Podcast
Josh Johnson’s Compendium
Hosted by Josh Johnson · EN
Compendium is Josh Johnson’s exploration of the past, but through a new lens.
In the tradition of long-form podcasting giants like Dan Carlin and Danielle Bolleli, Josh explores history you may not have learned in school.
In the tradition of long-form podcasting giants like Dan Carlin and Danielle Bolleli, Josh explores history you may not have learned in school.
30episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Listener Q&A: What if The Roman Empire Never Fell and MORE
Sep 100:33:38Tap to summarizeThis is my attempt to get something out for you while you wait for TO THE SOUND part 2! What would have happened if the Axis powers won World War 2?? What about if the Roman Empire never fell? Have I toured Civil War battlefields? and more! Support the show on Patreon Support the show & subscribe to the Compendium show newsletter (Substack)
Transcribe →The Lincoln Assassination & Writing Narrative History with Scott Ellsworth
Aug 2501:10:43Tap to summarizeToday on the show, I'm interviewing author and historian Scott Ellsworth. His newest book, Midnight on the Potomac, narrates the final year of the Civil War, the myriad Lincoln assassination attempts of 1864/65, and John Wilkes Booth's association with the confederacy. Grab a copy of Midnight on the Potomac: https://amzn.to/47G5WYm Support the show on Patreon Support the show & subscribe to the Compendium newsletter on Substack
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To The Sound of Distant Guns I
Jul 28, 202504:40:17Tap to summarizeThey say America's greatest strength is its ability to compromise. But what happens when compromise fails—when Americans on opposite sides of a moral and political divide find no recourse except violence? In the 1850s and '60s, the debates between northern and southern states migrated from marble halls to virgin fields, where rhetoric gave way to rifles. Compendium Amazon Storefront Support the show on Patreon Subscribe to the Compendium show newsletter To the Sound of Distant Guns Bibliography (so far)
Transcribe →Investigating Presidential Power With AJ Bauckman
Jul 2, 202501:09:28Tap to summarizeAJ Bauckman, who runs the Instagram account @21stcent_history, and I connected recently to talk about Trump’s attacks on Iran. Merits of the attacks aside, we both were intrigued by the presidential power aspect of this conversation and decided to hop on Zoom and chat about it. We dive into how presidential power (and legislative power) has changed over the past 50 years, disagreements about the Executive's role in government, and much more! Disclaimer: This show is more political in nature. If that's not your jam, see you in the next one! Support the show on Patreon Subscribe to my Substack Newsletter
Transcribe →History Podcasting 101 with Reflecting History
May 19, 202501:38:00Tap to summarizeThis show attempts to answer some of the questions I had (or address things I didn't know I'd need to know) before starting Compendium. I'm talking with Matt from Reflecting History (a podcasting OG) about what you're signing up for by starting a history podcast, how to research, how to process audio, and what to expect when you begin. It's a great conversation, and it's only Part 1. The second half of our conversation is on the Reflecting History feed, so go check that out! We talk over there about what the great podcasters do so well, opening and closing lines, how we can know history happened, and much more. Support the show on Patreon Subscribe for FREE to my Substack Newsletter
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Hell in a Small Place V
May 14, 202503:16:55Tap to summarizeNixon and Kissinger think they’ve cracked the code. But handing off the war to South Vietnam proves no easier than it was for the three administrations before them, because some things change, but the quagmire doesn’t. Support the show on Patreon Sign up for the Compendium Newsletter on Substack Sources here
Transcribe →Hell in a Small Place IV
Apr 2, 202503:05:24Tap to summarizeMurky victory conditions and an obsession with body count turn the jungles of Vietnam into a human meat grinder. While the United States struggles to manage an increasingly brutal war, Hanoi prepares a knockout blow to break the stalemate. Sign up for the Compendium newsletter Support the show on Patreon
Transcribe →Pike and Shot Warfare with Myke Cole
Mar 26, 202501:10:39Tap to summarizeI have the pleasure of interviewing Myke Cole on this episode of the show! He is a historian and the author of STEEL LOBSTERS, THE BRONZE LIE, THE KILLING GROUND, and others. We talk about Sir Arthur Haselrige and his Regiment of Horse; a group of knights-carrying-guns that fought in the English Civil Wars. We talk about Pike and Shot tactics, historiography, and the ways in which historians argue with one another. Grab a copy of Steel Lobsters here Support the show on Patreon
Transcribe →The Vietnam War with Edwin Moise
Feb 10, 202501:05:24Tap to summarizeIt was my joy to get to speak with Edwin Moise, a professor of history at Clemson University, and Vietnam War expert. This conversation was the culmination of many conversations had in the background as I was researching Hell in a Small Place III–and this conversation acts as a bit of a companion episode to the HISP shows. Read Professor Moise's work here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Edwin-E.-Moise/author/B001ITVOIY?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true If you're interested in research materials on the Vietnam War, Professor Moise has curated an excellent bibliography that I would highly recommend: Ed Moise Vietnam Bibliography Support the show on Patreon
Transcribe →Hell in a Small Place III
Feb 3, 202503:07:52Tap to summarizeSmoke drifts lazily upward from the consumed redoubts at Dienbienphu. A fledgling country rejoices in its newfound freedom…for a time. A line of demarcation is drawn: Communist north. Nationalist south. Larger powers move in to claim their proxies. The United States is left to reckon with a difficult question: can they win a race with a losing horse? They’re about to find out. Support the show on Patreon
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