Charles Mackay, known to Napoleonic Twitter by his brilliant soubriquet @BubblesVampire, had his PhD on Napoleonic nearly-man Andoche Junot supervised by the late great Donald D. Horward. We'll be hearing from Charles on the latest goings-on in Egypt in episodes 30 and 31, but hear he is talking us through the life of a complicated, wounded, not-always-likeable personality. Given Junot's multiple head wounds, and h is habit of self-medicating on opium and alchool, it is perhaps remarkable he accomplished as much as he did before his demons overtook him.

- The Napoleonic Quarterly's Patreon has the potential to be a real game-changer, helping us take the podcast to the next level of Napoleonic tremendousness.

- By using the $$$ to pay for the services of an audio editor it becomes possible to produce more content complementing the main episodes.

- There's scope for higher-tier Patrons to actually present some of these bonus episodes, so come forward if you're interested and let's see how we get on.

- Patrons will also have plenty of opportunities to go behind-the-scenes and get involved in the planning process, which feels like a really big part of the journey.

- And Patrons will have early access to director's cut full-length unedited episodes, as well as all the really good bits left on the cutting-room floor.

And so, once more with feeling:

Help us produce more episodes by supporting the Napoleonic Quarterly on Patreon: patreon.com/napoleonicquarterly

Professor Emeritus Elise Kimerling Wirtschafter of CalPolyPomona's long academic career studying Russian history has almost come full circle: beginning in the Cold War context, she has seen very different attitudes emerge in the three decades before Putin's invasion of Ukraine. In this fascinating extended interview Elise talks us through that journey and explains how, even after all these years, there are still plenty of question-marks to ponder about Russia's place in the world.

Help us produce more episodes by supporting the Napoleonic Quarterly on Patreon: patreon.com/napoleonicquarterly

Help us produce more episodes by supporting the Napoleonic Quarterly on Patreon: patreon.com/napoleonicquarterly

1799. January.. February... March... Three months in which the Austrians push the French back in southern Germany… Napoleon Bonaparte runs up against Sidney Smith and the Royal Navy in Syria… And in Naples the newly-installed republicans face a challenge from Cardinal Ruffo and his ruffians. This is episode 29 of the Napoleonic Quarterly - covering three months of wavering French fortunes.

[06:11] - Headline developments, courtesy of Josh Provan

[14:00] - David Hollins on the fighting in southern Germany

[31:55] - Everett Rummage on Napoleon's expedition from Egypt to El-Arish, Jaffa and Acre

[43:12] - An extended discussion between Charles Esdaile and Alexander Mikaberidze on the logic of Bonaparte's advance - and the ethics of the Jaffa massacre of prisoners-of-war

[57:07] - Jonathan North on Naples

[1:13:18] - Charles and Alex size up the situation at the end of March 1799.

Help us produce more episodes by supporting the Napoleonic Quarterly on Patreon: patreon.com/napoleonicquarterly

Everett Rummage is the host of 'The Age Of Napoleon', a brilliant single-voice podcast which tells the story of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars in great detail and with great charm. He's been kind enough to come on the Napoleonic Quarterly to talk us through the story of Bonaparte's invasion of Egypt and what followed, appearing in episodes 27, 28 and 29. And in this interview episode he's talked through some of the background to his project - how he became interested in the period, how he plans each episode, and his approach to the big and the small editorial quandaries which crop up throughout. This interview was recorded in May 2022.

Help us produce more episodes by supporting the Napoleonic Quarterly on Patreon: patreon.com/napoleonicquarterly

[15:38] - Everett Rummage on the Cairo revolt and French efforts to quash Mameluke resistance in upper Egypt

[35:42] - Jonathan North on the ill-fated Neapolitan invasion of the Papal States

[1:01:34] - Elise K. Wirtschafter on Russia's decision to join the Second Coalition

Plus from [1:11:27] Charles Esdaile on storming form sets out how the French had the Second Coalition coming to them, and is surprised by Alex Mikaberidze very much agreeing with him.

Help us produce more episodes by supporting the Napoleonic Quarterly on Patreon: patreon.com/napoleonicquarterly

Rachel Blackman-Rogers discusses Britain's naval and maritime strategy throughout the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars with Professor Andrew Lambert of King's College London's Department of War Studies.

[2:38] - misconceptions of naval fiction

[6:35] - prize money

[9:22] - the City and the Admiralty

[12:18] - the bond between officers and men (and when it got broken)

[14:33] - the 'we were treated horribly' sub-genre of maritime memoir literature

[16:28] - impressment as an occupational hazard

[19:46] - everything wrong with the French navy

[24:18] - targeting French privateers

[27:56] - French colonial losses

[32:47] - the Scheldt as the big British invasion launchpad

[39:48] - Europe's transformed armies after 1805/6

[41:36] - how Britain helped - and fought - the Russian navy

[44:44] - the War of 1812

[52:02] - how Britain's focus on sound money helped the war effort

[55:27] - why Britain's Caribbean colony-grabbing wasn't entirely imperialistic

[57:43] - how Nelson lived on after Trafalgar.

Help us produce more episodes by supporting the Napoleonic Quarterly on Patreon: patreon.com/napoleonicquarterly

1798. July… August… September… Three months in which Bonaparte shatters the Mamelukes at the Battle of the Pyramids… Horatio Nelson shatters the French at the Battle of the Nile… And the diplomatically outraged United States threatens its ex-ally France with war. This is episode 27 of the Napoleonic Quarterly - covering three months in which France’s Egyptian adventure tastes success on land - and then disaster at sea.

[11:38] A bonus mini-segment concluding the grim story of the Irish Rebellion from Ciaran McDonnell

[17:46] Everett Rummage on Bonaparte's advance to Cairo and the Battle of the Pyramids

[28:48] An extended discussion between our didactic duo Charles Esdaile and Alexander Mikaberidze on the Egyptian campaign

[49:18] Rachel Blackman-Rogers on the Battle of the Nile

[1:07:54] Frank Cogliano on the Quasi-War between France and the United States

[1:23:22] Closing thoughts from Charles and Alex as they assess the situation at the end of September 1798.

Help us produce more episodes by supporting the Napoleonic Quarterly on Patreon: patreon.com/napoleonicquarterly

As Josh is a proper social media type chap, here are some proper social media type show notes! Josh Provan's Adventures In Historyland YouTube channel contains a wealth of material. He can be found on Twitter @LandOfHistory. His books are Wild East: The British in Japan 1854-1868 and Bullocks, Grain & Good Madeira: The Maratha & Jat Campaigns 1803-1806.

Some further reading recommendations from Josh: 

Wellington In India, by Jac Weller

Wellington: The Path To Victory 1769-1814, by Rory Muir

White Mughals, by William Dalrymple

The Anarchy, by William Dalrymple

The Honourable Company, by John Keay

Wellington And The British Army's Indian Campaigns, by Martin R. Howard

Help us produce more episodes by supporting the Napoleonic Quarterly on Patreon: patreon.com/napoleonicquarterly

Alexander Mikaberidze is joined by Charles Esdaile and special guest Simon Sebag Montefiore for the second in our 'Ukraine Quarterly' occasional series of panel discussions. As the conflict in Ukraine enters its second year their discussion about the war and its historical antecedents offers insights into the way the fighting is playing out today. What are the strengths and (mostly) weaknesses of Russia's autocracy? Why does Ukraine need to continue grappling with its own past? Why does Potemkin matter so much to Putin? 

The Financial Times article Alex mentions at the beginning can be read here (although to note it's behind a paywall): 

https://www.ft.com/content/80002564-33e8-48fb-b734-44810afb7a49

Simon Sebag Montefiore's website featuring all of his books can be reached here:

http://www.simonsebagmontefiore.com/