

Lions Led By Donkeys Podcast
Lions Led By Donkeys
The Lions Led By Donkeys podcast is a military history podcast for laughing at the worst military failures, inept commanders, and crazy stories from throughout the history of human conflict.
Our podcast will always be free, but if you think what we do is worth a buck you can throw us one here:
https://www.patreon.com/lionsledbydonkeys
Our podcast will always be free, but if you think what we do is worth a buck you can throw us one here:
https://www.patreon.com/lionsledbydonkeys
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 6, 2025 • 10min
*PREVIEW* The CSS Shenandoah
The unexpected finale of the American Civil War is explored, focusing on the final shot fired by the CSS Shenandoah. Connections between Confederate descendants in Brazil and Nazi emigrants add intriguing layers to the narrative. The podcast delves into the birth of the Confederate Navy, highlighting struggles with loyalty and resources. It also examines the leadership challenges faced by Secretary Stephen Mallory as he attempted to establish a functional naval force amidst internal conflicts.

Aug 4, 2025 • 1h 10min
Episode 374 - The English Peasants' Revolt: Part 1
Peasants in England revolted against oppressive taxes and absurd regulations on their daily lives. The hosts delve into cultural quirks like Cockney slang and odd legal encounters. They explore how the sociopolitical climate post-Black Death fueled class struggles and shaped peasant rights. A humorous critique of the monarchy ties historical injustices to contemporary issues, while the absurdities of 14th-century wars and taxing systems highlight the growing discontent among the common folk, setting the stage for a significant uprising.

Jul 28, 2025 • 51min
Episode 373 - The Battle of Abritus
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It is never a good time to go hiking in the swamp with 100,000 of your friends and two Emperors.
Sources:
https://earth-history.com/Europe/Goths/jordanes-goths-04-3rdcentury.htm
https://historycollection.com/two-roman-emperors-brutally-died-battle-251-ad/
Jones, Christopher P. Further Dexippus (Online).
Ludwig Heinrich Dyck. "Philippolis: Roman Disaster on the Western Border." Military Heritage. April 2008. Vol. 9. No. 5
The Cambridge Ancient History: Volume 12, The Crisis of Empire, AD

Jul 23, 2025 • 11min
*PREVIEW* History of Armenia 43: Eventful Times
This is a preview. To listen to the entire episode support the show on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/134758548?pr=true&cr=true

Jul 21, 2025 • 54min
Episode 372 - The Siege of Petropavlovsk
COME SEE US LIVE OCT 4TH IN GLASGOW:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lions-led-by-donkeys-podcast-live-in-glasgow-4th-october-2025-tickets-1501072671769
SUPPORT THE SHOW ON PATREON:
https://www.patreon.com/lionsledbydonkeys
In this episode, Joe, Nate, and Tom discuss a lesser-known battle in the Crimean War in which the British attempt to capture a city on the Kamchatka Peninsula after getting massively lost at sea (in an era where this wasn't supposed to happen) and getting waylaid when the King of Hawai'i invited them to the barbecue. We are not making any of this up.
Sources:
JR Stone. RJ Crampton. 'A Disastrous Affair': The Franco-British Attack on Petropavlovsk. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/polar-record/article/abs/disastrous-affair-the-francobritish-attack-on-petropavlovsk-1854/D765F9B46DA8B5A0C6D55460466220A6Mark N Lardas. Petropavlosk: The Crimean War's Forgotten Battle. https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/petropavlovsk-the-crimean-wars-forgotten-battle/
John Stephens. The Crimean War in the Far East. Modern Asian Studies. Vol. 3. No. 3 (1969)

Jul 16, 2025 • 10min
*PREVIEW* Lions Led By Robots 17: Get in the Robot
this is a preview. To listen to the entire episode join us on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/134249226?pr=true

Jul 13, 2025 • 56min
Episode 371 - The Siege of Tyre
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Joe, Nate, and Tom discuss the time that Alexander the Great altered the geography of the planet in order to build a huge land bridge and punish Tyre for not letting him visit the ancient world's most instagrammable temple.
We've got merch available! Check out our store here: www.llbdpodcast.com/
sources:
https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/siege-of-tyre-alexander-the-greats-assault-on-the-persians/
https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/the-fall-of-tyre/
https://www.historynet.com/alexander-the-great-siege-of-tyre/
https://www.historyonthenet.com/engines-of-destruction-the-evolution-of-siege-warfare-alexander-the-great

Jul 9, 2025 • 12min
*PREVIEW* The Human Terrain System
In this episode, we revisit the 2000s warrior-scholar fixation of famously-unproblematic guys like David Petraeus with the advent of the Human Terrain System, or what you might politely call "military anthropology." Is it ethical? No. Did it work? No. Was it run by someone named Dr. Montgomery McFate? Yes.
Get the whole episode on Patreon here! https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-episode-133688496
We've got merch available! Check out our store here: llbdpodcast.com/

Jul 6, 2025 • 1h 12min
Episode 370 - Operation Frankton
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https://www.patreon.com/lionsledbydonkeys
The British military, faced with the seemingly insurmountable problem of a heavily defended port, decide that there is nothing that methed out kayak-borne commandos on a suicide mission cannot handle.
Sources:
CE Lucas Phillips. The Cockleshell Heroes: The Most Courageous and Imaginative Commando Raid of WWII
Quentin Rees. Cockleshell Heroes: The Final Witness.
Robert Lyman. Operation Suicide: The Remarkable Story of the Cockleshell Raid
https://www.historyextra.com/period/second-world-war/cockleshell-heroes-who-what-operation-frankton-ww2/
https://www.historyisnowmagazine.com/blog/2024/10/2/operation-frankton-the-most-daring-raid-of-world-war-2
https://www.cwgc.org/our-work/blog/operation-frankton-the-true-story-of-the-cockleshell-heroes/

Jul 2, 2025 • 10min
*PREVIEW* The Christmas Bullet *LIVE IN LONDON*
This is a preview. To listen to the entire episode, click here:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/133103053?pr=true