Podcasts · World War II with Tom Hanks

No Surrender

21 Jul 2026 · 39 min · S1 E17

In 1944-45, as Allied victory in Europe seems all but assured, the fighting in the Pacific intensifies. The U.S. and Japan suffer terrible losses in the Philippines and on Iwo Jima. Roosevelt understands what ordinary Americans are only beginning to realize: in a clash between a nation which demands unconditional surrender and a nation which refuses to surrender, the worst is still to come.

This episode features interviews with (in order of appearance):

• Jon Meacham, presidential historian • Robert Citino, senior historian, National WWII Museum • Jonathan Parshall, military historian, US Naval War College • Dan Carlin, podcaster, Hardcore History • A.J. Baime, journalist and author • Bradley Hart, military historian, National WWII Museum • Noriko Kawamura, professor, Washington State University • Christopher Harding, cultural historian, University of Edinburgh • Dr. Rebecca Grant, national security analyst • Anand Toprani, military historian, U.S. Naval War College • Colonel Douglas Douds, professor, US Army War College • Sarada Peri, presidential speechwriter and political analyst • Martin Morgan, military historian and author