Blowback

Blowback describes itself as "a podcast about the American Empire," and it lives up to that ambitious tagline. Hosted by Brendan James and Noah Kulwin, each season is a multi-episode deep dive into a major U.S. military intervention or foreign policy disaster -- Iraq, Cuba, Korea, Cambodia, Afghanistan, and most recently Angola. The show has 79 episodes across six seasons, and the production quality is genuinely cinematic, with layered audio that makes each season feel like a documentary series. With a 4.8 rating from over 3,100 reviewers, Blowback has built a passionate audience that appreciates both the research depth and the willingness to be critical. James and Kulwin don't shy away from examining the consequences of American foreign policy decisions, and they bring enough historical context to make you understand how these situations developed rather than just what happened. Episodes run 50 minutes to over an hour, and the biweekly release schedule gives the team time to maintain their high production standards. The show isn't neutral -- it takes a clearly critical stance toward American interventionism -- and that's worth knowing going in. But even listeners who disagree with the editorial perspective tend to respect the research. The seasonal format means each arc tells a complete story, and you can start with whichever conflict interests you most. Season 1 on Iraq remains the most popular entry point. If you want history that doesn't pull punches about America's role in the world, Blowback is the show.