Josh Johnson’s Compendium

Many in both the North and the South believe the American Civil War is God's punishment for America's sins. By the end of 1862, the casualty lists had become impossible to ignore, and both sides began to realize that in this war, there would be no happy endings.
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Andrew Rowen set out to write a new story of Columbus' journey to the Americas. He was going to tell both sides of the story. His now three-volume historical fiction brings the native point of view to bear, along with Queen Isabella's. 
Josh sits down with Andrew to discuss what actually happened from 1498 to 1502 and how the actions of Spain’s Queen Isabel, the Taíno Indian Chieftain Anacaona, and Columbus shaped events.
Grab a copy of Isabel, Anacaona & Columbus's Demise: 1498-1502 Retold
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I'm joined by author Buddy Levy, who's written books such as Conquistador, River of Darkness, Realm of Ice and Sky, and others. We dive into Cortez & Montezuma, the 40-foot owl at the Bohemian Grove, Mike Leach, and his favorite writing advice.
Check out Buddy Levy's books
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Don Hollway is back! This time, we're talking about Olaf Tryggvason and his new book: Hammer of the Gods.
Grab a copy of Don's book here
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Tony Vanderhoef is a Law student at Florida State and has also gained a following on Instagram, making short-form content in the political space. He approaches American politics from a constitutional perspective, and instead of trying to rally a base and divide, he aims to bridge the divide.  
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Today I'm joined by Bob Crawford to talk about his new book, America's Founding Son; what he describes as a digestible history of John Quincy Adams. Adams is a fascinating historical character, and Bob and I talk about why he was a unique president, what made him polarizing, and how he "stood in the gap" in his own time.
Pre-order America's Founding Son here
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The practice of strategy today is a history-adjacent discipline, but it is one that history informs and one that shapes history. John Gaddis is one of the United States' foremost strategy thinkers, and he joins me on the show to talk about Venezuela, the war in Ukraine, how democracies and autocracies differ with regard to strategy, and much more.
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Historian Barry Strauss joins me to talk about his new book, Jews Vs Rome! We also look at some of the greatest commanders in history, what they did well and what they struggled with, as well as why YOU should read history.
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Did Alexander beat Darius because he was a better field commander, or because he was a greater gravitational force? Josh wonders if perhaps his secret weapon was something a bit more mundane?
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What happens when a 90-day war goes longer than 90 days? You get a soupy melange of nerves, avarice, and confusion. Nobody at the time is equipped to deal with it, least of all the men in charge.
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Check out the Distant Guns series Bibliography