Podcasts · History · Education

History That Doesn't Suck

Prof. Greg Jackson

236 episodes

HTDS is a bi-weekly podcast, delivering a legit, seriously researched, hard-hitting survey of American history through entertaining stories. To keep up with History That Doesn’t Suck news, check us out htdspodcast.com or follow on Facebook and Instagram: @historythatdoesntsuck. Become a premium member to support our work, receive ad-free episodes and bonus episodes.Pre-order Prof. Jackson's new book Been There Done That: How Our History Shows What We Can Overcome

Episodes page 1 of 5

  1. 214: D-Day, Part I: From the First Quebec Conference to June 5, 1944

    · 1 h 01 min

    “Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade.” This is the story of the preparations for D-Day. In November, 1943 the “Big Three”–that is, Franklin…

  2. 213: Halloween Special VI: The ASEs & Guy de Maupassant

    · 42 min

    “‘What is that?' I asked. The Englishman answered calmly: 'It was my best enemy.’” This is the story of the little books that went to war, and the Frenchman whose ghosts we'll read by their light. In 1943, a…

  3. Bonus: GTDS: NASA and the Commercialization of Space

    · 1 h 18 min

    Following the Challenger and Columbia Space Shuttle disasters, the government had to rethink space exploration. In 2006, NASA launched the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program, allocating $500 million to…

  4. 212: The European Theater, 1943

    · 1 h 02 min

    "Wing Ding, you're either crazy as hell or you've got balls." This is the story of the European Theater in 1943. As Allied bombers learn the brutal cost of daylight precision raids over Ploesti and Schweinfurt,…

  5. 15 (Second Edition): “We the People:” Constitution Making in Philly

    · 1 h 08 min

    “What even is the Virginia Plan but democracy checked by democracy, or pork with a little change of the sauce?” This is the story of 55 men from 12 of the 13 sovereign states gathered at the Pennsylvania State House…

  6. 211: Pacific Theater Epilogue with Capt. Mac Caldwell

    · 55 min

    Professor Greg Jackson and co-host Riley Neubauer are joined by returning guest Captain Mac Caldwell, a Marine veteran, to dive deeper into the Pacific Theater of early World War II. The conversation reaps key wartime…

  7. 210: The Pacific War 1944: From the Cairo Conference to the Marianas Turkey Shoot

    · 59 min

    “If we ever lose Saipan, repeated air attacks on Tokyo will follow. No matter what it takes, we have to hold there.” As Operation Cartwheel neutralizes Japanese forces on Rabaul, American and British leaders meet with…

  8. 209: The Pacific War 1943: Operation Cartwheel, Tarawa, & Eleanor Roosevelt's Pacific Tour

    · 57 min

    “The ultimate defeat of Japan [will] be accomplished by blockade, bombing, and assault.” This is the story of American island hopping—or should we say leapfrogging?—through Pacific waters. By 1943, the Japanese are…

  9. 208: The Pacific War, 1942–43: Guadalcanal, the Aleutians, and Operation Vengeance

    · 59 min

    “Guadalcanal is not the name of an island. It is the name of the graveyard of the Japanese army.” This is the story of America's first major offensive in the Pacific since Midway. Amid hard fighting among the frozen…

  10. Introducing: Government That Doesn't Suck! with Professors Greg Jackson and Lindsey Cormack

    · 48 min · Bonus

    Episode 1: We The Founders (The Constitution) | Introducing Government That Doesn’t Suck Follow GTDS on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen. What if the Constitution isn't a dusty relic, but a…

  11. The Declaration of Independence at 250

    · 11 min · Bonus

    The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America, as read by Professor Greg Jackson and fellow citizens: Lindsey Cormack co-host of Government That Doesn’t Suck, Ben Sawyer and Bob Crawford of The…

  12. America250 Episode 8 Rerelease: Declaring Independence, the Rise of Alexander Hamilton, & the Fall of New York

    · 1 h 02 min

    In celebration of America’s 250th, we’d like to officially invite you to enjoy this special episode telling the tale of that audacious, terrifying, and formative step taken by the Second Continental Congress to declare…

  13. Bonus: Prof. Greg Jackson interview on The Road to Now with Dr. Ben Sawyer

    · 1 h 01 min · Bonus

    Professor Greg Jackson is interviewed by Professor Ben Sawyer on The Road to Now podcast to discuss Jackson’s new book, Been There, Done That: What Our History Shows What We Can Overcome. As we approach the 250th…

  14. 207: Japanese Internment: Removal, Relocation, & Reckoning

    · 1 h 06 min

    "What I vividly recall is after getting to Tanforan and walking into this horse stable, and Mom… putting down her suitcase and just crying.” This is the story of Japanese American incarceration. In February 1942,…

  15. 206: American Propaganda: Cap’s Debut, Frank Capra’s War Docs, and Casablanca

    · 1 h 03 min

    “Will young, freewheeling American boys take the iron discipline of wartime? … In my judgment the answer is Yes! ... if the answers they get are worth fighting and dying for.” This is the story of propaganda on the…

  16. 205: Total War on the Home Front: Victory Gardens, Volunteering, and the Double V

    · 59 min

    “I suggest that while we keep defense and victory in the forefront, that we don't lose sight of our fight for true democracy at home.” This is the story of life on the American home front. While millions of brave men…

  17. Bonus: “Messy Tales,” an Excerpt from the Prof’s book, Been There, Done That

    · 35 min · Bonus

    Been There, Done That: How Our History Shows What We Can Overcome, Prof. Jackson’s new book publishing June 16th, takes us on a chronological journey—from the very start of the republic in 1789, through the end of the…

  18. 204: The Holocaust: Anne Frank, the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, & Auschwitz

    · 1 h 03 min

    “Everybody’s dead. Don’t ask me about anybody. Everybody’s dead.” This is the story of the Final Solution. From Anne Frank’s annex to countless ghettos, Jews who have thus far avoided the concentration camps are…

  19. 203: The Holocaust: Killing Squads, Ghettos, & Gas Chambers

    · 1 h 04 min

    “The procedure is a pretty barbaric one and not to be described here more definitively. Not much will remain of the Jews.” —Joseph Goebbels This is the story of how the Holocaust becomes industrialized. In January…

  20. 202: Holocaust Prologue with US Holocaust Memorial Museum Director, Sara J. Bloomfield

    · 44 min

    After turning our attention back to Europe in the last few episodes, it’s time to finally examine the Holocaust. Back in episode 185, we covered a broad history of antisemitism in Europe and the violent results of the…

  21. 201: A Soft Underbelly: The Allied Invasion of Sicily & the Fall of Il Duce

    · 55 min · Explicit

    "My dear Duce, it’s no longer any good… At this moment you are the most hated man in Italy.” This is the story of Operations Underworld, Mincemeat, and Husky. On the heels of the decisive Allied victory in Africa,…

  22. 200: The North African Campaign: Desert Rats, the Desert Fox, & Operation Torch

    · 1 h 01 min · Explicit

    “This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is perhaps the end of the beginning.” This is the story of the Allied campaign in North Africa. Long under the colonial thumb of the belligerent…

  23. 199: Building the Anglo-American Alliance: The US Enters the European Theater

    · 59 min

    “When do we get a whack at those Germans?” This is the story of America’s entry into the European Theater. After Pearl Harbor, American foot soldiers and generals alike are eager to get in on the action in Europe, but…

  24. 198: The Pacific Tide Turns at Coral Sea & Midway

    · 59 min

    “It was almost unbelievable, but I was seeing it. Almost simultaneously, three [Japanese] carriers were wiped out. I knew what it meant. By golly, we did it!” This is the story of a battle that changed how wars are…

  25. 197: The Doolittle Raid & the Bataan Death March (Spring 1942)

    · 1 h 00 min

    “We had been promised relief but none was coming, and all of us in Bataan shared a sense of betrayal.” This is the story of the United State’s earliest—and most disastrous—days of war in the Pacific. Almost…

  26. 196: An Epilogue to Pearl Harbor with Steve Twomey

    · 56 min

    With the December 1941 surprise attack on the US naval base Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, our story has officially come to the United States’ entry into the Second World War. Professor Jackson told that story in episode 194,…

  27. 195: Holiday Special IX: Chanukah in Warsaw & Christmas in Washington, D.C.

    · 34 min

    “This year very few Hanukkah candles were lit.” / “This is a strange Christmas Eve.” This is the story of 1941’s wartime holiday season. It’s difficult to conjure up a more miserable picture than the Warsaw Ghetto,…

  28. 194: Pearl Harbor: December 7, 1941

    · 59 min · Explicit

    “Man your battle stations! This is no sh*t!” This is the story of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. It’s 7:55 on Sunday morning, December 7, 1941. 183 Japanese aircraft descend on the United States Naval Base at…

  29. 193: The Empire of the Rising Sun: Military Imperialism in Japan (1853–1941)

    · 1 h 00 min

    “To be perfectly frank, the ways you and I look at the Chinese are fundamentally different. You seem to think of them as human, but I see them as pigs.” This is the origin story of the Empire of the Rising Sun. After…

  30. 192: A Conversation with Ken Burns and Sarah Botstein: The American Revolution and WWII

    · 54 min

    Professor Greg Jackson sits down with legendary documentary filmmaker Ken Burns and his co-producer Sarah Botstein to discuss their newest film series, The American Revolution plus a conversation about their 2007 WWII…

  31. Bonus: Eleanor Roosevelt "Over Our Coffee Cups"

    · 5:34 · Bonus

    Today Professor Jackson tells the story of Eleanor Roosevelt’s “Over Our Coffee Cups” weekly radio show. Starting in the fall of 1941, the First Lady took to the airwaves with this cafe-style program to provide…

  32. 191: Halloween Special V: “The War of the Worlds” on the Radio

    · 39 min

    “No more defenses. Our army is wiped out—artillery, air force, everything wiped out.” This is the story of the invasion of New Jersey. “The War of the Worlds” is a 1938 radio adaptation of an 1897 science fiction…

  33. 190: Epilogue to US Pre-WWII Isolationism to Interventionism with Lynne Olson

    · 1 h 06 min

    Professor Jackson takes a step back to review themes from episodes 187 through 189 (War in Europe and America’s Response), specifically the slow turn from isolationism to aid via Lend-Lease, and eventually to preparing…

  34. 189: World War II in Europe & the American Response (1941): Production & Preparation

    · 1 h 02 min

    "At long last, Mr. President.”—Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill This is the story of the second year of WWII and the United States’ response. As the war enters its second full year, things are looking dire for…

  35. The Unlikely Union: "A house divided against itself cannot stand."

    · 10 min · Bonus

    Professor Greg Jackson shares a personal message about our politically divided times and announces more tour dates for his live show: The Unlikely Union. This show is not recorded for the podcast. Go to…

  36. 188: World War II in Europe & The American Response (1939–40): Isolationism vs. Arsenal of Democracy

    · 1 h 04 min

    “I have said not once but many times that I have seen war and that I hate war. … I hope the United States will keep out of this war. I believe that it will.” This is the story of the first year of WWII in the European…

  37. 187: From the Rhineland to Poland (1935–1939): Annexation, Appeasement, & the Start of World War II

    · 1 h 05 min

    “A great war can hardly be avoided any longer.” This is the story of Nazi Germany’s aggressive territorial expansion and the start of WWII. The Treaty of Versailles has long been a thorn in Adolf Hitler’s side. Its…

  38. 186: From Czardom to Stalinism: Building the USSR & the Ascent of Joseph Stalin

    · 1 h 03 min

    “Comrade Stalin, now that he is general secretary, has concentrated immense power in his hands, and I am not sure whether he will always be capable of exercising this power with sufficient caution.” This is the story…

  39. 185: The Early Holocaust: From the “Jewish Question” to Kristallnacht

    · 1 h 05 min

    “Being a Jew is not a crime, I am not a dog.” This is the story of the start of the Holocaust. Serving as the scapegoat for everything from a disappearing child to the Black Plague, European Jews are used to…

  40. The Unlikely Union: New Tour Dates

    · 7:53 · Bonus

    Professor Greg Jackson is touring the country with a live version of the podcast telling the story of The Unlikely Union of American states. Starting Sep 19, 2025 through July 4, 2026, you can hear the Professor…

  41. 184: The Rise of Adolf Hitler: From Failure to Führer of Nazi Germany or the Third Reich

    · 1 h 03 min

    “There will be no more mercy now; anyone who stands in our way will be butchered.” This is the story of Adolf Hitler and the collapse of the Weimar Republic. A dropout. A failed applicant to Vienna’s prestigious…

  42. 183: The Origin of Fascism: “Il Duce” Benito Mussolini & the Rise of Fascist Italy

    · 1 h 07 min

    “Italy, Gentlemen, wants peace, wants quiet, wants work, wants calm; we will give it with love, if that be possible, or with strength, if that be necessary.” This is the story of Italy’s Benito Mussolini’s creation of…

  43. 182: A Prologue to World War II: US Army Interwar Preparation

    · 42 min

    This is the story of interwar preparation–not that the United States realized it was preparing for World War II, new technologies, innovation, and a constant pushing of the limits in the 1930s did indeed help Uncle Sam…

  44. 181: American Aviation: The Growth of the Industry Through the Eyes of Amelia Earhart, Charles Lindbergh, and Howard Hughes

    · 1 h 00 min

    “If he is lost it will be the most universally regretted single loss we ever had. But that kid ain’t going to fail.” This is the story of the high-fliers in early twentieth-century American aviation. Wright brothers…

  45. 180: “A Race to the Sky”: The Rise of New York City’s Chrysler, Manhattan Company, and Empire State Buildings

    · 57 min

    • “If this is to be a skyscraper… why not make it scrape the sky.” This is the story of the race for the tallest building in New York City—in the world. Erstwhile partners-turned-bitter rivals, architects William…

  46. 179: Bridging the Bay: San Francisco’s Golden Gate and Bay Bridges (Infrastructure pt. 2)

    · 1 h 00 min

    “Everybody says it can’t be done.” This is the story of San Francisco’s two great bridges. The bustling cities of Oakland and San Francisco are separated by less than ten miles of water, but for early…

  47. 178: “A Damn Big Dam”: Taming the Colorado River with the Hoover (or Boulder) Dam (Infrastructure pt. 1)

    · 1 h 03 min

    “I felt no distress whatever…I was perspiring freely and was as limber and helpless as a wet rag. It was an exhilarating experience.... It was then and there that I first conceived the idea of the reclamation of the…

  48. America 250: The Boston Campaign 1775-76: A Leadership Discussion with Gen. William Rapp

    · 55 min

    This is a conversation to kick off the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. Retired U.S. Army Major General and history buff, Bill Rapp, drops some knowledge on how the colonies weren't exactly gung-ho for a…

  49. 177: An Epilogue to the New Deal and CCC Deep Dive with Neil Maher

    · 47 min

    A discussion of the recent HTDS narrative episodes on FDR and the New Deal. Think of it as a book club for additional insights into these latest chapters of the HTDS chronological story of America. Professor Greg…

  50. 176: FDR v. “The Nine Old Men” (The New Deal pt. 3): Court Packing and Closing the New Deal

    · 1 h 04 min

    “No matter how great and good a man may be, executive aggrandizement is not safe for democracy.” This is the story of Franklin’s second term and his battle with the Supreme Court. It’s no secret that SCOTUS hasn’t…

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