Peter the Great Takes Revenge on His Wife

The next time a package arrives at your doorstep—tracked, inspected, and delivered by a company whose reputation depends on reliability—you can thank a group of people who lived hundreds of years befo...

9 Jun 12min

Before he became the dictator of Germany, Adolf Hitler was a political agitator whose movement often relied on intimidation and street violence. Few people dared challenge him in court. One man did—an...

8 Jun 12min

In the summer of 1909, G. Herman Gottlieb set out through New York City carrying two baskets filled with fresh catnip. His plan was simple: sell the herb to wealthy cat owners along Fifth Avenue. What...

7 Jun 12min

In the spring of 1881, the days of the American frontier outlaw were numbered. Captured, convicted, and awaiting execution, Billy the Kid appeared to have reached the end of the trail. But Billy had o...

6 Jun 14min

In this episode, I sit down with acclaimed historian and cultural biographer David S. Reynolds to discuss his powerful new book, Two Ships: Jamestown 1619, Plymouth 1620, and the Struggle for the Soul...

5 Jun 24min

Few places in North America inspire as much mystery as the vast wilderness of Alaska. Stretching between the cities of Anchorage, Juneau, and Utqiagvik, the region known as the "Alaska Triangle" has b...

4 Jun 14min

For centuries, the gladiators of Ancient Rome have been imagined as powerful men battling for glory in the arena. But hidden within the historical record is a far more surprising reality: some gladiat...

3 Jun 11min

One of the greatest mysteries in biblical history begins with a disappearance. After the ancient Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Neo-Assyrian Empire in the 8th century BC, ten of Israel's twelv...

2 Jun 13min