Ep 058 – Nonfiction. Historian John Lisle discusses his new book, "Project Mind Control: Sidney Gottlieb, the CIA, and the Tragedy of MKULTRA." 'The inside story of the CIA's secret mind control project, MKULTRA, using never-before-seen testimony from the perpetrators themselves. Sidney Gottlieb was the CIA's most cunning chemist. As head of the infamous MKULTRA project, he oversaw an assortment of dangerous―even deadly―experiments. Among them: dosing unwitting strangers with mind-bending drugs, torturing mental patients through sensory deprivation, and steering the movements of animals via electrodes implanted into their brains. His goal was to develop methods of mind control that could turn someone into a real-life "Manchurian candidate." In conjunction with MKULTRA, Gottlieb also plotted the assassination of foreign leaders and created spy gear for undercover agents. The details of his career, however, have long been shrouded in mystery. Upon retiring from the CIA in 1973, he tossed his files into an incinerator. As a result, much of what happened under MKULTRA was thought to be lost―until now. Historian John Lisle has uncovered dozens of depositions containing new information about MKULTRA, straight from the mouths of its perpetrators. For the first time, Gottlieb and his underlings divulge what they did, why they did it, how they got away with it, and much more. Additionally, Lisle highlights the dramatic story of MKULTRA's victims, from their terrible treatment to their dogged pursuit of justice. The consequences of MKULTRA still reverberate throughout American society. Project Mind Control is the definitive account of this most disturbing of chapters in CIA history.' Subscribe to the War Books podcast here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@warbookspodcast Apple: https://apple.co/3FP4ULb Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3kP9scZ Follow the show here: Twitter: https://twitter.com/warbookspodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/warbookspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warbookspodcast/

Ep 057 – Nonfiction. New York Times Bestselling Author Garrett M. Graff discusses his book, "When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day." 'June 6, 1944—known to us all as D-Day—is one of history's greatest and most unbelievable military triumphs. The surprise sunrise landing of more than 150,000 Allied troops on the beaches of occupied northern France is one of the most consequential days of the 20th century. Now, Pulitzer Prize finalist Garrett M. Graff, historian and author of The Only Plane in the Sky and Watergate, brings them all together in a one-of-a-kind, bestselling oral history that explores this seminal event in vivid, heart-pounding detail. The story begins in the opening months of the 1940s, as the Germany army tightens its grip across Europe, seizing control of entire nations. The United States, who has resolved to remain neutral, is forced to enter the conflict after an unexpected attack by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor. For the second time in fifty years, the world is at war, with the stakes higher than they've ever been before. Then in 1943, Allied leaders Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill meet in Casablanca to discuss a new plan for victory: a coordinated invasion of occupied France, led by General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Failure is not an option. Over the next eighteen months, the large-scale action is organized, mobilizing soldiers across Europe by land, sea, and sky. And when the day comes, it is unlike anything the world has ever seen. These moments and more are seen in real time. A visceral, page-turning drama told through the eyes of those who experienced them—from soldiers, nurses, pilots, children, neighbors, sailors, politicians, volunteers, photographers, reporters and so many more, When the Sea Came Alive "is the sort of book that is smart, inspiring, and powerful—and adds so much to our knowledge of what that day was like and its historic importance forever" (Chris Bohjalian)—an unforgettable, fitting tribute to the men and women of the Greatest Generation.' Subscribe to the War Books podcast here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@warbookspodcast Apple: https://apple.co/3FP4ULb Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3kP9scZ Follow the show here: Twitter: https://twitter.com/warbookspodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/warbookspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warbookspodcast/

Ep 056 – Nonfiction. Historian Danielle Leavitt discusses her new book, "By the Second Spring: Seven Lives and One Year of the War in Ukraine" 'An intimate, affecting account of life during wartime, told through the lives that have been shattered. Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, many Americans have identified deeply with the Ukrainian cause, while others have cast doubt on its relevance to their concerns. Meanwhile, even as scores of Americans rally to the Ukrainian cause and adopt Volodymyr Zelensky as a hero, the lives of Ukrainians remain opaque and mostly anonymous. In By the Second Spring, the historian Danielle Leavitt goes beyond familiar portraits of wartime heroism and victimhood to reveal the human experience of the conflict. An American who grew up in Ukraine, Leavitt draws on her deep familiarity with the country and a unique trove of online diaries to track a diverse group of Ukrainians through the first year of Russia's full-scale invasion. Among others, we meet Vitaly, whose plans to open a coffee bar in a Kyiv suburb come to naught when the Russian army marches through his town and his apartment building is split in two by a rocket; Anna, who drops out of the police academy and begins a tumultuous relationship with a soldier she meets online; and Polina, a fashion-industry insider who returns home from Los Angeles with her American husband to organize relief. To illuminate the complex resurgence of Ukraine's national spirit, Leavitt also tells the story of Volodymyr Shovkoshitniy―a nuclear engineer at Chernobyl who went on to lead a daring campaign in the late 1980s to return the bodies of three Ukrainian writers who'd died in a Soviet gulag. Writing with closeness and compassion, Leavitt has given us an interior history of Europe's largest land war in seventy-five years.' Subscribe to the War Books podcast here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@warbookspodcast Apple: https://apple.co/3FP4ULb Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3kP9scZ Follow the show here: Twitter: https://twitter.com/warbookspodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/warbookspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warbookspodcast/

Ep 055 – Nonfiction. Environmental Historian Joshua Howe & Marine Corps veteran Alexander Lemons discuss their new book, "Warbody: A Marine Sniper and the Hidden Violence of Modern Warfare." 'A friendship between an environmental historian and a chronically ill US Marine yields a powerful exploration into the toxic effects of war on the human body. Alexander Lemons is a Marine Corps scout sniper who, after serving multiple tours during the Iraq War, returned home seriously and mysteriously ill. Joshua Howe is an environmental historian who met Lemons as a student in one of his classes. Together they have crafted a vital book that challenges us to think beyond warfare's acute violence of bullets and bombs to the "slow violence" of toxic exposure and lasting trauma. In alternating chapters, Lemons vividly describes his time in Fallujah and elsewhere during the worst of the Iraq War, his descent into a decade-long battle with mysterious and severe sickness, and his return to health; Howe explains, with clarity and scientific insight, the many toxicities to which Lemons was exposed and their potential consequences. Together they cover the whirlwind of toxic exposures military personnel face from the things they touch and breathe in all the time, including lead from bullets, jet fuel, fire retardants, pesticides, mercury, dust, and the cocktail of toxicants emitted by the open-air "burn pits" used in military settings to burn waste products like paint, human waste, metal cans, oil, and plastics. They also consider PTSD and traumatic brain injury, which are endemic among the military and cause and exacerbate all kinds of physical and mental health problems. Finally, they explore how both mainstream and alternative medicine struggle to understand, accommodate, and address the vast array of health problems among military veterans. Warbody challenges us to rethink the violence we associate with war and the way we help veterans recover. It is a powerful book with an urgent message for the nearly twenty million Americans who are active military or veterans, as well as for their families, their loved ones, and all of us who depend on their service.' Subscribe to the War Books podcast here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@warbookspodcast Apple: https://apple.co/3FP4ULb Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3kP9scZ Follow the show here: Twitter: https://twitter.com/warbookspodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/warbookspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warbookspodcast/

Ep 054 – Nonfiction. Historian Stephen R. Platt discusses his new book, "The Raider: The Untold Story of a Renegade Marine and the Birth of U.S. Special Forces in World War II." 'The extraordinary life of forgotten World War II hero Evans Carlson, commander of America's first special forces, secret confidant of FDR, and one of the most controversial officers in the history of the Marine Corps, who dedicated his life to bridging the cultural divide between the United States and China "He was a gutsy old man." "A corker," said another. "You couldn't find anyone better." They talked about him in hushed tones. "This Major Carlson," wrote one of the officers in a letter home, "is one of the finest men I have ever known." These were the words of the young Marines training to be among the first U.S. troops to enter the Second World War—and the Major Carlson they spoke of was Evans Carlson, a man of mythical status even before the war that would make him a military legend. By December of 1941, at the age of forty-five, Carlson had already faced off against Sandinistas in the jungles of Nicaragua and served multiple tours in China, where he embedded with Mao's Communist forces during the Sino-Japanese War. Inspired by their guerilla tactics and their collaborative spirit—which he'd call "gung ho," introducing the term to the English language—and driven by his own Emersonian ideals of self-reliance, Carlson would go on to form his renowned Marine Raiders, the progenitors of today's special operations forces, who fought behind Japanese lines on Makin Island and Guadalcanal, showing Americans a new way to do battle. In The Raider, Cundill Prize–winning historian Stephen R. Platt gives us the first authoritative account of Carlson's larger-than-life exploits: the real story, based on years of research including newly discovered diaries and correspondence in English and Chinese, with deep insight into the conflicted idealism about the Chinese Communists that would prove Carlson's undoing in the McCarthy era. Tracing the rise and fall of an unlikely American war hero, The Raider is a story of exploration, of cultural (mis)understanding, and of one man's awakening to the sheer breadth of the world.' Subscribe to the War Books podcast here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@warbookspodcast Apple: https://apple.co/3FP4ULb Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3kP9scZ Follow the show here: Twitter: https://twitter.com/warbookspodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/warbookspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warbookspodcast/

Ep 053 – Nonfiction. On what date did the U.S. #CivilWar end? Most would say April 9, 1865, when Lee surrendered at Appomattox. But historian Michael Vorenberg argues that may not be the case in his new book "Lincoln's Peace: The Struggle to End the American Civil War." Support local bookstores & buy Michael's book here: https://bookshop.org/a/92235/9781524733179 Subscribe to the War Books podcast here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@warbookspodcast Apple: https://apple.co/3FP4ULb Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3kP9scZ Follow the show here: Twitter: https://twitter.com/warbookspodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/warbookspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warbookspodcast/

Ep 052 – Nonfiction. As World War II ended, the United States stood as the dominant power on the world stage. In 1947, to support its new global status, it created the CIA to analyze foreign intelligence. Historian Hugh Wilford talks about the CIA's imperial history in his new book, "The CIA: An Imperial History" Support local bookstores & buy Hugh's book here: https://bookshop.org/a/92235/9781541645912 Subscribe to the War Books podcast here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@warbookspodcast Apple: https://apple.co/3FP4ULb Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3kP9scZ Follow the show here: Twitter: https://twitter.com/warbookspodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/warbookspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warbookspodcast/

Ep 051 – Fiction. In 1941, a Soviet soldier witnesses Hitler's invasion of the USSR and must cope with its devastating consequences. Sasha Vasilyuk discusses her fantastic new novel, "Your Presence Is Mandatory," based on the real-life story of her grandfather's experiences during and after the war. Support local bookstores & buy Sasha's book here: https://bookshop.org/a/92235/9781639731534 Subscribe to the War Books podcast here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@warbookspodcast Apple: https://apple.co/3FP4ULb Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3kP9scZ Follow the show here: Twitter: https://twitter.com/warbookspodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/warbookspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warbookspodcast/

Ep 050 – Nonfiction. Are we already in a second Cold War? George S. Takach says yes, and joins me to discuss his fascinating new book, "Cold War 2.0: Artificial Intelligence in the New Battle between China, Russia, and America." Support local bookstores and buy George's book here: https://bookshop.org/a/92235/9781639365630 [https://a.co/d/df7oh7z] Subscribe to the War Books podcast here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@warbookspodcast Apple: https://apple.co/3FP4ULb Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3kP9scZ Follow the show here: Twitter: https://twitter.com/warbookspodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/warbookspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warbookspodcast/

Ep 049 – Fiction. In August 1943, a fourteen-year-old is newly orphaned and flees Rome after surviving the American bombing raid that killed his parents. Author Derek B. Miller joins me to discuss his fascinating new #WWII novel, "The Curse of Pietro Houdini." Support local bookstores & buy Derek's book here: https://bookshop.org/a/92235/9781668020883 Subscribe to the War Books podcast here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@warbookspodcast Apple: https://apple.co/3FP4ULb Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3kP9scZ Follow the show here: Twitter: https://twitter.com/warbookspodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/warbookspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warbookspodcast/

Ep 048 – Nonfiction. By July 1794, Robespierre was an outlaw, wanted for conspiracy against the French Republic. Historian Colin Jones chronicles Robespierre's finals hours & joins me to discuss his new book, "The Fall of Robespierre: 24 Hours in Revolutionary Paris." Support local bookstores & buy Colin's book here: https://bookshop.org/a/92235/9780198715955 Subscribe to the War Books podcast here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@warbookspodcast Apple: https://apple.co/3FP4ULb Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3kP9scZ Follow the show here: Twitter: https://twitter.com/warbookspodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/warbookspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warbookspodcast/

Ep 047 – Nonfiction. What's it like to grow up surrounded by Soviet propaganda? What lessons can we learn today? Magda Stroinska, Professor of Linguistics at McMaster University, joins me to discuss her fascinating new memoir, "My Life in Propaganda: Language and Totalitarian Regimes." Support local bookstores & buy Magda's book here: https://bookshop.org/a/92235/9781990735332 Subscribe to the War Books podcast here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@warbookspodcast Apple: https://apple.co/3FP4ULb Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3kP9scZ Follow the show here: Twitter: https://twitter.com/warbookspodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/warbookspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warbookspodcast/

Ep 046 – Nonfiction. Before 1862, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain had rarely left his home state of Maine, where he was a trained minister and professor. During the U.S. Civil War, he rose to fame as one of the North's greatest heroes. Ronald C. White joins me to discuss his book, "On Great Fields: The Life and Unlikely Heroism of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain." Support local bookstores & buy Ron's book here: https://bookshop.org/a/92235/9780525510086 Subscribe to the War Books podcast here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@warbookspodcast Apple: https://apple.co/3FP4ULb Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3kP9scZ Follow the show here: Twitter: https://twitter.com/warbookspodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/warbookspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warbookspodcast/ War Books Podcast is a podcast dedicated to exploring history by interviewing today's best authors writing about war-related topics. War Books Podcast aims to spotlight the profound historical moments that have shaped war and conflict throughout history, and highlight today's best writers in the fields of military history, war studies, war writing, current events, politics, fiction, literature, history, and more. This podcast is tailored to a broad audience, from general interest to war enthusiasts to teachers and history professors. The objective is to inform, educate, and think deeply about the nature of conflict and the stories that define human beings at their most perilous, harrowing moments. #history #war #warbooks #authorinterviews #book #newbook #historyteacher #historyprofessor #bookstagram #instabooks #reels #reelsvideo #bookreels #library #historybook #reading #conflict #bookshelf #bookstore #shortsclip #shortscraft #shortsbook #shortshistory #historyfacts #historychannel #historybuff #historyofwar #militaryhistory #warwriting

Ep 045 – Nonfiction. How do the descendants of Nazis reckon with the pasts of their families? Burkhard Bilger joins me to discuss his memoir, a ten-year quest to uncover the truth about his grandfather— a Nazi party chief, "Fatherland: A Memoir of War, Conscience, and Family." Support local bookstores & buy Burkhard's book here: https://bookshop.org/a/92235/9780385353984 Subscribe to the War Books podcast here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@warbookspodcast Apple: https://apple.co/3FP4ULb Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3kP9scZ Follow the show here: Twitter: https://twitter.com/warbookspodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/warbookspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warbookspodcast/

Ep 044 – Nonfiction. From 1800-1860, America grappled with 4 major wars: the War of 1812, the Seminole Wars, the Mexican War, and the lead-up to the U.S. Civil War. Historian E joins me to discuss these wars & his new book, "American Visions: The United States, 1800-1860." Support local bookstores & buy Ed's book here: https://bookshop.org/a/92235/9780393881264 Subscribe to the War Books podcast here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@warbookspodcast Apple: https://apple.co/3FP4ULb Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3kP9scZ Follow the show here: Twitter: https://twitter.com/warbookspodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/warbookspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warbookspodcast/

Ep 043 – Nonfiction. For England, the decades leading up to 1066 were defined by bloody wars in which Vikings, Anglo-Saxons, and Normans vied for supremacy. Don Hollway joins me to discuss his new book, "Battle for the Island Kingdom: England's Destiny 1000–1066." Support local bookstores & buy Don's book here: https://bookshop.org/a/92235/9781472858931 Subscribe to the War Books podcast here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@warbookspodcast Apple: https://apple.co/3FP4ULb Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3kP9scZ Follow the show here: Twitter: https://twitter.com/warbookspodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/warbookspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warbookspodcast/

Ep 042 – Nonfiction. Across both world wars, women ran spy networks and escape lines, parachuted behind enemy lines, and interrogated prisoners. Helen Fry joins me to discuss her fascinating new book, "Women in Intelligence: The Hidden History of Two World Wars." Support local bookstores & buy Helen's book here: https://bookshop.org/a/92235/9780300260779 Subscribe to the War Books podcast here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@warbookspodcast Apple: https://apple.co/3FP4ULb Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3kP9scZ Follow the show here: Twitter: https://twitter.com/warbookspodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/warbookspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warbookspodcast/

Ep 041 – Nonfiction. The F-35 aircraft, which changed modern warfare, was one of the most expensive and controversial military programs in history. Tom Burbage joins me to discuss his new book, "F-35: The Inside Story of the Lightning II." Support local bookstores & buy Tom's book here: https://bookshop.org/a/92235/9781510777576 Subscribe to the War Books podcast here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@warbookspodcast Apple: https://apple.co/3FP4ULb Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3kP9scZ Follow the show here: Twitter: https://twitter.com/warbookspodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/warbookspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warbookspodcast/

Ep 040 – Nonfiction. The Russia-Ukraine War is the most serious crisis in Europe since World War II. At the heart of the conflict is a mystery: why did Putin put his entire regime at risk of destruction? Owen Matthews joins me to discuss his new book, "Overreach: The Inside Story of Putin's War Against Ukraine." Support local bookstores & buy Owen's book here: https://bookshop.org/a/92235/9780008562786 Subscribe to the War Books podcast here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@warbookspodcast Apple: https://apple.co/3FP4ULb Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3kP9scZ Follow the show here: Twitter: https://twitter.com/warbookspodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/warbookspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warbookspodcast/

Ep 039 – Nonfiction. Tecumseh's military stand against William Henry Harrison was a last chance to protect Indigenous people from U.S. expansion. Peter Stark joins me to discuss his new book, "Gallop Toward the Sun: Tecumseh and William Henry Harrison's Struggle for the Destiny of a Nation." Support local bookstores & buy Peter's book here: https://bookshop.org/a/92235/9780593133613 Subscribe to the War Books podcast here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@warbookspodcast Apple: https://apple.co/3FP4ULb Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3kP9scZ Follow the show here: Twitter: https://twitter.com/warbookspodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/warbookspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warbookspodcast/