Angry Staff Officer Talks War Stories on Foreign Policy’s Best Defense Blog

fplogofinalmag1

Today, Foreign Policy’s Best Defense blog featured an article from War Stories‘ Angry Staff Officer. In the article, Staffer discusses the founding of WS and the motivation behind our model.

“Over drinks, Adin and I tossed these ideas around and wondered about the most effective ways to bridge this gap. It was not until I returned home that Adin approached me with the idea of a podcast that could engage the human interest angle while also tracing broader trends in warfare, through balancing narrative and dialogue. It was fortuitous timing, as I had been mulling the idea over as well. We agreed to give it a shot, and chose the topic of tanks and armor warfare for our first season. Right out of the gate we encountered some perfect “war stories” that captured our interest. They also happened to fit right into some revolutionary moments in warfare, as tanks emerged on the World War I battlefield.”

To read the full article, visit the Best Defense page >

1.2 – Patton at the Saint-Mihiel Salient

george_s-_patton_-_france_-_1918

Listen: OnlineiTunes | RSS Feed

Near the end of 1917, a young captain by the name of George S. Patton received orders from the Colonel Samuel Rockenbach, the Chief of the newly created U.S. Tank Corps. Patton was tasked with developing the U.S. light tank school to train soldiers in how to operate the small, two-man Renault FT-17. However, it wasn’t long before Patton needed to take what he’d been teaching in the classroom and test it out on the field of battle at the Saint-Mihiel Salient.

Music in this episode was brought to you by (full track listing): Arthur Fields, Blue Dot Sessions, Podington Bear, Ketsa, The Black Square, Sergey Cheremisinov, Kosta T

1.1 – High Wood (Prologue)

deccan_horse_france_1916

Listen: Online | iTunes | Google Play | Direct RSS Feed

In the midst of World War I, the lumbering giants that were early tanks first came onto the battlefield. But what were they a response to, and what did they replace?

In the prologue to season one on armor, Angry Staff Officer and Adin tell the story of Deccan Horse, the cavalry unit responsible for the last charge of WWI before tanks could face down machine gun fire with little more than a dent.

Music in this episode was brought to you by (full track listing): Chris Zabriskie, Dexter Britain, Gustaf UllmanPeter Rudenko, Lee Rosevere, myuu

Want to Know When You Can Finally Listen to War Stories?

Hey there.

If you’re reading this, you’ve found out about our latest project, War Stories. 

War Stories is a narrative podcast series that combines a 20,000 foot view of warfare’s development with on-the-ground stories of those who witnessed the developments.

These broad arcs are broken down by single topics that occupy a season of the show. Think “armor,” “artillery,” or “strategy.” In each of episode of the season, which generally last between 5-10 episodes, we re-tell a story at a key point in the development of the topic. For example, in our season on armor, our first episode describes the final cavalry charge of World War I before armored tanks could take on machine guns with little more than a dent.

So, onto the important part. When can you actually listen to War Stories?

Right now, War Stories is going through a private beta listener process with some of our colleagues in the history and national security communities. We’re working closely with them to make sure that War Stories hits the ground running with great production value, compelling stories, and a comprehensive listener outreach program. We hope the first public episode of War Stories will be launched by the end of August.

So what can you do in the mean time to stay up-to-date?

Well first, sign up for the War Stories newsletter. It’s the easiest way to stay in the loop about what’s coming up in War Stories as well as additional information, sources, and any events or goodies we may have planned.

Additionally, if you feel like fully taking the plunge into the War Stories experience, you can sign up to be an early patron of the show on Patreon. Patrons of the show have perks like PDF transcripts with even more sources and information about the stories on the show, extended episodes, and behind-the-scenes looks at what goes into making a War Stories episode.