Conflicted: A History Podcast artwork

Conflicted: A History Podcast

60 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 217 ratings

Untangling history’s greatest controversies. Every month, we take a hard look at the historical conflicts that raise difficult questions, stoke controversy, and send our moral compasses spinning.

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Episodes

40 Hours to Freedom: The Invention of the Weekend

March 03, 2023 01:29 - 1 hour

Where does the two-day weekend come from? In this standalone episode of Conflicted, we trace the historical trajectory of that oasis of leisure and free time we call “the weekend”.  From its mystical beginnings in the religions of antiquity to its hard-fought development in Gilded Age America, we’ll untangle the surprising origins of everyone’s favorite part of the week.  SOURCES: Hunnicutt, Benjamin. Free Time: The Forgotten American Dream. 2013. Onstad, Katrina. The Weekend Effect. 2017.  ...

The Partition of India – Part 6: The Spent Bullet

January 02, 2023 02:08 - 2 hours

As a plot to assassinate Mohandas Gandhi unfolds, the Mahatma goes to existential lengths to reconcile India’s Hindu, Sikh and Muslim communities. Meanwhile, a shadow war erupts between India and Pakistan over the picturesque kingdom of Kashmir, threatening the future of both nations. Jawaharlal Nehru bids farewell to friends, a lover, and the innocence of the nation he must now lead. A dying Muhammed Ali Jinnah reflects on his choices.  Sources: Akbar, M.J. Tinderbox: The Past and Future of...

The Partition of India – Part 5: A Crisis Made Flesh

November 17, 2022 01:21 - 1 hour

The “chief sufferers” of Partition, according to Mohandas Gandhi, were women. As the subcontinent descended into chaos, women of all three religious communities become prime targets in the war for honor and land. Across the Punjab, tens of thousands of women and girls were assaulted, abducted and trafficked across the border. In response, the governments of India and ­Pakistan worked together to recover them – with mixed, and tragic, results.  Sources: Akbar, M.J. Tinderbox: The Past and Fut...

The Partition of India – Part 4: Unholy Rush

October 26, 2022 18:51 - 1 hour

As Partition finally becomes reality in August 1947, the new boundary sparks a mass migration in the Punjab and Bengal. Atrocity and ethnic cleansing soon follow. The Sikhs, a long-ignored but well-armed religious minority, mobilize to stake their claim. Edwina Mountbatten and Jawaharlal Nehru plunge into the fray, desperate to assuage a refugee crisis in the city of Delhi.  Sources: Akbar, M.J. Tinderbox: The Past and Future of Pakistan. 2011. Tharoor, Shashi. Nehru: The Invention of India....

The Partition of India – Part 3: A Tryst With Destiny

September 14, 2022 23:06 - 1 hour

It’s 1947. After many long years of struggle, India is about to gain its independence from the British Empire. But freedom will come at a cost. To facilitate the handover of power, the Crown sends Lord Louis Mountbatten – the last Viceroy – to hammer out a deal between the competing political factions. Muhammed Ali Jinnah battles his terminal illness and uncovers a shocking secret. Jawaharlal Nehru falls for a captivating woman. And all the while, India’s Muslim and Hindu communities prepare ...

The Partition of India – Part 2: Two Blind Eyes

August 02, 2022 23:11 - 1 hour

As the British Raj crumbles, old animosities begin to stir in the subcontinent’s communities. Mohandas Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru face a formidable new adversary in the form of Muhammed Ali Jinnah, who calls for the creation of a separate Muslim nation - Pakistan. Hindu-Muslim tensions, fueled by political polarization and corrosive rhetoric, explode into sectarian violence during the Great Calcutta Killing of August 1946.  Sources: Akbar, M.J. Tinderbox: The Past and Future of Pakistan. 20...

The Partition of India – Part 1: End of Empire

July 04, 2022 22:31 - 1 hour

In the summer of 1947, the British Raj relinquished its hold over the Indian subcontinent. In its wake, two new nations were created: India and Pakistan. The hastily-drawn border between the countries slashed through communities and bisected entire provinces, triggering one of the largest forced migrations in human history. In the first episode of a multi-part series, we examine the twilight years of the British in India, as well as the forceful personalities who helped loosen its colonial gr...

Human Error: The Destruction of KAL Flight 007

May 22, 2022 22:03 - 1 hour

On September 1st, 1983, a South Korean commercial airliner inexplicably drifted 200 miles off course into restricted Soviet airspace. In response, a Soviet fighter plane intercepted the aircraft, fired two missiles, and shot it down, killing all 269 people on board. In this standalone episode, we examine one of the most enduring outrages of the Cold War, a mystery that baffled investigators and inflamed political animus for more than a decade.  SOURCES: Degani, Asaf. Taming HAL: Designing In...

The Stock Market Crash of 1929 – Part 3: The Music Stops

April 06, 2022 01:30 - 2 hours

After weeks of uncertainty and fear, the Great Crash finally arrives on October 24th, 1929. While America’s financial infrastructure burns, Jesse Livermore makes $100 million in a single week. Wall Street’s great cheerleader, Sunshine Charlie Mitchell, schemes and maneuvers to puff up the bull market and preserve his legacy. Amidst the wreckage of the Great Depression, a scrappy immigrant lawyer named Ferdinand Pecora leads a Federal investigation into Sunshine Charlie and National City Bank ...

History Daily (Special Featured Podcast): “The Start of the Cuban Revolution”

February 26, 2022 19:21 - 17 minutes

In this special featured episode of History Daily, host Lindsay Graham gives an atmospheric retelling of the events of December 2nd, 1956. On that day, the communist revolutionary Fidel Castro launched the Cuban Revolution.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Stock Market Crash of 1929 – Part 2: Age of Illusion

February 23, 2022 02:35 - 1 hour

As economic disaster looms in the Fall of ‘29, the American public is blissfully unaware, entranced by stratospheric share prices and the sunny proclamations of Wall Street cheerleaders. Jesse Livermore, the infamous “Boy Trader”, follows his hunches and prepares for the coming catastrophe. The Federal Reserve, rudderless and impotent after the untimely death of its leader Ben Strong, sits on its hands. “Sunshine” Charlie Mitchell, chief executive of the country’s largest bank, injects fresh ...

The Stock Market Crash of 1929 – Part 1: To The Moon!

January 14, 2022 03:30 - 1 hour

One of the worst financial disasters in history unfolded on Wall Street in late October of 1929. Within a week, 30 billion dollars had disappeared into thin air, leaving the global economy in tatters and heralding the beginning of a worldwide Depression. But what exactly happened? And why? In Part 1 of this 3-Part series on the Wall Street Crash of 1929, we discover how the American public became fatally infatuated with the stock market during the “Roaring 20’s”; and how one debauched day tra...

Gore: The Brutal History of Bullfighting

December 13, 2021 12:20 - 2 hours

Some revere it as an art form, others revile it as a blood sport, but no matter where you stand, few traditions stir up strong emotions quite like the centuries-old ritual of bullfighting. Born in the villages of rural Spain, refined in the crowded arenas of Seville, and fetishized by wandering aficionados like Ernest Hemingway, the “corrida de toros” holds a special place not only in Spanish cultural life but in human history. Beneath the pomp and pageantry, will we find senseless animal cru...

Ghosts in the Mountains: The Mujahideen Civil War (Part 4)

October 19, 2021 14:08 - 2 hours

It’s 1992. The 40th Army is long gone and the Soviet Union has collapsed, but war still rages across Afghanistan. As the Afghan communist regime crumbles, Ahmed Shah Massoud and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar’s forces clash in Kabul. While America turns its back and the Mujahideen turn on each other, new threats arise and threaten to sweep the old generation of freedom fighters away – The Taliban and Osama bin Laden. (Part 4 of Ghosts in the Mountains) SOURCES: Ahmadi-Miller, Enjeela. The Broken Circle...

Ghosts in the Mountains: The Soviet-Afghan War – Part 3

September 20, 2021 19:40 - 2 hours

As the CIA wages a covert proxy war against the Soviet 40th Army, the Mujahideen are showered with billions of dollars and cutting-edge weaponry. An old animosity between two prominent Mujahideen commanders – Ahmed Shah Massoud and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar - turns into a bitter, deadly rivalry. Meanwhile, Soviet reformers led by Mikhail Gorbachev attempt to extricate the USSR from Afghanistan with a shred of dignity intact. After the Soviet withdrawal, the world turns it back on Afghanistan as a c...

Ghosts in the Mountains: The Soviet-Afghan War – Part 2

August 23, 2021 15:06 - 1 hour

The Soviet 40th Army invaded Afghanistan in the closing days of 1979. They would not leave for another nine years. Exhausted and frustrated by their inability to decisively crush the elusive freedom fighters in the mountains – the Mujahideen – the Soviets turn to atrocity and criminal violence to achieve their objectives. Meanwhile, adrenaline-seeking journalists and idealistic Western reporters illegally sneak into the war zone to uncover the truth behind the war.  SOURCES: Ahmadi-Miller, E...

Ghosts in the Mountains: The Soviet-Afghan War – Part 1

July 27, 2021 13:04 - 1 hour

When Soviet Russia invaded Afghanistan in December of 1979, few could have imagined what a seismic impact it would have on the modern world. In an attempt to prop up a wobbly client regime, the Soviets sparked a transnational jihad, inflamed Cold War tensions, and hastened the downfall of their own empire. Often referred to as “Russia’s Vietnam”, the Soviet-Afghan War is an overlooked, deeply misunderstood, and immensely important conflict. In this first installment of a multi-part series, we...

Curse of the Koh-I-Noor Diamond

June 18, 2021 20:57 - 1 hour

The infamous Koh-I-Noor diamond currently sits in the Tower of London among the crown jewels of the British monarchy, but its bloody, eon-spanning journey began in the riverbeds of ancient India. Cut, coveted, and stolen multiple times over, this is the story of the world’s most controversial gem. Told through a series of five chapters, we will look at some of the diamond’s most consequential owners, and how it shaped (or destroyed) their lives.  SOURCES: Dalrymple, William; Anand, Anita. Ko...

Kill Yamamoto: The Mission to Avenge Pearl Harbor - Part 2

May 12, 2021 17:32 - 1 hour

After the Battle of Midway, the Japanese Navy is in tatters and Yamamoto’s hopes of a quick victory against the United States have evaporated. He has no choice but to fight a war he knows Japan will lose. Tom Lanphier, Rex Barber, and the pilots of the 70th earn their stripes at Guadalcanal. The U.S. codebreakers at Hypo Station uncover the secret to intercepting the hated Yamamoto. John “Mitch” Mitchell plans and executes a borderline miraculous operation. Tom and Rex learn that victory buil...

Kill Yamamoto: The Mission To Avenge Pearl Harbor - Part 1

April 16, 2021 17:04 - 1 hour

In 1941, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto was the most hated man in America. As the architect of Japan’s December 7th surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States military decided Yamamoto had to die by any means necessary. Two years later, over the jungles of Southeast Asia, a daring aerial ambush gave the American people the closure they craved.  But who was Yamamoto really? Did his death have any impact on the outcome of the war? And who actually landed the killing blow? After the success of...

Prophet's Dilemma: The Sunni Shia Split Part 3

March 08, 2021 16:39 - 1 hour

Civil war has torn the Caliphate apart. In 656 AD, Aisha marches with an army at her back. Ali, newly crowned as Caliph, has no choice but to oppose her. Muawiya sees an opportunity to grab power and start a dynasty of his own. Hussein begins his inevitable path towards Karbala…and martyrdom. THE CAST: Aisha – The Prophet’s widow. “Mother of the Faithful”. Brave, jealous, and calculating. Muawiya – Governor of Syria “Son of the Liver Eater”. Master politician, ruthless and cunning.  Ali – Th...

Prophet's Dilemma: The Sunni Shia Split Part 2

February 02, 2021 18:54 - 1 hour

The Prophet is dead. In 632 AD, the armies of Islam explode out of Arabia, led by a series of aggressive new Caliphs. The Prophet’s young widow Aisha struggles to understand her new role as “Mother of the Faithful”. Meanwhile, Ali, snubbed for the title of Caliph, grapples with his conflicting feelings of bitterness and commitment to the stability of the Muslim community. All the while, an ambitious new rival, Muawiya, schemes and cajoles his way to absolute control over the new Islamic Empir...

Prophet's Dilemma: The Sunni Shia Split Part 1

January 10, 2021 01:23 - 1 hour

When the Prophet Muhammed died in 632 AD, it triggered a succession crisis amongst his followers. After the dust settled, two divergent branches of the faith remained – Sunni and Shi’a. It is a deeply misunderstood story that has been unearthed and repackaged in the 21st century to inflame political animus and give superficial labels to complex tensions. In this episode, we will examine the very human, very relatable drama that unfolded against the backdrop of the rise of the Islamic Empire i...

The Kitchen Cartel: Pure Food & Drug Act 1906

November 27, 2020 13:02 - 1 hour

Fake coffee. Rotten meat. Poison milk. This is the story of a few good men and their bitter fight to make America’s food supply safe. Hounded by enemies and discredited at every turn, a handful of scientists and activists challenged the titans of the 19th century food industry – and won.  SOURCES: Blum, Deborah. The Poison Squad: One Chemists Single-Minded Crusade for Food Safety at the Turn of the Twentieth Century. 2018. Morris, Edmund. The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt. 1979  Sinclair, Upton...

The Third Temple - Part 2

October 26, 2020 09:55 - 1 hour

Tank battles, Cold War politics, and nuclear alerts. This is the epic conclusion of a two-part series on the Yom Kippur War. On October 6th, 1973, Egypt and Syria launch a brilliant surprise attack on the nation of Israel. Golda Meir struggles to restrain her generals from unleashing doomsday weapons, and Dr. Henry Kissinger navigates the perilous world of Cold War diplomacy in hopes of bringing the conflict to a swift end. Even Nixon makes an appearance. SOURCES: Morse, David R. Kissinger a...

The Third Temple: Yom Kippur War Part 2

October 26, 2020 09:55 - 1 hour

Tank battles, Cold War politics, and nuclear alerts. This is the epic conclusion of a two-part series on the Yom Kippur War. On October 6th, 1973, Egypt and Syria launch a brilliant surprise attack on the nation of Israel. Golda Meir struggles to restrain her generals from unleashing doomsday weapons, and Dr. Henry Kissinger navigates the perilous world of Cold War diplomacy in hopes of bringing the conflict to a swift end. Even Nixon makes an appearance. SOURCES: Morse, David R. Kissinger a...

The Third Temple: Yom Kippur War Part 1

October 03, 2020 13:00 - 1 hour

The Yom Kippur War of 1973 has been described as the greatest military intelligence failure since Pearl Harbor. This is the story of how a vengeful surprise attack almost destroyed the nation of Israel. Told through the eyes of titanic personalities like Anwar Sadat, Golda Meir, and Moshe Dayan. (Part 1 of 2). SOURCES: Boyne, Walter J. The Two O’clock War. 2002. Blum, Howard. The Eve of Destruction. 2003. Klagsbrun, Francine. Lioness: Golda Meir and the Nation of Israel. 2017. Herzog, Chaim....

The Third Temple - Part 1

October 03, 2020 13:00 - 1 hour

The Yom Kippur War of 1973 has been described as the greatest military intelligence failure since Pearl Harbor. This is the story of how a vengeful surprise attack almost destroyed the nation of Israel. Told through the eyes of titanic personalities like Anwar Sadat, Golda Meir, and Moshe Dayan. (Part 1 of 2). SOURCES: Boyne, Walter J. The Two O’clock War. 2002. Blum, Howard. The Eve of Destruction. 2003. Klagsbrun, Francine. Lioness: Golda Meir and the Nation of Israel. 2017. Herzog, Chaim....

Showdown at the Ikedaya Inn

August 31, 2020 13:00 - 1 hour

On June 5th, 1864, the Shogun’s secret police raced against time to foil a sweeping terrorist plot in Kyoto. The ensuing bloodbath would have far-reaching consequences for the future of Japan.  SOURCES: Hillsborough, Romulus. Shinsengumi: The Shogun’s Last Samurai Corps. 2005. Hillsborough, Romulus. Samurai Revolution. 2014.  Hillsborough, Romulus. Samurai Assassins. 2017.  Jansen, Marius B. The Making of Modern Japan. 2000. Ravina, Mark. The Last Samurai: The Life and Battles of Saigo Takam...

Showdown at the Ikedaya Inn: Samurai Secret Police

August 31, 2020 13:00 - 1 hour

On June 5th, 1864, the Shogun’s secret police raced against time to foil a sweeping terrorist plot in Kyoto. The ensuing bloodbath would have far-reaching consequences for the future of Japan.  SOURCES: Hillsborough, Romulus. Shinsengumi: The Shogun’s Last Samurai Corps. 2005. Hillsborough, Romulus. Samurai Revolution. 2014.  Hillsborough, Romulus. Samurai Assassins. 2017.  Jansen, Marius B. The Making of Modern Japan. 2000. Ravina, Mark. The Last Samurai: The Life and Battles of Saigo Takam...

Pardon My French

July 29, 2020 16:06 - 2 hours

The Marquis De Sade was a pariah in his time, a monster on the page, and a genius in death. But what crimes did the namesake of “sadism” actually commit? Where did his real-life appetites end…and his literary fantasies begin? (Explicit, obviously) SOURCES: Thomas, Donald. The Marquis de Sade. 1976. Du Plessix Gray, Francine. At Home with the Marquis de Sade. 1998. Lever, Maurice. Sade. 1994. Schaeffer, Niel. The Marquis De Sade: A Life. 1999. Gorer, Geoffrey. The Life and Ideas of the Marqui...

Pardon My French: The Marquis de Sade

July 29, 2020 16:06 - 2 hours

The Marquis De Sade was a pariah in his time, a monster on the page, and a genius in death. But what crimes did the namesake of “sadism” actually commit? Where did his real-life appetites end…and his literary fantasies begin? (Explicit, obviously) SOURCES: Thomas, Donald. The Marquis de Sade. 1976. Du Plessix Gray, Francine. At Home with the Marquis de Sade. 1998. Lever, Maurice. Sade. 1994. Schaeffer, Niel. The Marquis De Sade: A Life. 1999. Gorer, Geoffrey. The Life and Ideas of the Marqui...

McNamara's Boys: An Epilogue

July 03, 2020 01:11 - 34 minutes

How the US government deliberately sent thousands of mentally-disabled men into combat during the Vietnam War. A bonus episode and companion to Episode 12: "The Good Guys". SOURCES: Gregory, Hamilton. McNamara's Folly: The Use of Low-IQ Troops in the Vietnam War. 2015.  Hsiao, Lisa. “Project 100,000: The Great Society’s Answer to Military Manpower Needs in Vietnam”. 1989. Hastings, Sir Max. Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy (1945-1975). 2018.  Turse, Nick. Kill Anything That Moves. 2013. Charles Rive...

McNamara's Boys: Lost Innocence in Vietnam

July 03, 2020 01:11 - 36 minutes

How the US government deliberately sent thousands of mentally-disabled men into combat during the Vietnam War. A bonus episode and companion to Episode 12: "The Good Guys". SOURCES: Gregory, Hamilton. McNamara's Folly: The Use of Low-IQ Troops in the Vietnam War. 2015.  Hsiao, Lisa. “Project 100,000: The Great Society’s Answer to Military Manpower Needs in Vietnam”. 1989. Hastings, Sir Max. Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy (1945-1975). 2018.  Turse, Nick. Kill Anything That Moves. 2013. Charles Rive...

McNamara's Boys

July 03, 2020 01:11 - 34 minutes

How the US government deliberately sent thousands of mentally-disabled men into combat during the Vietnam War. A bonus episode and companion to Episode 12: "The Good Guys". SOURCES: Gregory, Hamilton. McNamara's Folly: The Use of Low-IQ Troops in the Vietnam War. 2015.  Hsiao, Lisa. “Project 100,000: The Great Society’s Answer to Military Manpower Needs in Vietnam”. 1989. Hastings, Sir Max. Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy (1945-1975). 2018.  Turse, Nick. Kill Anything That Moves. 2013. Charles Rive...

The Good Guys: My Lai Massacre, Vietnam

June 13, 2020 21:38 - 2 hours

The 1968 My Lai Massacre shocked Americans, but the true nature of the Vietnam War went far beyond anything the public could’ve imagined. This is the story of the war within the War, between the soldiers who brutalized Vietnamese civilians, and the unsung men who tried to stop them. SOURCES: Jones, Howard. My Lai. 2015.  Hastings, Sir Max. Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy (1945-1975). 2018.  Hersh, Seymour M. Cover-Up. 1972. Charles Rivers Editors. The My Lai Massacre. 2015.  Fitzgerald, Frances. Fi...

The Good Guys

June 13, 2020 21:38 - 2 hours

The 1968 My Lai Massacre shocked Americans, but the true nature of the Vietnam War went far beyond anything the public could’ve imagined. This is the story of the war within the War, between the soldiers who brutalized Vietnamese civilians, and the unsung men who tried to stop them. SOURCES: Jones, Howard. My Lai. 2015.  Hastings, Sir Max. Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy (1945-1975). 2018.  Hersh, Seymour M. Cover-Up. 1972. Charles Rivers Editors. The My Lai Massacre. 2015.  Fitzgerald, Frances. Fi...

I Must Not Burn: The Bombing of Dresden 1945

May 12, 2020 14:00 - 1 hour

In 1945, the German city of Dresden was consumed in a firestorm engineered by the Allies. Many consider it to be a war crime. Others, a necessary evil. SOURCES Taylor, Frederick. Dresden: Tuesday, February 13th, 1945. 2004. McKay, Sinclair. The Fire and the Darkness: The Bombing of Dresden 1945. 2020. Charles River Editors. The Firebombing of Dresden and Tokyo. 2017. Gregg, Victor. Dresden: A Survivor’s Story. 2013. Harris, Arthurs. Bomber Offensive. 1947. Klemperer, Victor. I Will Bear Witn...

I Must Not Burn

May 12, 2020 14:00 - 1 hour

In 1945, the German city of Dresden was consumed in a firestorm engineered by the Allies. Many consider it to be a war crime. Others, a necessary evil. SOURCES Taylor, Frederick. Dresden: Tuesday, February 13th, 1945. 2004. McKay, Sinclair. The Fire and the Darkness: The Bombing of Dresden 1945. 2020. Charles River Editors. The Firebombing of Dresden and Tokyo. 2017. Gregg, Victor. Dresden: A Survivor’s Story. 2013. Harris, Arthurs. Bomber Offensive. 1947. Klemperer, Victor. I Will Bear Witn...

Roadies For Nero: An Epilogue

May 01, 2020 15:00 - 27 minutes

A bonus episode concerning the Praetorian Guard's musical and murderous relationship with Rome's fabulous fifth Emperor, Nero. An epilogue to E10: "Kingbreakers" SOURCES: Strauss, Barry. Ten Caesars: Roman Emperors from Augustus to Constantine.2019 De La Bodeyere, Guy. Praetorian: The Rise and Fall of Rome’s Imperial Bodyguard. 2017 Rankov, Boris. The Praetorian Guard. 1994 Bingham, Sandra. The Praetorian Guard. 2012 Suetonius. Lives of the Caesars. AD 121 Dando-Collins, Stephen. Caligula: T...

Kingbreakers

March 30, 2020 15:00 - 1 hour

The story of Rome through the eyes of the infamous Praetorian Guard, feared bodyguards who wielded the power and leverage to make – or break – the Emperors they swore to protect. SOURCES: Strauss, Barry. Ten Caesars: Roman Emperors from Augustus to Constantine. 2019 De La Bodeyere, Guy. Praetorian: The Rise and Fall of Rome’s Imperial Bodyguard. 2017 Rankov, Boris. The Praetorian Guard. 1994 Bingham, Sandra. The Praetorian Guard. 2012 Beard, Mary. SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome. 2015 Beard,...

Kingbreakers: The Praetorian Guard

March 30, 2020 15:00 - 1 hour

The story of Rome through the eyes of the infamous Praetorian Guard, feared bodyguards who wielded the power and leverage to make – or break – the Emperors they swore to protect. SOURCES: Strauss, Barry. Ten Caesars: Roman Emperors from Augustus to Constantine. 2019 De La Bodeyere, Guy. Praetorian: The Rise and Fall of Rome’s Imperial Bodyguard. 2017 Rankov, Boris. The Praetorian Guard. 1994 Bingham, Sandra. The Praetorian Guard. 2012 Beard, Mary. SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome. 2015 Beard,...

Pax Mongolica

March 01, 2020 16:00 - 2 hours

Genghis Khan and the Mongols killed millions, but were they actually woke AF? Let's tackle the surprisingly progressive (yet blood-drenched) legacy of one of history's most mysterious empires. SOURCES: Weatherford, Jack. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World. 2004. Weatherford, Jack. Genghis Khan and the Quest for God. 2016. Weatherford, Jack. The Secret History of the Mongol Queens. 2010. McLynn, Frank. Genghis Khan: His Conquests, His Empire, His Legacy. 2015. Waterson, James. D...

Pax Mongolica: Genghis Khan & Kublai Khan

March 01, 2020 16:00 - 2 hours

Genghis Khan and the Mongols killed millions, but were they actually woke AF? Let's tackle the surprisingly progressive (yet blood-drenched) legacy of one of history's most mysterious empires. SOURCES: Weatherford, Jack. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World. 2004. Weatherford, Jack. Genghis Khan and the Quest for God. 2016. Weatherford, Jack. The Secret History of the Mongol Queens. 2010. McLynn, Frank. Genghis Khan: His Conquests, His Empire, His Legacy. 2015. Waterson, James. De...

Hate Thy Neighbor

January 26, 2020 23:00 - 1 hour

Car bombs, hitmen, and hunger strikes. How "The Troubles" tore Northern Ireland apart. SOURCES: Toolis, Kevin. Rebel Hearts. 1995 McKittrick, David. Making Sense of the Troubles. 2000 Coogan, Tim Pat. The Troubles: Ireland's Ordeal and the Search for Peace. 1995. Edwards, Aaron. The Northern Ireland Troubles. 2014. O'Doherty, Malachi. The Trouble With Guns. 1998. Collins, Eamon. Killing Rage. 1997. Bingham, John. "Margaret Thatcher: Seconds from death at the hands of IRA bomber." April 2013....

Hate Thy Neighbor: Northern Ireland and the Troubles

January 26, 2020 23:00 - 1 hour

Car bombs, hitmen, and hunger strikes. How "The Troubles" tore Northern Ireland apart. SOURCES: Toolis, Kevin. Rebel Hearts. 1995 McKittrick, David. Making Sense of the Troubles. 2000 Coogan, Tim Pat. The Troubles: Ireland's Ordeal and the Search for Peace. 1995. Edwards, Aaron. The Northern Ireland Troubles. 2014. O'Doherty, Malachi. The Trouble With Guns. 1998. Collins, Eamon. Killing Rage. 1997. Bingham, John. "Margaret Thatcher: Seconds from death at the hands of IRA bomber." April 2013....

The City Of Dreams: The Aztec Conquest Part 2

November 27, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour

Wonder and warmth quickly turn to slaughter and horror as Hernan Cortes meets Emperor Moctezuma in the explosive conclusion of this two-part series. SOURCES: Levy, Buddy. Conquistador: Hernan Cortes, King Montezuma, and the Last Stand of the Aztecs. Sheppard, Si. Tenochtitlan 1519-1521. 2018. Thomas, Hugh. Conquest: Montezuma, Cortes, and the Fall of Old Mexico. 1993. Prescott, William H. History of the Conquest of Mexico. 1843 Cortes, Hernan. Five Letters. 1519-1526. Restall, Matthew. When...

The City Of Dreams - Part 2

November 27, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour

Wonder and warmth quickly turn to slaughter and horror as Hernan Cortes meets Emperor Moctezuma in the explosive conclusion of this two-part series. SOURCES: Levy, Buddy. Conquistador: Hernan Cortes, King Montezuma, and the Last Stand of the Aztecs. Sheppard, Si. Tenochtitlan 1519-1521. 2018. Thomas, Hugh. Conquest: Montezuma, Cortes, and the Fall of Old Mexico. 1993. Prescott, William H. History of the Conquest of Mexico. 1843 Cortes, Hernan. Five Letters. 1519-1526. Restall, Matthew. W...

The City Of Dreams: The Aztec Conquest Part 1

November 23, 2019 16:00 - 59 minutes

How a handful of mercenaries, explorers, and pirates destroyed the Aztec Empire and burnt its capital city to the ground. Two cultures collide in the first of a two-part series on the Conquest of Mexico.  SOURCES: Levy, Buddy. Conquistador: Hernan Cortes, King Montezuma, and the Last Stand of the Aztecs. Sheppard, Si. Tenochtitlan 1519-1521. 2018. Thomas, Hugh. Conquest: Montezuma, Cortes, and the Fall of Old Mexico. 1993. Prescott, William H. History of the Conquest of Mexico. 1843 Cortes, ...

The City Of Dreams - Part 1

November 23, 2019 16:00 - 57 minutes

How a handful of mercenaries, explorers, and pirates destroyed the Aztec Empire and burnt its capital city to the ground. Two cultures collide in the first of a two-part series on the Conquest of Mexico.  SOURCES: Levy, Buddy. Conquistador: Hernan Cortes, King Montezuma, and the Last Stand of the Aztecs. Sheppard, Si. Tenochtitlan 1519-1521. 2018. Thomas, Hugh. Conquest: Montezuma, Cortes, and the Fall of Old Mexico. 1993. Prescott, William H. History of the Conquest of Mexico. 1843 Cortes,...