The AskHistorians Podcast
The AskHistorians Mod Team
The AskHistorians Podcast showcases the knowledge and enthusiasm of the AskHistorians community, a forum of nearly 1.4 million history academics, professionals, amateurs, and curious onlookers. The aim is to be a resource accessible to a wide range of listeners for historical topics which so often go overlooked. Together, we have a broad array of people capable of speaking in-depth on topics that get half a page on Wikipedia, a paragraph in a high-school textbook, and not even a minute on the History channel. The podcast aims to give a voice (literally!) to those areas of history, while not neglecting the more commonly covered topics. Part of the drive behind the podcast is to be a counterpoint to other forms of popular media on history which only seem to cover the same couple of topics in the same couple of ways over and over again.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Aug 12, 2016 • 1h 15min
AskHistorians Podcast 068 - Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Restricted Data
Historian of nuclear weapons and secrecy, Dr. Alex Wellerstein, discusses the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Specifically, the conversation focuses on the high level, and highly classified, debates over how best to employ these new weapons. From there, the episode segues into the inherent difficulties of doing historical research on classified materials and how that has shaped the historiography of the bombings. (75min) Dr. Wellerstein is the author of Restricted Data: the Nuclear Secrecy Blog, where his NUKEMAP can also be found (among many other items of note). He and his work have also appeared NPR, FOX News, and The Daily Show, as well as in The New Yorker, where his article, "Nagasaki: The Last Bomb," can be found.
Jul 29, 2016 • 1h 25min
AskHistorians Podcast 067 - 20th Century Popular Music and the Rise of Guitar Groups
Tim Byron (aka /u/hillsonghoods) drops in to discuss the popular music of the mid and later 20th Century, tracing the development of guitar driven rock and roll from its diverse origins on through to its musical dominance. Included in the conversation is the changing physical and technological environment of the mid-20th Century, as well as the significance of the Baby Boom. (85min)
Jul 15, 2016 • 54min
AskHistorians Podcast 066 - Communism and the Black Radical Tradition
Falafel1066 discusses interactions between American communism (particularly the CPUSA) and Black workers against the Great Migration. The focus is on events in the Midwest, as Black workers and the CPUSA mobilized to claim labor rights, fight evictions, and obtain relief during unemployment. Special attention is paid to the role of women, both as laborers and as caretakers of the family. The episode concludes by tracing how a tradition of radicalism persisted through the early 20th into the 60/70s and on to modern day. (53min) Join the discussion!
Jul 1, 2016 • 1h 31min
AskHistorians Podcast 065 - Tibet, Buddhism, and Bhutan
Jime Dorje discusses the founding of the modern state of Bhutan and its relationship to Tibet. The conversation covers the relationship between various sects of Buddhism, Mongol patronage, the political and economic role of monasteries, and ultimately the conflict which would lead the Zhabdrung to head south, putting in motion the events which would lead to the formation of Bhutan. (91min) Join the discussion!
Jun 24, 2016 • 41sec
No Episode This Week
Apologies, but due to a personal loss, there will be no episode this week. We will be back next week (7/1) with JimeDorje discussing Bhutan.
Jun 10, 2016 • 1h
AskHistorians Podcast 064 - Milling and Baking in 19th Century Britain, Part 2
The conversation with AgentDCF continues, as pick up with talking about how milling and baking relates to the scientific revolution, before moving into to discussing the industrialization of mills and the connection to the golden age of microbiology. We then discuss adulteration and food purity and the role of The Lancet in reforming bakeries. The conversation concludes with a discussion of bread in the context of the British Imperial system. (60min)
May 27, 2016 • 1h 5min
AskHistorians Podcast 063 - Milling and Baking in 19th Century Britain
AgentDCF discusses the changes in styles and technologies in how grain was milled and bread baked as Britain moved into the modern era. The conversation spans from feudal laws and privileges to industrialization and global shipping, as we examine how a basic staple like bread reflects the larger changes to society and the world. (65min)
May 13, 2016 • 56min
AskHistorians Podcast 062 - Cleanliness and Hygiene in the Early United States
ColeVintage talks about how people used to get clean and stay fresh. The conversation begins with bathing, then moves into hair care, deodorants, and underwear, before segueing into how personal hygiene transformed into both a social status marker and public health concern. (53min)
Apr 29, 2016 • 1h 8min
AskHistorians Podcast 061 - Hoplite Warfare and the Battle of Nemea
Iphikrates discusses the largest hoplite battle in known
history, after a substantive overview of hoplite tactics and
equipment. Covered are the changing interpretations of ancient
Greek warfare, the usefulness of the famous "push" and deep ranks,
the role of cavalry and auxiliaries, and the evolving equipment
used. Also discussed is the vaunted Spartan military prowess.
(68min)
Apr 15, 2016 • 1h 18min
AskHistorians Podcast 060 - Wei of the Three Kingdoms
Chris Stewart of The History of China podcast discusses the Three Kingdoms period of China. Specifically, the conversation focuses on Wei, also known as Cao Wei, the polity would eventually bring about an end to the Three Kingdoms, though that unification would not last. We discuss the rise of Cao Cao and the decline of the Han, as well as the famous northern expeditions of Zhuge Liang. Also covered is the ascent of the Sima family, who would eventually supplant the Cao lineage and conquer the rival states of Shu and Wu. (78min)
