Guy MacLean Rogers, William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of History and Classical Studies at Wellesley College and author of For the Freedom of Zion: The Great Revolt of Jews Against Romans, 66-74CE, joins the show to talk about the great uprising of the Jewish people against Rome—including moments that resonate to the present day, like the destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem and the siege of Masada. 

Times 

• 02:20 Introduction

• 04:21 The Jewish Revolt In Roman History 

• 08:09 Flavius Josephus 

• 13:41 Herod the Great 

• 22:29 Little Causes, Big Revolt

• 26:40 The Leadership Of Rebellion

• 30:11 Jewish Strategy And Logistics

• 35:03 Vespasian

• 41:04 The Temple 

• 50:01 The End of the Sacrificial Cult

• 52:01 Destruction of the Temple

• 56:00 The End Of The Revolt

• 1:01:02 Josephus’ Speeches

• 1:06:13 Could The Jews Have Won?

Wesley Morgan, journalist and author of The Hardest Place: The American Military Adrift in Afghanistan's Pech Valley, joins the show to discuss his experiences in the Pech valley, one of Afghanistan’s most contested battlegrounds, and to talk about the U.S. counterinsurgency’s successes and failures. 

Times 

• 01:25 Illicit Economies

• 04:13 Green Berets And CIA “Lost The Forest For The Trees” In Kunar

• 06:57 Who Is Jim Gant?

• 11:36 Self-Aware Proxy Warriors

• 13:42 Counterinsurgency Styles and Outpost Building

• 20:44 Central Government - Whether They Want It Or Not

• 33:18 Cash For Calm - Paying For Peace

• 37:22 War Winds Down In The Pech 

• 41:30 The Afghan House Of Cards Collapses

• 44:13 A Tired Afghan Army With No Good Options

Ep 28: Wesley Morgan on Afghanistan

Wesley Morgan, journalist and author of The Hardest Place: The American Military Adrift in Afghanistan's Pech Valley, joins the show to discuss his experiences in the Pech Valley, one of Afghanistan’s most contested battlegrounds, and to talk about the U.S. counterinsurgency’s successes and failures. This episode is part 1 of 2.

Times 

Ep 27: Fred Kagan on Ukraine II

Fred Kagan, Senior Fellow and Director of Critical Threats Project at AEI, joins the show to discuss where the war in Ukraine stands, how initial Russian designs failed, and where the conflict is headed.

Times 

Ukraine Maps 05/02/2022 per ISW

Ep 26: Andrew Lambert on the Crimean War 

Andrew Lambert, Laughton Professor of Naval History in the Department of War Studies, King's College, joins the show to discuss the Crimean War, including why it shouldn’t have been called by that name. Professor Lambert also explains the relevance of the Crimean War to today’s war in Ukraine.

Times 

• 01:28 Introduction

• 02:20 Causes of the Crimean War

• 07:57 Flashpoint in the Holy Land

• 12:31 Steamships and Strategy

• 16:34 Functional Dysfunction in Policymaking

• 21:44 Why Target Sevastopol?

• 26:44 What Went Wrong

• 31:47 The Press and Public Opinion

• 36:31 Reading Events Incorrectly 

• 38:57 The Baltic Campaign

• 45:30 Mahan and Corbett Interpret the War

• 48:39 Ukraine War - An Echo of the Crimean War

• 55:34 Can Russia Re-Integrate Into The Global Community? 

• 58:32 Will Putin Use Tactical Nuclear Weapons? 

Waller Newell, Professor of Political Science and Philosophy at Carleton University, joins the show to discuss tyranny and tyrants—and Vladimir Putin in particular. 

Times

Richard Overy, professor of history at the University of Exeter, joins the show to discuss World War II and the wars of imperial aggression.

Times

James Holmes, the J.C. Wylie Chair of Maritime Strategy at the Naval War College, joins the show to discuss sea power, the war in Ukraine, and the possibility of war in the Pacific

Times

Jeremy Black, Professor of History at the University of Exeter, joins the show to discuss tank warfare from its origins to the battlefields of Ukraine

Times

Matthew Kroenig, Professor in the Department of Government and Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and Director of Studies at the Atlantic Council, joins the show to discuss Russian nuclear doctrine and what it means for the war in Ukraine.

Times