Wednesday, February 8, 2006

The life and achievements of Napoleon Bonaparte will come to life in a new podcast series by internationally acclaimed historian and Napoleonic scholar J. David Markham, author of titles such as Napoleon for Dummies, Napoleon and Dr Verling on St Helena, and Napoleon’s Road to Glory: Triumphs, Defeats and Immortality (winner of the 2004 Napoleonic Society of America Literary Award).

Launched this week by world-leading podcast provider The Podcast Network ( TPN), Markham shares insights into the French Emperor’s history with TPN host and Napoleon buff Cameron Reilly

Reilly said this was the first show in the TPN Education catalogue. The Napoleon series will feature 15 episodes, starting from the beginning of Napoleon's life and finishing with his death after exile to the island of Saint Helena.

“Whereas most podcasts today are "news and reviews", which makes the value of them time-sensitive, the TPN Education series is designed to contain a catalogue of shows which have structured educational content,” Reilly said.

“Napoleon 101 is a great example of podcasting’s educational as well as entertainment value.

“Having David on board makes this project even more extraordinary. He brings with him impeccable credentials as President of the Napoleonic Alliance and Executive Vice-President and Editor-in-Chief of the International Napoleonic Society, as well as extensive experience as a Napoleonic author and historical consultant.”

Podcasting is the ability to offer syndicated audio content direct to the listener for use on their iPod or other portable media device. It has grown exponentially in the past year as users discover the convenience of downloading selected programming onto their portable device.

Markham said podcasting was the next leap forward in providing learning opportunities to large numbers of people.

“From books and lectures on tape to programs on CD we now have programs online and on iPods. This has the potential to bring true Napoleonic history to far more people than any other medium except television,” Markham said.

”I am honored to be co-host of the world’s first Napoleonic podcast. The chance to bring good Napoleonic history to untold numbers of people is like a dream come true for me.
”It is not easy to get young people to study history. They often see it as boring and old-fashioned. But nothing is more ‘with it’ than podcasting, so I can think of no better way to reach those very people who most need to understand our cultural heritage and history. As an educator, I’m delighted to be a part of this cutting-edge program.”

Podcasts in the Napoleon series will be uploaded monthly to napoleon.thepodcastnetwork.com. The Podcast Network produces a large catalogue of high quality podcasts, managed and aggregated under one roof. All of the content available on TPN is managed by a central production team ensuring not only the quality and consistency of the actual content itself but also of the audio quality and the other technical elements (www.thepodcastnetwork.com).

J. David Markham Biography

J. David Markham is an internationally acclaimed historian and Napoleonic scholar.

David Markham	His major books include Napoleon’s Road to Glory: Triumphs, Defeats and Immortality (winner of the 2004 Napoleonic Society of America Literary Award), Imperial Glory: The Bulletins of Napoleon’s Grande Armée (winner of the International Napoleonic Society’s 2003 Presidents Choice Award), Napoleon for Dummies, Napoleon and Dr Verling on St Helena and The Road to St Helena: Napoleon After Waterloo.

He has been featured on the History Channel International’s Global View program on Napoleon, the History Channel’s Conquerors program (Napoleon’s Greatest Victory; Caesar in Gaul) and Napoleon: The Man Who Would Conquer Europe, as well as in programs on the Learning and Discovery channels. He has served as historical consultant to History Channel and National Geographic Society programs. Markham has contributed to four important reference encyclopedias (Leadership; World History; American Revolution; French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars). He has presented numerous academic papers to conferences in the US, the UK, France, Italy, Georgia and Russia. He serves as the President of the Napoleonic Alliance and Executive Vice-President and Editor-in-Chief of the International Napoleonic Society. David has organized International Napoleonic Congresses in Italy, Israel, the Republic of Georgia and France. He was the first American scholar to present a paper at the Borodino Conference in Russia. His awards include the Legion of Merit from the International Napoleonic Society, the President’s Medal from the Napoleonic Alliance, and the Marengo Medal from the province of Alessandria, Italy.

ENDS