Naval History Podcast

In Episode 7 of Naval History Podcast, we conclude our coverage of the Peloponnesian War with a study of the Decelean War, during which most of the naval action shifts back to the Aegean. During this most violent phase of the war, the Persian Empire intervenes in an effort to gain power in the region, bankrolling Sparta and protracting the war, even as Athens, still predominant at sea, struggles to survive. Notable commanders include The competent, unsung Thrasybulus and the flawed Conon (on the Athenian side); the capable but unfortunate Mindarus and the reckless Callicratidas (on the Spartan side); and, shifting his allegiances as he sees fit, the psychopath Alcibiades. All of these men, and thousands of other Greeks, struggle for their empires and for their lives as the long, bloody Peloponnesian War at last nears its violent climax.

In Episode 6 of Naval History Podcast, we continue our multi-part examination of the Peloponnesian War with Athens's ill-fated Sicilian Expedition of 415-13 BC, in which the Athenians send a massive expeditionary force to attack and possibly conquer the island of Sicily. During this epic struggle between the Athenians, the Syracusans, and their respective allies. We also meet such characters as the overly cautious and indecisive Athenian general Nicias; his fellow general Alcibiades, one of the first psychopaths known to history; and the daring Spartan commander Gylippus. The disaster that befell the Sicilian Expedition was perhaps the beginning of the downfall of the Athenian empire and set the stage for the final horrific phase of the Peloponnesian War.

In Episode 5 of Naval History Podcast, we begin our multi-part examination of the Peloponnesian War, fought from 431 to 404 BC. This part covers the nature and causes of the war, beginning in the final years of the Greco-Persian War, as well as the opening phase of the Peloponnesian War itself (the Archidamian War of 431-421 BC), concluding with the Peace of Nicias in 421 BC.

In Episode 4 of Naval History Podcast, we examine the geostrategic, cultural, and naval aspects of the war that produced one of the most important battles in history: The Battle of Salamis, 480 BC.

In Episode 3 of Naval History Podcast, we get acquainted with history's first true Thassalocracies--Phoenicia and Greece--and examine the ancient world's "ship of the line": The trieres, or trireme.

In Episode 2 of Naval History Podcast, we explore naval prehistory along with the early sea battles of the Bronze Age.

In this inaugural episode of Naval History Podcast, we explore the basics of maritime and naval theory, strategy, and tactics.

The new teaser trailer for NHP!

Coming later this summer: Naval History Podcast with naval historian and author Buckner F. Melton, Jr.

A seasoned author and teacher, Melton tells true stories of intrigue, battle, and legal combat from America's past in a gripping style that's nothing like the history class you took in school! Buckner F. Melton, Jr. holds a doctorate in history from Duke University and a law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He specializes in areas of national security history, including impeachment, treason, and constitutional war powers. His book The First Impeachment: The Constitution's Framers and the Case of Senator William Blount received national attention during the impeachment proceedings against President Clinton. During the impeachment Melton served as an advisor to several members of Congress and as a commentator for National Public Radio, NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, and MSNBC, and he continues to provide commentary in the print and electronic media on constitutional issues of national security. He is also the author of Aaron Burr: Conspiracy to Treason and A Hanging Offense: The Strange Affair of the Warship Somers. He currently serves as Distinguished Writer-in-Residence and University Press Fellow at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia.