

The Napoleonic Wars Podcast
Zack White
Who was Napoleon Bonaparte? What was his legacy on history? And why, more than 200 years later, does the conflict which he gave his name to still matter?
Join award-winning Napoleonic historians Dr Zack White, Dr Luke Reynolds, Liam Telfer and Josh Redden as they host Europe's leading show devoted to the American War of Independence, French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars.
From interviews with leading researchers, to deep dive debates on some of the big questions, this show is ideal for those who want to start building their knowledge deepen their understanding of the period.
Join award-winning Napoleonic historians Dr Zack White, Dr Luke Reynolds, Liam Telfer and Josh Redden as they host Europe's leading show devoted to the American War of Independence, French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars.
From interviews with leading researchers, to deep dive debates on some of the big questions, this show is ideal for those who want to start building their knowledge deepen their understanding of the period.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 1, 2025 • 1h 26min
State of the Union - 5th Anniversary Special
Happy Birthday to the Napoleonic Wars Podcast!We see in the fifth year of the show with a special State of the Union episode, in which we get heated about the extent to which the British firebombing Copenhagen was justifiable, Zack and Luke go off on one about the 1857 India Mutiny (yeah, I know, Liam was exasperated too), and The Beau asks supposedly important questions about medals and cloak chains...We also feature a few of you lovely people talking about what the show means to you.https://linktr.ee/napwarspod

Mar 30, 2025 • 1h 2min
1796: America's First Real Election
In the next instalment of the Birth of America series, Sara Georgini joins us to discuss one of America's most contested and most consequential elections.Check out her Sara's book here:https://global.oup.com/academic/product/household-gods-9780197647219

Mar 26, 2025 • 7h 52min
The Peninsular War - The 1808 saga omnibus
The Peninsular War is one of our most consistently demanded topics on this podcast. Following recent requests to make access the series easier, we're compiling the 1808 related interviews into one epic 8 hour saga of an omnibus episode.Time stamps below.Topics include: where the Peninsular War came from, if Napoleon should have gone to war or could have avoided it, what happened at the Battles of Bailen, Rolica, Vimeiro, and Corunna, the controversial convention of Cintra, and whether the Peninsular War really matter.Support out work at https://www.patreon.com/c/thenapoleonicwarspodJoin our mailing list at https://23be0d79.sibforms.com/serve/MUIFAN6my1wFMTPQa6OOJRaiMuJiTTUCFyTw2ODkYM0rhwNEoOaW-r5IbPHLK3D1JtLiNHgxbeROjzf1:40 - Origins of the Peninsular War1:09:00 - The Battle and Campaign of Bailen2:33:00 - The Battles and Campaign of Rolica and Vimeiro4:13:30 - The Convention of Cintra5:12:10 - The Corunna Campaign6:30:45 - The Peninsular War - The Global Perspective

Mar 23, 2025 • 1h 17min
1808: Rebellion at the Cape
Nigel Worden joins us to discuss a huge yet unique slave rebellion that broke out in Napoleonic era South Africa...Read about Nigel's research here: https://humanities.uct.ac.za/department-historical-studies/people-emeritus-staff/emeritus-professor-nigel-wordenCheck out his book here: https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/The-Making-of-Modern-South-Africa-by-Nigel-Worden/9780470656334

Mar 20, 2025 • 11min
Defending Quatre Bras - The fight for Gemioncourt
The farm of Gemioncourt of the Quatre Bras battlefield is under threat. In this special bulletin, Zack White unveils a new initiative 'Heritage 1815', which is fighting to safeguard the site, stop any prospect of bulldozers going near it, and look to find a way that Gemioncourt can become a place of learning for people to better understand the Battle of Quatre Bras, its significance in the Waterloo campaign, and wider European history.Join the Heritage 1815 mailing list at www.heritage1815.comFollow us on social media at:https://x.com/heritage1815https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574553321147https://bsky.app/profile/heritage1815.bsky.social

Mar 16, 2025 • 1h 11min
Britain's Worst Defeat? Bergen op Zoom
Did Britain suffer its worst defeat of the Napoleonic Wars at Bergen Op Zoom in 1814? If so, why? And how could this happen when the British Army was supposedly at the height of its powers in 1814? Andrew Bamford joins us for the concluding episode of his two part series looking at the British campaign in the Low Countries in 1813 and 1814. We discuss the bombardment of Antwerp, why it was doomed to failure in the first place, and what the British did next, leading to the attack on Bergen op Zoom.If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to leave a reviewMore on Andrew's work can be found at the following links;Pen and Sword Books: Titles by Andrew BamfordSickness, Suffering, and the Sword - University of Oklahoma PressFor all your Napoleonic Wars Podcast merchandise, please go to Discover Our Exclusive Range at Napoleonic Wars PodcastThe Prime & Load Podcast can be found in Spotify at the link below;https://open.spotify.com/show/6kyiCE4daaUcMpr0Qjha2u?si=4cf738d2c07b4c20#BritishArmy #British #Napoleon #War #NapoleonicWars #Podcast #French #Dutch #Guards #History #militaryhistory #defeat #Frencharmy #army #Netherlands #localhistory

Mar 12, 2025 • 56min
The Battle for Amelia Island
David Head returns to discuss a group of American rogues and their huge designs for a spinoff of the Spanish American Wars of Independence... in Florida.Read about David Head's research here: https://www.davidheadhistory.com/about

Mar 9, 2025 • 58min
Washington's Presidency
Peter Kastor returns to talk about Washington's domestic administration, foreign policy and his legacy.Creating a Federal Government project:https://creatingafederalgovernment.wustl.edu/Peter Kastor's profile: https://history.wustl.edu/people/peter-kastor

Mar 2, 2025 • 1h 18min
Fédon's Rebellion
In 1795, the biggest slave rebellion in British history erupted on the island of Grenada. Led by Julien Fédon, it threatened to turn the Caribbean upside down...Read about Kit Candlin's research here: https://www.newcastle.edu.au/profile/kit-candlin

Feb 26, 2025 • 1h 1min
Lady Liberty at War: Women Soldiers of the Grande Armée
David Hopkin of Oxford University joins us to discuss the women - real and symbolic - who fought in the Grande Armée in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Who were they? How many of them were there? And how did pull it off?
Check out the Folklore Society here: https://folklore-society.com/
Read about David's research here: https://www.history.ox.ac.uk/people/david-hopkin