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Comment by Torkel | Hacker News Reader

Hardcore History podcast, ”Supernova of the East”.

Chances are most HN readers who upvote this story has already listened to this, but if there’s someone who missed it… go listen :)

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Malcolm Gladwell's 2020 season of Revisionist History mostly focused on Curtis LeMay, the development of napalm, and the firebombing of Tokyo.

https://www.pushkin.fm/episode/the-bomber-mafia/

Fascinating and horrifying.

I came here to post this, glad you already did. It's honestly one of the best things I've ever listened to. I find it amazing how he can paint such a nuanced picture of such a complex and horrific topic which lends itself so easily to taking a black-and-white view.

LeMay knew exactly how horrid of a thing he'd spearheaded, too.

"If we hadn't won, I'd have been executed as a war criminal."

They turned this podcast into an excellent book, and the audiobook gets all of the same treatments as the podcast:

https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/the-bomber-mafia-a-drea...

And specifically on the atomic bombing: Logical Insanity, https://www.dancarlin.com/product/hardcore-history-42-blitz-...

Seconding this recommendation. I’ve read a lot about World War 2, but this podcast was such a fresh, impactful presentation. Amazingly well done. And useful context for articles like this one.

Literally checking every morning for episode 7 at this point.... come on Dan.

I thought that the series was done? And I'm adding my recommandation to Hardcore History, it's a great podcast.

I'm pretty sure he said episode 6 was the finale.

Well that just ruined my day.

I'm sorry! Though it did feel very wrapped up with the end corresponding with the end of the war. Personally I hope he does the Korean or Vietnam war eventually. I had very little insight into WWI until listening to his podcasts, and I think those could lend themselves to very interesting episodes.

he's going to do an ancient world one next since we've been on ww2 so long, he said.

There are new episodes of HH addendum very often though

Pretty sure the series ends at 6.

Thanks for the Rec!

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