The History Network
The military history podcast specialists, looking at all aspects of war through the ages.

Jasper, Josho, Murray and Lindsay discuss Ancient Warfare Magazine VII.2 Struggle for Control: Wars in Ancient Sicily

"Created by the gods and land of the giants, Sicily was a wealthy but deadly prize that dangled in front of many ancient powers. The unfortunate island would be subjected to a seemingly endless series of wars fought by people from all over the ancient Mediterranean. For centuries, the Greeks and Carthaginians would bludgeon each other to the point of exhaustion over a desire to dominate the island. Heeding the siren’s call, the power of Athens would be dashed against Sicily’s rocks. Like a lover forced to choose between two suitors, Sicily would choose Rome over Carthage and thus accelerate the demise of the latter." More

Direct download: Wars_In_Ancient_Sicily.mp3
Category:Ancient Warfare Magazine -- posted at: 2:00am UTC

"Ye Sons of Great Britain! come join with me And sing in praise of the gallant British Armie, That behaved right manfully in the Soudan, At the great battle of Omdurman". So go the opening lines of The Battle of Omdurman by William McGonagall. It was indeed a great battle where the British and Egyptian forces were heavily outnumbered by the Dervishes of the Mahdist leader Abdullah al-Taashi. It involved a gallant British cavalry charge in which Winston Churchill took part, and it was a battle with which the discipline of a modern army won over a vastly larger force with older weapons. As the French historian and writer Hilaire Belloc put it: "Whatever happens, we have got... The Maxim gun, and they have not". Dur: 19mins File: .mp3

Direct download: 1603_Omdurman.mp3
Category:military -- posted at: 11:26am UTC

On January 20, 1889, the following death notice appeared in the New York Times: "MACKENZIE—At New Brighton, Staten Island, on the 19th of January, Brig. Gen. Ranald Slidell Mackenzie, United States Army, in the 48th year of his age." Such a death notice, lacking much detail into his life and career, could be expected if the officer was a minor figure of the late 19th century army, having played little or no role in the Civil War or the more recent Indian Wars. However, this notice is not fitting for an officer who graduated at the top of his class at West Point in 1862 and in three short years, rose to the rank of brevet major general. Dur: 29mins File: .mp3

Direct download: 1602_Ranald_Slidell_Mackenzie_Part_1.mp3
Category:military -- posted at: 3:04pm UTC