On the eve of the 160th anniversary of the Battle of Second Manassas, which was fought from August 28-30, 1862, Mark presents an encore episode, The Battle of Second Manassas. In August 1862, after the Confederate victory in the Battle of Second Manassas, or the Second Battle of Bull Run as it was referred to in the North,…
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Mark takes a quick look at two major Civil War events the took place in early July: the battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg. He also discusses some of the characters who played key roles: Confederate General Henry Heth, the man who initiated the battle of Gettysburg and Union General Edward Sickles, one of the most…
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It’s been four months since Russia invaded Ukraine and reports show the environmental impact is already devastating. Mark looks back to the American Civil War to give listeners an idea of what we already know about how war affects the environment. Considering that a battle was a major man-made disaster, someone had to take care…
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Mark takes a look at some significant events that took place in May from the American Civil War era. He considers these events in light of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s famous (yet unrelated) quote, “What potent blood hath modest May,” which Mark will show is an applicable description when considering the outcome of some such events…
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To kick off Women’s History month, Mark takes a look at some of history’s notable women. Starting with Medieval times and jumping to the American Revolution, War of 1812, Civil War and World War II, he features a range of heroines from Joan of Arc, who at age 17 led a French army in the…
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Often we think that historically, not much has happened in the middle of winter. However, that’s far from the truth. From Charlemagne to Henry VIII, Secession in the Civil War to the Soviets battling the Finns in the snow during WWII, there has been a lot of historical heat generated in January over the centuries….
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In Part II of the Christmas in Wartime podcast, Mark reviews some of the happenings that American and Allied soldiers experienced during WWII. There are a few items from the home front and some from where the fighting occurred, as well as a few segments from POWs. First, a mention that I forgot to include…
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War brings few joyous moments. Over the years, Christmas time has provided a few glimmers of warmth. From a surprise victory for George Washington, to mules masquerading as reindeer in the Civil War, to a flare-lit soccer game between Brits and Germans in WWI, Mark shares some wartime Christmas memories.
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This week, Mark takes a look at some of the events that happened during the month of August in the American Civil War and WWII. He discusses the infamous Quantrill’s Raiders, a group of pro-Confederate partisan guerrillas that included Jesse James, Nathan Bedford Forrest’s raid on Memphis, the 872-day Siege of Leningrad, and the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression…
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Continuing his discussion of the fall of New Orleans during the Civil War, Mark discusses the Union bombardment of Forts Jackson and St. Philip by David Dixon Porter’s mortar boats. The rest of the Union fleet under David Farragut is able to steam past the forts. After a duel with the few effective Confederate gunboats…
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