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. 

 

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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
Meuse Argonne - Black Jack, Pt 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:00
The second of a two-episode look at the Commander-in-Chief of the AEF, GEN John J. Pershing, from the personal to the professional. Robert J. Laplander and I collaborated on creating an audiobook version of his book "Fin…
Meuse Argonne - Black Jack, Pt 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:59
The first of a two-episode look at the Commander-in-Chief of the AEF, GEN John J. Pershing, from the personal to the professional. Link to Roger Steward's upcoming book: https://www.helion.co.uk/military-history-books/re…
A Christmas Gift to a Great Friend: Jake Interviews Mike [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:13
This episode doesn't have too much to do with the First World War, but it was really fun to do. My great friend Jake has been asking me to do this for a while, saying that the BFWWP community doesn't know enough about me…
"In the Footsteps of a Poilu" with Alex Lyons [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:21:10
Great War historian and writer Alex Lyons joined me on an evening in the UK to let us into a very personal and ground-level account of a French soldier in the First World War: through the letters of his great-grandfather…
Meuse Argonne - Breaking the Kriemhilde Stellung, Pt 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:56
After a day of mixed success, the 42d "Rainbow" Division fixes its sights on taking the Côte de Chátillon. The hill is yet another link in the German defensive line that must be broken in order to advance. Villages of no…
The New "WW1 Italian Front: Isonzo" Video Game with Creator Jos Hoebe [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:03
Join us for a great discussion with Blackmill Games' CEO Jos Hoebe on their latest WW1 video game, "WW1 Italian Front: Isonzo." Jos takes us through his creative process and the research that goes into the games he and h…
Meuse Argonne - Breaking the Kriemhilde Stellung, Pt 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:48
October 14th, 1918, the AEF launched yet another attempt at smashing through the third German position in the Meuse, the Kriemhilde Stellung. The 42d and 5th Divisions would attempt a double envelopment while the 32d Div…