7 history podcasts to broaden your mind this Veterans Day

Veterans Day is November 11, and we’re saluting all of the military veterans out there and thanking them for their service. We thought we’d collect some podcasts retelling the stories of some of America’s (and the world’s) most tumultuous times, when citizens put their lives on the line.

From the creation of Armistice Day on November 11, 1918, at the end of the first World War, all the way through Vietnam and the Cold War, these podcasts are remembering those who fought, lived, and died through those harrowing times.

The History of WWII Podcast

Ray Harris Jr. explores the second World War down to the infinitesimal details in “The History of WWII Podcast.” From individual battles to interviews with experts on the subsections of histories, no stone goes unturned in this history podcast.

Dan Snow’s History Hit

The Tuskegee Airmen were the first Black aviators in American military history. While they faced discrimination and segregation at home both before and after the War, in the clouds above Europe, they were the most successful and feared fighter units in the skies. They escorted bombers on raids in Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Poland, and Germany, but just becoming a Tuskegee Airmen was a dangerous feat in itself. Several pilots were killed during training exercises in the United States, and Dan Snow hears about the project to recover one of these downed planes. Not only that, but “Dan Snow’s History Hit” learns of the project to erect a memorial to honor those pilots who gave their lives whilst training to become Tuskegee Airmen.

Hope, Through History

Pulitzer Prize Winning and Best Selling Historian Jon Meacham hosts “Hope, Through History,” a podcast about the most historic and trying times in America’s history. Now in its second season, this C13Original has covered the effects of the second World War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the sinking of the Lusitania, and much more. Meacham hopes that re-engaging with stories of America’s most tumultuous times will be a beacon of hope for leaders and citizens alike.

Battles of the First World War Podcast

Mike Cunha hosts “Battles of the First World War Podcast,” telling the stories of what was hoped to have been the only World War. Along with guests, he details how and why these battles unfolded and happened as they did. We revisit the stories of the men and women who lived, fought, and died during this first deadly struggle of the 20th century.

HISTORY This Week

On November 11, 1918, at 11 AM local time, the Great War ended. The shooting stops not long after an armistice was signed between Germany and the Allied nations. “HISTORY This Week” looks at the final battle of World War I, looking at the unexpected turn of events that led to a shocking victory. This battle, the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, changed the way America would fight future wars, and this History Channel podcast is asking how it all played out, and what it meant for the second war.

The History of the Cold War Podcast

“The History of the Cold War Podcast” covers the shocking length of time the Cold War took up in American history, from 1945 till 1991. Looking at this time period in political, diplomatic, cultural, and ideological lights, this series is a narrative of the conflict, exploring it from its early origins to its final moments, and how it continues to affect our world today.

Against The Odds

“Against The Odds” is a podcast featuring incredible triumphs of human resilience and triumph. Over five episodes, “Against The Odds” tells the story of the late John McCain as he was held prisoner during the Vietnam War. The former U.S. Senator was held as a prisoner of war from 1967-1973 by the North Vietnamese, sustaining wounds that left him with lifelong physical disabilities. Listen to his story of survival over the course of five episodes with “Against The Odds.”