Episode 2: Christopher Fuller on the War on Terror

Dr Chris Fuller
Dr Chris Fuller

Just in time for the start of the school year is our second episode of Southampton History Speaks. In this episode you’ll hear Dr Chris Fuller, Lecturer in Modern History, speak with Rachel HerrmannĀ about the September 11th attacks, the War on Terror, the rise of drone technology, and a different sort of history research.

You’ll hear Rachel speak about how September 11th turned her into a historian, and listen to Chris talk about how teaching terrorism atĀ A-level led to his pursuit of a PhD. You’ll learn about how the War on Terror, September 11th, and drones all relate to each other, and you’ll also see how these events are connected to U.S. domestic policy and the rise of the police state. Finally, you’ll gather a sense of how this sort of research is quite different from the research ofĀ historians interested in earlier eras (spoilers: pyjamas are involved).

You can right-click on this episode link to open it in a new window and streamĀ the podcast without having to download it, or you can subscribe to the podcast in iTunes U. If you want to learn more about History at the University of Southampton, you can visit our website, follow us on Twitter, or like us onĀ Facebook. We’re still tweaking the presentation of our podcasts, soĀ we welcome feedback about things we can do to improve, or about topics youā€™d like to see covered in future. A list of suggested reading is also included below. Thanks for stopping by!

Suggested Reading

9/11 Commission Report

Peter Bergen, The Longest War: The Enduring Conflict Between America and Al-Qaeda (New York NY: Free Press, 2011)

Richard A. Clarke, Against All Enemies: Inside Americaā€™s War on Terror (New York NY: Free Press, 2004)

Steve Coll, Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001 (New York NY: Penguin, 2004)

Christopher J. Fuller, ā€˜The Eagle Comes Home to Roost: The Historical Origins of the CIAā€™s Lethal Drone Program,ā€™Ā Intelligence and National Security (2014)

Mark Mazzetti, The Way of the Knife: The CIA, A Secret Army, and a War at the Ends of the Earth (New York NY: Penguin Press, 2013)

Chris Woods, Sudden Justice: Americaā€™s Secret Drone Wars (London: Hurst, 2015)

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