Western Civ

The Battle of Pavia left Francis I in Imperial custody, Henry VIII utterly jubilant, and Charles V hopeful but wary. While Francis stews in Italy and then Spain, Charles weds Isabella of Portugal to t...

14 Okt 202251min

In this bonus episode, I sit down with Sean Connolly, author of "On Every Tide" a new history of Irish emigration. It is an amazing book that covers the story of the Irish diaspora from the oft-told s...

11 Okt 20221h 5min

While last week Charles V and Henry VIII slowly boxed Francis I in, this time the French King risks all on one more throw of the dice. And loses. The Battle of Pavia will see the French King become th...

7 Okt 202238min

This week we really just focus on Francis I. The rise of Charles V left Francis out in the proverbial cold. Desperate to rekindle some kind of momentum, Francis provokes the Holy Roman Emperor and win...

30 Sep 202245min

In this episode, we begin following King Henry VIII, King Francis I, and Holy Roman Emperor Charles V as the tumultuous 1520s unfold. Francis sees his stock fall after his failed attempt to become Hol...

23 Sep 202243min

Here's a quick bonus look at the kind of thing I am doing at Western Civ 2.0. This episode covers the rise of Corinth and Sparta and sets the stage for Greece leading up to the Persian Wars. You can g...

18 Sep 202228min

In this episode, we follow all three of our major protagonists for the first time. Charles I of Spain tries to win the Imperial Election and become the next Holy Roman Emperor after the death of Maxim...

16 Sep 202255min

Years before her pregnancy, Louise of Angouleme was given a prophecy. Not only would she have a son, but that son would go on to be the King of France. At the time the idea seemed fanciful. Charles VI...

9 Sep 202258min