The Rise of Charles V
Charles V was the most powerful European ruler since Charlemagne: king of Spain and Naples, Holy Roman Emperor, and ruler of a whole bunch else besides. How did all of these vast territories, and the ...
16 Apr 202052min
Pandemics in History
All of us are dealing with the ongoing pandemic in different ways, and I decided to wedge myself into my closet to record an informal talk with you all about pandemics throughout history and what, if ...
9 Apr 202044min
Genetics and the Transformation of Prehistory: Interview with Spencer Wells and Razib Khan
Genetics has radically transformed our understanding of prehistory over the past two decades, revealing everything from the existence of brand-new, unknown species to interbreeding between Neanderthal...
2 Apr 202040min
Classic Tides: Plague, Climate, and the End of the Roman World
In light of current events, we are re-posting one of my favorite episodes (from December, 2017) on natural disasters and the fall of the Roman Empire.Justinian was the last great Roman emperor, but hi...
26 Mar 202043min
American Nations, American Union: Interview with Colin Woodard
Few books have influenced my view of American history and politics more than Colin Woodard's American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America. We've been divided sinc...
19 Mar 202046min
Classic Tides: The Black Death Revisited
In light of current events, we are re-posting one of my favorite episodes (from June, 2018) on the Black Death.Between 1346 and 1351, the Black Death killed tens of millions of people - at least half ...
17 Mar 202052min
Suleiman the Magnificent and Ottoman Decline
The reign of Suleiman the Magnificent was the high point of the Ottoman Empire, but for centuries, it has also been pegged as the beginning of the empire's long, slow decline into irrelevance. Is this...
12 Mar 202044min
Suleiman the Magnificent and the Apex of the Ottoman Empire
Suleiman the Magnificent ruled the Ottoman Empire for forty-six years. During that time, his armies fought everywhere from Iran to Vienna. His navies touched Indonesia and the Straits of Gibraltar. Un...
5 Mar 202046min
