World Model · podcast knowledge graph

213: Halloween Special VI: The ASEs & Guy de Maupassant

2026-10-05 · 42 min · 9 entities

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Asserted relationships

  • → hosted by Prof. Greg Jackson person
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    Feed author/publisher: Prof. Greg Jackson
  • → discusses Education concept
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    Feed category: Education
  • → discusses History website
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    Feed category: History
  • → hosted by ProfGregJackson company
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    Feed author/publisher: ProfGregJackson

Entities found in this episode

concepts 3

persons 2

  • mentioned Prof. Greg Jackson person
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    evidence rules-v5
    Feed author/publisher: Prof. Greg Jackson
  • hosted by Prof. Greg Jackson person
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    evidence rules-v5
    Feed author/publisher: Prof. Greg Jackson

companys 2

  • mentioned ProfGregJackson company
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    evidence rules-v5
    Feed author/publisher: ProfGregJackson
  • hosted by ProfGregJackson company
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    evidence rules-v5
    Feed author/publisher: ProfGregJackson

websites 2

  • mentioned History website
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    evidence rules-v5
    Feed category: History
  • discusses History website
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    evidence rules-v5
    Feed category: History
Episode description as stored
“‘What is that?' I asked. The Englishman answered calmly: 'It was my best enemy.’” This is the story of the little books that went to war, and the Frenchman whose ghosts we'll read by their light. In 1943, a consortium of American publishers began slipping pocket-sized paperbacks into the hands of GIs bound overseas: the Armed Services Editions. More than 120 million of these ASEs were printed by the war’s end, and they turned up everywhere: foxholes, troopships, field hospitals, and more. In fact, we’ll meet one colonel who fondly remembers a soldier reading aloud to their gun crew while German 88s whistled in. The Germans tried to kill them as they laughed and enjoyed good writing. And among the 1,300-odd titles the program carried to the front were the works of a certain French master of the macabre: Guy de Maupassant. The Armed Services Edition gave GIs Maupassant the realist … but we’ll encounter two tales that reflect the Frenchman’s more ghoulish side. Happy Halloween. Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations join discussions in our Facebook community get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette come see a live show get HTDS merch or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks. HTDS is part of Audacy media network. Interested in advertising on the History That Doesn't Suck? Contact Audacyinc.com