Atomic Accountability?
Did Truman fully understand what he was doing when Atomic weapons were used against Japan?
Hi everyone. So we got a show out today, but probably not the one you were most anticipating.
We just released a Hardcore History Addendum show where I talk with an expert on the history of nuclear weapons (he’s an historian of Science). His name is Professor Alex Wellerstein and his new VERY provocative book will force you to re-think everything you thought you knew about the decision (or not?) to drop the atomic bombs on Japan.
It’s called The Most Awful Responsibility: Truman and the Secret Struggle for Control of the Atomic Age and it will change the way you see both Truman as a human being, but also the issue of the decision to use the bombs in that war and the choice of targets that they were used against. It also provides a great primer for how presidential control over nuclear weapons came to be. We called the show: “Atomic Accountability” and you can get it via your podcast feed or here
I continue to work on the next installment of our “Mania for Subjugation” series on Alexander the Great. I realize it’s taken a long time. All I can say is when you do something for more than twenty years, as we have, sometimes the larger things that befall us all in life can be expected to interfere with work. That’s what 2025 has been like for us (and for many of you of course). We will get there. But I hate being slow about these things. I always hope you think it lives up to expectations when we eventually get it out.
Another note: I have mostly pulled back from social media over the last few months and I have really enjoyed it. It’s a luxury, I realize, to be able to NOT post on those platforms and still maintain a business. But where it was once just (mostly) onerous, it’s now actively useless and horrible. Many of you have told me for years it is a waste of time (when I am already perpetually behind) and I am finally waving the white flag and admitting that you are all right. Obviously this Substack account is where I can be reliably found. And I will continue to make announcements on other social media outlets when we get new shows out (and sometimes a few post-show interactions, as I kinda feel a responsibility to do that), but otherwise it is a guilty pleasure to NOT be on those platforms actively and I’ll not feel guilty about it anymore.
Finally, we recently started partnering with a firm called Supportingcast that can get our Hardcore History compilation package working in tandem with Spotify. Spotify is a bit of a “walled garden” situation and it’s been a tough nut for us to crack as a completely independent podcast operation. Right now the new option we’re offering only works with the entire compilation package (our “Want It All?” premium offering) and not with individually purchased shows, but we are thrilled that those of you who want our archived shows that you purchased to integrate with Spotify finally have a good option to use.
It makes a great gift for the holidays!
The Hardcore History Collection ("Want It All?")
Love to all of you. Be safe.