A New Podcast from the Marshall Foundation
George C. Marshall’s world was larger than one man. It was shaped by soldiers and statesmen, codebreakers and commanders, public servants and ordinary Americans caught inside the machinery of war, occupation, and reconstruction.
The Age of Marshall podcast from the George C. Marshall Foundation explores Marshall, his era, and the world he helped shape. Host Glen J. Carpenter talks with historians and authors whose work brings new depth to the people, problems, and decisions surrounding Marshall’s life and legacy. The first five episodes are now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other major platforms. Start anywhere, or listen from the beginning.
Episodes
The first season begins with five conversations on the people, decisions, and historical forces that defined Marshall’s century.
Episode 1 | Anna Rosenberg: Marshall’s Secret Weapon
Christopher C. Gorham, author of The Confidante: The Untold Story of the Woman Who Helped Win WWII and Shape Modern America, joins Glen J. Carpenter for a conversation about Anna Rosenberg’s remarkable career. From New York politics to the Roosevelt and Truman administrations, Rosenberg became a trusted adviser on manpower, civil rights, the GI Bill, and the early Cold War Pentagon.
Runtime: 30:33
Episode 2 | George Marshall and George Patton
Historian J. Furman Daniel III joins Glen J. Carpenter to examine the long, complicated relationship between George C. Marshall and George S. Patton. The conversation looks at Marshall as mentor, manager, and judge of talent; Patton as a brilliant and volatile field commander; and the difficult balance between recognizing genius and controlling its liabilities.
Runtime: 22:19
Episode 3 | Codebreaker Elizebeth Smith Friedman
Amy Butler Greenfield, author of , joins Glen J. Carpenter for a conversation about one of the most remarkable intelligence figures of the 20th century. The episode follows Friedman from Riverbank Laboratories to professional codebreaking, her work against rum runners and wartime espionage networks, and the Friedman papers now preserved at the George C. Marshall Foundation.
Runtime: 35:32
Episode 4 | How the U.S. Army Learned What Soldiers Really Thought
Dr. Ed Gitre of Virginia Tech joins Glen J. Carpenter to discuss The American Soldier in World War II, a major digital history project built around wartime surveys and firsthand responses from American service members. Their conversation explores how the Army used social science to understand morale, training, propaganda, race, gender, civilian transition, and the everyday experience of soldiers during World War II.
Runtime: 34:40
Episode 5 | The U.S. Army in Occupied Germany
Dr. Ashley Vance joins Glen J. Carpenter for a conversation about the U.S. Army in occupied Germany after World War II. The episode examines daily life after Germany’s surrender, the collapse and reconstruction of local authority, the cigarette economy, demobilization, the U.S. Constabulary, the Berlin Airlift, American families in Germany, and the Army’s transition from occupation duty to Cold War deterrence.
Runtime: 41:14
About the Show
Age of Marshall extends the work of the George C. Marshall Foundation into conversation. Each episode brings historians and authors into direct discussion about the people, events, and ideas that shaped Marshall’s world and the legacy of the soldier-statesman whose leadership helped define the 20th century. The show is designed for listeners who want serious history in an accessible format: grounded in scholarship, connected to the Foundation’s collections and public programs, and focused on the wider world Marshall helped shape.
Age of Marshall was established through the generosity of Jessine Monaghan, whose support made this series possible. The George C. Marshall Foundation presents this series in honor of her memory and her dedicated service as a Trustee.
Host
Glen J. Carpenter is Director of Communications at the George C. Marshall Foundation, where he leads the Foundation’s editorial, digital, design, and multimedia initiatives. His background in cultural studies and video production, Glen lives with his partner, Chris, in Roanoke, Virginia.