Weapons & Warfare

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author John Hersey's seminal work of narrative nonfiction which has defined the way we think about nuclear warfare. “One of the great classics of the war" (The New Republic) that tells what happened in Hiroshima during World War II through the...

It's 1942 and the Nazis are racing to be the first to build a weapon unlike any known before. They have the physicists, they have the uranium, and now all their plans depend on amassing a single ingredient....

This is the story of a British deterrent. Much has been written about the V-bombers—the Valiant, Victor, and Vulcan—but virtually nothing has been said about their strategic nuclear strike role. How would Britain's small force of subsonic bombers have retaliated following a Soviet attack...

Tested and effective leadership and teaching advice based on riveting combat stories from a Special Operations veteran....

Oliphant's brilliance was not limited to atomic science, he was also central to the development of radar, which saved Britain from Nazi invasion. After the war, Oliphant's push against US nuclear dominance drew suspicion from the CIA.

“A tour de force of investigative history.” —Steve Coll The Dead Hand is the suspense-filled story of the people who sought to brake the speeding locomotive of the arms race, then rushed to secure the nuclear and biological weapons left behind by the collapse of the Soviet Union—a...

To Hell and Back offers listeners a stunning "you are there" time capsule, wrapped in elegant prose. Charles Pellegrino's scientific authority and close relationship with the A-bomb survivors make his account the most gripping and authoritative ever written. At the narrative's core are...

Stalking the Red Bear, for the first time ever, describes the action principally from the perspective of a commanding officer of a nuclear submarine during the Cold War - the one man aboard a sub who makes the critical decisions - taking us closer to the Soviet target than any work on submarine...

At 9:15 a.m. on August 6, 1945, an American bomber pierced the skies over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The single bomb it dropped unleashed an atomic hurricane that toppled homes, vaporized birds in flight, and carbonized humans. Three days later, a second bomb flattened the port city of...

Brought to you by Penguin. Even as the great siege began it was understood by both sides to be an epic – a potentially decisive encounter between an uneasy assortment of soldiers, native Maltese, adventurers and Knights Hospitaller on a strategically crucial but near waterless island and a...

The late Dr. Michihiko Hachiya was director of the Hiroshima Communications Hospital when the world's first atomic bomb was dropped on the city. Though his responsibilities in the appalling chaos of a devastated city were awesome, he found time to record the story daily, with compassion and...

A top cybersecurity journalist tells the story behind the virus that sabotaged Iran’s nuclear efforts and shows how its existence has ushered in a new age of warfare—one in which a digital attack can have the same destructive capability as a megaton bomb. “Immensely enjoyable...

A comprehensive history of Britain's greatest bomber plane. The Spitfire and the Lancaster were the two RAF weapons of victory in the Second World War, but the glamour of the fighter has tended to overshadow the performance of the heavy bomber. Yet without the Lancaster, Britain would never have...

Bloomsbury presents Death Is Our Business by John Lechner, read by Christopher Ragland. "Extraordinary. . . Essential reading for understanding Russia and modern warfare."—CHRIS MILLER, New York Times bestselling author of Chip War and Putinomics “John Lechner is an amazingly bold reporter...

From the author of the classic The Wizards of Armageddon and Pulitzer Prize finalist comes the definitive history of American policy on nuclear war—and several presidents’ actions in nuclear crises—from Truman to Trump. Fred Kaplan, hailed by The New York Times as “a rare combination of...

Churchill and the Bomb in War and Cold War explores a still neglected aspect of Winston Churchill's career: his relationship with and thinking on nuclear weapons....

The second volume in a prize-worthy two-book series based on years of irreplicable personal interviews with survivors about each of the atomic bomb drops, first in Hiroshima and then Nagasaki, that hastened the end of the Pacific War. On August 6, 1945, the United States unleashed a weapon...

The dropping of two atom bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and their shocking aftermath finally ended World War II in the eastern theatre. But they weren't the only experimental weaponry at the time.

Brought to you by Penguin. A sweeping, original history of the Cold War, from an acclaimed historian of the USSR Why did the Cold War erupt so soon after the Second World War? How did it escalate so rapidly, spanning five continents over six decades? And what led to the spectacular collapse of...

The Doomsday Machine is Ellsberg's hair-raising insider's account of the most dangerous arms buildup in the history of civilization....

The rapid evolution of radio and radar systems for military use during WWII, and devices to counter them, led to a technological battle that neither the Axis nor the Allied powers could afford to lose. The result was a continual series of thrusts, parries, and counter-thrusts, as first one side...

Shortlisted for the 2024 Financial Times Business Book of the Year “An exceedingly important book!” —General David Petraeus, US Army (Ret.), former Director of the CIA “Essential reading for understanding how technology will change the future of warfare.” —Chris Miller, New York...

This Pulitzer Prize finalist provides the definitive history of DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency, from the author of the New York Times bestseller Area 51. No one has ever written the history of the Defense Department's most secret, most powerful, and most controversial...

A sweeping history of tragic genius, cutting-edge science, and the discovery that changed billions of lives - including your own....

We see a perspective of D-Day which deserves to be added to the historical record, in which ordinary German troops struggled to make sense of the onslaught that was facing them....

This military history reveals how an accidental invention transformed ancient warfare into global empires. Perfect for your daily commute, this epic narrative plunges you into the laboratories of Chinese alchemists and the smoke-filled battlefields that reshaped our modern world. Experience the...

Uncover the gripping military history of biological warfare and the hidden government labs weaponizing deadly pathogens. Perfect for a thought-provoking commute, this unsettling true science narrative traces the invisible enemy of engineered disease from poisoned medieval wells to Cold War...

Step into the first true world war, a gripping military history where colonial clashes shattered and forged global empires. Perfect for an engaging daily commute or a focused learning session, this immersive narrative spans from North American forests to European capitals. Experience the brutal...

Unlock the epic legacy of the Viking Age —where myth and history collide, and warriors become legends. Step into the heart of Norse history and myth with Legends of the Blade, a gripping exploration of the fiercest Viking warriors who shaped the medieval world with blood, steel, and cunning. From the unstoppable force of berserkers to the heroic shieldmaidens who defied all odds, this compelling historical account brings to life the valor, tactics, and culture of the Norse people.

Experience the profound calm and iron discipline of historical Edo Japan in this immersive day-in-the-life meditation. Whether you are seeking a grounded escape during a stressful commute or searching for tranquil focus to wind down before sleep, step into the measured footsteps of a mid-ranking...

Experience the gripping military history of how long-range firepower shattered empires and reshaped global warfare. Perfect for your daily commute, this intense, immersive narrative transports you straight to the blood-soaked front lines of civilization’s most pivotal conflicts. Stand beside...

Experience the gritty military history of the armor-piercing siege weapon that shattered knights and rewrote war. Perfect for your daily commute, this immersive historical deep dive transports you straight to the muddy, blood-soaked battlefields of the ancient and medieval worlds. You will...

Explore the dark intersection of military history and lethal contagion where disease becomes a devastating weapon of war. Perfect for a focused listening session, this gripping narrative transforms how you view human conflict. Discover how ancient armies and modern states weaponized pathogens...

Step into the trenches of military history to explore the chilling evolution of toxic warfare and international law. Perfect for your morning commute, this intense historical deep-dive uncovers the gripping true stories of the scientists, soldiers, and diplomats who fought to contain a mass...

Explore the relentless evolution of military history and warfare technology from stone-age spears to autonomous drones. Perfect for a thought-provoking commute, this global narrative reveals how the tools we forge to protect ourselves ultimately reshape our societies. Discover how political...

See how a desperate technological gamble in the mud of the First World War permanently transformed military history. This gripping audio experience pulls you right into the intense, claustrophobic reality of armored combat. Perfect for a focused commute, the narrative tracks the evolution of...

Trace the explosive evolution of military history, where ancient alchemy forged weapons that reshaped global warfare. Perfect for a captivating daily commute or an evening of deep focus, this gripping narrative travels from obscure Chinese laboratories to the mechanized trenches of the World...

Strip away the pop culture myths to experience the epic military history and dramatic rise of Japan's feudal warriors. Perfect for your daily commute, this gripping historical narrative transports you directly to the blood-soaked battlefields and shadowy imperial courts of a fractured empire...

Discover the gripping military history of elite marksmen and the intense psychological burden of targeted combat. Perfect for a focused commute, this suspenseful narrative reveals how a marginalized infantry role transformed into the deadliest instrument of modern warfare. Whether you are...

Plunge into a gripping military history that traces our relentless arms race from sharpened stones to autonomous drones. Perfect for your daily commute, this thought-provoking narrative reveals how technological leaps in warfare continually reshape global power dynamics. Whether you are settling...

Step onto the epic ancient battlefield where a flexible stick and string dictated the violent rise of empires. Perfect for an immersive commute, this vivid military history thrusts you into the cinematic chaos of long-range warfare. Experience the terrifying thrill of facing a sky darkened by a...

Uncover how deadly toxins and dark history forged the perfect true crime weapon for kings and assassins. From the poisons of ancient civilizations to the treacherous courts of the Renaissance, toxic substances dictated who ruled and who fell. This gripping historical narrative exposes the...

Explore how a single length of forged steel shaped the epic military history and cultural evolution of global warfare. Perfect for an engaging daily commute, this immersive deep-dive traces human conflict from soft bronze daggers to the polished steel of Renaissance duelists. Step directly onto...

Discover how underdog insurgents dismantle powerful armies in this gripping military history of asymmetric warfare. Perfect for a focused commute, this deep dive explores the timeless struggle of armed resistance. From ancient uprisings to modern conflicts, these intense accounts reveal the...

Trace the tense military history of remote warfare as experimental aviation technology birthed the modern combat drone. Perfect for a gripping commute, this immersive exploration reveals how the dream of fighting from a distance evolved into a global security reality. Delve into a...

A single mechanical invention shattered traditional military history and sparked a brutal era of industrial warfare. Perfect for an educational commute, this intense historical deep dive explores how automatic fire reshaped global power dynamics from the nineteenth century onward. Step into the...

Experience the brutal ingenuity of ancient military history as wood and sinew transform into epic siege engines. Perfect for your daily commute, this immersive journey transports you to the tense workshops of the Mediterranean. Hear the terrifying creak of twisted tension coils and the...

Trace the dawn of warfare and human survival through the lens of our oldest tool in this epic military history journey. Perfect for an immersive commute, this sweeping anthropology narrative transports you from brutal Ice Age tundras to the disciplined infantry lines of ancient empires...

Dive into the gripping military history of humanity’s oldest tactical defense and the warriors who held the line. Perfect for a long drive or daily commute, this immersive journey travels from prehistoric skirmishes to modern riot lines. Experience the vivid clash of ancient battles and the...

Explore the gritty military history of how rapid-fire technology destroyed romantic warfare and birthed modern combat. Perfect for your daily commute or focused listening, this intense journey explores the grim collision between long-standing ideals of battlefield courage and cold, industrial...