Show Introduction: Who I am and What the podcast is About

Show Introduction: Who I am and What the podcast is About

Author: Mark McNamee June 13, 2024 Duration: 15:08
In this introductory episode of the podcast, I introduce myself - my personal, academic, and professional background - what the podcast will be about, and why I have moved to Ukraine to start a business.  In short, I have been passionate about this region my entire life and have studied and worked on it my entire academic and professional career. For this reason, I have moved to Ukraine to make whatever small contribution I can make to help the country recover.  In this podcast series, I will do my best to communicate life here in Ukraine, including all aspects from the macro to the micro level. Its necessary firstly to communicate the historical moment the world is going through, which is being decided here in Ukraine currently, while also relaying personal stories of incredible resilience of the Ukrainian people at the micro level. This helps give Western audiences a taste of what its like to live in wartime Ukraine while appreciating the importance of this historical moment.  Mark is a former Managing Director of Europe at FrontierView, where he specialized in Central & Eastern European Markets. His work has been published with Harvard Business Review, and interviewed on tv/in print by the BBC, Bloomberg, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, MSNBC, and Intellinews. Earlier, Mark taught courses on counterterrorism to CIA/FBI agents at the US Army Combating Terrorism Center, and also taught a course on Investing in Emerging Markets at the London Institute of Banking & Finance (LIBF).  Mark holds an MA in Eastern European & Eurasian Studies from John Hopkins SAIS, and a BA in History and Theology from the University of Notre Dame. He is proficient in Russian.  To learn more, visit: https://ubn.network/ Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters: https://missionmatters.com/author/Mark-McNamee/

We are living through events that will define our century, and History in the Making: The War in Ukraine is an attempt to make sense of them as they unfold. Host Mark McNamee brings his deep knowledge of Eastern Europe to the fore, not just to recount headlines, but to untangle the complex historical, cultural, and political threads that led to this moment. This isn't a dry recitation of facts; it's a grounded exploration of how a conflict reshapes a nation's identity and the global order. Each episode moves between the sweeping strategic picture and the intimate, human stories of those living through the war, highlighting a profound resilience. You'll hear analysis that connects past empires to present-day battles, and conversations that reveal the personal cost and extraordinary fortitude within Ukraine. The goal of this podcast is to provide context and clarity, offering a nuanced perspective that goes beyond the news cycle. By focusing on the people, the history, and the on-the-ground reality, Mark creates a vital record of a world changing in real time. Tune in for a thoughtful, comprehensive guide to understanding not just what is happening, but why it matters for all of us.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 79

History in the Making: The War in Ukraine
Podcast Episodes
Can Trump's policy of "Peace Through Strength" work? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:20
Now that we know who the US president is and more about US policy towards Russia, I brought back on the show again my professor from graduate school, John Harper. Last time we spoke late in 2024, we didn't know who would…
Ukraine is Not a Part of Russia; It's a Part of Western Civilization [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:41
Did you know Kyiv is nearly 1,000 years older than Moscow? Did you know Ukrainian is far older than the Russian language? Did you know Russians can’t understand Ukrainian? Did you know Russia even stole its name “Russia”…
A Christmas Special: Stories from a Soldier of the Foreign Legion [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:52
This one is a bit of a Christmas special, recorded right before the holidays and touches on a number of remarkable – perhaps mystical – moments of a soldier at war. Listen to the story of Angel (his call sign, not reveal…