The Flight from Hitler's Shadow: Making Martyrs of Evil

The Flight from Hitler's Shadow: Making Martyrs of Evil

From History Impossible by Alexander von Sternberg

April 16, 2026 · 1h 46m

About this episode

The episode explores historiography and revisionism related to World War II, focusing on Darryl Cooper's podcast and its sources.

Hey everyone, it’s good to be back with all of you. I’ve just finished a lengthy writing session for grad school—my final semester of classes!—as well as some family issues that needed my immediate attention during most of March. But I’m back with a new special, historiography-focused episode of History Impossible. It was actually not one I was planning to do, but after my lengthy and productive conversation with the host of the Crackpot History podcast, and after the incredibly positive reception I received from that interview, I decided it was probably a good idea to get deep into the historiographic weeds with the recent tumult that continues regarding Darryl Cooper’s Martyr Made podcast and its own attempt at revising World War II and Third Reich history. When it comes down to it, trying to be a revisionist about World War II is probably like trying to be a revisionist about something like Star Wars. You can certainly try and do it, and you might even be good at it, but you’re always going to encounter people who know more (or at least truly believe they know more) than you ever will. That honestly has always interested me less when it comes to Darryl’s work on this subject…

People in this episode

Host: Alexander von Sternberg

Topics covered

  • historiography
  • World War II
  • Third Reich
  • revisionism
  • podcast analysis

Keywords

  • historiography
  • World War II
  • Darryl Cooper
  • revisionism
  • podcast

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Crackpot History

Books & works: Martyr Made, Enemy: The Germans’ War

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