39 episodes
Late Night History Late Night History
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- History
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4.9 • 27 Ratings
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The Late Night History podcast is hosted by writer and oral historian Matt Fratus. Join Matt in his quest to uncover history told through the unmatched experiences and unequaled expertise of his world-class guests. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/late-night-history/support
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Episode 37: Andrew Sullivan
Tonight's guest is Andrew "Sully" Sullivan, a former Navy SEAL Senior Chief (2002-2020), and the founder of the Community First Project, a non-profit that provides law enforcement officers the fundamentals to a tactical response to an active shooter or critical incident like an act of terror.
Some history highlights from this episode include SEAL training, humanity in war, the comedies that shaped the SEALs' vocabulary during the GWOT, pre-mission rituals, the connection between the US military and law enforcement, and so much more.
Join 13K others who follow Late Night History on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latenighthistory/
Follow Sully on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sully_c1p/
Follow the Community First Project on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/community_first_project/
Please subscribe if you liked the show.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/late-night-history/support -
Episode 36: Eddie Ray (Part 2)
The Late Night History podcast is hosted by writer and oral historian Matt Fratus. Join Matt in this special, two-part episode featuring Ret. Marine Col. Eddie Ray, one of only two Navy Cross recipients from the Gulf War.
In part 2, listen to Eddie share his Navy Cross action from his perspective. Later in the episode, Eddie discusses what it was like to serve as a Battalion Commander under Gen. Mattis in the '03 Iraq invasion and some lessons learned returning to Iraq a decade after the Gulf War. Towards the end, Eddie reflects upon his legacy in the Marines and his thoughts about the future of armor in warfare with the prevalence of drones.
This link is for other podcast platforms: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/late-night-history
Join 13K followers of Late Night History on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latenighthistory/
Support the show on Patreon so this one-man show can continue producing content with world-class guests like Eddie Ray: https://www.patreon.com/LateNightHistory
If you do not have a Patreon account, please donate to the show through Listener Support: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/late-night-history/support
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/late-night-history/support -
Episode 36: Eddie Ray (Part 1)
The Late Night History podcast is hosted by writer and oral historian Matt Fratus. Join Matt in this special, two-part episode featuring Ret. Marine Col. Eddie Ray, one of only two Navy Cross recipients from the Gulf War.
In part 1, we delve into Eddie’s unique life journey leading to the Gulf War. From his formative years in LA to his stint as a college football player at the University of Washington alongside the future NFL Hall of Fame QB Warren Moon to his early days as an enlisted Marine and junior officer, we uncover the intriguing chapters of Eddie’s life.
The episode is packed with a lot of exciting history and lessons learned. Notably, a training mission that went awry and how Eddie established himself as a leader. Additionally, Eddie shares how he became involved with the Marines Light Armored Vehicles. At the time, the assignment was considered “The Kiss of Death” for an officer’s career, mainly because nobody understood how to operate the unproven LAVs.
Of course, that reputation would change under Eddie, where he combined football-inspired plays with military tactics for the battlefield. But you’ll hear all about that in Part 2.
This link is for other podcast platforms: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/late-night-history
Join 13K followers of Late Night History on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latenighthistory/
Support the show on Patreon so this one-man show can continue producing content with world-class guests like Eddie Ray: https://www.patreon.com/LateNightHistory
If you do not have a Patreon account, please donate to the show through Listener Support: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/late-night-history/support
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/late-night-history/support -
Season 4 (2024) Teaser | 15 Episodes
The Late Night History podcast was created by writer and oral historian Matt Fratus in 2021. Each year (or season), Matt releases a new batch of episodes starring world-class guests who share their life story. In each episode we cover fascinating historical topics as we leverage each guest's experience and expertise.
This short video is an announcement featuring an update on new guests and new content for 2024.
Listen to the Late Night History podcast on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/late-night-history/id1553678075
This link is for other podcast platforms: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/late-night-history
Join 13K followers of Late Night History on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latenighthistory/
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/late-night-history/support -
Episode 35: Rob Newson
Tonight’s guest is Rob Newson, a former Navy SEAL officer with nearly 30 years of military service.
On this episode, Rob and I discuss the highlights of his remarkable military career, as well as the important work he is doing with cancer and leading the fight alongside incredible organizations such as Task Force Dagger and Hunter Seven Foundation.
If you are searching for insight about military start-ups, this is the episode for you. Rob has personally led or participated within six separate new military organizations, including two national strategic planning elements, and a first-of-its-kind organization to collect and integrate battlefield intelligence to identify and disable terrorist networks. In a three year period, this new team elevated the success rate of SEAL missions from 35% to 91%.
We dive into the gamut of Naval Special Warfare history across the Global War on Terror, including the establishment of SEAL Team 7 and why all veterans of that team owe Rob a green beer for putting the commissioning date on St. Paddy’s Day. We also cover the reasoning for the creation of the Cultural Engagement Units, which relied heavily on the MAVNI program; and various other topics such as women in combat, SEALs in media, and working at the White House.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/late-night-history/support -
Episode 34: Doug Patteson
Tonight’s guest is Doug Patteson, a 10-year veteran of the Central Intelligence Agency, or simply put, the CIA.
On this episode we cover Doug’s fascinating ancestral family history of Texans, which include both his grandfather's military service in WWII. For the majority of the show, we discuss all things espionage, including Doug’s legendary mentors (like Dick Holm on episode 27), his three overseas tours, what it was like to recruit a spy, and his opinion on the greatest movies that capture the reality of the job. Naturally, we also dig into the peculiar food Doug had to eat to gain the trust of a potential asset (i.e. a still-beating snake heart in a shot glass). Later, we cover the extraordinary life story of Peter Ortiz, among other OSS legends. Towards the end, Doug shares the impactful work he’s doing for the James Foley Foundation.
Follow Doug at @TexasSpyDad, as well as @ingloriousamateurs (which is a brand that helps educate common folk like the most of us about the world of espionage) on Instagram.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/late-night-history/support
Customer Reviews
A masterclass in storytelling with an authentic history flavor
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If you're tired of scrolling through an endless barrage of the same old podcasts, The Late Night History podcast is a breath of fresh, historically insightful air. In a landscape where educational content can often be dry and academic to the point of being unlistenable, this podcast defies the odds, combining impeccable research with entertaining delivery in a way that keeps you coming back for more.
What sets The Late Night History podcast apart from the crowd is its knack for presenting stories that are both captivating and historically significant. The episodes, being short, pack an impressive punch; they are like historical espresso shots that wake you up to the richness of the past. They manage to condense complex topics into digestible narratives without ever diluting the facts or skimping on context. In a word, it's fascinating.
Matt Fratus as a host is engaging and does a fantastic job of bringing history to life with their wit, enthusiasm, and authentic curiosity. Each episode feels like you're sitting down for a chat with a knowledgeable friend, rather than being lectured at by a stuffy professor. They have this uncanny ability to dive into topics that you never thought you'd find interesting, and leave you eagerly Googling for more information as soon as the episode ends.
It's no wonder that there have been attempts by others to replicate the magic that The Late Night History podcast brings to the table. But alas, like historical events themselves, some things just can't be duplicated. Others may try to imitate, but this podcast remains peerless in its field, retaining an authenticity that is unmistakably unique.
If you've yet to experience the joy that is The Late Night History podcast, I'd highly recommend that you dive in. It's an enchanting blend of storytelling and fact, creating a deeply satisfying and enlightening experience that enriches your understanding of the world. The late nights you'll spend captivated by these history stories will be sleep well sacrificed.
Happy listening!
Target! Cease fire.
This hits a first round kill shot every single time! Short, concise, entertaining, interesting and easy to listen to, it’s perfect for the ADD history geek who is multitasking while listening! You rock!!
Great podcast!
Great mix of interesting topics, history and humor!