Episodes
Reading the feed…
Reading the feed…
Guest: AnnibaleRecorded: August 25, 2026 In the second part of RWN's Soviet-Finnish Wars series with Annibale (Part 1: RWN 630), we learn about the much-mythologized Winter War from November 1939 - March 1940 which ended in Finland's surrender, how the Finns were able to initially beat the Soviets back, and why they eventually collapsed. We also ask: What role did Finland's democratic government play in co-planning Nazi Germany's Operation Barbarossa? Also this episode: The War Nerd delivers a post-journey report from Auckland... First - Annibale and Ames discuss some current events on recordi
Guest: Eric (Amerikanets)Recorded: August 20, 2026 Eric ("Amerikanets") returns as promised to dive deep into the evolution of anti-ship missiles and US Navy missile defense systems to answer the question: Why hasn't Iran sunk a US aircraft carrier, let alone any naval ship? Along the way, we discuss everything from the V-2 to the Soviet Legenda & more... Subscribe to Eric's substack Amerikanets. Follow him on Twitter. Music interlude by Brendon Anderegg. Check out music from his group Mountains here Total time: 2:03:33Direct link to this episode's mp3 here * John's new essay collection, To Th
Guest: AnnibaleRecorded: August 18, 2026 Annibale launches his series on the two wars fought between Finland and the Soviet Union during World War II: the Winter War (1939-1940), which covered underdog Finland in glory; and Finland's Nazi-allied war on the Soviet Union (1941-45), which has been buried and obfuscated under the misleading "Continuation War" designation. We also discuss America's nuclear bunker busters - B61-11/12/13s - and what might happen if Trump should use them. First - we discuss nuclear bunker bustersAt 48:55 - Music interlude by Brendon Anderegg. Check out music from his
Guest: Eric (Amerikanets)Recorded: August 13, 2026 We talk to the man behind the "debasification" neologism, "Amerikanets", about missiles v missile defense, what the US military-intelligence world knew about how badly the Iran war would go & when they knew it, and about having your neologism ripped off and passed around by a buncha blowhards. (The War Nerd is off this week, just about finished with his odyssey across the southern hemisphere Indo-Pacific.) Subscribe to Eric's substack Amerikanets. Follow him on Twitter. Total time: 1:55:13Direct link to this episode's mp3 here * John's new ess
Guests: Eli Clifton and Ian LustickRecorded: August 5, 2026 The Israel Lobby has long been the unmentionable force in Washington that has had a stranglehold over US politics and policy, leaving a trail of destroyed presidencies, and destroyed careers of Israel's critics. Ames talks to Eli Clifton and Ian Lustick, authors of a new book detailing the Israel Lobby's malign power, its hidden history, its methods and means, and how it has weaponized the Holocaust and fake antisemitism to silence critics and advance Israel's interests over the interests of America and American Jews. Buy Eli and Ian'
Recorded: August 3, 2026 The War Nerd calls in from Kuala Lumpur on his ongoing odyssey to Auckland. We discuss Iran & Ukraine wars plus some ancient history of wars on Persians that went very badly. John's new essay collection, To The Crows, is now for sale! We'll be making the ebook version available to subscribers. Total time: 39:13Direct link to this episode's mp3 here * Subscribe to Radio War Nerd at patreon.com/radiowarnerd Sound production by Telescope Audio
Guest: Sina ToosiRecorded: July 30, 2026 Sina Toosi joins RWN to discuss evolving IRI policy on the war and the long history of US policy failures towards Iran. Check out Sina's newsletter Dissident Foreign Policy. Follow Sina on Twitter. Further reading:-"America’s Iran Failure Is Bigger Than Trump", The Nation-"Beyond Maximalism: Reimagining U.S. Strategy Toward Iran Through Systems Thinking", Center for International Policy *BREAKING: John's new essay collection, To The Crows, is now for sale! We'll be making the ebook version available to subscribers. Total time: 1:03:17Direct link to this
Recorded: July 28, 2026 The War Nerd's odyssey continues from Colombo, Sri Lanka: omens of doom, wars merging, Lindsey Graham's demonic Gomer Pyle, and insights into the conscience of The Blob... Further listening: RWN #211 — The JVP: Sri Lanka's Communist Insurgency Total time: 56:12Direct link to this episode's mp3 here Buy the War Nerd Iliad! Subscribe to Radio War Nerd at patreon.com/radiowarnerd Sound production by Telescope Audio
Guest: Rob AshlarRecorded: July 15, 2026 Researcher Rob Ashlar continues his series with us on the Iraq insurgency, which had a powerful influence on jihadi insurgencies and politics ever since. In this episode, Rob takes us through the spring of 2006, as AQI (Al Qaeda in Iraq) and its umbrella head MSC (Mujahideen Shura Council) establish control over Anbar with their capital in Ramadi, the prototype for the later Islamic State caliphate. We also see the first tensions between the future-ISIS and Al Qaeda Central. *First - Ames updates the War Nerd's odyssey + Iran/Yemen briefAt 14:20 - Rob A
Recorded: July 21, 2026 The War Nerd returns to give a SITREP from Dubai & discuss The Odyssey. Afterwards, Ames says a few words about the apparent suicide of alt-right guy Jim Goad & Ansarallah's declaration of maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia. -Further listening: EP #107 - The War Nerd Iliad-Reading: The War Nerd Iliad Music interlude by Brendon Anderegg. Check out music from his group Mountains here Total time: 1:12:45Direct link to this episode's mp3 here * Buy the War Nerd Iliad! Subscribe to Radio War Nerd at patreon.com/radiowarnerd Sound production by Telescope Audio
Guest: Rob AshlarRecorded: July 18, 2026 Researcher Rob Ashlar resumes his RWN series on the Iraqi insurgency, now moving into the eventful year 2006. Subscribe to Rob Ashlar's substack. Follow Rob on Twitter here.Read Rob Ashlar's article "Monotheism and Struggle: The Story of Iraqi Insurgency, 2003-04" in Cosmonaut. Further listening:-RWN #458 — Iraqi Insurgency, Pt 1: 2003-4-RWN #459 — Iraq Insurgency ,Pt 2: 2005 Total time: 1:51:17Direct link to this episode's mp3 here * Buy & review John Dolan's new book, They Should Have Been Hanged: War Nerd Essays on the U.S. Civil War Subscribe to Rad
Guest: Adam Johnson, author & podcasterRecorded: July 15, 2026 We talk to Adam Johnson about his enraging new book How To Sell A Genocide, documenting how the most influential US media lied, contorted, censored and dehumanized all to run cover for Israel's US-backed genocide in Gaza. Mark is joined by guest co-host/friend o' the show Aamer, filling in for John, who should be arriving in the Dubai warzone as this episode goes to post. Buy Adam's new book How To Sell A Genocide: The Media's Complicity in the Destruction of Gaza by Pluto Press.Check out Adam's podcast Citations Needed, which he c
Guest: Peter Korotaev, Events In UkraineRecorded: July 14, 2026 With the War Nerd beginning his long odyssey, friend of the show Peter Korotaev joins Ames to talk about the latest gruesome murder, torture and press-gang scandals rocking Ukraine, the deadly rivalry between Ukraine's intelligence agencies, and about the murky battlefield realities in 2026 amid the "Ukraine turning the tide" campaign. First - Ames update on John's journey, Rochester, and the Iran War At 28:16 - Music interlude by Brendon Anderegg. Check out music from his group Mountains hereAt 30:30 - Peter Korotaev joins Ames t
Guest: AnnibaleRecorded: July 6, 2026(thumbnail: mass grave of Soviet POWs) Annibale joins us for his promised bonus episode on Operation Barbarossa, the largest and deadliest invasion in human history, which just quietly passed its 85th anniversary. In this episode, Annibale goes over the unfathomable casualty toll on Soviet soldiers and civilians, and explains how the Holocaust is inextricably part of Barbarossa. But first, we discuss current wars in the Persian Gulf and Ukraine and get the European/Italian view. First - World of Wars: Iran, Ukraine & EuropeAt 49:45 - Music interlude by Bren
Recorded: July 2, 2026 The War Nerd resumes his US Civil War series to recount perhaps the Union's most embarrassing episode of the war, when, in summer 1864, Confederate crank Jubal Early almost took Washington DC. Check out the RWN US Civil War collection Total time: 1:01:46Direct link to this episode's mp3 here * Buy & review John Dolan's new book, They Should Have Been Hanged: War Nerd Essays on the U.S. Civil War Subscribe to Radio War Nerd at patreon.com/radiowarnerd Sound production by Telescope Audio
Guest: Samuel BendettRecorded: June 30, 2026 Samuel Bendett returns to the show to bring us up to speed about the latest developments in unmanned warfare in the Ukraine war. This is a hardware ep; we'll cover other aspects of the Ukraine war in a future episode. The War Nerd will be back later this week with an episode y'all will enjoy. Further listening with Samuel Bendett:*EP #523 - Drone Warfare in Ukraine (Year 3)*EP #398 - Drone Warfare in Ukraine (Year 2)*EP #351 - Drone Warfare in Ukraine (Year 1) Total time: 1:05:56Direct link to this episode's mp3 here * Buy & review John Dolan's new
Recorded: June 25, 2026 We pore through a few representative clips of this current moment. That moment being the US capitulation to Iran, the freakout from Trump's pro-Israel corner, and the US political class slowly but loudly peeling away from Israel... Total time: 1:16:16 * Buy & review John Dolan's new book, They Should Have Been Hanged: War Nerd Essays on the U.S. Civil War Subscribe to Radio War Nerd at patreon.com/radiowarnerd Sound production by Telescope Audio
Recorded: June 23, 2026 John Dolan, aka The War Nerd, reads selections from his new collection of essays To The Crows, soon to be released. This collection draws from the first two decades of this century, including The eXile, NSFWCorp and Pando. First: We briefly discuss the US-Iran MOU and some of the comedy it's producingAt 22:10 - John introduces his new book To The Crows and reads excerpts... Total time: 55:09 * Buy & review John Dolan's new book, They Should Have Been Hanged: War Nerd Essays on the U.S. Civil War Subscribe to Radio War Nerd at patreon.com/radiowarnerd Sound production by
Guest: Kamal ChomaniRecorded: June 18, 2026 We talk to researcher Kamal Chomani about the Iranian Kurdish groups that were, according to various reports, supposed to act as the ground force for the US-Israel War on Iran. We discuss the real reasons why the Iranian Kurds didn't join Trump-Netanyahu's trainwreck, who the different groups are, and what their goals are. Kamal also answers questions about Kurdish politics and strategies in Iraq and Syria. Brief glossary-PKK: Kurdistan Workers Party, largest and most influential Kurdish political-military organization, based in Turkey, led by jailed
Guest: Andreas KriegRecorded: June 16, 2026 Andreas Krieg assesses the winners & mostly-losers in the aftermath of the US-Israel War on Iran, with a focus on the UAE's rude awakening. Follow Andreas on Twitter. Further listening: *RWN #564 — The UAE Empire feat Andreas Krieg*RWN #207 — Republic of Venice, Pt. 1, feat. Annibale Music interlude by Brendon Anderegg. Check out music from his group Mountains here Total time: 1:17:53Direct link to this episode's mp3 here * Buy & review John Dolan's new book, They Should Have Been Hanged: War Nerd Essays on the U.S. Civil War Subscribe to Radio War N
Guest: Devin Thomas O'SheaRecorded: June 10, 2026 Author Devin Thomas O'Shea joins us to discuss his wild new book, the Veiled Prophet, about the secret society that ran St. Louis from the end of Reconstruction until the end of the Civil Rights era, only to reappear as a scandal involving the ditz receptionist Erin in The Office. The Veiled Prophet has it all for the RWN set: the US Civil War, labor insurgencies, upper-class white supremacist conspiracies, murder, mayhem & remarkable heroism. Pre-order Devin's book The Veiled Prophet: Secret Societies, White Supremacy, and the Struggle for St.
Guest: Maryam JamshidiRecorded: June 3, 2026 As soon as the US lost its war with Iran -- and lost effective control over the vital Strait of Hormuz to the IRI -- Washington and its allies started pontificating about international law and the right of "transit passage" for all shipping. Iran however never ratified the UNCLOS treaty that would've required them to allow "transit passage" through the SoH. In this episode, we talk to international law professor Maryam Jamshidi about what the laws actually say, Iran's claims, and how international law is both a tool of rich world domination, but als
Recorded: May 30, 2026 Trump struggles with himself over when and how to capitulate to Iran, while the IDF drives deeper into Hezbollah's fpv quagmire... Total time: 51:12Direct link to this episode's mp3 here * Buy & review John Dolan's new book, They Should Have Been Hanged: War Nerd Essays on the U.S. Civil War Subscribe to Radio War Nerd at patreon.com/radiowarnerd Sound production by Telescope Audio
Guest: Max Blumenthal, The GrayzoneRecorded: May 27, 2026 Max Blumenthal returns to RWN to discuss his latest exposé on Trump's corrupt viceroy for Venezuela and the fine line between Delcy Rodriguez as hostage or collaborator. We also discuss Cuba, US politics and the Zionist-Techlord oligarchy in the age of Trump. Read Max's latest article in The Grayzone: Delcy’s ‘gatekeeper’: sources say ex-Trump official Claver-Carone holds keys to Caracas Follow Max on Twitter. Read/subscribe to The Grayzone.More episodes with Max:-EP #556-EP #281-EP #179-EP #54 Total time: 1:47:57Direct link to this epi
Guest: AnnibaleRecorded: May 18, 2026 The final episode in our Operation Barbarossa series begins on December 5, 1941: The Soviet counterattack outside of Moscow. Annibale describes the battles, their historical significance, and busts a few more received ideas along the way. [bibliography and maps in Patreon show notes] Total time: 1:36:05Direct link to this episode's mp3 here * Buy & review John Dolan's new book, They Should Have Been Hanged: War Nerd Essays on the U.S. Civil War Subscribe to Radio War Nerd at patreon.com/radiowarnerd Sound production by Telescope Audio
