History That Doesn't Suck

“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 settled in for the long haul, no matter what it may cost. America sees some successes like new skip bombing techniques at the Battle of the Bismarck sea, but a change of strategy is needed for real gains. American leaders General Douglas MacArthur and Admiral William "Bull" Halsey launch Operation Cartwheel, a strategic campaign of amphibious landings designed to neutralize Japanese strongholds like Rabaul, Papua New Guinea without attacking head-on. 

Meanwhile, even though the Solomon Islands are still an active war zone, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt undertakes a morale-boosting tour, visiting every wounded soldier she possibly can. Just a few short months later, Americans win the brutal Battle of Tarawa at great cost, a decisive victory that exposes the devastating realities of island warfare to those back home. Is each tiny island in the Pacific worth this much death? Or can another path be found? 

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“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 peaks of Attu at the tail end of Alaska's Aleutian Islands, the Americans are gaining ground. But the cost is steep. Carrying out banzai charges, Japanese soldiers are prepared to fight to the last man. This is the case in the Solomon Islands as well, where US Marines—or "Uncle Sam's Miserable Children," as they call themselves—are storming the beaches of Guadalcanal. The island is only barely held, largely thanks to the almost unbelievable bravery of Medal of Honor recipient Sergeant John Basilone.

Meanwhile, American codebreakers have obtained Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku's flight plans. The man who surprised America at Pearl Harbor is about to get a surprise of his own.

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Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and

• order Prof. Jackson’s book
• go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations
• join discussions in our Facebook community
• get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette 
• come see a live show
• get HTDS merch
• or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks.

HTDS is part of Audacy media network. Interested in advertising on the History That Doesn't Suck? Contact Audacyinc.com.

Episode 1: We The Founders (The Constitution) | Introducing Government That Doesn’t Suck

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What if the Constitution isn't a dusty relic, but a living document built to be argued over, amended, and improved by every generation? In this debut episode, hosts Greg Jackson (creator of History That Doesn't Suck) and Professor Lindsay Cormack (author of Been There, Done That and How to Raise a Citizen) introduce their new podcast with a simple mission to understand the history and structure of the US government so that we can all work to make our union more perfect.

Learn more at: HTDSpodcast.com

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 Road to Now, Colleen Shogan of In Pursuit, Lindsay Graham host of History Daily. Watch Prof. Jackson's PBS special here: The Unlikely Union: A Storytelling Symphony of America or visit htdspodcast.com/pbs.

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 Independence in the summer of 1776. Fought over bitterly on July 1st, voted on affirmatively on the 2nd, with the exact wording finalized on the 4th—I mean, how could we not resurface episode #8’s account of this story for this week? 

If you’re new here, you may not have listened to it—here’s your chance. And if you’ve been listening for a while, take a step back with me and remember why we revere this document. 

This is the story of independence and crushed hope.

Congress is finally declaring independence but it isn’t a straightforward process. Delegates have different perspectives; John Adams and John Dickinson are taking the floor to argue passionately for and against it. The vote will come down to the wire.

It’s also time to bring the "$10" Founding Father into the story. That’s right. We’ll meet Alexander Hamilton, get the backstory of his rough childhood in the Caribbean, and see how he ends up in the Big Apple.

Speaking of NYC, George Washington has chased Lord William Howe from Boston to Manhattan, but this is a very different battlefield. He’s going to have a harder go here than he did in New England. Much harder.

Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and

• order Prof. Jackson’s new book
• go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations
• join discussions in our Facebook community
• get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette 
• come see a live show
• get HTDS merch

HTDS is part of Audacy media network. Interested in advertising on the History That Doesn't Suck? Contact Audacyinc.com.