An Understanding History Podcast
Rethinking
World War 1 and World War 2
Professional historians reveal the reality of the two global wars through groundbreaking research and previously closed archives, challenging outdated narratives that have shaped our understanding for decades.
Detail from John Singer Sargent's 'Gassed', 1919. (Art.IWM ART 1460)
20 Episodes
In-depth exploration of both world wars
Leading Historians
Access to groundbreaking research
Global Perspective
Trans-national, modern scholarship
Outdated Narratives
The two global wars of the 20th century were cataclysmic events which transformed the international order and still shape the modern world today. They ended, respectively, over 100 and 80 years ago, and yet they continue to be remembered through received narratives which professional historians now regard as seriously outdated and misleading.
Broadly, these narratives were set in the decades following each war and then reinforced at successive anniversary commemorations. The image was established of the First World War as a pointless slaughter, the Second as an heroic triumph of freedom over tyranny – the 'Good War', as the Americans call it.
A New Understanding
In the years since these conflicts, historians have quietly accessed previously closed archives, discovered fresh sources and developed new approaches. Every country's world wars were first interpreted from a national viewpoint, but over time scholarship began to examine them through a trans-national, then a global lens.
This changing perspective has transformed these wars, revealing how much the standard narratives have ignored, overplayed or simply got wrong.
Unknown Warriors offers two 10-part series that take an in-depth look at each world war in the light of the most up-to-date modern scholarship.
Listeners in over 50 countries worldwide
Popular with History Students in Leading UK Universities
What People Are Saying
"Brilliant-simply brilliant. Takes such a well researched area of history and gives a whole new look, rewriting and further clarifying my previously limited understanding of this time. Micheal Baker has a method of getting information across in a perfectly paced and expressed manner, to form an enticing podcast. An intellectual insight, something rare these days. Excellent."
- 6aa History Lachlan
"Hugely insightful and well produced! Touched on many issues that aren’t covered in other, more traditional historical narratives. Well worth a listen."
- Leo Caspar
"Thank you very much for an extraordinarily interesting and thoughtful series of programmes. It was good to have some attention devoted to subjects like the Indian experience or shell shock which usually get little attention or dealt with in an utterly simplistic manner."
- Richard Hatfield
"An excellent eye-opening series, broadening the focus so that we get to understand the global nature of WW2. For me it showed up the narrowness of most education and the topic. V good choice of interviees, and I appreciate Mike’s calm..."
- TS Dragon
"Thought-provoking and enjoyable. Stimulating contributions from eminent historians, with excellent intros and link passages from Michael Baker. If you are interested in WW2 and indeed contemporary politics, you should listen!"
- Innes DK