As the name suggests, this is a podcast that looks at conflicts. This does not necessarily mean wars; as the tagline claims, it attempts to untangle history’s greatest controversies.
A good example of this controversial approach is the two largely sympathetic episodes on Admiral Yamamoto, the architect of Pearl Harbor––at one-time, America’s most hated man. Listeners hear about Yamamoto the man, who had a great love for the U.S. Other topics that have been covered are the Sunni-Shia Split, the wars between Israel and her Arab neighbors, and the Marquis de Sade.
Host Zach Cornwell has a warm voice that is a pleasure to listen to. His greatest talent is in really bringing historical figures to life—even someone as distant as Aisha, the favorite wife of the Prophet Muhammed. Zach turns her into a living, breathing person whose motivations suddenly become understandable.
A recent series about the Soviet-Afghan War was a tour de force about the country that is in the news so much. It describes what has essentially been an everlasting war since the 1970s and the background that helps explain how Afghanistan has reached the point it is at today.
Conflicted has been running since 2019 and is certainly one to catch up on and follow in the future.
December 2021 Issue
