Naval History Podcast

In Episode 4 of Naval History Podcast, we examine the geostrategic, cultural, and naval aspects of the war that produced one of the most important battles in history: The Battle of Salamis, 480 BC.

In Episode 3 of Naval History Podcast, we get acquainted with history's first true Thassalocracies--Phoenicia and Greece--and examine the ancient world's "ship of the line": The trieres, or trireme.

Coming later this summer: Naval History Podcast with naval historian and author Buckner F. Melton, Jr.

In Episode 7 of Naval History Podcast, we conclude our coverage of the Peloponnesian War with a study of the Decelean War, during which most of the naval action shifts back to the Aegean. During this most violent phase of the war, the Persian Empire intervenes in an effort to gain power in the region, bankrolling Sparta and protracting the war, even as Athens, still predominant at sea, struggles to survive. Notable commanders include The competent, unsung Thrasybulus and the flawed Conon (on the Athenian side); the capable but unfortunate Mindarus and the reckless Callicratidas (on the Spartan side); and, shifting his allegiances as he sees fit, the psychopath Alcibiades. All of these men, and thousands of other Greeks, struggle for their empires and for their lives as the long, bloody Peloponnesian War at last nears its violent climax.

A seasoned author and teacher, Melton tells true stories of intrigue, battle, and legal combat from America's past in a gripping style that's nothing like the history class you took in school! Buckner F. Melton, Jr. holds a doctorate in history from Duke University and a law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He specializes in areas of national security history, including impeachment, treason, and constitutional war powers. His book The First Impeachment: The Constitution's Framers and the Case of Senator William Blount received national attention during the impeachment proceedings against President Clinton. During the impeachment Melton served as an advisor to several members of Congress and as a commentator for National Public Radio, NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, and MSNBC, and he continues to provide commentary in the print and electronic media on constitutional issues of national security. He is also the author of Aaron Burr: Conspiracy to Treason and A Hanging Offense: The Strange Affair of the Warship Somers. He currently serves as Distinguished Writer-in-Residence and University Press Fellow at in Macon, Georgia.