Month: October 2026

462: Nuts!

Mark Podcast
General McAuliffe and his staff share Christmas dinner in besieged Bastogne, December 25, 1944.

Eisenhower sent the US 101st Airborne Division to the Belgian town of Bastogne with orders to hold it against the enemy offensive.

The German Fifth Panzer Army surrounded and besieged the town. When the German commander sent a surrender ultimatum, the US commander, General Anthony McAuliffe, gave a memorable reply.

  • Listen now:

Transcript.

Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening War Theme

“The Army Goes Rolling Along”
Music composed in 1917 by John Philip Sousa. Public domain.
Performed by the United States Military Academy Band. Public domain recording.

Closing War Theme

Except when otherwise indicated, the contents of this podcast are © and ℗ 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some music and sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.

461: Wacht am Rhein

Mark Podcast
German soldiers advancing along a road in the Ardennes past abandoned American vehicles.

In December 1944, the German Army began an offensive on the Western Front in a final bid to regain the upper hand.

The above photograph was taken by a German military photographer during the Ardennes Offensive. The film was subsequently captured by US soldiers.

  • Listen now:

Transcript.

Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening War Theme

“Die Wacht am Rhein”
Composed in 1854 by Karl Wilhelm. Public domain.

Closing War Theme

Except when otherwise indicated, the contents of this podcast are © and ℗ 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some music and sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.

460: Question Time III

Mark Podcast

Another episode in which I answer listener questions.

  • Listen now:

Transcript.

Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening War Theme

Violin Concerto in G minor, “Summer.”
Composed in 1723 by Antonio Vivaldi. Public domain.
John Harrison, violin. Recording used pursuant to a Creative Commons CC BY-SA 3.0 license. Source.

Closing War Theme

Except when otherwise indicated, the contents of this podcast are © and ℗ 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some music and sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.