{"podcast":{"title":"World War II with Tom Hanks","slug":"world-war-ii-with-tom-hanks-7870551","podcast_index_feed_id":7870551,"rss_url":"https://rss.amperwave.net/v2/feed/audacynetwork/cc2b59fa44d0151fa8987e1b01e424bc","website_url":"https://www.history.com/shows/world-war-ii-with-tom-hanks","image_url":"https://images.castfire.com/image/661/0/0/0/0-8465544.jpg","author":"The HISTORY Channel | Back Pocket Studios | Audacy","episode_count":13,"summary":"For eighty years, the Second World War has remained the most devastating and defining conflict in human history. World War II with Tom Hanks reexamines the war through the lens of a new century. Told over twenty hours and guided by Tom Hanks, whose lifelong passion for this history has shaped some of the most profound screen portrayals of the era, the series captures the full arc of the war — from the rise of fascism in Europe to the fall of Berlin, from Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima, and the uneasy peace that follows. Each episode uncovers new dimensions of the conflict: the decisions that shaped the battlefield, the unseen networks that sustained the war effort, and the aftershocks that still shape our world today. World War II with Tom Hanks is the definitive retelling of that story for a new generation: a sweeping, deeply human portrait of how the modern world was forged in the fires of global war.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-30T18:18:52.891111+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/world-war-ii-with-tom-hanks-7870551"},"episode":{"title":"The Beginning","slug":"the-beginning","published_at":"2026-05-26T08:31:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/world-war-ii-with-tom-hanks-7870551/the-beginning","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/world-war-ii-with-tom-hanks-7870551","url":"https://pscrb.fm/rss/p/serve.castfire.com/audio/8384491/8384491_2026-05-15-130231.192.mp3?rssID=6477","audio_url":"https://pscrb.fm/rss/p/serve.castfire.com/audio/8384491/8384491_2026-05-15-130231.192.mp3?rssID=6477","summary":"In September 1939, enabled by a secret pact between Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin, Germany invades Poland with its lightning style of tank warfare, plunging Europe back into war. Adolf Hitler can now pursue his longed-for racial war, as the world watches in horror, and the stage is set for global conflict. This episode features interviews with (in order of appearance): Dan Carlin, podcaster, Hardcore History Alexandra Richie, professor, Collegium Civitas Robert Citino, senior historian, National WWII Museum Cameron Zinsou, associate professor, Command and General Staff College Geoffrey Wawro, professor, University of North Texas Jadwiga Biskupska, associate professor, Sam Houston State University Simon Sebag Montefiore, historian and author Roger Moorhouse, historian and author Leah Wright Rigueur, associate professor, Johns Hopkins University James Bulgin, Imperial War Museum General Wesley Clark, US Army, Ret. Sean McMeekin, professor, Bard College","meta_description":"In September 1939, enabled by a secret pact between Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin, Germany invades Poland with its lightning style of tank warfare, plungi…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2414,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/world-war-ii-with-tom-hanks-7870551/episodes/the-beginning/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/world-war-ii-with-tom-hanks-7870551/the-beginning.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}