Person
Every book Sean McMeekin recommended on podcasts
Sean McMeekin appeared on episodes of The Megyn Kelly Show to share extensive historical knowledge during a dedicated history week, diving deep into the events, strategies, and figures of World War I and World War II. During these discussions, he brought up historical texts both as recommendations and as points of analysis regarding global conflicts. On a May 2026 episode, McMeekin recommended his own work, The Ottoman Endgame, discussing it as a detailed reading suggestion for anyone seeking to understand the Ottoman fronts in the Middle East during the First World War. In an earlier conversation in December 2022, he also discussed The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660-1783 by Alfred Thayer Mahan, noting that historical figures like Kaiser Wilhelm II were allegedly obsessed with the work and kept a copy close to his bedside table. Through these mentions, McMeekin provided listeners with a window into the geopolitical reading habits and military strategies that shaped twentieth-history.
Books recommended by Sean McMeekin
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July 1914
Recommended“I would say the origins of the war. The book that I would recommend is July 1914 countdown to war.”
Where to get it
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The Ottoman Endgame
The Ottoman Endgame by Sean McMeekin is a comprehensive historical study examining the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the critical Middle Eastern fronts during the First World War.
Recommended“I did a book on the Ottoman fronts in the Middle East called the Ottoman Endgame.”
Where to get it
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The influence of sea power upon history, 1660-1783
The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660-1783 by Alfred Thayer Mahan is a historically monumental work arguing that national greatness and global dominance are inexorably tied to naval supremacy and maritime control.
Discussed“he had been reading apparently the work of admirable Han the influence of Sea power on History allegedly kept it next to his bedside table”
Where to get it
Books Sean McMeekin wrote
Appearances
Other mentions (2: passing, ad reads, own books)
“uh the book that I would recommend is July 1914 countdown to War”
“I did a book on the ottoman fronts of the Middle East called the ottoman end game”