Historian Michel Gravel comes back on the podcast to discuss an incredibly interesting gentleman named John Stevenson Youngson. Michel’s works can be found here: https://ysec.fr/?s=Michel+Gravel&post_type=product Michel’s GoFundMe for “La place Joseph Kaeble, VC, MM,” in Neuville-Vitasse, France: https://gofund.me/17574db1 Regarding Michel’s medals: when he mentions his medal collections increase in value, it’s not monetary value. Rather their value increases in that the medal group is complete ...
Apr 13, 2025•52 min
My good friend Xavier Lewis comes on the podcast to discuss his dissertation topic. General Edmond Buat had an idea and devised a plan to defeat the German army on the Western front in World War I. A study of his diary, the notes he wrote and his later writings on German generals Ludendorff and Hindenburg, shows how his plan and the Réserve Générale de l’Artillerie Lourde (Heavy Artillery General Reserve, “RGAL”) he created constitute an incipient form of operational art as well as the basis for...
Mar 19, 2025•1 hr 10 min
Pete Owen, LTC USMC (Ret.) comes on the podcast to talk about his book “To the Limit of Endurance: A Battalion of Marines in the Great War.” From Texas A&M University Press: “Scholars and historians offer several theories for the crippling losses suffered by the American Expeditionary Forces on the battlefields of World War I: inexperience, poor leadership, hasty expansion of duties, and others. But until now, most of these studies have focused at the division level or higher. Now, with To the L...
Mar 05, 2025•44 min
Tennessee State Park Rangers Nate Dodson and Tanner Wells come on the podcast to discuss the upcoming Great War Expo II at York State Park in Pall Mall, TN. On April 5th, 2025, the second annual Great War Expo will be held at Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park in Pall Mall, TN. This is an educational event highlighting all things WW1 at the homesite of one of its more well known soldiers. Experience informative lectures, participate in living history demonstrations, meet authors and vendors,...
Mar 01, 2025•44 min
Part 6 of the ongoing discussion continues to look at the French Army in 1916, and this time we focus on events and developments outside of the Verdun battlefield. This episode will focus on the French Army’s experience in 1916 outside of the Verdun battlefield. Joining us for this discussion are: Bart Debeer, who co-wrote a Dutch-language Western Front Guide for Beginners with a friend Bryn Hammond, whose blog “Vingt Frong” aims to “awaken interest in the French experience of the First World Wa...
Feb 23, 2025•1 hr 56 min
Dr. Isherwood returns to the podcast to talk about his new book “The Battalion: Citizen Soldiers at War on the Western Front.” From Casemate Publishers: “How did ordinary citizens become soldiers during the First World War, and how did they cope with the extraordinary challenges they confronted on the Western Front? These are questions Ian Isherwood seeks to answer in this absorbing and deeply researched study of the actions and experiences of an infantry battalion throughout the conflict. His w...
Feb 09, 2025•38 min
Before the First World War officially began, the killing was already underway. In the small French village of Joncherey, two men would meet for a brief but violent moment on August 2nd, 1914, the day before war was officially declared. The moment would turn them into eternal brothers, transformed by their explosive meeting. French Corporal Jules André Peugeot and German Lieutenant Albert Otto Walther Mayer would soon be the first military deaths of their nations. The BFWWP is on Patreon: https:/...
Jan 26, 2025•16 min•Ep. 101
The group is back! Part 5 of the ongoing discussion looks at the French Army in 1916, the first of a two- or three-part series on this crucial year of WW1. This episode will focus on the French Army’s experience in its most trying battlefield crucible: the Battle of Verdun. Joining us for this discussion are: Christina Holstein, author of several incredible guides to the Verdun battlefield, amongst other published works and articles, Alex Lyons, the man who spends his free time telling us the st...
Jan 01, 2025•1 hr 40 min
This is a recording of our monthly talks on Patreon. Jake is a great friend of mine whom I’ve known for years, thanks to the podcast! Jake joined us to go on the 2024 Meuse-Argonne tour with Lost Battalion Tours, as well as a pilgrimage to where his dad fought during the Second World War. Dr. Clint Heacock, another great friend, joined us for Jake’s very moving day. Hope you enjoy this one. Lost Battalion Tours: [email protected] The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Battle...
Dec 22, 2024•55 min
Author David Borys comes on the podcast to discuss his book “Punching Above Our Weight: The Canadian Military at War Since 1867,” which takes readers on a riveting exploration spanning one hundred and fifty years of Canadian forces. “Punching Above Our Weight" is a photograph-rich history of 150 years of the Canadian military traces the evolution of the country’s armed forces from a small, underfunded, poorly trained militia to the modern, effective military it is today. From the Red River Resis...
Dec 10, 2024•50 min
From University Press of Kansas: “Serpents of War” is the memoir of Pennsylvanian Major Harry Dravo Parkin, is a rare account of World War I as seen from the perspective of a battalion commander. As a mid-level officer responsible for the lives and welfare of over a thousand men, Parkin conveys the stress of command at a time when one innocent blunder could cost an officer his combat assignment, brings the inferno of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive to life in terrifying, gory detail, and recounts be...
Dec 06, 2024•1 hr 27 min
An homage to Wilfred Owen, based on a visit to his grave in Ors, France in July 2024. The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast . Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consider review...
Dec 01, 2024•32 min
Author Philipp Cross comes on the podcast to discuss his book “The Other Trench: The WW1 Diary and Photos of a German Officer,” which contains the diary of his great-great-grandfather Alexander Pfeiffer. “The Other Trench” website: https://www.theothertrench.com/ Where to buy “The Other Trench:” https://www.goodreads.com/book/216124811-the-other-trench/get_a_copy The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. Any questions, comments or concerns please contact ...
Nov 22, 2024•1 hr 27 min
Author Richard Sherman comes on the podcast to discuss his book and homage "Never Home - Remembering the Military Heroes Who Never Returned.” In 2017, professional photographer and Navy veteran Richard Sherman embarked on a journey to visit and photograph all 23 American overseas World War I and World War II cemeteries. After six years and eight trips to three continents, he published “Never Home: Remembering the Military Heroes Who Never Returned.” The book features dramatic imagery of all 23 c...
Nov 15, 2024•46 min
This episode was inspired by an afternoon walking tour hosted by the Mémorial de Verdun museum. For five days in the beginning of June 1916, French Army CPT Charles Delvert and his 8th Company, 101st Infantry Regiment, defended the Retranchement R1 redoubt against ceaseless German attacks. This is their story, in Delvert’s own words. Reference map for episode: https://www.memoiredeshommes.sga.defense.gouv.fr/fr/arkotheque/inventaires/ead_ir_consult.php?fam=11&ref=FRSHD_AFGG_ead Mémorial de Verdu...
Nov 01, 2024•37 min
Independent historian Pat Gang comes on the podcast to talk about Tennessee men who volunteered to fight in foreign armies before the United States entered World War I. The men discussed: Paul & Kiffin Rockwell Charles Loring Clark Zephaniah Porter Broom James Clyde Lloyd Dr. John W. Morris New Ypres League, where to join - New Ypres League vzw: www.newypresleague.com Want to join Lost Battalion Tours in 2025? Email us: [email protected] The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.co...
Oct 20, 2024•1 hr 20 min
Following up on a podcast discussion we had last year to help the push to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the US Army’s Hello Girls of WW1, we have good news: We are so close to reaching the numbers we need! The Hello Girls of the WW1 US Army have never been officially recognized for the groundbreaking service they provided as America’s first women soldiers. In this call to action, an incredible group of people come back on to talk about why the Hello Girls should receive the Congressional...
Oct 10, 2024•1 hr 2 min
In this stand-alone episode we are going up over the battlefields and the fronts to take a 10,000 meter (that’s 30,000ft) view of the Great War, specifically prosecuting that war through the framework of coalition warfare. We’re going to take a look at the challenges of command within a warfighting coalition. New Ypres League, where to join - New Ypres League vzw: www.newypresleague.com Want to join Lost Battalion Tours in 2025? Email us: [email protected] The BFWWP is on Patreon: htt...
Oct 01, 2024•30 min
Historian Michel Gravel comes on the podcast to discuss his focus on First World War history: the efforts of Canadian soldiers in the battles between Arras and Cambrai, France in 1918. There may be a few awkward cuts in the flow of the conversation as our internet connection was frequently unstable. Sorry about that. Michel’s works can be found here: https://ysec.fr/?s=Michel+Gravel&post_type=product Michel’s GoFundMe for “La place Joseph Kaeble, VC, MM,” in Neuville-Vitasse, France: https://gof...
Sep 15, 2024•53 min
A short recap of the recent six (6!) weeks spent in France and Belgium on the Old Front Line. Have you ever had an extraordinary and unforgettable day on a trip or vacation? This was extraordinary and unforgettable days every day for six weeks straight. Special episode features: Neighborhood dads riding at dawn to mow their lawns, and one of the cats complaining that he can’t get into my recording space. Lost Battalion Tours - Get on our mailing list! Email: [email protected] FaceBook...
Sep 01, 2024•22 min
A short episode inspired by a visit to the German Soldatenfriedhof in Liny-devant-Dun, France. The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast . Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at [email protected]. Please consid...
Aug 04, 2024•18 min
Author Bill MIlls comes on the podcast to discuss his book Agent of the Iron Cross: The Race to Capture German Saboteur-Assassin Lothar Witzke during World War I. Spies, deception, intrigue, and sabotage: these are not the stories we usually think when we think WW1. They are part of this story, though. Buy the book here: https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538182086/Agent-of-the-Iron-Cross-The-Race-to-Capture-German-Saboteur-Assassin-Lothar-Witzke-during-World-War-I The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www....
Jul 15, 2024•40 min
A look at the United States’ efforts in the First World War, the efforts of the American Expeditionary Force on the battlefield, and what the Doughboys showed and taught us. The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast . Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not...
Jul 01, 2024•35 min
Former Tennessee Park Ranger David Brady comes on the podcast to speak further on the AEF’s 30th Division, its 119th Infantry Regiment, and his great grandfather–a Doughboy who saw action with those units. The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on I...
Jun 16, 2024•1 hr 1 min
This is a release of a former Patreon-only episode. Elements of the German 8th Army push to outflank and encircle the Russian 2nd Army, while outmaneuvered Russian soldiers fight desperately yet resolutely. The Russian 2nd Army is surrounded, sealing their fate. The only tactical victory of the First World War ends in a stunning Russian defeat. More of Aislingeach’s awesome music is here: https://aislingeach.bandcamp.com/ The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWar...
Jun 01, 2024•26 min•Ep. 99
Historian Pat Gang comes on the podcast to discuss the AEF 2nd Corps, the 27th (New York National Guard) and 30th (Tennessee National Guard) Divisions. Pat’s musings on football and history can be found here: https://www.volnation.com/forum/members/onemangang.535/ The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battle...
May 19, 2024•1 hr 27 min
A short review of Ann Hood’s “The Stolen Child,” a new book to be released in May 2024. Book link here: https://www.annhood.us/ Order it from your local bookstore so that you support your local businesses. The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast . Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter at @WW1podcast, the Battles of the First World War Podcast page on FaceBook, and on ...
May 05, 2024•7 min
This is a release of a former Patreon-only episode. The German 8th Army receives two new leaders: Hindenburg and Ludendorff. They rush to stave off the Russian 2nd Army’s invasion from Russian Poland to the south. A classic battle of maneuver, modernized with modern weapons and heavy casualties, plays out. Corps, divisions, and brigades collide with each other as each seeks to turn their enemy’s flanks. Aislingeach’s awesome music is here! https://aislingeach.bandcamp.com/ The BFWWP is on Patreo...
May 01, 2024•39 min•Ep. 98
Ypres Battlefield Tours guide and author Roger Steward joins Professor Mark Connelly of the University of Kent, Canterbury, to discuss a new remembrance project: the New Ypres League. A remembrance project aimed at preserving the memory of soldiers from all nations who fell in the Ypres Salient during the Great War, the New Ypres League is based on the original Ypres League that was present in Ypres in the years after the First World War. Where to join - New Ypres League vzw: www.newypresleague....
Apr 28, 2024•55 min
A review of Lawrence Kaplan’s new book, “Pershing’s Tankers: Personal Accounts of the AEF Tank Corps in World War I,” and a couple of excerpts from men of the AEF 301st Tank Battalion. Book link here: https://www.indiebound.org/search/book?keys=Pershing%27s+Tankers Order it from your local bookstore so that you support your local businesses. The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast . Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the websit...
Apr 14, 2024•32 min
