An Unofficial 'The MeatEater Podcast' Reading List

598. The First World War: The Eastern Front Explodes (Part 5)

September 05, 2025

Description

While the Western front was raging following the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, what was unfolding on the Eastern Front? Why was it an even bloodier and more brutal arena than the West?...
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Books Referenced

The Burning of the World

Author: Bela Zombery Moldovan

Context:

Discussed as a memoir about the Eastern Front in WWI, published by New York Review of Books in their classics range. Tom reads an excerpt at the beginning of the episode.

Catastrophe

Author: Max Hastings

Context:

Tom mentions reading this book, quoting Hastings' description of the Austro-Hungarian army and later citing stories from it about the Eastern Front.

Eastern Front

Author: Nick Lloyd

Context:

Described as 'a brilliant book on the Eastern Front' and later referenced as 'Nick Lloyd's Eastern Front book' when discussing Serbian soldiers.

Bloodlands

Author: Timothy Snyder

Context:

Tom references this book when discussing East Prussia, saying 'These are the bloodlands, then, of Timothy Snyder's book.'

Ring of Steel: Germany and Austria-Hungary at War, 1914-1918

Author: Alexander Watson

Context:

Mentioned as having 'written a couple of brilliant books about the Eastern Front' and quoted regarding the Russian invasion of East Prussia being a defining experience for Germans.

In Cold Blood

Author: Truman Capote

Context:

Mentioned in the announcement about upcoming book discussion episodes, described as a 'true crime chiller.'

Dracula

Author: Bram Stoker

Context:

Mentioned in the announcement about upcoming book discussion episodes, described as a 'horror novel.'

The Handmaid's Tale

Author: Margaret Atwood

Context:

Mentioned as an upcoming book discussion episode topic, described as a 'dystopian fable.'

The Hobbit

Author: J.R.R. Tolkien

Context:

Extensively discussed in the bonus content section as a fantasy classic, with analysis of its themes related to WWI and British mentality in the 1920s-30s.

The Lord of the Rings

Author: J.R.R. Tolkien

Context:

Mentioned in comparison to The Hobbit in the bonus content, discussing how it was written later when the Nazi threat was more immediate.