Angel Down: A Discussion with Daniel Kraus

Angel Down: A Discussion with Daniel Kraus

Author: Mike Cunha October 1, 2025 Duration: 46:08

NYT bestselling author Daniel Kraus comes on the podcast to talk about his novel set in the Meuse-Argonne battle "Angel Down." 

 

From Simon & Schuster:

 

Private Cyril Bagger has managed to survive the unspeakable horrors of the Great War through his wits and deception, swindling fellow soldiers at every opportunity. But his survival instincts are put to the ultimate test when he and four other grunts are given a deadly mission: venture into the perilous No Man's Land to euthanize a wounded comrade.

 

What they find amid the ruined battlefield, however, is not a man in need of mercy but a fallen angel, seemingly struck down by artillery fire. This celestial being may hold the key to ending the brutal conflict, but only if the soldiers can suppress their individual desires and work together. As jealousy, greed, and paranoia take hold, the group is torn apart by their inner demons, threatening to turn their angelic encounter into a descent into hell.

 

Angel Down plunges you into the heart of World War I and weaves a polyphonic tale of survival, supernatural wonder, and moral conflict.



Where to buy "Angel Down" in the UK -

 

https://titanbooks.com/72777-angel-down/

 

Where to buy "Angel Down" in the US -

 

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Angel-Down/Daniel-Kraus/9781668068458



The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. 

 

Any questions, comments or concerns please contact me through the website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Follow us on BlueSky at @WW1podcast.bsky.social:

 

https://bsky.app/profile/ww1podcast.bsky.social

 

and the BFWWP website, www.firstworldwarpodcast.com. Email me directly at verdunpodcast@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or concerns. 

 

Please review the Battles of the First World War Podcast on iTunes! :)

 


Hosted by Mike Cunha, Battles of the First World War Podcast is a dedicated exploration of the Great War’s defining confrontations. Each episode focuses on a single battle, moving beyond dates and maps to examine the intricate decisions, tactical realities, and human experiences that shaped these events. Cunha’s approach is to unpack the how and why, piecing together the sequence of command choices, logistical challenges, and frontline conditions that led to each clash’s outcome. Within this framework, the podcast gives voice to the individuals-soldiers, nurses, officers, and civilians-whose personal stories are woven into the larger narrative of this titanic twentieth-century struggle. Listening feels less like a lecture and more like a detailed, respectful reconstruction, where the scale of history is measured in both grand strategy and individual courage. For anyone seeking to understand the First World War beyond the textbook summaries, this series offers a thorough and compelling audio journey into the battles that changed the world.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Battles of the First World War Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Ors Communal Cemetery - Wilfred Owen's Grave [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:21
An homage to Wilfred Owen, based on a visit to his grave in Ors, France in July 2024. The BFWWP is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BattlesoftheFirstWorldWarPodcast. Any questions, comments or concerns please contact…
Jake's Pilgrimage & Lost Battalion Tours [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:52
This is a recording of our monthly talks on Patreon. Jake is a great friend of mine whom I've known for years, thanks to the podcast! Jake joined us to go on the 2024 Meuse-Argonne tour with Lost Battalion Tours, as well…
Verdun - The Defence of Retranchement R1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:52
This episode was inspired by an afternoon walking tour hosted by the Mémorial de Verdun museum. For five days in the beginning of June 1916, French Army CPT Charles Delvert and his 8th Company, 101st Infantry Regiment, d…
World War 1 - Coalition Warfare & Command Challenges [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:05
In this stand-alone episode we are going up over the battlefields and the fronts to take a 10,000 meter (that's 30,000ft) view of the Great War, specifically prosecuting that war through the framework of coalition warfar…