just wanted to say that i have recently stumbled across your podcast in my unending search for great new media, and the second i noted the title and the leangth of show, i fell in love.
napoleon certainly is one of the most interesting people one could possibly study, and i had already decided that following the excellent Robert Fisk book i am reading now, the next book i would read would be on Napoleon, so this podcast came to me at a great time; now i can learn about both subjects.
your laid back style of discussiona and entertaining little trundles into politics and society of our current times is also very ammusing and i find myself laughing out lowd sometimes as the two of you try to outdo the other in handing out compliments, it really is quite a show, and much more that just a dry review of history.
I have recomended your show to several of my friends, noone of whom i am sad to say are quite the podcast junkie i am, but what can you do?
my only suggestion, and i recognize this may not be possible, would be to go into further deapth in regards to specific battles. or perhaps to be more consistent in describing them. sometimes i notice you paint a very vibrant picture of a battle that i can picture in my head, and grasp why it turned out the way it did, but other time you seem to skim over a lot quicker, leaving it vague as to why the outcome was exactly the way it was. i know you guys are doing your best and it is awesome dont get me wrong, but i am a young guy, and i love the battle tactics and so on. i am really interested in the specifcs that made napoleon top dog on every field he stepped onto by the way, i am from Victoria BC Canada, and i can look out the window of my house and see Davids mountain range on a nice clear day.
So I may not be the closest listener to you David, but i definately tied for the closest non American listener, which is good enough for me.
keep up the great work guys.
Sincerely Mike from Canada
Thanks Mike! Really appreciate the feedback. You’re absolutely right, we do skip over way too many details, usually in the interest of time. You’ll love the next episode though. We’re going to do an entire episode on the Battle of Austerlitz. Thanks for listening and telling your friends!
Hey!
These episodes have been very good, and very helpful. As of right now I’m doing a french project on Napoleon and stumbling across these podcasts is a huge stroke of luck for me. Thanks a lot for these amazing episodes, I learned more things from these podcasts than any other website or encyclopedia! I’m just wondering, when does the next episode come out? (I’m so excited 🙂
After stumbling across your podcast I was hooked after the first episode. I listened to about ten in a row in a few days but now am crackin up that it takes so long for you chaps to do each episode!!!! I’ve Frank McGlynn’s biography of Napoleon (Mr.Markham’s publishers haven’t been pushin his books in Dublin I’m afraid) since and reckon I’m hooked on Napoleon. I’m interested in Napoleon’s involvement in Ireland from 1798, will yee be doin any more about this?
The relaxed delivery of the podcast is as refreshing as it is informative. Keep it up there lads, and do more episodes. Post haste
Sincerely,
Darren, Dublin
My books not on the Emerald Isle? I say march into those bookstores and demand that they stock each and every one of them! Or, go to my website and order one from Amazon. McGlynn’s book is a decent read, but I disagree with his view of Napoleon.
We can only do so many so fast, Darren! But we’ll try to pick up the pace a bit after the first of the year. For a quick fix, listen to the two short podcasts I’ve done for the Dahesh Museum of Art and Wiley Books. You can access they through my website.
Meanwhile, here is my wish for you and all of our listeners to have a great holiday season and a super New Year!
Thanks for the podcasts. I started listening at episode 3 or 4 and have kept up religiously. Great stuff.
By the way, I would encourage you not to back off of drawing comparisons to current events, such as the Iraq war, regardless of complaints you might receive. To make it more balanced, just throw in other examples to show that Bush is not alone in making that oft-repeated mistake of reaching beyond one’s means militarily. There’s MacArthur in Korea, Hitler going into Russia, Lee sending Pickett up Cemetery Ridge at Gettysburg (the list goes on). All men thought their armies invincible.
One other thing. When you discuss Napolean’s march into Russia, your listeners might find it helpful to view Charles Joseph Minard’s statistical graphic. This is a very powerful presentation of the events leading to the devastating conclusion of the campaign.
I stumbled across your podcast a few weeks ago and it is outstanding to say the least. I had seen Mr. Markham in the History Channel and PBS Napoleon Documentaries ( or one of the two at least) but that format doesn’t showcase his knowledge or quench my thirst for knowledge about Napoleon. This is the best podcast around!
Hi – I live in Northern Ireland and just wanted to say the podcast is simply superb. but every couple of weeks isnt nearly enough as i have nothing to listen to on the bus to work. I am reading the first of Asprey’s books – any comments
I’m a new listener of your podcast and I think its great. You quoted Napoleon as saying “give them a whiff of grape shot”. I think grape shot would create a smell,because the metal would be flying and hitting itself. This would create a distinct smell of metal on metal.
I have recently listened to the first 30 episodes of your podcasts on Napoleon and with a few reservations have generally enjoyed them and found them informative.
I wanted to recommend to you the following:
This is an audio book available at no charge from LibriVox. It is the Reminiscences of Captain Rees Howell Gronow, an English officer, who participated in the Peninsular War and the Battle of Waterloo.
It may not be particularly accurate in its historical detail but it gives a very intimate portrayal of the times, the attitudes of the people involved in the in the Napoleonic Wars. It is deliciously gossipy and full of scandal.
There are several interesting accounts of misconduct of British officers and regiments as well as accounts of disciplinary actions in both French and English armies. A particularly interesting example is the occasion of a French officer requesting a truce so that a French soldier might be publicly executed in front of both armies.
I do want to make a small criticism of your presentation. There is a great deal of speculation on the part of Cameron and David concerning the acts of disloyalty, unethical acts and “Bad faith” negotiations. I think these speculations are rather naïve. As between states loyalty, ethics and good faith are rarely dominant influences. The history of all nations is replete with fratricide, patricide and filicide amongst royal families. To suggest that the Emperor Francis would be restrained by the private interest of his daughter and grandson is quaint. In a similar vein I don’t think it requires too much speculation to see why the coalitions were so determined to be rid of Napoleon and to restore the Bourbons. It is a simple of matter of class interests. It is not dissimilar to the United States’ intractable hostility toward Fidel Castro. Castro and Cuba have done absolutely nothing to harm the United States but they do represent a symbolic threat to the interests of the class that controls the government of the United States.
hello fellows
just wanted to say that i have recently stumbled across your podcast in my unending search for great new media, and the second i noted the title and the leangth of show, i fell in love.
napoleon certainly is one of the most interesting people one could possibly study, and i had already decided that following the excellent Robert Fisk book i am reading now, the next book i would read would be on Napoleon, so this podcast came to me at a great time; now i can learn about both subjects.
your laid back style of discussiona and entertaining little trundles into politics and society of our current times is also very ammusing and i find myself laughing out lowd sometimes as the two of you try to outdo the other in handing out compliments, it really is quite a show, and much more that just a dry review of history.
I have recomended your show to several of my friends, noone of whom i am sad to say are quite the podcast junkie i am, but what can you do?
my only suggestion, and i recognize this may not be possible, would be to go into further deapth in regards to specific battles. or perhaps to be more consistent in describing them. sometimes i notice you paint a very vibrant picture of a battle that i can picture in my head, and grasp why it turned out the way it did, but other time you seem to skim over a lot quicker, leaving it vague as to why the outcome was exactly the way it was. i know you guys are doing your best and it is awesome dont get me wrong, but i am a young guy, and i love the battle tactics and so on. i am really interested in the specifcs that made napoleon top dog on every field he stepped onto by the way, i am from Victoria BC Canada, and i can look out the window of my house and see Davids mountain range on a nice clear day.
So I may not be the closest listener to you David, but i definately tied for the closest non American listener, which is good enough for me.
keep up the great work guys.
Sincerely Mike from Canada
Thanks Mike! Really appreciate the feedback. You’re absolutely right, we do skip over way too many details, usually in the interest of time. You’ll love the next episode though. We’re going to do an entire episode on the Battle of Austerlitz. Thanks for listening and telling your friends!
Hey!
These episodes have been very good, and very helpful. As of right now I’m doing a french project on Napoleon and stumbling across these podcasts is a huge stroke of luck for me. Thanks a lot for these amazing episodes, I learned more things from these podcasts than any other website or encyclopedia! I’m just wondering, when does the next episode come out? (I’m so excited 🙂
Thanks Kyle! Next one should be coming out soon!
After stumbling across your podcast I was hooked after the first episode. I listened to about ten in a row in a few days but now am crackin up that it takes so long for you chaps to do each episode!!!! I’ve Frank McGlynn’s biography of Napoleon (Mr.Markham’s publishers haven’t been pushin his books in Dublin I’m afraid) since and reckon I’m hooked on Napoleon. I’m interested in Napoleon’s involvement in Ireland from 1798, will yee be doin any more about this?
The relaxed delivery of the podcast is as refreshing as it is informative. Keep it up there lads, and do more episodes. Post haste
Sincerely,
Darren, Dublin
Darren,
My books not on the Emerald Isle? I say march into those bookstores and demand that they stock each and every one of them! Or, go to my website and order one from Amazon. McGlynn’s book is a decent read, but I disagree with his view of Napoleon.
We can only do so many so fast, Darren! But we’ll try to pick up the pace a bit after the first of the year. For a quick fix, listen to the two short podcasts I’ve done for the Dahesh Museum of Art and Wiley Books. You can access they through my website.
Meanwhile, here is my wish for you and all of our listeners to have a great holiday season and a super New Year!
David
http://www.NapoleonicHistory.com
Hi guys,
Thanks for the podcasts. I started listening at episode 3 or 4 and have kept up religiously. Great stuff.
By the way, I would encourage you not to back off of drawing comparisons to current events, such as the Iraq war, regardless of complaints you might receive. To make it more balanced, just throw in other examples to show that Bush is not alone in making that oft-repeated mistake of reaching beyond one’s means militarily. There’s MacArthur in Korea, Hitler going into Russia, Lee sending Pickett up Cemetery Ridge at Gettysburg (the list goes on). All men thought their armies invincible.
One other thing. When you discuss Napolean’s march into Russia, your listeners might find it helpful to view Charles Joseph Minard’s statistical graphic. This is a very powerful presentation of the events leading to the devastating conclusion of the campaign.
Thanks again.
Eric
Thanks Eric! Glad to have you listening. I agree, the Minard is a wonderfully emotive graphic!
I stumbled across your podcast a few weeks ago and it is outstanding to say the least. I had seen Mr. Markham in the History Channel and PBS Napoleon Documentaries ( or one of the two at least) but that format doesn’t showcase his knowledge or quench my thirst for knowledge about Napoleon. This is the best podcast around!
Wow thanks Kartik, nice of you to say so! Spread the word!
Hi – I live in Northern Ireland and just wanted to say the podcast is simply superb. but every couple of weeks isnt nearly enough as i have nothing to listen to on the bus to work. I am reading the first of Asprey’s books – any comments
I’m a new listener of your podcast and I think its great. You quoted Napoleon as saying “give them a whiff of grape shot”. I think grape shot would create a smell,because the metal would be flying and hitting itself. This would create a distinct smell of metal on metal.
I have recently listened to the first 30 episodes of your podcasts on Napoleon and with a few reservations have generally enjoyed them and found them informative.
I wanted to recommend to you the following:
This is an audio book available at no charge from LibriVox. It is the Reminiscences of Captain Rees Howell Gronow, an English officer, who participated in the Peninsular War and the Battle of Waterloo.
It may not be particularly accurate in its historical detail but it gives a very intimate portrayal of the times, the attitudes of the people involved in the in the Napoleonic Wars. It is deliciously gossipy and full of scandal.
There are several interesting accounts of misconduct of British officers and regiments as well as accounts of disciplinary actions in both French and English armies. A particularly interesting example is the occasion of a French officer requesting a truce so that a French soldier might be publicly executed in front of both armies.
I do want to make a small criticism of your presentation. There is a great deal of speculation on the part of Cameron and David concerning the acts of disloyalty, unethical acts and “Bad faith” negotiations. I think these speculations are rather naïve. As between states loyalty, ethics and good faith are rarely dominant influences. The history of all nations is replete with fratricide, patricide and filicide amongst royal families. To suggest that the Emperor Francis would be restrained by the private interest of his daughter and grandson is quaint. In a similar vein I don’t think it requires too much speculation to see why the coalitions were so determined to be rid of Napoleon and to restore the Bourbons. It is a simple of matter of class interests. It is not dissimilar to the United States’ intractable hostility toward Fidel Castro. Castro and Cuba have done absolutely nothing to harm the United States but they do represent a symbolic threat to the interests of the class that controls the government of the United States.