There is an inherent weakness to the podcasts of The National Archives in that that they just quote from the sources they keep, whether directly to the recording or in a recorded lecture. This usually lacks the drama, the plot, the narrative arch and the punch line, a scripted history podcast has, or a lecture podcast from a university. However, in the Armistice Podcast (feed), the material speaks for itself.
The best of this is in the 19 minute podcast in which an unofficial account of the armistice negotiations is read. Nobody should need imposed drama and punch lines to be drawn in by this text and come close, as close as a fly on the wall of the Marshall Foch's train cart in Compiegne, to these fateful days in November 1918. Granted, it takes sufficient knowledge and understanding of the era in general and the Great War and its consequences in particular to really appreciate the intensity of the report.
I felt the arrogance of the French, the passiveness of the English, the scrambling for better terms and contact with the new government of the Germans and the absence, yet tangible influence of President Wilson of the US. I felt the nineteenth century ethics still at play, with attention to the ranks and attire of the officers present and the fact that negotiations were mainly conducted in French. Yet there is also the very modern warning which will stick with the world for the decades to come in the plea of the Germans: make sure our people won't starve, lest you will see them fall prey to Bolshevism. A drama pinched between Bismarck and Gorbachev.
The weekly and weekend schedule posts I make, seem to serve a good purpose. I notice readers and prospectors react to it. For me, it also gives some direction. In the past I have been scrambling for ideas what to post. Now I have a schedule to go on. Sometimes rather stringent such as the past week when I had two posts a day planned, pretty exactly, or other weeks when I have a range to choose from. (Anne is a man, last week, seven posts in four days planned and executed)
In the coming weekend and the week afterward there will be a lot of attention for new podcasts. I have been picking up a wide variety of podcasts I had never listened to before and so you can expect for the coming seven days alternately a review on entirely new podcasts. Some are a bit outside my normal range, but then they came in through the Report a Podcast feature and those, my rule is, I will always give attention, no matter what.
I think I'll start with new history podcasts:
1- La Resistance about France in World War II.
2- History on the Run audioblog style history podcast
3- Armistice Podcast an exhilarating find (thanks to Jim Mowatt of Historyzine); podcast about the Great War from the National Archives in Great Britain
What I will add in the weekend to these three, I do not know yet, but they will come from the following list:
1- The Word Nerds speaking on the occasion of the late George Carlin being awarded a prize for his work
2- Speaking of Faith back on my blog after a long pause.
3- UCLA Israel studies back from being podfaded with a bunch of thrilling talks about Israel and the Middle-East.
4- Shrink Rap Radio
More new podcasts I have listened to are:
1- Free Domain Radio Is this an anarchy podcast?
2- In My Living Room music from Canada
3- Junggesellenblog is he podcasting or not?
4- Meetings Podcast with Chris Brogan
5- UCLA Political Science a 2007 course that was recommended to me by Dara from DIY Scholar
6- Sunday Sundown the easy listening music program by Maurice Zondag (interview of Anne is a Man! with Maurice Zondag)
7- Meiky's Podcast Show German audio-drama, very funny
8- Grammar Girl I have listened to grammar girl in the past and decided not to review, however, with such a famous podcast...
Eventually we will probably see our weekly report of Veertien Achttien around Sunday. Whatever is not attended to this weekend, will come next week. For now, listen again to my Anne is a Man promo, with thanks to Jim Mowatt - once more.
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The best of this is in the 19 minute podcast in which an unofficial account of the armistice negotiations is read. Nobody should need imposed drama and punch lines to be drawn in by this text and come close, as close as a fly on the wall of the Marshall Foch's train cart in Compiegne, to these fateful days in November 1918. Granted, it takes sufficient knowledge and understanding of the era in general and the Great War and its consequences in particular to really appreciate the intensity of the report.
