The Atomic Bombs

How do we morally tackle the question "was it ok to drop the atomic bombs on Japan at the end of World War II?" That's as tough a question as any, but Dan Carlin does a great job of addressing it in the last episode of Hard Core History.

Listen now, or download on itunes. The itunes release date was 3/31/12.

The first flight around the world

Two great podcasts this week from The Engines of our Ingenuity.

Listen to the first and second podcast now, or download on itunes. The itunes release dates were 3/10/11 and 3/15/11.

WWII Spies

In 1943 a body washed ashore off the coast of Spain. Planted on this dead body were details about the allied plan to invade Sardinia and Greece. When the Nazis discovered this body they felt like they had hit a gold mine, and they moved most troops in the region to Sardinia and Greece. What happened? In probably one of the best instances of trickery ever used in warfare, the English left Sardinia and Greece alone, and invaded Sicily. The body had been planted by the English.

This article by Malcolm Gladwell provides a detailed account of this allied touchdown, and discusses some of the finer points of spying.