Battles of the First World War Podcast

US Army National Guard officer and historian Jonathan Bratten comes on the podcast to discuss his book, “To the Last Man: A National Guard Regiment in the Great War, 1917-1919.” The regiment discussed is the 103rd Infantry Regiment, a unit in the 26th “Yankee” Division. 

 

Jonathan joins us to discuss the 103rd’s engagements in the Meuse-Argonne in October 1918.

Link to the book:

 

https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/combat-studies-institute/csi-books/to-the-last-man.pdf

 

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 verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Rate, review, and subscribe to the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

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This was so much fun to host–with the help of Alex Lyons, a fantastic group of WW1 enthusiasts were gathered for what will be the first of a multi-part series of discussions of the French Army and the French experience during WW1. 

 

France went to war in 1914 as a country of 40 million people. Its army went to war in 19th century uniforms of dark blue tunics and red trousers, calling up 8.5 million Frenchmen over the next four devastating years. When the guns went silent in November 1918, the Adrian-helmeted and horizon-blue clad PCFs– pauvre con du front, or poor bastards at the front–had seen 1.4 million of their brothers fall on the field of battle, with another 4.2 million wounded–a million of those wounded significantly disabled for the rest of their lives. 

 

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 War in an English-speaking audience,”
• Alex Lyons, the man who spends his free time telling us the story of his Poilu great-grandfather on Twitter,
• Steve Marsdin, a student and researcher of the 1914 Battle of the Frontiers and its effects,
• Jim Smithson, author of “A Taste of Success: The First Battle of the Scarpe. The Opening Phase of the Battle of Arras 9-14 April 1917” and two guide books on the Arras battlefields,
• Dr. Rich Willis, author of the forthcoming “Fighting for the Butcher: British Troops Fighting in General Mangin’s Xe Armée, July-August 1918”

 

I’m really excited to present this first discussion on these fascinating topics, and I hope you enjoy this first talk. 

 

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 verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

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The second of a two-episode look at the Commander-in-Chief of the AEF, GEN John J. Pershing, from the personal to the professional.

 

Robert J. Laplander and I collaborated on creating an audiobook version of his book “Finding the Lost Battalion: Beyond the Rumors, Myths and Legends of America’s Famous WW1 Epic” and here it finally is. 

 

The audio version of “Finding the Lost Battalion” comes to you in podcast form, ready to download and provide nearly 36 hours of the retelling of America’s WW1 epic of devastating modern battle and indomitable bravery under horrific conditions. 

 

Purchase here for $25 USD:

 

https://battlesofthefirstworldwar.supportingcast.fm/

 

Also available through Spotify:

 

https://open.spotify.com/show/0qcRm8x3W7gpbFjOk78Z6L

 

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 verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

Check out this episode!

The first of a two-episode look at the Commander-in-Chief of the AEF, GEN John J. Pershing, from the personal to the professional.

 

Link to Roger Steward’s upcoming book: 

 

https://www.helion.co.uk/military-history-books/reclaiming-the-salient-resurrecting-the-great-war-battlegrounds-of-flanders-fields.php?sid=018fc7cc39777a571b22a1bf97452b9e

 

Robert J. Laplander and I collaborated on creating an audiobook version of his book “Finding the Lost Battalion: Beyond the Rumors, Myths and Legends of America’s Famous WW1 Epic” and here it finally is. 

 

The audio version of “Finding the Lost Battalion” comes to you in podcast form, ready to download and provide nearly 36 hours of the retelling of America’s WW1 epic of devastating modern battle and indomitable bravery under horrific conditions. 

 

Purchase here for $25 USD:

 

https://battlesofthefirstworldwar.supportingcast.fm/

 

Also available through Spotify:

 

https://open.spotify.com/show/0qcRm8x3W7gpbFjOk78Z6L

 

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 verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

Check out this episode!

This episode doesn’t have too much to do with the First World War, but it was really fun to do. My great friend Jake has been asking me to do this for a while, saying that the BFWWP community doesn’t know enough about me personally. So, we got together and made it happen. 

 

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 verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

Check out this episode!

Great War historian and writer Alex Lyons joined me on an evening in the UK to let us into a very personal and ground-level account of a French soldier in the First World War: through the letters of his great-grandfather, Jules André Destrigneville.

 

Alex has been composing tweets of Jules’ letters, cross-referenced against unit histories, orders, and other soldiers’ accounts. He has also written articles for the Great War Group’s excellent publication, Salient Points. Having the time to talk with Alex about his great-grandfather’s experiences and the general experience of French soldiers in World War I was an immensely rewarding time, and I think you’ll enjoy it. 

 

Correction: deep into the episode Alex and I discuss some of the ranks in the French Army, specifically those of sous-officiers and officiers.

 

Sous-officiers are those of NonCommissioned Officers, and are the ranks of Caporal, Sergeant, and Adjutant and their various grades. Officiers are officer ranks, beginning at Sous Lieutenant and going all the way up to Général.

 

Follow Alex on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ri315e

 

Link for the Great War Group: https://greatwargroup.com/

 

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 verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

 

Check out this episode!

Robert J. Laplander and I collaborated on creating an audiobook version of his book “Finding the Lost Battalion: Beyond the Rumors, Myths and Legends of America’s Famous WW1 Epic” and here it finally is. 

 

The audio version of “Finding the Lost Battalion” comes to you in podcast form, ready to download and provide nearly 36 hours of the retelling of America’s WW1 epic of devastating modern battle and indomitable bravery under horrific conditions. 

 

Purchase here for $25 USD:

 

https://battlesofthefirstworldwar.supportingcast.fm/

 

Also available through Spotify:

 

https://open.spotify.com/show/0qcRm8x3W7gpbFjOk78Z6L

 

Available for purchase as a gift as well. We do hope you will enjoy this unforgettable story.

 

Many thanks to Cullen Burke of the Cauldron Podcast: A History of the World Battle by Battle, who recorded the intro announcement and legal notes for us. Cullen has a voice made for this sort of thing. 

 

Cullen’s podcast:

 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cauldron-a-military-history-podcast/id1345505888

 

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 verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

Check out this episode!

After a day of mixed success, the 42d “Rainbow” Division fixes its sights on taking the Côte de Chátillon. The hill is yet another link in the German defensive line that must be broken in order to advance.

Villages of note:

 

Sommerance

 

St. Georges

 

Landres-et-St. Georges

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 verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

Check out this episode!

Join us for a great discussion with Blackmill Games’ CEO Jos Hoebe on their latest WW1 video game,  “WW1 Italian Front: Isonzo.” 

 

Jos takes us through his creative process and the research that goes into the games he and his team create. He takes us back to what started his passion for history and where, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised where that “where” is. The world is full of vibrant and creative people who are passionate about what they do, and Jos Hoebe is one of them. 

 

Check out the Isonzo game trailer here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1556790/Isonzo/

 

Follow BlackMill Games on Twitter: https://twitter.com/blackmillgame

 

Follow Game Drive NL on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GameDriveNL

 

Twitter Folks! Retweet the BFWWP episode post for a chance to win access to the Isonzo game: https://twitter.com/WW1podcast

 

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 verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

Check out this episode!

James Gregory comes back on the podcast to discuss his forthcoming book, “Unraveling the Myth of Sgt. Alvin York: The Other Sixteen.” 

 

Link to the book: 

 

https://www.tamupress.com/book/9781648430756/unraveling-the-myth-of-sgt-alvin-york/#:~:text=In%20Unraveling%20the%20Myth%20of,the%20shadow%20of%20Sergeant%20York.

 

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 Instagram at @WW1battlecast. Not into social media? Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com. Please consider reviewing the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes. 

Check out this episode!