World War II with Tom Hanks

About World War II with Tom Hanks

For eighty years, the Second World War has remained the most devastating and defining conflict in human history. World War II with Tom Hanks reexamines the war through the lens of a new century. Told over twenty hours and guided by Tom Hanks, whose lifelong passion for this history has shaped some of the most profound screen portrayals of the era, the series captures the full arc of the war — from the rise of fascism in Europe to the fall of Berlin, from Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima, and the uneasy peace that follows. Each episode uncovers new dimensions of the conflict: the decisions that shaped the battlefield, the unseen networks that sustained the war effort, and the aftershocks that still shape our world today. World War II with Tom Hanks is the definitive retelling of that story for a new generation: a sweeping, deeply human portrait of how the modern world was forged in the fires of global war.

Publisher

The HISTORY Channel | Back Pocket Studios | Audacy

Category

history

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

18 May 2026

Latest episode

9 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

22 of 23 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   9 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   The Hunt for Adolf Eichmann: Case Closed (from History's Greatest Mysteries)

   Host Tom Hanks explores how Nazi architect Adolf Eichmann evaded capture for fifteen years after World War II.

2. 

   28 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Fall Out

   Host Tom Hanks and esteemed historians Michel Paradis, Jon Meacham, and Simon Sebag Montefiore explore the post-WWII shift from Allied cooperation to Cold War rivalry.

3. 

   28 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Endgame

   Presidential historian Jon Meacham and military historians explore President Truman's difficult decision to use the atomic bomb to end World War II.

Inside a recent episode

The Hunt for Adolf Eichmann: Case Closed (from History's Greatest Mysteries)

Published 9 Sept 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] He follows the man and writes down the address where the man goes home. Finally, in December of 1959, we might have definitive evidence of where Adolf Eichmann is hiding. Klammer's findings make their way to Fritz Bauer, and this is when Bauer starts to slowly put together the pieces of this puzzle. He knows the name Ricardo Clement because that information was provided to him by the Hermans when Sylvia found that name registered on the electric meter of the house that he's living in. On top of that, Klammer also has a photograph of him and Ricardo Clement standing together. And when Bauer takes this photograph, and puts it by the photo that they have of Adolf Eichmann, the resemblance is incredibly striking. […]

Who has been a guest on World War II with Tom Hanks

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Michel Paradis
• Jon Meacham
• Simon Sebag Montefiore
• Timothy Naftali
• Sarada Peri

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.7 / 5

2,289 ratings

Spotify

4.9 / 5

659 ratings

Contact World War II with Tom Hanks

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about World War II with Tom Hanks