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Podcast: New Books in Military History
Episode: In the Swiss Guards: Reflections on Two Years Guarding the Pope
Description: David Geisser was a Swiss Guard protecting Pope Francis and the Apostolic Palace between 2013 and 2015. He was following the footsteps of his father who had been in the service a generation earlier under Pope John Paul II, including on the dark day (May 13, 1981) when a would-be assassin shot the Holy Father. I ask him about his experiences in one of the oldest (est. 1506) and smallest (135 men) military organizations in history.
David Geisser’s YouTube channel, It’s Cooking Time
National Geographic, “Inside the Vatican,” 2021: Episode 1 and Episode 2
A Swiss public television documentary on the Swiss Guards (in German)