The Long History Short Podcast

In this episode of the Long History Short Podcast, I sat down with General Lawrence Nicholson of the United States Marine Corps. General Nicholson and I discuss his time in some of the toughest combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan. He served in Fallujah, Ramadi, and then Helmand Province in Afghanistan-- three of the deadliest theatres in those two wars. We also talked about some of the mistakes that leadership made during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and whether anything could've been done differently to achieve victory. I'm not sure that he was my best guest but unquestionably my most badass guest. That counts for something.

On this episode of the Long History Short Podcast, I interviewed Dr. Roger Petersen about Iraq, now that U.S. forces are poised to leave for the final time on September 30, 2026. He and I discuss the state of Iraq today, with its fractious but democratic politics. We also discuss the origins of the Iraq War, the post-Saddam insurgency, the impact of the US troop surge under General Petraeus, and sectarian violence between Shia and Sunnis, as well as other outside groups. Finally, we discuss bright spots in the current political situation in Iraq and why we ought to have hope for the future of the Iraqi people. Here's the link to Dr. Petersen's book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CSPPSJ1L?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback Here's an overview of the Sunni-Shia divide: https://www.cfr.org/articles/sunni-shia-divide-2 Dr. Petersen mentioned a New York Times article about Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi. It's paywalled, but here it is: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/21/world/middleeast/iraq-prime-minister-interview-disarm-militias.html Dr. Petersen also referred to an article about the troop surge written by Stephen Biddle. Check it our if you're interested, or if you're not totally persuaded by Dr. Petersen's argument: https://www.belfercenter.org/publication/testing-surge-why-did-violence-decline-iraq-2007 This is a brief biography of Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shia cleric/asshole who comes up often in our conversation: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Muqtada-al-Sadr

On this episode of The Long History Short Podcast, I sat down with J. Kael Weston, former state department official and author of "The Mirror Test: America at War in Iraq and Afghanistan." On September 30th, the last US soldiers will withdraw from Iraq after more than 23 years since the war's beginning. Kael and I discuss his time in Fallujah, his efforts to win over Iraqi civilians, some of the triumphs and mistakes that US forces made during the Iraq War, and a life of service to our country.

Check out Kael's book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0345806948?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback For more on the Battle of Fallujah, see this article: https://thewarhorse.org/fallujah-iraq-war-timeline-battle/

On this episode of the Long History Short Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Carter Malkasian, former advisor to US military commanders in Afghanistan and author of "The American War in Afghanistan: A History." We discuss the fallout of 9/11, the way that Al-Qaeda's attacks changed the thinking within the Bush administration, the practical difficulties US forces faced in Afghanistan, the withdrawal, and what Taliban rule is like today. On this 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, understanding the war to hunt down Bin Laden and prevent more terrorist atrocities is vital. For more information on the present-day Taliban administration of Afghanistan, check out this article: https://www.cfr.org/backgrounders/taliban-afghanistan On the Bush administration's altered take on foreign policy in the wake of 9/11: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-bush-foreign-policy-revolution/... Here's Dr. Malkasian's book: https://www.amazon.com/American-War-Afghanistan-History/dp/0197550770

On this episode of The Long History Short Podcast, I sat down with Dr. Gabriel Said Reynolds of the University of Notre Dame. We are fast approaching the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, and Dr. Reynolds and I discussed Bin Laden's interpretation of Islam, his role in al-Qaeda, the transformation of jihadist energies away from al-Qaeda and towards ISIS, the role of history in the Muslim imagination, contemporary jihadist movements, and a lot else. Here's a link to Dr. Reynolds's superb YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ExploringtheQuranandtheBible Further reading on al-Qaeda's theological ideas: https://www.hudson.org/national-security-defense/al-qaeda-s-ideology A good source of information on jihadist movements in Mali, Nigeria, etc. which Dr. Reynolds and I discuss toward the end of the interview: https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/violent-extremism-sahel More on jihadism today: https://www.city-journal.org/article/war-on-terror-taliban-al-qaeda-islam Dr. Reynolds on ecumenism between Catholics and Muslims: https://mcgrathblog.nd.edu/category/articles/2016/04/14/thinking-clearly-about-islam

On this episode of The Long History Short Podcast, I sat down with Rod Dreher, author of "The Benedict Option" and "Live Not By Lies," along with several other books and a popular Substack. He and I discussed American/European politics and culture. Rod's made the provocative claim that present day societal dysfunction resembles that of the Weimar Republic-- that period of German history that preceded the appointment of Hitler as Chancellor Germany and the institution of the Third Reich. Rod's book, "Weimar America," comes out next year. We also talk about the potential of AI to disrupt the economy, expand government surveillance of citizens, and the consequences of a world where work is optional. Let us know what you think in the comments below! For more from Rod, check out his Substack: https://roddreher.substack.com/ You can also check out his work at the Free Press: https://www.thefp.com/w/rod-dreher Or you can buy one of his books, several of which I've read and greatly enjoyed: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Rod-Dreher/author/B00JV2IX3O?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1788058018&sr=8-1&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

On this episode of the Long History Short Podcast, join me for a conversation with Katja Hoyer, author of "Weimar: Life on the Edge of Catastrophe." In our chat, Katja and I discuss the collapse of Wilhelmine Germany, the history of the Weimar Republic, what Weimar can teach us about contemporary politics, the Republic's downfall, and the rise of Hitler. She and I link German history to current developments in European politics, like the rise of the AfD (Alternative for Deutschland), recent shake-ups in UK politics, mass migration, and how to restore faith in democracy. For more from Katja, check out her excellent Substack: https://www.katjahoyer.uk/ Good article about the period between World Wars: https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/war-war-europe-1919-1939 A 20 point (!!) lead for the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt: https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/afd-opens-20-point-lead-a-month-before-crucial-state-elections/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email To purchase "Weimar" or another of Katja's books, you can find them on her website, Amazon, or pretty much any bookseller. Here's a link: https://www.amazon.com/Weimar-Life-Catastrophe-Katja-Hoyer/dp/1541605799

On this episode of the Long History Short Podcast, I talk with Dr. David Betz, Professor of War Studies at the University of London, King's College. Professor Betz has made the provocative claim that due to polarization, mass migration, elite fecklessness, two-tiered justice, politicians' contempt for regular people, and other issues, civil war will break out in Great Britain and other European countries in the coming years. If that sounds provocative, give it a listen. I started as a skeptic, but he convinced me. Here's the first of Betz's essays defending his thesis: https://www.militarystrategymagazine.com/article/civil-war-comes-to-the-west/ Here's part two: https://www.militarystrategymagazine.com/article/civil-war-comes-to-the-west-part-ii-strategic-realities/

On this episode of the Long History Short Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Mara Hunter to discuss the history of the Sea of Azov, Russia's ambitions for the sea, how Azov affects global markets and trade infrastructure, and the future of the Ukraine War.For some more on the Ukraine War and the Sea of Azov, check out this article: https://lieber.westpoint.edu/carving-up-ukraine-what-about-the-azov-sea/ Here's some on the role of Orthodoxy in the conflict: https://www.v-theo.net/the-russia-ukraine-conflict-and-the-role-of-the-orthodox-church-a-documentary/ More on the history of Crimea: https://crimea-platform.org/en/krim-do-okupaciyi/istorichnij-ekskurs/

Welcome to another episode of Long History Short, where I discuss the state of Russian politics, Russian history, Putin's origins, Elections in Russia, US misunderstandings of Putin, and what it all means for the Ukraine War. My guest today is Professor Timothy Frye, professor of Post-Soviet Politics at Columbia University.