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
May 22, 2015 • 1h 9min
AskHistorians Podcast 037 - War and Politics in the Long 18th Century
DonaldFDraper drops in to give a broad overview of how European politics and military tactics changed in the extended century running from the end of the 30 Years War up into the ascent Napoleon. Starting with Gustavus Adolphus, the development of line infantry, and the resuscitation of cavalry tactics, the episode progresses there into the War of Spanish Succession and the dynastic gamesmanship that dictated the pace of war and peace. The episode proceeds from there into the War of Austrian Succession, the rise of Prussia, the Diplomatic Revolution, the Seven Years War, new artillery tactics, and the relative merits of muskets vs. rifles.
May 8, 2015 • 1h 15min
AskHistorians Podcast Episode 036 - WW1 After the Somme
The conversation with Elos continues. The changing tactical nature of the Great War during and after the Somme is the focus of this episode. Increasing precision in artillery strikes and impletation of infiltration/stormtrooper tactics are covered as we progress towards armistice with stops at Ypres and the 1918 German counter-offensives along the way.
Apr 24, 2015 • 48min
AskHistorians Podcast 035 - WW1: Myths & Misconceptions
Elos discusses some of the prominent and popular ideas about The Great War, particularly in the anglosphere. Covered are the notion of "lions led by donkeys" and the idea of marching lockstep into machine gun fire, as well as the expected time an average soldier would spend in a combat zone. Key, however, is challenging the idea that WWI was a static and senseless conflict, instead of a dynamic engagement whose tactics and strategy were rooted in practical considerations.
Apr 10, 2015 • 56min
AskHistorians Podcast 034 - Moreschi: The "Last" Castrato
Caffarelli composes a special episode on Alessandro Moreschi, the famous castrato opera singer whose voice was preserved by early recording technology. She discusses his life, his music, limitations on recordings, and the practice of musical castration. This solo episode is followed by a short Q&A session.
Mar 27, 2015 • 1h 7min
AskHistorians Podcast 033 - Aztecs: Tenochtitlan & Tlatelolco
Usual host 400-Rabbits takes a turn as the interviewee, speaking on the relationship between the sister cities of Tenochtitlan and Tlatelolco. The early history of the Mexica, the founding of the cities, and their different trajectories in Mesoamerican history are covered, culminating in the 1473 CE war between the two polities. In the background of the episode is the problem of interpreting primary sources, their biases and inconsistencies.
Mar 13, 2015 • 1h 11min
AskHistorians Podcast 032 - Early Modern Medicine & Women's Health
Dr. Jennifer Evans, lecturer in history at the University of Hertfordshire, and Dr. Sara Read, lecturer in English at Loughborough University, make a special appearance on the AskHistorians podcast to discuss women's health in England during the early modern era. Covering the medical schema and standard of care of the time, Drs. Read and Evans touch on fertility, infections, menstruation, and the lived experience of women at the time.
More of their work can be found on their blog, Early Modern Medicine. In addition, both have works of interest: Dr. Evans' Aphrodisiacs, Fertility and Medicine in Early Modern England is available from Boydell & Brewer, and Dr. Read's Menstruation and the Female Body in Early Modern England is available from Palgrave-MacMillan.
Feb 27, 2015 • 1h 13min
AskHistorians Podcast 031 - China: Great Leap Forward
Cordis_Melum discusses the ambitious mid-20th Century modernization program in mainland China known as the Great Leap Forward. The ideology behind the push to establish a self-sufficient communist utopia; the steps and mis-steps taken in industry and agriculture; the political blowback; and the aftermath covered.
Feb 13, 2015 • 51min
AskHistorians Podcast 030 - Book of Daniel, Part 2
Continuing the conversation with Husky54 about the Book of Daniel. In this episode we cover the later chapters of Daniel before moving on to chapters and additional text considered apocryphal in some traditions.
Till 18:38 - Chapters 8-12
18:38 - Prayer of Azariah
26:28 - Susanna and the Elders
33:37 - Bel and the Dragon
43:14 - Interpretations of Daniel
Jan 30, 2015 • 1h 19min
AskHistorians Podcast 029 - Book of Daniel
Husky54 returns to the podcast for an in-depth delve into Daniel, the Book of. Approaching the work as a historical text, this episode -- the first of two -- covers the relationship of Daniel to other works in the Hebrew Bible; the language and content of the first seven chapters; and situates the book within the historical context of the time it was written.
3:20 - Background and Dating the Text
16:50 - Chapters 1 & 2
33:35 - Chapter 3
41:17 - Chapter 4
48:53 - Chapter 5
54:20 - Chapter 6 & Darius the Mede
1:05:17 - Chapter 7
Jan 16, 2015 • 1h 39min
AskHistorians Podcast 028 - Alaskan Disasters
James Brooks, city editor of the Juneau Empire and author of 9.2: Kodiak Island and the World's Second-Largest Earthquake, talks on four natural and manmade disasters in Alaska. Through the 1912 Katmai-Novarupta volcanic eruption, the 1925 Nome Serum Run, the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake, and the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, we get a picture of how the state of Alaska changed throughout the 20th century.
