
Tides of History
Everywhere around us are echoes of the past. Those echoes define the boundaries of states and countries, how we pray and how we fight. They determine what money we spend and how we earn it at work, what language we speak and how we raise our children. From Wondery, host Patrick Wyman, PhD (“Fall Of Rome”) helps us understand our world and how it got to be the way it is.Listen to Tides of History on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to bonus episodes available exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/tides-of-history/ now.
Latest episodes

Aug 8, 2019 • 36min
Boxing, Race, and the Gilded Age: An Interview with Professor Louis Moore
Boxing has a long past, one deeply connected to race, labor, and broader developments in American history. Professor Louis Moore joins me to talk about those topics and about his outstanding book, I Fight For a Living: Boxing and the Battle for Black Manhood, 1880-1915.Find Professor Moore's book here: https://www.amazon.com/Fight-Living-Manhood-1880-1915-Society/dp/0252082877Support us by supporting our sponsors!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Aug 1, 2019 • 46min
The Experience of the Italian Wars
The Italian Wars changed the face of Europe, but what was it like living through them? Today, we follow the lives of two composite characters to see both how war changed and how it affected the people who participated in them.Support this show by supporting our sponsors!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jul 25, 2019 • 12min
Book Club: Summer Reading
Planning a summer vacation and looking for something fun to read? Patrick and Leah have you covered with a few suggestions.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jul 18, 2019 • 55min
The Italian Wars, Part 2
Exploring the intense conflicts and strategic maneuvers of the Italian Wars, focusing on the rivalry between King Francis I of France and Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Highlights include the capture of King Francis, the brutal sack of Rome in 1527, political intrigues, power struggles, and the lasting impact on European politics and society.

Jul 11, 2019 • 39min
Walls throughout History: An Interview with Professor David Frye
What creates civilization, in the most basic sense? According to Professor David Frye, who joins me this week, it's walls - Hadrian's Wall, the Great Wall of China, city walls, and thousands more over the millennia.Support this show by supporting our sponsors!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jul 4, 2019 • 58min
The Italian Wars, Part 1
The podcast dives into the Italian Wars, a pivotal conflict of the 16th century, covering the origins in dynastic infighting and King Charles VIII of France's invasion into Italy. It explores the impact on Europe, the strategic dynamics, aggressive tactics, resistance from rival powers, Louis XII's rise to power, and the diplomatic maneuvers leading to the Battle of Marignano.

Jun 27, 2019 • 19min
Minisode: Military Revolutions
It's a concept! It's a feeling! It's... been a long time since we talked about it. We're throwing it back to 2017 and tracing the evolution of war in the 15th and 16th centuries.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jun 20, 2019 • 44min
Why Bother with the Seventeenth Century? An Interview with Professor Keith Pluymers
Friend of the show Keith Pluymers returned for a great chat about fuel, environmental history, and why the seventeenth century is worth studying.You can listen to the back catalog of Tides of History, completely ad-free, only on Stitcher Premium. For a free month of Stitcher Premium, go to stitcherpremium.com/wondery and use promo code WONDERY.Support this show by supporting our sponsors!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jun 13, 2019 • 52min
Condottieri: War for Profit in Renaissance Italy
In Renaissance Italy, war was simultaneously art, science, and big business, waged for profit and glory by hired contractors known as condottieri. Today, we follow one condottiere as he makes his way through the dangerous world of mercenary warfare in the fifteenth century.You can listen to the back catalog of Tides of History, completely ad-free, only on Stitcher Premium. For a free month of Stitcher Premium, go to stitcherpremium.com/wondery and use promo code WONDERY.Support this show by supporting our sponsors!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jun 6, 2019 • 56min
Machiavelli's Laboratory: The Politics of Renaissance Italy
Explores political rivalries and cultural flourishing of Renaissance Italy, focusing on reliable information, modern diplomacy, state finance and Republican politics. Discusses complex political environment, centralized feudal authority, concentration of wealth, and unique political structures of major players such as Milan, Venice, and Genoa. Examines Hundred Years War in Italy, shifting alliances, and growth of major states at the expense of smaller neighbors. Explores development of self-government, republican political systems, and the power of words in ideological conflicts. Discusses role of resident ambassadors in maintaining peace, influencing European diplomacy. Includes closing segment and podcast advertisement.