The Unauthorized History of the Pacific War
The Unauthorized History of the Pacific War Podcast is the creation of Seth Paridon and Bill Toti. Seth is a World War II historian with over 20 years experience who's many roles also was serving as a chief historian for The National WWII Museum for 15 years. Bill is not a historian, but is a retired submarine commodore and military planner with a special interest in the Pacific War. Bill has a unique perspective to offer as one who spent more than a decade sailing those same waters where the action in “The Unauthorized History of the Pacific War” took place.
Each week, Bill and Seth dive deep into topics pertaining to the Pacific War during World War II. We dissect the battles, tactics, strategies, and personalities that drove the United States' victory on the largest battlefront in human history.
Seth and Bill bring out the hard facts about the war that resonates deeply today, some 80 years after the war was fought.
New episodes are released on this channel every Tuesday, and the audio versions of each episode are released at the same time everywhere you receive your podcasts. Make sure you subscribe to get notifications of every fresh upload and new show!
If you prefer an audio-only version of “The Unauthorized History of the Pacific War,” it can be heard here:
And for those of you interested in the transition from active duty to industry, Bill’s book “From CO to CEO: A Practical Guide for Transitioning from Military to Industry Leadership” is available in hardback at Amazon and other resellers, in eBook format on Kindle and Apple, and in audiobook format on Audible.
Latest episodes
Apr 21, 2023 • 4min
USS Indianapolis (CA-35) reunion July 6-9, 2023
Seth and Bill talk about the upcoming USS Indianapolis reunion in Benicia, California, July 6-9, 2023, hopefully to include a live stream of "The Unauthorized History of the Pacific War" podcast focused on the Indy.
Apr 18, 2023 • 1h 16min
Operation VENGEANCE-Killing Yamamoto
This week Seth and Bill dissect the mission to assassinate the Japanese Commander in Chief Combined Fleet, Isoroku Yamamoto. The team digs deep into the codebreaking that led to the mission as well as the execution of the mission by pilots of the 339th Fighter Squadron in their P-38s.
Apr 11, 2023 • 1h 16min
Commerce Destruction-The Battle of the Bismarck Sea with Jon Parshall
This week guest co-host Jon Parshall joins Seth for a discussion on one of the more important, if not lesser known, events of the Pacific War in 1943, the Battle of the Bismarck Sea. Seth and Jon break down the ins and outs of the epic aerial destruction of an entire Japanese convoy at the hands of the Royal Australian Air Force and GEN Kenney's 5th Air Force in New Guinea.
Apr 4, 2023 • 2h 28min
Black Panther of the Pacific- Dick O'Kane and USS Tang with special guest Drachinifel
This week Seth and Bill welcome naval historian and YouTuber Drachinifel to the show to discuss the Silent Service's deadliest skipper, Dick O'Kane and his equally deadly boat, the legendary USS Tang (SS-306). Join us for a lively discussion that documents this legendary boat and her skipper's journey into history. @Drachinifel
Mar 28, 2023 • 1h 42min
The Cactus Air Force
This week Seth and Bill discuss the legendary Cactus Air Force on Guadalcanal. In this episode the team breaks down some of the legendary men who flew from Henderson Field in the struggle for Guadalcanal, digging into the combat history of men like Joe Foss and John L Smith to name a couple. Tune in and see what the guys have to say.
Mar 21, 2023 • 1h 34min
Green Hell-New Guinea from Port Moresby to Buna-Gona with Jon Parshall
This week Seth, Bill and Jon Parshall discuss the opening moves in the campaign for New Guinea. The trio breaks down the fighting along the Kokoda Track, the unbelievable human suffering in the Owen Stanleys and jungle and conclude with the fighting in Buna, Gona and Sanananda.
Mar 14, 2023 • 1h 45min
Legendary Duo-Mush Morton and USS Wahoo
This week Seth and Bill discuss the patrols of the legendary US fleet boat, USS Wahoo (SS-238), and her equally legendary skipper, Dudley W. "Mush" Morton. Morton and Wahoo became tied at the hip and together, with Dick O'Kane and an unbelievable cast of officers and men, rewrote the "book" on how to conduct submarine operations against the Empire of Japan in 1943.
Mar 7, 2023 • 59min
Submarines 101 or "How to Submarine"
To prepare our viewers and listeners for the submarine stories we will be talking about in some of our upcoming episodes, we figured we would let our very own sub skipper, Captain Toti, give you guys a lesson on how to submarine. This week we will take a look at how WWII Fleet Boats operated, how attacks were conducted and the basic operations of the US Navy's most complicated vessel.
Feb 28, 2023 • 58min
Introduction to the Silent Service with Admiral Thomas Fargo
In the first episode of Season 2 and transition into the war year of 1943, Seth and Bill welcome retired Admiral Thomas Fargo, an esteemed submariner, to introduce the topic of the US Navy's Silent Service. The trio goes over the overall strategy and effectiveness of the submarine force, prepping the podcast for deeper dives (pun intended) in this new season.
Feb 21, 2023 • 47min
Tassafaronga and the Guadalcanal Campaign Wrap Up
This week Bill and Seth "put a bow" on the Guadalcanal campaign, tying up loose ends, giving a brief overview of the Battle of Tassafaronga, while also giving the overall perspective of the tide-turning campaign in the Pacific war in this final episode of Season 1.
Bill and Seth also give a preview of what's coming up next in Season 2 as the podcast, and the Pacific War, progress into 1943.
