Key Battles of American History
War has played a key role in the history of the United States from the nation’s founding right down to the present. Wars made the U. S. independent, kept it together, increased its size, and established it as a global superpower. Understanding America’s wars is essential for understanding American history. In the Key Battles of American History, host James Early discusses American history through the lens of the most important battles of America’s wars. James is an Adjunct Professor of History at San Jacinto College in Pasadena, TX. He has published one book and two scholarly articles. He is also the cohost (with Scott Rank) of the Presidential Fight Club, Key Battles of the Civil War, Key Battles of the Revolutionary War, and Key Battles of World War I podcasts.
- Update frequency
- every 5 days
- Average duration
- 51 minutes
- Episodes
- 366
- Years Active
- 2021 - 2025
The Tuskegee Airmen
In this episode, Sean and James discuss The Tuskegee Airmen, a 1995 HBO television movie based on the exploits of the first African-American combat pilots in the United States Army Air Corps who foug…
00:45:37 |
Sat 04 Nov 2023
African-Americans in World War 2
In this episode, James interviews Dartmouth College professor and best-selling author Matthew F. Delmont about his excellent book Half American: The Epic Story of African-Americans Fighting World War…
00:52:52 |
Wed 01 Nov 2023
Judgment at Nuremberg
One of the greatest films of all time, 1961’s Judgment at Nuremberg is a gripping courtroom drama about a small town American judge called to preside over the trial of German judges accused of crimes…
00:56:08 |
Sat 28 Oct 2023
The Holocaust
During the Second World War, the Germans murdered 6 million Jews and about 5 million other so-called “undesirables” in what became known as the Holocaust. In this episode, Sean and James discuss this…
00:45:39 |
Wed 25 Oct 2023
The Train
The Train narrates the gripping story of a German officer’s attempt to ship great masterpieces of art out of France by train ahead of the Allied advance and the efforts of the Resistance to prevent t…
00:48:00 |
Sat 21 Oct 2023
Resistance Movements
In every nation that the Germans occupied, resistance movements emerged. In this episode, Sean and James discuss anti-German guerilla movements, focusing primarily on the resistance efforts in four n…
00:46:17 |
Wed 18 Oct 2023
To Hell and Back
America’s most decorated soldier of World War 2 was Texan Audie Murphy. When the time came for Hollywood to adapt his memoir into a film, there was no better star for the film than Murphy himself, wh…
00:35:11 |
Sat 14 Oct 2023
American Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen
Following another long-time KBAH tradition, Sean and James discuss the life and experience of the common soldier, sailor and air crewmen in the European Theater of Operations in World War II. For the…
01:07:01 |
Wed 11 Oct 2023
Eyewitness History Podcast: Special Compilation Feed Drop
In this special compilation episode, Josh Cohen of Eyewitness History shares his favorite interview moments and stories from people who witnessed some of history’s most extraordinary events.
See omnys…
00:45:22 |
Sat 07 Oct 2023
The American Home Front
The heroic efforts of American soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines were made possible by millions of factory workers, farmers, fundraisers, government officials, and others who never left American…
01:06:21 |
Wed 04 Oct 2023
Kelly’s Heroes
In this episode, Sean and James review the 1970 World War II comedy-drama heist film Kelly’s Heroes which tells the story of a motley crew of American GIs who go AWOL in order to rob a French bank, l…
00:49:12 |
Sat 30 Sep 2023
Epilogue 4: How Each Side Won the War When They Were Winning It
In this episode, Sean and James examine the strategies, decisions, and conditions that dictated the course of the war, both from an overall perspective and through the different phases of the action.
…
01:14:48 |
Wed 27 Sep 2023
The Dirty Dozen
The 1967 film The Dirty Dozen tells the story of a penal military unit of twelve convicts who are trained as commandos by the Allies for a suicide mission ahead of the Normandy landings. Join Sean an…
00:41:31 |
Sat 23 Sep 2023
Epilogue 3: Key Technology of the War
In this episode, Sean and James discuss some of the key weapons, technology, and innovations of the war for all the major powers, and how they impacted the course of the war.
01:05:40 |
Wed 20 Sep 2023
Von Ryan’s Express
In this episode, Sean and James discuss the 1965 classic film Von Ryan’s Express, starring Frank Sinatra, which depicts a group of Allied prisoners of war who conduct a daring escape by hijacking the…
00:38:19 |
Sat 16 Sep 2023
Epilogue 2: Key Leaders in the War
In this episode, Sean and James follow a long-established KBAH tradition by giving brief overviews of the postwar lives and careers of the major leaders, Axis and Allies, discussed in the series.
See …
01:01:40 |
Wed 13 Sep 2023
The Best Years of Our Lives
In this episode, Sean and James review the 1946 WIlliam Wyler epic drama film The Best Years of Our Lives, which tells the story of three U. S. servicemen’s struggle to re-adjust to civilian life aft…
00:52:38 |
Sat 09 Sep 2023
Epilogue 1: Europe in 1945 and the Postwar World
The Second World War completely changed the world. In this episode, Sean and James discuss the human cost of the war, the rise and fall of empires, the beginning of the Cold War, and major changes wi…
01:18:44 |
Wed 06 Sep 2023
Downfall
In this episode, Sean and James discuss the 2004 German film Downfall, which gives an inside view of the final days of Hitler, his closest advisors, and the Third Reich itself.
00:59:29 |
Sat 02 Sep 2023
Downfall: Over the Rhine and Oder and the Fall of Berlin
By the early spring of 1945, the Third Reich was on its last legs. Forces of the Western Allies crossed into Germany and pushed eastward, while in eastern Germany, Soviet forces surrounded Berlin. On…
00:44:24 |
Wed 30 Aug 2023
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