Episodes

Monday May 19, 2025
Monday May 19, 2025
This show attempts to answer some of the questions I had (or address things I didn't know I'd need to know) before starting Compendium.
I'm talking with Matt from Reflecting History (a podcasting OG) about what you're signing up for by starting a history podcast, how to research, how to process audio, and what to expect when you begin.
It's a great conversation, and it's only Part 1. The second half of our conversation is on the Reflecting History feed, so go check that out! We talk over there about what the great podcasters do so well, opening and closing lines, how we can know history happened, and much more.
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Wednesday May 14, 2025
Wednesday May 14, 2025
Nixon and Kissinger think they’ve cracked the code. But handing off the war to South Vietnam proves no easier than it was for the three administrations before them, because some things change, but the quagmire doesn’t.
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Sources here

Wednesday Apr 02, 2025
Wednesday Apr 02, 2025
Murky victory conditions and an obsession with body count turn the jungles of Vietnam into a human meat grinder. While the United States struggles to manage an increasingly brutal war, Hanoi prepares a knockout blow to break the stalemate.
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Wednesday Mar 26, 2025
Wednesday Mar 26, 2025
I have the pleasure of interviewing Myke Cole on this episode of the show! He is a historian and the author of STEEL LOBSTERS, THE BRONZE LIE, THE KILLING GROUND, and others.
We talk about Sir Arthur Haselrige and his Regiment of Horse; a group of knights-carrying-guns that fought in the English Civil Wars. We talk about Pike and Shot tactics, historiography, and the ways in which historians argue with one another.
Grab a copy of Steel Lobsters here
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Monday Feb 10, 2025
Monday Feb 10, 2025
It was my joy to get to speak with Edwin Moise, a professor of history at Clemson University, and Vietnam War expert. This conversation was the culmination of many conversations had in the background as I was researching Hell in a Small Place III–and this conversation acts as a bit of a companion episode to the HISP shows.Read Professor Moise's work here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Edwin-E.-Moise/author/B001ITVOIY?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true If you're interested in research materials on the Vietnam War, Professor Moise has curated an excellent bibliography that I would highly recommend: Ed Moise Vietnam Bibliography Support the show on Patreon

Monday Feb 03, 2025
Monday Feb 03, 2025
Smoke drifts lazily upward from the consumed redoubts at Dienbienphu. A fledgling country rejoices in its newfound freedom…for a time. A line of demarcation is drawn: Communist north. Nationalist south. Larger powers move in to claim their proxies. The United States is left to reckon with a difficult question: can they win a race with a losing horse? They’re about to find out.
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Thursday Dec 26, 2024
Thursday Dec 26, 2024
Today, I have the honor of interviewing author and historian Don Hollway. His books include Battle for the Island Kingdom, At the Gates of Rome, and The Last Viking.
It was the Last Viking that was my introduction to Hollway's work, and I was enthralled by the story of Harald Hardada, his larger than life persona and various outsized adventures.
We talk about Hardrada's legacy, dive into anglo-saxon and Viking warfare, and how Vikings as a whole are perceived today, and how that may change in the future.
Support Don at https://www.donhollway.com/
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Monday Nov 18, 2024
Monday Nov 18, 2024
Total War for the fledgling Democratic Republic of Vietnam means civilian suffering, economic disaster, communist consolidation, atomic scares, and lingering hope that the tiger can wear down the elephant. For the French, it means coming face to face with their own mortality.
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Friday Oct 04, 2024
Friday Oct 04, 2024
France's colony in Indochina ignites in a revolutionary inferno, led by the enigmatic figure of Ho Chi Minh. As the flames spread, Western powers must decide how far they are willing to go to stamp out the communist fire.
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Monday Jul 29, 2024
Monday Jul 29, 2024
A Norwegian fugitive finds himself embroiled in a Byzantine political coup, and leaves his fingerprints permanently etched throughout the bloody proceedings.
Sources and Reading Materials: https://www.compendiumshow.com/