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

Bougainville is a 9000 sq. km pacific island and was first subject to European contact in 1768 when Louis Antoine De Bougainville landed there and, in an act of typical vainglory, named it for himself. People had been on Bougainville for 28,000 years but it was the Austronesian people who 4,000 years ago established pigs, chickens, dogs and cultivation with obsidian tools.  The Comte De Bougainville was every bit the equal of James Cook and it was he who established the Falkland Islands, circumnavigated the globe and fought as a captain of dragoons in the what was effectively the first world war, the 7 years’ war between England and France. As an Admiral he sailed south from Tahiti and nearly discovered the Great Barrier Reef then in 1768 encountered Bougainville, east of Papua New Guinea. The wonderful variegated coloured flower, Bougainvillea, is named for him. The island is a natural wonder and historical treasure.

This episode was written by Lt Col Chris Alroe.

Chris was an Australian Army Officer and specialist medical practitioner who spent twenty-one years full and part time in the Australian Defence Forces. He was at one time SMO 11 BDE and later appointed SMO 3 BDE, retiring from the army before taking up the appointment. During Operation Bel Isi commenced 1999, the UN Peace Keeping Mission to the Island of Bougainville after the civil war there, he was appointed Officer Commanding the Combined Health Element for the mission. He was commended by the Brigadier of the Mission for his survey of New Guinea Health services which he conducted as part of the plan to complete the Mission.

Direct download: 2803_Bougainville.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:30am UTC

In August 334 BC, Alexander the Great invaded the Persian Empire and systematically set about its conquest. At the core of Alexander's army were 10,000 members of the phalanx, the phalangites. Armed with a long pike and fighting in formations up to 16 ranks deep, these grizzled veterans were the mainstay of the Macedonian army.

Facing them were the myriad armies of the peoples that made up the Persian Empire. At the centre of these forces was the formation known as the Immortals: 10,000 elite infantry, armed with spears and bows.

In this episode we're going to be discussing the "Macedonian Phalangite vs Persian Warrior" with Ancient Warfare Podcast regular Murray Dahm, who has literally written the book on the topic.

Direct download: 2708_Macedonian_Phalangite_vs_Persian_Warrior.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:30am UTC

If one was to ask about the contribution of the British army during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, some of the immediate responses would concern the Duke of Wellington, the Peninsular War and the Battle of Waterloo. These subjects have acquired great fame over the past two decades, thanks in part to Bernard Cornwall’s popular Sharpe novels, and to the bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo in 2015. However, the battles fought at Waterloo and in the Spanish Peninsula were only a fraction of those fought by the British army during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. One British campaign that has largely been forgotten was fought in Egypt in 1801. Although the numbers of men who fought in Egypt were far smaller than in later campaigns in Spain, Portugal and Belgium, Egypt nevertheless proved a turning point in the fortunes of the British army. The significance of the Egyptian campaign can still be felt to this day. 

This episode was written by Simon Quinn

Simon is a postdoctoral research fellow in history at the University of York. He has recently completed a PhD studying the lives of British soldiers on campaign in Egypt in 1801.

 

Direct download: 2704_The_British_Campaign_in_Egypt_1801_Part1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:23am UTC

The boys are back to remind you that the great war-game survey is now 'live', you can find it here, so please go fill it in.

In this episode Guy updates us with what in new in the hobby and we get a chance to listen to the panel discussion he took part in at the Joy of Six.

Direct download: WSS30_-_greatwargamesurvey.com.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:30am UTC

Something a little different for you with this episode, we were offered the opportunity to speak to Anthony McCarten the scriptwriter of the new film about Winston Churchill in 1940, ‘Darkest Hour’.

Direct download: 2310_Darkest_Hour.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:30am UTC