World War II On Topic The National WWII Museum
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Welcome to a new podcast series where we revisit some of our most riveting and educational discussions on World War II.
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New Podcast: Making Masters of the Air
Click HERE to follow the new podcast by The National WWII Museum: Making Masters of the Air.
Masters of the Air is an Apple Original series from executive producers of Band of Brothers and The Pacific, streaming January 26 on Apple TV+.
The series follows the men of the 100th Bomb Group (the “Bloody Hundredth”) as they conduct perilous bombing raids over Nazi Germany and grapple with the frigid conditions, lack of oxygen and sheer terror of combat conducted at 25,000 feet in the air.
Masters of the Air is based on the best-selling book by Donald Miller, and features a stellar cast led by Academy Award nominee Austin Butler, Callum Turner, Anthony Boyle, Nate Mann, Rafferty Law, Academy Award nominee Barry Keoghan, Josiah Cross, Branden Cook and Ncuti Gatwa.
The Making Masters of the Air podcast by The National WWII Museum is co-hosted by Playtone’s Kirk Saduski and Donald Miller, author of the book, Masters of the Air.
Listen to the premiere episode featuring an interview with Executive Producer Tom Hanks on Friday, January 26.
Masters of the Air is an Apple Original series from executive producers of Band of Brothers and The Pacific. Streaming on January 26 on Apple TV+ -
Atom Bomb: “The Destroyer of Worlds”
In this special season of World War II On Topic, The National WWII Museum will explore J. Robert Oppenheimer, the Manhattan Project, and the history and ramifications of the atomic bomb.
In this episode, Jason Dawsey, PhD, and John Curatola, PhD, historians with the Museum’s Jenny Craig Institute for the Study of War and Democracy, discuss the legacy of the Manhattan Project.
To read more visit our Manhattan Project topics page: www.nationalww2museum.org/war/topics/manhattan-project -
Eyewitness to Hiroshima, and the Enola Gay
In this special season of World War II On Topic, The National WWII Museum will explore J. Robert Oppenheimer, the Manhattan Project, and the history and ramifications of the atomic bomb.
The anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima was August 6. In this episode, we hear from two extraordinary people who experienced the bombing, albeit from vastly different perspectives. While much has been written and said on the subject, these are firsthand recollections, excerpted from the oral histories given by Theodore “Dutch” Van Kirk and Ittsei Nakagawa.
Van Kirk was the navigator on the Enola Gay, the B-29 Superfortress bomber that dropped the bomb on Hiroshima. He was the last surviving member of the Enola Gay crew before his death in 2014.
Nakagawa was a Japanese American from California who got stuck in Japan due to the war. He was there, in Hiroshima, on that fateful day and survived to tell his experience.
These oral histories were recorded by the Museum and provide a first-person look into the lives of those who experienced these amazing and terrifying events.
To read more visit our Manhattan Project topics page: www.nationalww2museum.org/war/topics/manhattan-project -
Oppenheimer: The Movie and the Man
In this special season of World War II On Topic, The National WWII Museum will explore J. Robert Oppenheimer, the Manhattan Project, and the history and ramifications of the atomic bomb.
In this episode, Jason Dawsey, PhD & John Curatola, PhD, historians with the Museum’s Jenny Craig Institute for the Study of War and Democracy, discuss the film Oppenheimer, released July 21, 2023.
Directed by Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer was adapted from the biography American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. Jason and John explore the history behind the movie, its accuracy, and its influence.
To read more visit our Manhattan Project topics page: www.nationalww2museum.org/war/topics/manhattan-project -
Racing for the Bomb: Author Robert Norris on General Leslie Groves
In this special season of World War II On Topic, The National WWII Museum will explore J. Robert Oppenheimer, the Manhattan Project, and the history and ramifications of the atomic bomb.
In this episode, we take a closer look at Lieutenant General Leslie Groves, director of the Manhattan Project. While a lot of interest is rightfully set on Oppenheimer, Groves proves to be an interesting character and pivotal player in the development of the bomb.
During the Museum’s 2015 International Conference, Dr. Robert Norris, author of Racing for the Bomb: General Leslie R. Groves, the Manhattan Project’s Indispensable Man, spoke about Groves and his role in the Manhattan Project. The lecture featured in this episode was edited for length, but the entire session, also featuring author Richard Frank and host Dr. Conrad Crane.
To read more visit our Manhattan Project topics page: www.nationalww2museum.org/war/topics/manhattan-project -
“Voices of the War: Fighting in the Desert” with Walt Ehlers and Gerhard Hennes
This episode is brought to you by the Museum’s Jenny Craig Institute for the Study of War and Democracy.
At the 2012 International Conference on World War II, we were privileged to listen to a conversation between renowned author, Rick Atkinson and World War II Veterans Walt Ehlers & Gerhard Hennes.
Walt served in the 3rd Infantry Division of the US Army in North Africa. He then served with the 1st Infantry Division in Normandy where he performed actions that were later awarded the Medal of Honor.
Gerhard was in the German Afrika Korps and was captured in North Africa, becoming a Prisoner of War for the remainder of the War.
If you would like to view the original conversation, you can see it here: https://youtu.be/ikH0nKNA4W8
Customer Reviews
Great WWIIi sights!
Everything the WWII museum does is first class and these podcasts are no exception. I love that they dig deeper and have different lenses on events and people vs your run of the mill historical review. Bravo.
Disappointing
Updated review: I tried to give this another shot when the Oppenheimer episodes posted, but it’s unfortunately not very good. I found myself tuning out whenever Professor Curtola was talking and finally just unsubscribed.
I was a huge fan of the WWII Museum’s podcast about Harry S. Truman, To The Best of My Ability, and so I was excited when I saw they had a new series finally, but this is nothing like that one. That one was documentary style and always had me on the edge of my seat but this is old events being recycled. I’m sure some may like it but I was looking for more great stories and this is not it. Two stars because professor Citino is interesting but that’s about all.
Great content and insightful
The podcasts I have had the chance to listen to have been informative and insightful. Great topics and subject matter experts. It has become a must listen to podcast for me.