Podcast Episodes

A Spectacle of Death

With the dream of an eastern empire collapsing, Bonaparte launches an invasion of Syria against enormous odds, leading to some of the darkest episodes of his early career. We meet Pauline  Fourès, a …

Published on 6 years, 8 months ago

The End of Illusion

The expedition's bad luck continues. The people of Egypt finally reach their breaking point. Cairo gets a taste of Napoleon's tyrannical side. Bonaparte receives a disturbing revelation about his per…

Published on 6 years, 9 months ago

In Debt with Zachary Stoltzfus

A conversation about debt and property in revolutionary and Napoleonic France, and what's it's like to research late 18th and early 19th century French history

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Published on 6 years, 9 months ago

Ali Bonaparte

Relations between France and other great powers deteriorate. The Army of the Orient occupies Cairo, and the French immediately run into difficulties governing.  Napoleon makes a major decision that c…

Published on 6 years, 10 months ago

Brave Despair

The British Mediterranean Fleet under Horatio Nelson spends months chasing the naval component of the Egypt Expedition. They finally catch the French at Aboukir Bay and fight the decisive Battle of t…

Published on 6 years, 11 months ago

The Scorched Plains

The Army of the Orient pushes deeper into Egypt and learns painful lessons about life and death in the desert. Napoleon clamps down on discontent and rallies the army to win a skirmish at Shubra Khit…

Published on 6 years, 11 months ago

To the Land of the Gods

The Army of the Orient sets sail. They make a brief stop in Malta, where Napoleon clashes with an ancient organization of religious pirates. The French landing in Egypt turns into a debacle. Bonapart…

Published on 6 years, 11 months ago

Davison Pasha

An interview with the writer and historian Derek Davison, who helps us look past the myths and orientalist fantasies to see the Middle East as it actually was on the eve of Napoleon's arrival. Topics…

Published on 7 years ago

East and West

Napoleon cajoles the Austrians into signing a peace treaty... a treaty which practically guarantees another war in the future. He begins planning the expedition to Egypt, and we examine the rationale…

Published on 7 years ago

The Kansas Campaign

A special interview with military historians Dr. Mark Gerges, Dr. Jonathan Abel, and Dr. John Kuehn, experts on the Napoleonic era from the US Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenwor…

Published on 7 years, 1 month ago