks Aggie Volleyball as they head to the Final Four in pursuit of a National Championship. “Listen In” AFB — featuring Albert Regis, Will Lee III, Daymion Sanford, and Dezz Ricks. 

Slavery played a significant role in the early history of Paarl, Western Cape, particularly during the 17th and 18th centuries under Dutch and later British colonial rule. Enslaved people—brought mainly from East Africa, Madagascar, India, and Southeast Asia, as well as Indigenous Khoisan people—were forced to work on farms, vineyards, and in households, forming the backbone of the local agricultural economy. Their labour was central to the development of Paarl's wine and wheat industries. Despite harsh conditions, enslaved communities preserved and blended cultural traditions, languages, and spiritual practices that continue to influence the region today. The legacy of slavery in Paarl remains visible in its social history, cultural expressions, and the lived experiences of descendant communities long after emancipation in 1834. Hybré van Niekerk, a self-taught Historian and Culture tourist guide from Paarl, tells is more. Produced by Shaldon Ferris (Khoi/San) Interviewee: Hybré van Niekerk (of Slave/Khoi descent) Image: Het Gestucht Museum, Paarl. Music 'Burn your village to the ground', by The Haluci Nation, used with permission.

On Christmas Eve, 1944, Elizabeth Vincken and her twelve-year-old son, Fritz, sat down for a quiet Christmas Eve dinner, hopeful for a respite in the midst of deadly battles in the northern Belgian forest. Knocks on their door quickly turned their evening into a series of dramatic moments and standoffs, but Elizabeth's bravery and compassion led to one of the most heart-filled – and unheard – stories of World War II. In this very special holiday episode, Army Matters senior producer Carrie Varouhakis and Army historian and writer Kevin Hymel unearth this story of a mother, a son, weary soldiers, warm food, a song, a fat goose and a lifelong quest, weaving it into a story that will fill your ears – and heart – with joy. Narrated by:  Kevin M. Hymel, Historian, U.S. Army Carrie Varouhakis, Senior Producer, AUSA's Army Matters Podcast Music: The versions of “O Tannenbaum,” “Auld Lang Syne” and “Silent Night” found in this episode are performed by the U.S. Army Field Band. Has a member of the Army positively changed your life? Now is your chance to thank them publicly with a shoutout via our Hooah Hotline and have it possibly appear on an upcoming episode of AUSA's Army Matters podcast! AUSA's Army Matters podcast can also be heard on Wreaths Across America Radio on Monday at 8 pm Eastern. You can find Wreaths Across America Radio on the iHeart Radio app, the Audacy app, and the TuneIn app. Search the word Wreath.  Donate: If you are interested in supporting AUSA's educational programs, such as this podcast, please visit www.ausa.org/donate. Feedback: How are we doing? Email us at podcast@ausa.org. Disclaimer: AUSA's Army Matters podcast primary purpose is to entertain. The podcast does not constitute advice or services. While guests are invited to listen, listeners please note that you are not being provided professional advice from the podcast or the guests. The views and opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the views of AUSA.   

On this episode of Face to Face: Cody Groat As a professor in history and Indigenous studies, Cody Groat always has his eyes on political affairs, and at the moment, there is no shortage of consequential issues affecting Indigenous Peoples. The 10th anniversary of the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's final report is one of those top of mind issues for Groat, who is Mohawk and a member of Six Nations of the Grand River. • • • APTN National News, our stories told our way. Visit our website for more: https://aptnnews.ca Hear more APTN News podcasts: https://www.aptnnews.ca/podcasts/

There have been four Major League Baseball All Star games hosted by the Philadelphia Phillies, including 2026, and all four of them have featured the Liberty Bell in the logo. Designer and sports design historian Todd Radom and living history interpreter Mitchell Kramer stop by to discuss why this iconic symbol is so inextricably tied to Philadelphia. Guests include: Todd Radom, Todd Radom Design toddradom.com Mitchell Kramer, Historian, bfranklin.org Dan Simon, Studio Simon, studiosimon.net Find the Baseball By Design podcast online: Instagram @baseballbydesign Threads @baseballbydesign Bluesky @baseballbydesign.bsky.social Facebook @baseballbydesignpodcast linktr.ee/BaseballByDesign Baseball By Design is a member of the Curved Brim Media Network.

Not All Hood: The Weekly DropIn this episode, Candace Kelley leads a timely conversation unpacking the headlines shaping culture, housing, and civic life. The show begins with a discussion on the elimination of the penny and how price rounding quietly impacts cash users, raising questions about equity and who bears the hidden cost of everyday policy decisions.The conversation then turns to the viral Washington, D.C. Airbnb squatter case, examining tenant rights, housing loopholes, and the role of community accountability. The panel explores how legal gray areas, short-term rentals, and rising housing insecurity intersect, and what this case reveals about broader challenges in urban housing across the United States.Historian and educator Dr. Hasan Kwame Jeffries joins the show to connect Black history to present-day civic engagement. He discusses systemic racism as a continuous structure rather than a repeating cycle, the importance and limitations of voting, and how protests, boycotts, and grassroots organizing have historically driven social change. Dr. Jeffries also reflects on the cultural responsibility of hip-hop, the impact of commercialization, and how public conversations around figures like Sean “Diddy” Combs fit into a larger reckoning around power, accountability, and influence.The episode also addresses the rise of misinformation online, including viral celebrity hoaxes and unverified claims, highlighting the importance of media literacy in an era driven by algorithms and outrage.Comedian Big Mama closes the episode with humor and sharp commentary on the week's most confusing and outrageous stories, offering levity while underscoring the absurdity and seriousness of the news cycle.This episode of Not All Hood: The Weekly Drop blends news analysis, historical insight, cultural critique, and humor to help listeners better understand today's headlines through context, clarity, and conversation.Topics CoveredThe end of the penny and price roundingHousing crisis and the Washington, D.C. Airbnb squatter caseTenant rights, housing loopholes, and community actionBlack history and civic engagementVoting, protest, boycotts, and grassroots organizingHip-hop, culture, and accountabilityMisinformation, viral hoaxes, and media literacyNews commentary and comedyFeatured GuestsDr. Hasan Kwame Jeffries – Historian and educatorBig Mama  Bad Ass – Comedian and cultural commentator -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Not All Hood (NAH) podcast takes a look at the lived experiences and identities of Black people in America. Infused with pop culture, music, and headlining news, the show addresses the evolution, exhilaration, and triumphs of being rooted in a myriad of versions of Black America.Hosted by Malcolm-Jamal Warner, and Candace O.KelleyExecutive Producer: Layne FontesProducer & Creative Director: Troy W. Harris, Jr. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey before I begin I just want to thank all of you who have joined the patreon, you guys are awesome. Please let me know what other figures, events or other things you want to hear about in the future and I will try to make it happen.   If you are a long time listener to the Pacific War week by week podcast over at KNG or viewer of my youtube channel you have probably heard me talk about Tomoyuki Yamashita, the Tiger of Malaya quite often. It goes without saying when it comes to Japanese generals of WW2 he stands out. Not just to me, from the offset of the war he made a large impression on westerners, he achieved incredible feats early on in the war. Now if you look up books about him, you will pretty much only find information in regards to his infamous war crimes trial. Hell it was so infamous the legal doctrine of hierarchical accountability for war crimes, whereby a commanding officer is legally responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by his subordinates, was created. This is known as the command responsibility or “the Yamashita standard”. His court case was very controversial, he remains a controversial figure, certainly to the people of territories he campaigned in, but I think what can be said of him the most is he was special amongst the Japanese generals. Anyways lets get the show on the road as they say.   So who was Yamashita? When he was 59 years old commanding forces in the Philippines against General Douglas MacArthur, he weighed 220 ls and stood 5 feet 9 inches. His girth pressed out against his green army uniform. He had an egg shaped head, balding, wide spaced eyes and a flat nose. He wore a short mustache, sort of like Hitlers, until it grayed then he shaved it off. He was not a very attractive man, Filipinos referred to him as “old potato face” while Americans called him “a florid, pig faced man”.   Tomobumi Yamashita was born in 1885, he was the second son of Dr. Sakichi Yamashita and Yuu Yamashita in Osugi village, on Shikoku island. Like most males of his day he was indoctrinated into military preparatory school from a young age. Yamashita had no chosen the army as a career, in his words ‘my father suggested the idea, because I was big and healthy, and my mother did not seriously object because she believed, bless her soul, that I would never pass the highly competitive entrance examination. If I had only been cleverer or had worked harder, I would have been a doctor like my brother”Yamashita would graduate from the 18th class of the IJA academy in november of 1905, ranked 16th out of 920 cadets.    In 1908 he was promoted to the rank of Lt and during WW1 he fought against Imperial German and Austro-Hungarian forces in the famous siege of Qingdao, which if you are interested I did an episode over on my Youtube channel about this battle. Its a very overlooked battle, but many histories firsts occurred at it like the first carrier attack. In 1916 he was promoted to captain and attended the 28th class of the Army War college to graduate sixth in his class that year. He also married Hisako Nagayama in 1916, she was the daughter of the retired General Nagayama.    It seems Yamashita's brush against the Germans in 1914 had a huge influence on him, because he became fascinated with Germany and would serve as assistant military attache at Bern and Berlin from 1919-1922. He spent his time in Germany alongside Captain Hideki Tojo, both men would run into each other countless times and become bitter rivals. Both men toured the western front, visiting Hamburg and witnessed first hand the crippling inflation and food prices that came from Germany's defeat. Yamashita said to Tojo then “If Japan ever has to fight any nation, she must never surrender and get herself in a state like this.” He returned to Japan in 1922, was promoted to major and served a few different posts in the Imperial Headquarters and Staff College. Yamashita became a leading member of the Kodoha faction, while Tojo became a leading member of the rival Toseiha faction. In 1927 Yamashita was sent again to Europe, this time to Vienna as a military attache. Just prior to departing he had invested in a business selling thermometers starting by one of his wife's relatives, the business failed horribly and Yamashita was tossed into debt, bailiffs literally came to seize his house. As told to us by his biographer “For a regular officer to have contracted such a debt, however innocently, was a disgrace. He felt he should resign his commission.” Yamashita's brother refused to allow him to quit, instructing him to leave for Vienna, while he resolved his debts. His days in Vienna were the best of his life, professed Yamashita. He studied economics at Vienna university and made friends with a Japanese widow, who introduced him to a German woman named Kitty and they had an affair. This would spring forward his reputation as an eccentric officer. Yamashita was obsessed over hygiene,and refused to eat fruit unless it was thoroughly washed. He avoided ice water, hated dancing and never learnt how to drive a car. One of his most notable quirks was his habit of falling asleep often during meetings where he legendarily would snore. Like I may have said in previous podcast and youtube episodes, this guy was quite a character, often described as a big bear.    Now this is not a full biography on Yamashita so I cant devolve to far into things, such as his first fall from grace. During the February 26th coup incident of 1936, Yamashita was a leading member of the Kodoha faction and helped mediate a peaceful end to the standoff, however in truth he was backing the coup. He simply managed to not get caught red handed at the time doing too much for the mutineers, regardless he lost favor with the outraged Emperor and many young captains whom he loved like sons killed themselves in disgrace. If you want to know more about the February coup of 1936, check out my series on Emperor Hirohito or General Ishawara, they both talk about it in depth and touch upon Yamashita's role a bit.    The coup led to the dissolvement of the Kodoha faction and the dominance of the Toseiha, led by Tojo. Yamashita tried to resign from the IJA, but his superiors dissuade him. He was relegated to a post in Korea, which honestly was a punishment. Yamashita would say “When I was posted to Korea, I felt I had been given a tactful promotion but that in fact my career was over. Even when I was given my first fighting company in North China, I still felt I had no future in the Army, so I was always on the front line, where the bullets flew the thickest. I sought only a place to die.”  He had some time to reflect upon his conduct while in Korea, he began to study Zen Buddhism. He was promoted to Lt General in November of 1937 and when the China war broke out he was one of those speaking out that the incident needed to end swiftly and that peaceful relations must be made with the UK and US. He received a unimportant post in the Kwantung army and in 1938 was assigned command of the IJA 4th division. He led the forces during in northern china against insurgents until he returned to Tokyo in July of 1940. His fellow officers lauded him as Japan's finest general. Meanwhile Tojo had ascended to war minister and one of his first moves was to send a delegation to Germany. Tojo considered Yamashita a ruthless and forceful commander and feared he would become a powerful rival against him one day. Yamashita would go on the record to say then “I have nothing against Tojo, but he apparently has something against me.” You see, Yamashita had no political ambitions, unlike Tojo who was by nature a political monster. “My life, is that of a soldier; I do not seek any other life unless our Emperor calls me.” In late 1940, Tojo asked Yamashita to lead a team of 40 experts on a 6 month train tour of Germany and Italy, a move that kept him out of Tokyo, because Tojo was trying to solidify his political ambitions. This is going to become a looming theme between the two men.   He was presented to Adolf Hitler in January of 1941, passing along messages from Tojo and publicly praising the Fuhrer, though privately he was very unimpressed by the man  “He may be a great orator on a platform, with his gestures and flamboyant way of speaking. But standing behind his desk listening he seems much more like a clerk.” Hitler pressed upon him to push Japan to declare war on Britain and the US. At the time of course Japan was facing China and had two major conflicts with the USSR, thus this was absolutely not in her interest. “My country is still fighting in China, and we must finish that war as soon as possible. We are also afraid that Russia may attack us in Manchuria. This is no time for us to declare war on other countries.” Yamashita hoped to inspect Germany's military techniques and technology to help Japan. Hitler promised open exchanges of information stating “All our secrets are open to you,”, but this would prove to be a lie. “There were several pieces of equipment the Germans did not want us to see. Whenever I tried to persuade the German General Staff to show us things like radar—about which we had a rudimentary knowledge—the conversation always turned to something else.”   Yamashita met with field Marshal Hermann Goring who gave him an overview of the war in europe. Goring would complain about Yamashita falling asleep during lectures and meetings and he believed the man was drunk often. Yamashita met Benito Mussolini in June of 1941 receiving a similar rundown to what he got in Germany. Yamashita visited Kitty in Vienna for a quick fling, but overall the trip deeply impacted Yamashita's resolve that Japan should stay out of the Europeans war and that Germany made a grievous error invading the USSR in June of 1941. This is what he said the members of the commission “You know the results of our inspection as well as I do. I must ask you not to express opinion in favor of expanding the alliance between Japan, Germany and Italy. Never suggest in your report that Japan should declare war on Great Britain and the United States. We must not and cannot rely upon the power of other nations. Japan needs more time, particularly as there may be aggression against us from Russia. We must have time to rebuild our defense system and adjust the whole Japanese war machine. I cannot repeat this to you often enough.” His report was similar, and it really pissed off Tojo who was trying to develop plans for a war against America. Yamashita would then get exiled to Manchuria in July of 1941, but Tojo's resentment towards him could only go so far, because Yamashita was one of their best generals and in his planned war against Britain and America, he would need such a man.   Yamashita's time in Europe reshaped his views on how to conduct war. He saw first hand blitzkrieg warfare, it seems it fascinated him. He consistently urged the implementation of new proposals calling for the streamlining of air arms; to mechanize the Army; to integrate control of the armed forces in a defense ministry coordinated by a chairman of Joint Chiefs of staff; to create a paratroop corps and to employ effective propaganda. Basically he saw what was working for the Germans against the allies and wanted Japan to replicate it. Tojo did not like many of the proposal, hated the fact they were coming from Yamashita, so he obviously was not keen on making them happen. Luckily for Yamashita he would be given a chance to implement some of his ideas in a big way.   On November 6th of 1941, Lt General Yamashita was appointed commander of the 25th Japanese army. His orders were to seize the Malay Peninsula and then the British naval base at Singapore. The Malaya Peninsula snakes 700 miles south of Thailand, a rugged sliver of land that constricts at its narrowest point to about 60 miles wide. It hold mountains that split the peninsula in half, some going as high as 7000 feet. During this time Malaya produced around 40% of the worlds rubber, 60% of its tin, two resources vital for war. At its very southern tip lies Singapore, a diamond shaped island connected to the mainland by a 1115 stone causeway. Singapore's largest asset was its naval base guarding the passage from the Pacific and Indian oceans. Together Malay and Singapore represented the key to controlling what Japan called the Southern Resource Area.   Singapore was known as the gibraltar of the east for good reason. It was a massively fortified naval base. The base had been developed between 1923-1938 and cost 60 million pounds, around 2 billion pounds today. It was 21 square miles, had the largest dry dock in the world, the 3rd largest floating dock and enough fuel tanks to support the entire royal navy for 6 months. She was defended by 15 inch naval guns stationed at the Johre battery, Changi and Buona vista battery. And despite the infamous myth some of you may have heard, these guns were fully capable of turning in all directions including the mainland. For those unaware a myth perpetuated after the fall of Singapore that her large 15 inch guns could not turn to the mainland and that this spelt her doom, no it was not that, it was the fact they mostly had armor piercing shells which are using to hit ships and not land targets. Basically if you fire an armor piercing shell at land it imbeds itself then explodes, while HE shells would have torn any Japanese army to pieces. Alongside the 15 inch monsters, there were countless other artillery pieces such as 9.2 inch guns. By December of 1941 Malaya and Singapore held 164 first line aircraft out of a total of 253 aircraft, but many of the fighters were the obsolete Brewster F2A Buffalo, a pretty slow, fat little beast that could take a licking as it was armored, but against the Zero fighter it was unbelievably outmatched in speed and maneuverability.    The Japanese acquired a major gift prior to the outbreak of war. On november 11th, 1940, the SS Automedon, a German raider attacked the HMS Atlantis which was carrying documents intended for the British far east command. The documents indicated the British fleet was not going to help Singapore; that Britain would not declare war if Thailand was invaded and that Hong Kong was expendable. The Germans gave the documents to the Japanese who were very excited by the information.    Starting in January of 1941, Colonel Masanobu Tsuji led the Taiwan Army Research section based on Formosa to investigate how a campaign could be waged in Malay and Singapore. His findings on the defenses of Malay and Singapore were summed up in these 3 points: 1. Singapore Fortress was solid and strong facing the sea, but vulnerable on the peninsular side facing the Johore Strait;  Newspaper reports of a strong Royal Air Force (RAF) presence were propaganda;  Although British forces in Malaya numbered from five to six divisions (well over 80,000 men), less than half were Europeans.    Now just a little bit about Tsuji as he was to become the chief of staff operations and planning under Yamashita. Tsuji was extremely insubordinate and a political schemer. He was a Toseiha faction fanatic, loyal to Tojo and thus definitely an enemy to Yamashita. Yamashita wrote of Tsuji in his war diary “is egotistical and wily. He is a sly dog and unworthy to serve the country. He is a manipulator to be carefully watched.” Tsuji would go on to have a infamous reputation for ordering atrocities in the name of his superiors, often without them knowing and this would be very much the case under Yamashita. Now using Tsuji's intelligence Yamashita began plans at his HQ at Samah, a port on Hainan island, starting in November of 1941 on how to launch the campaign. He was initially offered 5 divisions for the invasion, but he felt he could accomplish the objective with only three. There are a few reasons why he believed this; first, Tsuji's research suggested the peninsula roads would be the center of the battlefront and that the flanks would extend no more than a km or so to the left or right due to the dense jungle terrain (in fact Yamashita was planning to assault from the jungle specifically); 2nd intelligence indicated the defending troops were not of the highest caliber (the British were busy in Europe thus many of the troops in southeast asia were poorly trained, half were british regulars the rest were Australian, Indian and Malayan); 3rd Yamashita was aware “the Japanese army were in the habit of flinging more troops into the battle than could possibly be maintained” boy oh boy tell that one to the future boys on Guadalcanal. Thus he calculated 3 divisions was the maximum to be fed, equipped and supplied. Based on his recommendations the 25th army was created with 3 divisions; the 5th under Lt General Takuma Matsui; 18th under Lt General Renya Mutaguchi and the Imperial guards division of Lt General Takuma Nishimura. Supporting these would be two regiment of heavy field artillery and the 3rd tank brigade. Something that made Yamashita's campaign quite interesting was the usage and amount of tanks. He was invading with around 200 or so tanks consisting of the Type 95 Ha-Go light tank, type 97 Chi-Ha and Type 89 I-Go medium tanks and Type 97 Te-Ke tankettes. For aircraft he had the 3rd Air division, 459 aircraft strong with an additional 159 aircraft from the IJN to support them. The 3rd air division had a variety of aircraft such as Nakajima Ki-27 Nate's, Nakajima ki-43 Oscars, Kitsubishi ki-51 Sonia's, Kawasaki ki-48 Lily's, Mitsubishi ki-21 sally's, Mitsubishi ki-30 Ann's, Mitsubishi ki-15 babs and Mitsubishi ki-46 dinahs. For the IJN it was the 22nd air flotilla using Mitsubishi G3M1 Nell's, Mitsubishi A5M4 Claudes and some A6M Zeros. To say it was a lot of firepower at his disposal is an understatement, Yamashita was packing heat, heat he could use in a blitzkrieg fashion.   His staff at Samah identified 5 operational objectives: 1 Simultaneous capture of Singora and Patani, Thailand and Kota Bharu, Malaya.  2 Capture of all enemy airfields in southern Thailand and Malaya.  3 Occupation of Kuala Lumpur, Malaya.  4 Occupation of Johore Bahru, and control of Johore Strait.  5 Conquest of Singapore.    Colonel Tsuji, appointed Chief of Operations and Planning for the 25th Army, proposed the following plan which was readily approved:  Land the main strength of the 5th Division simultaneously and without warning at Singora and Patani, and at the same time land a powerful section of the 18th Division to attack Kota Bharu.  The troops disembarked at Singora and Patani to press forward immediately to attack the line of the Perak River Hand capture its bridge and the Alor Star aerodrome.  The troops landed at Kota Bharu to press forward along the eastern coast as far as Kuantan.    The landing at Kota Bharu, the only one in Malaya was expected to be opposed and quite risky. But if it was successful, it would create a useful diversion away from the main force landings in Thailand.   The landings took place around 2:15am local time on December 8th, about an hour and 20 minutes before the attack on Pearl Harbor. The landings went largely unopposed, except at Kota Bahru where the Japanese saw heavy resistance. The British had anticipated this landing point and created operation Matador, a plan to pre-emptively invade southern thailand to secure defensive lines against the Japanese, however this plan was never accepted by British high command for obvious political reasons. But on December 5th, with a Japanese invasion looking certain, suddenly London gave permission to the Far east commanders to decide if Operation matador should be activated or not. The commander in Malaya, General Arthur Percival recommended forestalling it, fearing to violate Thai sovereignty, which ultimately would be the doom of a defense for Malaya.   At the battle of Kota Bharu, the 9th infantry division of Major General Barstow attempted holding off the Japanese from taking the important Kota Bharu airfield. The 8th brigade of Billy Key had fortified the beaches with pillboxes, barbed wire and land mines. The Japanese took heavy losses, but they were able to find gaps and fill them up until Brigadier Key had to ask permission to pull out. The royal air force at Kota Bharu tossed Hudson bombers to hit the troop transports, but it was a suicide mission to do so. Meanwhile the IJA 5th division landed at Pattani and Songkhla in Thailand while the Imperial guards division marched over the border from French Indochina. The Japanese encountered very little resistance, the leader of Thailand Plaek Pibulsonggram had been trying to get assurances from the allies and Japanese all the way up until the invasion, once the Japanese landed he knew his best option was to play nice and sign an armistice. This basically spelt doom for malaya as the Japanese were given access to Thailand's airfields which they used to smash the forward airfields in Malaya.   The first day of aerial encounters were a catastrophe for the British. General Percival would comment “The rapidity with which the Japanese got their air attacks going against our aerodromes was quite remarkable. Practically all the aerodromes in Kelantan, Kedah, Province Wellesley, and Penang, were attacked, and in most cases fighters escorted the bombers. The performance of Japanese aircraft of all types, and the accuracy of their bombing, came as an unpleasant surprise. By the evening our own air force had already been seriously weakened.” Brigadier Key withdrew after causing an estimated 800 casualties upon the Japanese while taking roughly 465. While Kota Bharu was being fought over, Percival unleashed Operation Krohcol, a 2.0 of Matador seeing British forces cross into Thailand to intercept the incoming enemy. It was an absolute disaster, the British attackers were defeated not only by the Japanese 5th division, but some Royal Thai police also defended their territory. The operation had basically become a race to who could seize the important focal point first and the Japanese took it first thus winning decisively. To add to that misery, force Z, consisting of the battleship HMS Prince of Wales,, battlecruiser Repulse and 4 destroyers tried to intercept the Japanese invasion fleet only to be utterly destroyed by overwhelming Japanese airforces.   Within 4 days of the landings, the 5th division advanced from Singora through the town of Jitra to capture the RAF airfield at Alor star, around 100 miles away. Yamashita managed this using flanking techniques that saw his army take town after town and airfield after airfield. There were numerous natural obstacles to the advance such as dense jungles, very long supply lines, torrential rain and heat, but he had a secret weapon, bicycles. At Jitra Percival made his first major stand. Holding Jitra would safeguard the northern airfields of Malaya, but it was a folly to do so as the airfields in question were not provided adequate aircraft and the British lacked something extremely important to be able to defend themselves, tanks. Colonel Tsuji saw the fighting at Jitra first hand and reported “Our tanks were ready on the road, and the twenty or so enemy armored cars ahead were literally trampled underfoot … The enemy armored cars could not escape by running away, and were sandwiched between our medium tanks … It was speed and weight of armor that decided the issue.” The British had spread themselves far too thinly across a 14 mile front with jungle on their right flank and rubber plantations and mangrove swamps to their left. Yamashita used a innovative blitzkrieg like tactic, he combined his air, artillery, tanks and bicycle infantry to punch holes in concentrated attacks forcing allied defenders to withdraw. As Percival would write later in his memoirs “This withdrawal would have been difficult under the most favorable conditions. With the troops tired, units mixed as the result of the fighting, communications broken and the night dark, it was inevitable that orders should be delayed and that in some cases they should never reach the addressees. This is what in fact occurred … the withdrawal, necessary as it may have been, was too fast and too complicated for disorganized and exhausted troops, whose disorganization and exhaustion it only increased”    Yamashita had ingeniously thought of employing large numbers of bicycles for his infantry so they could keep up momentum and speed with his mechanized forces. Oh and he didn't bring thousands of bicycles over to Malaya, the real genius was that they were there ready for him. His intelligence prior to the invasion indicated nearly all civilians in malaya had bicycles, so when the Japanese came over they simply stole them. Half of Yamashitas troops moved in motor vehicles while the rest road on 18,000 bicycles. As noted by Tsuji “With the infantry on bicycles, there was no traffic congestion or delay. Wherever bridges were destroyed the infantry continued their advance, wading across the rivers carrying their bicycles on their shoulders, or crossing on log bridges held up on the shoulders of engineers standing in the stream.” They Japanese overwhelmed the defenders who were forced to fight, flee into the jungles or flee along the roads where they were simply outsped by the faster Japanese. The defenders left numerous stores of food, abandoned vehicles, and supplies that Yamashita's men would dub “churchill's allowance”. British Lt Colonel Spencer Chapmanwas forced to hide on the sides of roads watching Japanese pedal past remarking “The majority were on bicycles in parties of forty or fifty, riding three or four abreast and talking and laughing just as if they were going to a football match.” The Japanese had the ability to carry their gear on the bicycles, giving them an enormous advantage over the allies fleeing on foot. The Japanese could travel faster, further and less fatigued. When the British destroyed 250 bridges during their flight, “the Japanese infantry (to continue) their advance, wading across the rivers carrying their bicycles on their shoulders, or crossing on log bridges held up on the shoulders of engineers standing in the stream”. The British could not escape the bicycle blitzkrieg as it became known, countless were forced to surrender under constant pressure and relentless pursuit.    Alongside the bicycle warfare, whenever Yamashita faced terrain unsuitable for his tanks, he ordered amphibious landings further south to outflank the enemy's  rear.   Meanwhile the war in the air went equally terrible for the allies. The RAF had pulled back its best pilots and aircraft to deal with the war for Britain against the Luftwaffe. 21 airfields were in Malaya and Singapore, few of them had modern facilities, only 15 concrete runways. The heavy rain made the grass airstrips unusable. All the airfields were allocated around 8 heavy and 8 light anti aircraft guns. Quality radar units were completely inadequate. The Super Spitfires and Hyper Hurricanes were mostly in Britain fighting the Germans, while Buffaloes were allocated to Malaya. The Japanese airforces easily overcame the allied opposition and established air superiority quickly. Launching from airfields in Vietnam, they bombed all the airfields into submission and continuously applied pressure to Singapore. . The aerial dominance of the Zero and ‘Oscar' fighters served to undermine the morale of the British infantryman on the ground. As historian H. P. Wilmot has observed, “in the opening phase of the war the Zero-sen was just what the Japanese needed, and the Allies were devastated by the appearance of a ‘super fighter.' To add insult to injury, every airfield taken starting at the most northern going further and further south towards Singapore offered the Japanese new launching points to make for faster attack.   Yamashita's forces reached the southern tip of the peninsula in just 8 weeks, his men had covered some 700 miles, about 12 miles a day on average. They fought 95 large and smaller battles doing so. Multiple lines of defense were erected one after another to try and halt the Japanese advance, to kill their momentum. Starting at the beach landings, to Jitra, then to Kampar, over the Slim river, then Johor. The British failed to employ “leave behind forces” to provide guerilla warfare in lost territories leading not only the Japanese to easily consolidate their gains, the Thai's also came down and grabbed some territory. At the battle of Muar Major General Gordon Bennet deployed the allied defenders south of the Muar River and it was widely believed here they would finally halt the Japanese. Then the Imperial Guards division outflanked them performing an amphibious landing and advancing down the coastal route. The 5th Japanese division followed a parallel route through the center and the 18th division landed near Endau. The allies were thus surrounded and took heavy casualties, countless were forced to flee through swamps and thick jungle abandoned their stuff. Gordons 45th brigade were absolutely shattered, effectively disbanded and left north of the Muar river as the rest of the allies fled south. The defeat at Muar broke the British belief they could hold even a toehold on Malay. Percivals strategy to fight delaying actions until the arrival of reinforcements to Singapore had fatally undermined his troops ability to hold onto defensive positions. As the British governor of the Johore straits settlement, Sir Shenton Thomas would say on January 6th ‘“We … have gone in for mechanized transport to the nth degree. It is a fearsomely cumbersome method. We have pinned our faith to the few roads but the enemy used tracks and paths, and gets round to our rear very much as he likes.”” Yet alongside the conquest came a series of atrocities.    At the Parit Sulong Bridge south of the Muar, Captain Rewi Snelling was left behind with 150 wounded Australian and Indian soldiers not able to trek south. The Imperial guards division herded them into buildings, denied them medical treatment, many of the Indians were beheaded, others shot. This become known as the parit sulong massacre. Its hard to saw what Yamashita would have known about this incident, it technically was under the command of Takuma nishimura. On January 22nd, Nishimura gave the orders for prisoners to be forced outside, doused with petrol and set on fire. Nishimura would be sentenced to life in prison by a Singapore court, but on a flight back to Japan he was hijacked by Australian military police in Hong Kong who grabbed him and held a trial for the Parit Sulong massacre, finding him guilty and hanging him on june 11th of 1951.    When the Japanese reached the straits of Johore, Yamashita took several days to perform reconnaissance, allowing his forces to regroup and prepare to attack the massive fortress. His plan for the invasion would see the Imperial guards perform a feint attack on the northeast side of Singapore, landing on the nearby Palau Ubin island on february 7th. The 5th and 18th division would remain concealed in the jungle until the night of the night of the 8th when they would cross the Johore and hit the northwest side of Singapore. The causeway to Singapore had been blown up by the retreating British, but the ability for Singapore to defend itself from a northern attack was lackluster. When Churchill was told by Wavell the Japanese sat on the other side of the Johore strait ready to attack the fortress he said ““I must confess to being staggered by Wavell's telegram. It never occurred to me for a moment that … Singapore … was not entirely fortified against an attack from the Northwards …””   With barely enough supplies or logistical support for his campaign, Yamashita's rapid advance down the Malay peninsula walked a tightrope of what was possible. His 70,000 men of which 30,000 were frontline troops had overcome a British force double their number. In Japan he garnered the epithet “Tiger of Malaya”, which ironically he was not too happy about. Later on in the war he would bark at a German attache “I am not a tiger. The tiger attacks its prey in stealth but I attack the enemy in a fair play”.   By this point Singapore had swollen from a population of 550,000to nearly a million. Percival had a total of 70,000 infantry of mixed experience plus 15,000 clerks and support staff to man lines if necessary. 38 battalions, 17 Indian, 13 British, 6 Australian and 2 Malayan. He placed his weakest troops west of the causeway, near the abandoned naval base rather than nearby the airfield which he considered was going to be Yamashita's thrust. He placed his best forces over there, which would prove fatally wrong as Yamashita hit west of the causeway. Yamashita meanwhile could only muster 30,000 troops, he was outnumbered 2:1 and amphibious assaults called for the attacker to hold a 2:1 advantage for success. Yamashita's men were exhausted, they had suffered 4565 casualties, roughly 1793 deaths in their 55 day advance south. Worse yet, Yamashita had a critical supply issue. He had greatly exceeded his supply lines and had been surviving on the abandoned churchill stores along the way. His ammunition was critical low, it is said he was down to 18 functional tanks, allowing his men to fire 100 rounds per day, the fuel ran out, and as Yamashita put it “My attack on Singapore was a bluff—a bluff that worked. I had 30,000 men and was outnumbered more than three to one. I knew that if I had to fight for long for Singapore, I would be beaten. That is why the surrender had to be at once. I was very frightened all the time that the British would discover our numerical weakness and lack of supplies and force me into disastrous street fighting.” He told his men of the 5th and 18th division not to build any cooking fires so they could conceal their positions in the jungle as he gathered hundreds of collapsible boats and other crafts to ford the strait. He gathered 40 divisional commanders and senior officers to a rubber plantation and with a flushed red face read out his attack orders while pouring them Kikumasamune (ceremonial wine). He made a traditional toast and said “It is a good place to die; surely we shall conquer”. He had to get the British to surrender quickly, he had to essentially ‘bluff” his enemy. He had to make the British think he was fully armed and supplied for a prolonged siege, how could he do so? He fired his artillery like a mad man, knowing full well they would run out of shells.   Starting on February 3rd,  Yamashita's artillery supported by aerial bombings hit Singapore for 5 days. On the night of the 7th, 400 Imperial Guards crossed to the Ibin island performing their feint attack. Percivals attention was grabbed to the east successfully, while on the night of the 8th the 5th and 18th divisions assembled carefully at the water's edge. At 8:30pm the first wave of 4000 Japanese troops crossed the Johore strait aboard 150 small vessels. The noise of their engines was drowned out by artillery. The thinly spread Australian lines, 3000 or so men led by Major General Bennet were breached fast leading to pockets of surrounded australian troops. As Lewis Gunner cliff olsen recalled “We were horribly spread out and it was pitch black and they [Japanese troops] were very hard to see. They walked through us half the time.” A beachhead was formed, a soon 14,000 Japanese had crossed by dawn.    Communications broke down for the allies, Percival unwilling to believe the Japanese's main thrust was in the west declined to send reinforcements there. When he did finally realize the main thrust was in the west he began to withdraw troops from quiet sectors and built up a reserve. The Japanese held air supremacy and their artillery was fierce. The big 15 inch guns of singapore held mostly armor piercing shells designed to hit ships, there were few HE shells available. When they fired upon the Japanese the shells would hit the ground they would embed deeply before exploding doing little damage. The defenders had no tanks, basically no more aircraft. The last departing ships fled the scene as everything was burning chaos around them. Morale was breaking for the defenders. By the 9th, Japanese bombers were raining bombs on allied positions unopposed. Bennet was forced to pull men back to a new line of defense from the east of the Tengah airfield to the north of Jurong. Poor communications hampered the northern sector of Brigadier Duncan Maxwell whose troops actually battered the hell out of the Imperial Guards who had landed at 10pm on the 9th. The Imperial guards gradually managed a foothold on a beach, but Maxwell feared encirclement and withdrew his men against direct orders of Bennet. The retreat opened up the flank of the 11th indian division who were overrun. All of the beaches west of the causeway fell to the enemy, when they did Yamashita brought over his tanks to smash the new Jurong line. The Japanese could have potentially stormed the city center at this point, but they held back, because in reality, Percival had created a formidable reserve in the middle. The Australian 22nd brigade took the brunt of the fighting.    Yamashita was running out of reserves and his attacks were reaching their limit, but he needed the battle to end swiftly. Yamashita was shocked and shaken when he received a report that the British troop strength within the city was twice what they believed. With covert desperation, Yamashita ordered his artillery to fire until their last rounds and sent Percival a demand for surrender. “In the spirit of chivalry we have the honour of advising your surrender. Your army, founded on the traditional spirit of Great Britain, is defending Singapore, which is completely isolated, and raising the fame of Great Britain by the ut¬ most exertions and heroic feelings. . . . From now on resistance is futile and merely increases the danger to the million civilian inhabitants without good reason, exposing them to infliction of pain by fire and sword. But the development of the general war situation has already sealed the fate of Singapore, and the continuation of futile resistance would only serve to inflict direct harm and in¬ juries to thousands of non-combatants living in the city, throwing them into further miseries and horrors of war. Furthermore we do not feel you will in¬ crease the fame of the British Army by further resistance.”   Singapore had received another order prior to this from Churchill “It is certain that our troops on Singapore Island greatly outnumber any Japanese that have crossed the Straits. We must defeat them. Our whole fighting reputation is at stake and the honour of the British Empire. The Americans have held out on the Bataan Peninsula against far greater odds, the Russians are turning back the picked strength of the Germans, the Chinese with almost complete lack of mod¬ ern equipment have held the Japanese for AVi years. It will be disgraceful if we yield our boasted fortress of Singapore to inferior enemy forces. There must be no thought ofsparing troops or the civil population and no mercy must be shown to weakness in any shape or form. Commanders and senior officers must lead their troops and if necessary die with them. There must be no question or thought of surrender. Every unit must fight it out to the end and in close contact with the enemy. ... I look to you and your men to fight to the end to prove that the fighting spirit that won our Empire still exists to enable us to defend it.”   What was Percival to do? The Japanese had seized control over Singapore water reservoirs, the population would die of thirst within 2-3 days. Japanese shells were causing fires and death everywhere. People were panicking, trying to get on the very last boats leaving the port, even though that surely meant death to the IJN. An American sailor recalled “There was a lot of chaos and people killed on the docks during these bombardments. Everywhere you looked there was death. Even in the water there were dead sharks and people floating all around.” Defeatism was endemic. Australian troops were overheard saying “Chum, to hell with Malaya and Singapore. Navy let us down, air force let us down. If the bungs [natives] won't fight for their bloody country, why pick on me?” Sensing a complete collapse Percival formed a tight defense arc in front of the city, and by the 13th his commanders were telling him they believed Singapore was already doomed. Wavell was asked for approval for surrender, but he replied  “to continue to inflict maximum damage on enemy for as long as possible by house-to-house fighting if necessary.” Percival then told him the water reservoirs were taken, so Wavell sent back “YOUR GALLANT STAND IS SERVING A PURPOSE AND MUST BE CONTINUED TO THE LIMIT OF ENDURANCE”   On the 15th, Percival held a morning conference reported there was no more fuel, field gun nor bofor ammunition. In 24 hours their water would be done. He told them he would ask for a ceasefire at 4pm, by the end of the day Wavell gave him permission to surrender. Over at his HQ on the Bukit Timah heights, Yamashita was staring at a Union Jack fluttering over Fort Canning. Then a field phone rang, and a frontline commander reported the British were sending out a flag of truce.   Meanwhile back on February the 14th, Japanese forces reached the Alexandra Barracks hospital at 1pm. At 1:40pm a British Lt greeting them waving a white flag and was bayoneted on the spot. The Japanese stormed the hospital and murdered the staff and patients. 200 male staff and patients, badly wounded were bound over night and marched to an industrial estate half a mile away. Anyone who collapsed was bayoneted. The survivors of the march were formed into small groups and hacked to death or bayoneted. For a few days over 320 men and women were massacred. Only 5 survivors would give recounts of the event. It is suspected by historians that Tsuji was the architect of the Alexandra hospital massacre. This is because he was the instigator of countless atrocities he ordered unbeknownst to his superior commanders such as Yamashita.    Percival was ordered to go to the Ford motor factory to where he met with Yamashita. Yamashita was hiding his surprise that the surrender party came and as he glanced at the surrender terms he said through his interpreter “The Japanese Army will consider nothing but surrender,” Yamashita knew his forces were on the verge of running out of ammunition and he still held half troops Percival did, he was anxious Percival would figure it out. Percival replied “I fear that we shall not be able to submit our final reply before ten-thirty p.m.,” Percival had no intention of fighting on he simply wanted to work out specific details before signing the surrender. Yamashita was sure Percival was stalling. “Reply to us only whether our terms are acceptable or not. Things must be settled swiftly. We are prepared to resume firing.Unless you do surrender, we will have to carry out our night attack as scheduled.”” Percival replied ““Cannot the Japanese Army remain in its present position? We can resume negotiations again tomorrow at five-thirty A.M”. Yamashita screamed “Nani! I want the hostilities to cease tonight and I want to remind you there can be no arguments.” Percival replied ““We shall discontinue firing by eight-thirty p.m. Had we better remain in our present positions tonight?” Yamashita said yes and that firing would cease at 8:30pm and that 1000 allied men could keep arms to maintain order within the city. Yamashita stated “You have agreed to the terms but you have not yet made yourself clear as to whether you agree to surrender or not.” Percival cleared his throat and gave a simple nod. Yamashita looked at his interpreter “There's no need for all this talk. It is a simple question and I want a simple answer.” He turned to Percival and shouted, “We want to hear ‘Yes' or ‘No' from you! Surrender or fight!” Percival finally blurted out  “Yes, I agree. I have a request to make. Will the Imperial Army protect the women and children and British civilians?”Yamashita replied  “We shall see to it. Please sign this truce agreement”. At 7:50 the surrender was signed off, 40 minutes later Singapore was in the hands of the Japanese. In 70 days Yamashita took at the cost of 9824 casualties, had seized Malaya and Singapore, nearly 120,000 British surrendered. It was the greatest land victory in Japanese history.   Churchill called the fall of Singapore to the Japanese "the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history" Churchills physician Lord Moran wrote The fall of Singapore on February 15 stupefied the Prime Minister. How came 100,000 men (half of them of our own race) to hold up their hands to inferior numbers of Japanese? Though his mind had been gradually prepared for its fall, the surrender of the fortress stunned him. He felt it was a disgrace. It left a scar on his mind. One evening, months later, when he was sitting in his bathroom enveloped in a towel, he stopped drying himself and gloomily surveyed the floor: 'I cannot get over Singapore', he said sadly   With the fall of singapore came another atrocity, the Sook Ching massacre. After February 18th, the Japanese military began mass killings of what they deemed undesirables, mostly ethnic Chinese. It was overseen by the Kempeitai and did not stop in Singapore, but spread to Malaya. It seems the aim of the purge was to intimidate the Chinese community from performing any resistance. According to postwar testimony taken from a war correspondent embedded with the 25th army, Colonel Hishakari Takafumi, he stated an order went out to kill 50,000 Chinese, of which 20 percent of the total was issued by senior officials on Yamashita's operations staff, most likely Tsuji. It is certain at the behest of Tsuji the orders were extended to Malay. The death toll is a tricky one, the Japanese went on the record to admit to 6000 murders, the Singaporean Chinese community and the Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew allege 70,000-100,000. Historians analyzing the scale of discovered mass graves after some decades think around 25,000-50,000. How much Yamashita knew of the massacre is debatable, the orders came from his office after all, but it seems Tsuji had orchestrated it. Many of Japan's generals wanted Yamashita to be appointed war minister, a move that obviously threatened then Prime Minister Hideki Tojo, who feared his rival. Tojo retaliated, ordering Japan's new war hero back to Manchuria. On the surface, the assignment appeared worthy as Yamashita would serve as the first line of defense against a possible Soviet invasion. But since the two nations had signed a neutrality pact in April 1941, and Soviets were bogged down fighting the Germans, immediate war appeared unlikely. In reality, Tojo had parked Yamashita on the war's sidelines. Tojo went even further, he barred Yamashita any leave in Tokyo, preventing him from visiting his wife as well as from delivering a speech he had written for the emperor. No worries though, an aide of Yamashita's sent him three geishas. Allegedly he said this “I know they want to please me with these girls. But send them back—and don't forget to tip them.” The Tiger of Malaya would maintain a low profile in Manchuria where he received a promotion to full General. As months fell to years Yamashita sat on the sidelines helpless to aid the Japanese forces. His exile would come to an end in 1944 when Tojo was outed and the Tiger was required to try and save the Philippines from General Douglas MacArthur.

Historian and biographer Ted Widmer is the editor of Paul McCartney's new book  "Wings: The Story Of A Band On the Run' - is not only a vivid account of Paul's music after the Beatles broke up, but it's also about his second act of life on the road - and in the studio - with his new band Wings. As a respected historian and writer, Widmer shapes McCartney's story into an engaging narrative (I couldn't stop reading it!) with personal stories of the beginnings of Wings to the cultural and societal changes happening in music from the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. A flashback conversation you won't soon forget - still, get the book and read all the details of this second chapter of Paul's music. Join us!About the Spotlight Conversations podcast:Tune in as I invite friends inside my cozy linoleum free recording studio to talk about all things media - radio, television, music, film, voiceovers, audiobooks, publishing - if guests are in the spotlight, we're talkin'! Refreshingly unscripted and unusually entertaining, listen in as each guest gets real about their careers in the entertainment biz, from where they started to how it's going. Settle into my swanky studio where drinks are on ice and the conversation starters are music + media - always a deal breaker for the rock and roll homemaker! Listen to Donna every night starting at 9 on Houston Radio Platinum, along with a special program she hosts every Tuesday and Thursday night at 10 called 'Late Night Music Stories'. Love the conversations? Follow @donnareedvo @spotlightconversations @rockandrollhomemaker New episodes drop every Tuesday. Social media links, website and more hereFollow and subscribe to my podcast hereBooth Announcer: Joe Szymanski ('Joe The Voice Guy')Theme Song Composer: Mark Sparrow, SongBird Studios...

In this interview, Tracy Borman delves into the complexities surrounding the succession of the English crown from Elizabeth I to James VI of Scotland. She reveals how the story was manipulated through political spin and deceit. Philippa and Tracy talked about the various claimants to the throne, the challenges James faced during his reign, and the implications of Elizabeth's decisions regarding her succession. If you've enjoyed this please follow and rate this podcast.For over 10 minutes of BONUS CONTENT go to Patreon.com/BritishHistory where members also get to submit their own questions for my guests, as well as many other history lover perks. Hi! I'm Philippa, welcome to the British History Channel. Thank you for listening to this episode, I hope you enjoyed it. There are many more here for you to browse through including over 50 fantastic historian interviews with people such as Tracy Borman OBE, Gareth Russell, Helen Carr and many more. Buy books from these incredible historians, shipped worldwide from Blackwells - click here (This is an affiliate link. I get a commission on books sold via this link but they are at no extra cost to you).Join my Patreon - click here and enjoy ad-free extended interviews with bonus content, Historical Book Club, early access to content, exclusive blogs, discounts on British History Events and more for all for £5/month.You can also give me one off support by donating at www.buymeacoffee.com/PhilippaYou can support me for free by commenting and rating this episode. Visit British History Tours for full details of history tours and events.⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️About PhilippaPhilippa is a Historian and the founder of British History Tours and British History Events.Receive weekly history news (including links to new historian interviews) from Philippa by subscribing to my Substack I'd really appreciate your help in making this show the best it can be. I know time is precious but if you do have 10 minutes you can spare to fill out this anonymous listener survey, I'd be really grateful - http://bit.ly/britishhistorypodcast-surveyPhilippa founded award-winning Historic Tour Operator British History Tours in 2014. Find out about these luxury, fully-escorted, immersive historical experiences at BritishHistoryTours.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Raising Expectations with Pastor Joe Schofield, Dr. Paul Hall, Stefanie Thayer, Dr. Craig Thayer, Pastor Ron Greer Guest, Jim S Robbins, Historian, Dean of Academics, Institute of World Politics Friends, it is always a great honor and pleasure to have our friend Dr. Robbins with us. As Jim shares, we will be discussing the issues and events happening in Washington and around the world today with President Trump and his administration! ( www.iwp.edu ) Dr. Robbins is an outstanding historian and Dean of Academics, IWP (Institute of World Politics); Senior Fellow in National Security Affairs at the American Foreign Policy Council; Former special assistant in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Jim is a man of Faith in God and love for our Country. He has the ability to hear and discern the root of a question and the heart of the person asking! The Team! Pastor Joe Schofield,  Dr. Paul Hall,  Stefanie Thayer,  Dr. Craig Thayer,  Pastor Ron Greer.

Chileans have elected their most conservative leader in decades. Jose Antonio Kast's victory is another sign South America is veering to the right. But what's behind this shift? And what are the political implications, both across the region and beyond? In this episode: Claudio Barrientos, Professor, School of History, Diego Portales University. Jose Ragas, Historian and Assistant Professor, Catholic University of Chile. Christopher Sabatini, Senior Fellow, Latin America, Chatham House. Host: Dareen Abughaida Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

Episode 296 - Mobb Deep Historian First look out for #OFFTHEDOME . What Song from Movie Soundtrack outweighs the actual movie? If you could learn any skill instantly what would it be? Topics Discussed- [ ] Nas x DJ Premiere - Light Years Album Review- [ ] Diddy Documentary Fallout Continues- [ ] Rolling Stones Top 25 Rap Albums- [ ] OVO x Marvel Collab?- [ ] Teaser Trailers Galore         - DC Lanterns         - Supergirl        - Street Fighter RebootPlease Enjoy on All Major Platforms and OverSatThePod.Com. Please Comment, Rate , and Subscribe. 

In this episode, we will discuss the books of Luke and Acts with questions centered around if Luke was a historian, why he had more of a focus on women, and Pentecost. Join Mike and Karla as they converse with Dr. Aida B. Spencer to get your questions answered!   To check out Dr. Aida B. Spencer's resources mentioned in this episode, visit:   Website: https://www.gordonconwell.edu/faculty/senior/aida-spencer/   Blog: https://aandwspencer.blogspot.com/   Book: Beyond the Curse- https://amzn.to/3KvHY9m

Episode 296 - Mobb Deep Historian First look out for #OFFTHEDOME . What Song from Movie Soundtrack outweighs the actual movie? If you could learn any skill instantly what would it be? Topics Discussed- [ ] Nas x DJ Premiere - Light Years Album Review- [ ] Diddy Documentary Fallout Continues- [ ] Rolling Stones Top 25 Rap Albums- [ ] OVO x Marvel Collab?- [ ] Teaser Trailers Galore         - DC Lanterns         - Supergirl        - Street Fighter RebootPlease Enjoy on All Major Platforms and OverSatThePod.Com. Please Comment, Rate , and Subscribe. 

Thomas CarlyleThe French RevolutionOpposed abolition of slaveryGreat Man Theory of HistoryRule Britannicaand more...

A local historian from Ennis, Anthony Dargan, is reaching out to anyone with connections to a particular family from Ennistymon. He's asking anyone with any information to get in touch. Anthony joined Alan Morrissey to explain what he hopes to discover on Monday's Morning Focus. Photo (c) Synthetic - Exposition from Getty Images via Canva.

 This is the 239thepisode of my podcast, 'Soccernostalgia Talk Podcast'. For this episode, we continue our interview series with Irish Freelance Writer, Historian and Broadcaster, Mr. John O'Carroll as we discuss the matches of the Republic of Ireland National Team during the 1991/92 season.  For any questions/comments, you may contact us: You may also contact me on this blog, on twitter @sp1873 and on facebook under Soccernostalgia. https://linktr.ee/sp1873  Mr. Paul Whittle, @1888letter on twitter and https://the1888letter.com/contact/ https://linktr.ee/BeforeThePremierLeague  You may also follow the podcast on spotify and now on Google and Apple podcasts all under ‘Soccernostalgia Talk Podcast' Please leave a review, rate and subscribe if you like the podcast. Mr. O'Carroll's contact info: e-mail:johnocarroll0@gmail.com Twitter: @JohnOCarroll17 or on facebook under John O'Carroll  Listen on Spotify / Apple:  https://open.spotify.com/episode/15dDk7fjMcZyi1pZeRMuZs?si=MklU_4vKQhKeHebzuYmMEQ&nd=1&dlsi=1f4dfd108c3049e3https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/soccernostalgia-talk-podcast-episode-239-interview/id1601074369?i=1000741288710   Youtube Link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15827GjWs6U  Blog Link: https://soccernostalgia.blogspot.com/2025/12/soccernostalgia-talk-podcast-episode_14.htmlSupport the show

Sharing his love of cricket is co-host of the Rest is History podcast Tom Holland. He reveals how the podcast started, and a possible cricketing link to Jack the Ripper.

Richard Offen - Historian, Author, Broadcaster 25th Anniversary of the Perth Bell TowerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Herbie J Pilato's Books Are Available At HerbieJPilato.com Or Amazon

Historian and journalist Vijay Prashad talks with Steve about why Antonio Gramsci still matters. Listeners to this podcast know that we have a pretty good grasp of the monetary system. But we're constantly working to expand our understanding of the systemic underpinnings of real power. How else will we be able to seize it? For help, we turn to Gramsci. According to Vijay, Gramsci was doing class forensics. His core puzzle was brutal and practical: why did big chunks of Italy's working-class bail on their own unions and parties and drift into fascism? That's the real origin story of “cultural hegemony,” “common sense,” and the whole Gramscian toolbox: figuring out how consent gets manufactured and how counterrevolution recruits. Vijay takes us through Gramsci's political development and his imprisonment under Mussolini, where he wrote his seminal Prison Notebooks. Then they get into Gramsci's key concepts: hegemony (borrowed from Lenin and, per Vijay, more than a “culture theory”), the necessity of a Leninist-type party as the modern Prince, and the need to build alliances to create working-class leadership over society. After taking a hard look at the left in the US, Steve and Vijay discuss the limits of electoral politics and the missing infrastructure for a serious battle of ideas. It's a wide-ranging conversation about class power, organizing, and what it actually takes to change how people understand the world they're living in. Vijay Prashad is the Executive Director of the Tricontinental Institute for Social Research. He is a historian, journalist, and author of forty books, including Washington Bullets: A History of the CIA, Coups, and Assassination; Red Star over the Third World; and The Darker Nations: A People's History of the Third World. thetricontinental.org @vijayprashad on X

Michael Richie, retired Lt. Colonel - U.S. Army - and blogger, joins the "ROI" team to discuss "The Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage."The host for the 639th edition in this series is Jay Swords, and the history buffs are Brett Monnard and Terri Toppler.Opinions expressed in this program are those of the hosts and the guest(s), and not necessarily those of KALA-FM or St. Ambrose University. This program is recorded at KALA-FM, St. Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa, USA!

BONUS DISCUSSION:  Michael Richie, retired Lt. Colonel - U.S. Army - and blogger, joins the "ROI" team to discuss "The Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage."The host for the 639th edition in this series is Jay Swords, and the history buffs are Brett Monnard and Terri Toppler.Opinions expressed in this program are those of the hosts and the guest(s), and not necessarily those of KALA-FM or St. Ambrose University. This program is recorded at KALA-FM, St. Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa, USA!

Maritime historian and author Chris Frame joins John to discuss the 50th anniversary of the Princess Cruises. Listen to John Stanley live on air from 8pm Monday to Thursday and 7pm on Friday on 2GB/4BCSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In his new book, UIC history professor Kevin Schultz analyzes the history of the word "liberal" in American politics, how it's meaning has changed, and how despite its contributions to modern American society, liberalism generally has been attacked from both the right and the left.

Historian and writer Charles Coulombe joins Damian Thompson to talk about how Christmas has changed over the past two centuries, the differences between Catholic and Anglican Christmas – and how a modern, commercial Christmas developed over time. Plus, he takes us through the origins of Christmas traditions from Christmas trees to Advent and whether we should say 'Happy' or 'Merry' Christmas. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rusty joins Louie on the D4 Land Services Hotline to share his thoughts ahead of Texas A&M's first-round CFP matchup against Miami, recap the Aggies' loss to Texas, reflect on the Aggies monumental season, discuss the departures of coordinators Collin Kline and Jay Bateman, and break down A&M's path to the CFB National Championship. 

Jason Liebig, the Candy Historian and TV Consultant & Storyteller, joins the show to share his journey from DC Comics & Marvel Comics to becoming the leading expert on candy, snacks, and nostalgia for shows like Stranger Things and Mad Men. Hear how to get good at collecting things, the top candy entrepreneurship stories, which candies are related to each other, the most unusual candies in history, and the most creative use of chocolate. Connect with Jason at CollectingCandy.com, on social media @CollectingCandy, and on LinkedIn

 "Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey with Special Guest Doug FullingtonIn this episode of "Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey speaks with Doug Fullington, dance historian and musicologist, about his journey into the world of dance and music. They discuss the importance of music in ballet, the role of dance notation. The conversation also touches on the significance of historical archives, the impact of character dances, and Doug's current work at the Pacific Northwest Ballet. They delve into Doug's recent publication, The Five Ballets from Paris and St. Petersburg, and his ongoing projects, including editing the score of Giselle. Throughout the episode, Doug shares insights into the evolution of ballet and the importance of preserving its history.Doug Fullington dance historian and musicologist, born and raised in Seattle. Doug received degrees in music and law from the University of Washington and has since taught undergraduate and graduate courses in the School of Music as a visiting scholar and auxiliary member of the faculty. In 2020 Doug was a guest instructor at Princeton University. Doug earned a Ph.D. in music history at the University of Washington in 2022.Doug's work in ballet is focused on nineteenth-century French and Russian source material. A fluent reader of Stepanov choreographic notation, he has contributed historically informed dances to a number of productions. He has work for Pacific Northwest Ballet School, collaborated with Tamara Rojo in the early stages of her work on Raymonda (English National Ballet, 2022; San Francisco Ballet, 2025), and in 2024, he staged Star on the Rise... La Bayadère Reimagined! with Phil Chan at Indiana University. Most recently, he staged The Sleeping Beauty with Pete Boal at Pacific Northwest Ballet.Doug's writings on dance have been published in Ballet Alert!, Ballet Review, Dance View, and Dancing Times and online by Oxford University Press. He is co-author with Marian Smith of Five Ballets from Paris and St. Petersburg (Oxford University Press, 2024.)Doug has been a frequent presenter and moderator for the Guggenheim Museum's Works & Process series. Doug has spent thirty years with Pacific Northwest Ballet (Seattle), serving as Assistant to Artistic Directors Kent Stowell and Francia Russell and later as Assistant to Artistic Director Peter Boal as well as Audience Education Manager. He is currently Dance Historian for PNB.Doug is also the founder and director of the Tudor Choir, a professional vocal ensemble based in Seattle since 1993. He has a particular interest in the music of Tudor England and early American repertory. As a countertenor, Doug has performed with the Tudor Choir and Byrd Ensemble, was a member for fourteen years of the Compline Choir of St. Mark's Cathedral (Seattle), and performed with the London-based Tallis Scholars in England, France, and the United States during the years 2000–2002.In addition to his work with the Tudor Choir, Doug has conducted the Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra and Seattle Baroque Orchestra. He was instrumental in establishing the Tallis Scholars Summer Schools USA and in 2019 was a tutor on the Byrd International Singers' Scotland Renaissance Course.More Information:https://www.dougfullington.com/Tudor Choir Upcoming PerformanceFriday, December 19 @ 8 PMHoly Rosary Catholic Church4139 42nd Ave SW, SeattleTicketshttps://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/byrdensemble/dec-19-tudor-choir-christmas-in-a-wintry-world-holy-rosary-churchVirtual ticketshttps://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/byrdensemble/dec-19-tudor-choir-christmas-in-a-wintry-world-virtual-concert“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey "Where the Dance World Connects, the Conversations Inspire, and Where We Are Keeping Them Real."⁠https://dancetalkwithjoannecarey.com/⁠Please leave us a Review.Please help support the podcast:⁠https://gofund.me/e561b42ac⁠Follow Joanne Carey on Instagram@westfieldschoolofdance

Thomas Becket and His World (Reaktion Books, 2025) explores the turbulent life and violent death of Thomas Becket, one of the most controversial figures of the Middle Ages. From a London merchant's son to royal chancellor and archbishop of Canterbury, Becket's murder in Canterbury Cathedral on 29 December 1170 elevated him to England's most celebrated saint. Michael Staunton looks at Becket's complex and contested legacy, drawing from Becket's own words and those of his contemporaries. Based on extensive contemporary medieval sources, this account offers a fresh perspective on Thomas Becket's life and places him within the broader landscape of twelfth-century England and Europe – a time of rapid change, conflict and achievement. Thomas Becket and His World is perfect for anyone wanting to learn more about this pivotal figure in medieval history. Michael Staunton is Professor of Medieval History at University College Dublin. He is an internationally recognized expert on Thomas Becket. His books include The Historians of Angevin England (2017). Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel: here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory

Thomas CarlylePower, Strength, AuthoritarianismJohn Stuart MillMagnum OpusBurn the ManuscriptTenacityJoseph SmithAnd More...

Historian David Kennedy looks at Franklin D. Roosevelt's leadership by exploring how he guided the United States through the twin upheavals of the Great Depression and World War II. Kennedy explains how FDR reshaped federal power, responded to mass economic hardship, and slowly steered a largely isolationist nation toward global responsibility. The discussion highlights the weaknesses of the pre–New Deal government, Roosevelt's innovative (and sometimes improvised) approach to rebuilding institutions, and the ongoing historical debates over what he was trying to achieve and how successful he really was. Overall, the exchange paints FDR as both a bold domestic reformer and a key architect of the postwar international system that defined American leadership for decades.

The Irish Midlands flow to the relentless rhythm of the River Shannon and along its banks the Irish Stew podcasters found themselves again, Day Five of their “Off the Beaten Craic in the Hidden Heartlands” wanderings, gazing across its broad expanse from the docks of the County Offaly town of Banagher.There, cohosts John Lee and Martin Nutty met local historian James Scully and caught up with an old friend of John's, Mark Boylan, who covers horseracing for The Irish Field, to explore the history, legend, music, and all that gives life and character to this small Shannon-side community with a population aspiring to hit the 2,000 mark.James met us at the cozy, convivial Flynn's Pub on Main Street, but the craic there proved too mighty for recording purposes, so the trio beat a retreat to the hilltop Church of St Paul's for what proved to be Irish Stew's first recording in a church (but not their last as you'll hear in the final Hidden Heartlands episode).A lifelong educator and noted local historian, James set about unraveling the history of the old Irish saying, “That Beats Banagher!,” in a book of the same name which he co-wrote with Kieran Keenaghan. In this richly illustrated volume they explore the murky provenance of “That Beats Banagher!” and how it entered Irish political and cultural lore. A beguiling spinner of the town's stories, James shares tales of the earliest days of the town, the arrival of the international man of mystery from the 1600s Matthew de Renzy, the town's unexpected literary links to Anthony Trollope and Charlotte Brontë, Banagher's vibrant community life, and its status as a popular port of call for the river cruising crowd.They started the day in a pub, absolved their sins in a church, and then retreated to a pub, J.J. Hough's Singing Pub, a renowned destination for trad music fans and tourists alike run by Ger Hough, who IrishCentral called the most creative publican in Ireland.There they met David and Mark Boylan who John got to know when the Breeders' Cup flew the whole Boylan family to Kentucky so the then 14-year-old Mark could sing his Breeders' Cup song before about 80 thousand fans at Churchill Downs for the 2011 World Championship race meet. Mark may be all grown up but he hasn't outgrown his love of horses and of his hometown of Banagher which shines through in the closing segment.And in such a small, tight-knit community it was no surprise to learn that James was Mark's teacher at St Rynagh's School.Well, that beats Banagher!Next week Irish Stew hits pause on their Off the Beaten Craic series to embrace the season of giving with the story of a New York City charity rooted in the plight of the impoverished Irish immigrants in the notorious Five Points district in our conversation with Sean Granahan, president of The Floating Hospital.LinksJames ScullyBook: That Beats Banagher!Mark BoylanThe Irish FieldXInstagramFacebookHidden Heartlands Travel ResourcesIreland.comDiscover Ireland's Hidden HeartlandsIrish Stew LinksWebsiteInstagramLinkedInEpisode Details: Season 7, Episode 36; Total Episode Count: 139

I feel pretty well versed when it comes to World War II. I understand fairly well what was happening in Europe at least with Germany and whatnot. I know that the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 (84 years ago today) was the event that drew the United States into the war. But Pearl Harbor wasn't bombed by Germany. It was bombed by Japan. Wait, what? Japan? What does Japan have to do with Nazi Germany and World War II? This week I sit down with Quin Cho, an expert on the Pacific Theater during World War II, to talk about what was happening in Asia leading up to that fateful attack on Pearl Harbor. He'll fill us in on the rising action, like the Mukden Incident and the Second Sino-Japanese War, that led to the collision of two different war theaters into one big, bad world war. Quin's books: "Rise of the Kwantung Army: Japan's Empire in Manchuria to 1932""Competing Empires in Burma: A Chronicle of the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations in World War 2"Support the show! Join the Patreon (patreon.com/historyfixpodcast)Buy some merchBuy Me a CoffeeVenmo @Shea-LaFountaineSources:The National WWII Museum "Pearl Harbor Attack, December 7, 1941"Office of the Historian "The Mukden Incident of 1931 and the Stimson Doctrine"Office of the Historian "The Chinese Revolution of 1911"History.com "Pearl Harbor"Wikipedia "Zhang Zoulin"Wikipedia "Mukden Incident"Shoot me a message! Shop for History Fix merch here to support the show! Support the show

Like many of you, I first fell in love with history through the movies. Dr. Jason Herbert hosted a podcast called Historians at the Movies, now retitled Reckoning with Jason Herbert, that focuses on films depicting the past and what historians think about them. We have a delightful conversation about some of our favorite history movies, what makes them good or bad, and what we can learn from them.Patrick is launching a brand-new history show on December 3rd! It's called Past Lives, and every episode explores the life of a real person who lived in the past. Be sure to subscribe to the feed now so you get our first three episodes delivered straight to you on the same day for our series premiere drop: https://bit.ly/PWPLAAlso, Patrick's new book - Lost Worlds: The Rise and Fall of Human Societies from the Ice Age to the Bronze Age - is now available for preorder, and will be released on May 5th! Preorder in hardcopy, ebook, or audiobook (read by Patrick) here: https://bit.ly/PWLostWorlds. And don't forget, you can still Get The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Years that Shook the World in hardcopy, ebook, or audiobook (read by Patrick) here: https://bit.ly/PWverge.Listen to new episodes 1 week early, to exclusive seasons 1 and 2, and to all episodes ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App https://wondery.app.link/tidesofhistorySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Historian and author Tim Rayborn joins us for a deep look into the strange, frightening and often forgotten legends that live beneath the surface of the holiday season. From the rise of Krampus to centuries-old tales of winter demons, ghostly intruders and night-stalking creatures, Tim walks us through the darker side of Christmas tradition and what these stories reveal about survival, morality and the human imagination. We discuss how frightening folklore once served as teaching tools, why these tales flourished in cold, pre-industrial winters, and the surprising ritual of leaving food or clothing to avoid becoming a monster's next target. We also explore how Victorian ghost stories became a firmly rooted seasonal tradition, why The Nutcracker was once much more unsettling than the ballet we know today, and how cultures outside Europe developed their own chilling winter rituals. Tim shares his favorite creatures, the most shocking tales he uncovered, and how modern culture has reshaped these old fears into festivals, parades and pop-culture icons. If you thought Christmas was all candles and comfort, this conversation may change the way you see December forever. You can find Tim's book, The Scary Book of Christmas Lore: 50 Terrifying Yuletide Tales from Around the World, at Amazon: https://amzn.to/4rNjt8r --- HOLIDAY ORNAMENT CONTEST Get in on the holiday fun and maybe win a great prize with your own creation. Get all the details at ⁠⁠https://jimharold.com/holiday2025 This post contains Amazon affiliate links that benefit Jim Harold Media when you make a qualifying purchase. Thank you for your support!⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices