History on Fire

A remarkable young woman named Joan of Arc arrives at the royal court during France's darkest hour and claims to have been sent by God to lift the siege of Orleans. Despite being an illiterate peasant, she predicts the future and leads the French army to victory. Joan's bravery and determination in battle are highlighted, but her story ends with her capture and an uncertain future.

This podcast episode of History on Fire discusses the life of Joan of Arc, exploring topics such as her visions, her defense strategy, and her epic battles against the English. The hosts also provide recommendations for other podcasts and discuss various sponsors and discount codes.

“No person in the Middle Ages, male or female, has been the subject of more historical studies than Joan of Arc.” Kelly Devries“The life of Joan is such a flagrant beating of the odds that no facts sufficiently explain the course of it. She was born during one of the most corrupt, demoralized periods of French history; she is considered a religious and military hero, but she had neither religious nor military training.” Mary Gordon By 1429, the heir to the French throne was about to give up and flee in exile. The English and their Burgundian allies controlled huge parts of the country. With Orleans likely to fall in a not too distant future, the path was open for the English to conquer the rest of France. It looked like the game was up for him. As much as he tried, he couldn’t see any logical path to victory. But little did he know that help was on its way—a kind of help that didn’t seem to be logical, reasonable or likely. Help was coming in the form of an illiterate teenage peasant—a female at that—who was going to change his fortunes; a young woman who through sheer willpower would radically change the course of the war. She arrived at the royal court during France’s darkest hour with news that God had sent her to lift the siege of Orleans, and make sure the heir to the throne would be crowned King of France.The young woman was Joan of Arc, and she was one of the most unusual individuals in history.At 13 years old, her life was turned upside down when she began hearing voices and having visions of angelic figures delivering her messages. The voices told her that no one on earth—neither knight nor king—could restore the kingdom of France. No one could—no one that is… except for her.Ok, so we have a possibly insane girl hearing voices, This is hardly the stuff that makes the history books. At best, this would be an interesting case study for the history of mental illness. But that’s not what happened here—because the girl and her voices did change the course of the Hundred Years War between France and England. The voices propelled this young woman away from the typical existence of farm girls in the 1400s, and transformed her into a force of nature who embraced a heroic and tragic destiny that was entirely beyond what anyone from her gender, social class, and age could legitimately expect.According to logic and common sense, none of the things that happened in our story should have been able to happen. A untrained peasant leading an army of knights? A young woman succeeding where the entire French nobility had failed? What she accomplished would have been exceptional if done by an aristocratic, seasoned male leader. But it seems downright impossible for someone like her. The world she lived in was hyper patriarchal and very class conscious, so on the surface there should have been no chance whatsoever that a young peasant girl could pull it off. She belonged to the wrong gender, wrong social class, and wrong age to achieve what she dreamed of. And yet she did.In this first episode of this four-part series, we tackle:-Joseph Campbell and the Hero’s Journey-The Passion of Joan of Arc by Carl Theodor Dreyer-How a baby’s gender caused the Hundred Years War-Black Death & pillaging mercenaries  -The Mad King-John the Fearless and his political murders-Agincourt, 1415-The Dauphin and the bridge = Michael Corleone and the restaurant-Civil wars and English invasions-The siege at Orleans begins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Not since the panic-ridden days in 1888, when Jack the Ripper was abroad in the East End, had London known such a reign of terror as that which existed in this wartime February...” Scotland Yard Chief Superintendent Fred Cherrill  What I am going to tell you is one of the craziest serial killer stories that you have never heard of. And there are very good reason why most people have never heard of this. In 1942, Death stalked London. Death came from the sky in the form of German bombs. And on the ground it came in the form of the blackout ripper—this is the name by which the monster came to be known. But publicizing the infamous activities of the Blackout Ripper is not something that was in the best interest of the nation at that time. The reaction of the citizens of London in the face of the German Blitz, the bombing campaign unleashed by the German Luftwaffe, has always been portrayed in heroic terms. The traditional version tells us that tough British people took the bombing in strides. They’d get bombed all night only to emerge with a smile in the morning ready to go to work as if nothing had happened. In part this was certainly true, many British people displayed incredible courage and resilience in the face of the German attacks. And this was a great propaganda weapon for the British government. It allowed them to tell Germany ‘your bombs can’t shake our resolve. They are having no effect on us, so feel free to stop any time you want and spare yourself further embarrassment.’ There clearly is something powerful in the ability to take your enemy’s best shot and smile back at them. It discourages them, and forces them to reconsider their strategy. So, of course, the last thing you want is to let them know that their strikes are hurting you. If you were to admit that the blackout is giving rise to a huge black market, if you were to talk too loudly about the doubling of the murder rate in your city, if you were to discuss how the bombing campaign indirectly gave a perfect cover for an incredibly brutal serial killer, then it’d be like admitting that bombs were working in opening fissures in British society. And if you were to admit that, then you could be sure that the bombs would keep on falling. And thousands would keep on dying. So, the Blackout Ripper was not just any other serial killer. He was a potential propaganda weapon in the hands of the enemy. For this reason, he had to be stopped, and stopped quickly. And better yet, he should be talked about as little as humanly possible. So, if you are wondering why his Ripper-colleague, Jack the Ripper, is pretty much a household name, whereas few have heard of the Blackout Ripper, you don’t have to wonder no more. The context of WWII made burying this tale a wartime necessity. This is simply not a story that anyone in Britain at the time had any interest in publicizing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The podcast dives deep into the legend and history of the 47 Ronin, exploring their conflicting portrayals as either virtuous samurai or violent thugs. The episode discusses the conflict between the author of the Hagakure and the Ronin, Oishi's long con, cutting family ties and preparing for death, the raid in the snow, and the philosophy of Bushido. It also covers the planned attack on Kira's mansion and the loyalty of the Ronin towards each other.

Explore the tale of the 47 Ronin, a renowned revenge tale from Japan. Learn about the transformation of the samurai class, the institution of seppuku, and the curious concept of death poems. Discover the consequences of pulling a blade inside the Shogun's palace and delve into a bonus revenge story of two sisters against a samurai.

“There was money that wasn’t coming back and the choice was between leaving some cardinal dead on the street or to strike someone close to the Pope. We chose the second path.” Antonio Mancini “We of the Magliana gang were street bandits. We loved robberies, without asking anyone’s permission, without compromises. I wanted a Ferrari? One hit and I’d buy it. Cops would take it from me? Another robbery and I’d buy it again. I enjoyed all my money. De Pedis instead would buy night clubs, restaurants, houses. He was the boss of Campo dei Fiori.” Antonio Mancini“Of course you realize, this means war!” Bugs Bunny  This series is about the rise of a street gang that took over Rome in the 1970s and 1980s. The Magliana gang was not just one of many criminal organizations who operated in Italy. Among their business partners, they counted Italy’s most important politicians, bankers, secret services, and possibly the Vatican itself. The gang left an indelible mark on Italian history. The story of their rise to power and of the heyday of their rule truly is stranger than fiction. It’s the kind of story that makes you think that the Godfather 3 perhaps was a documentary after all. There are lots of books and documentaries about this story but they are nearly all in Italian, so it looks like I’m your man if you wanna hear this story in English—or whatever approximation of English I speak. In this episode:-Some disturbing glimpses at how power operates away from the spotlight-Corrado Carnevale “The Sentence Slayer”—the Supreme Court Justice most loved by the Mafia-Fascist psychiatrist Aldo Semerari loses his head (in more ways than one)-How the killing of journalist Mino Pecorelli was probably connected to one of Italy’s most powerful politicians-The death of Franco Giuseppucci and the revenge war it ignited-If life is a box of chocolates, Nicolino Selis got a very bad chocolate-Abbruciati and the Banco Ambrosiano shootout just 1/3 of a mile from where I grew up-Why banking for the Vatican is not good for your health: Michele Sindona and Roberto Calvi-The Vatican Bank, money laundering for the Mafia, anti-communism and missing money-The split in the gang: Testaccini vs. Magliana-The Emanuela Orlandi kidnapping-The Magliana internal war: Toscano, De Pedis, and informants-Cooperative vs. competitive systems Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“A lifetime serving one machineIs ten times worse than prison”The Clash (from the song Bankrobber)“We were treated like movie stars with muscle. We had it all, just for the asking… Anything I wanted was a phone call away. Free cars. The keys to a dozen hideout flats all over the city…When I was broke, I would go out and rob some more. We ran everything. We paid off cops. We paid off lawyers. We paid off judges. Everybody had their hands out. Everything was for the taking.”From the movie Goodfellas “Drugs are power” Antonio Mancini  This series is about the rise of a street gang that took over Rome in the 1970s and 1980s. The Magliana gang was not just one of many criminal organizations who operated in Italy. Among their business partners, they counted Italy’s most important politicians, bankers, secret services, and possibly the Vatican itself. The gang left an indelible mark on Italian history. The story of their rise to power and of the heyday of their rule truly is stranger than fiction. It’s the kind of story that makes you think that the Godfather 3 perhaps was a documentary after all. There are lots of books and documentaries about this story but they are nearly all in Italian, so it looks like I’m your man if you wanna hear this story in English—or whatever approximation of English I speak. In this episode, we’ll see one of bloodiest gangsters in the late 20th century being buried among Cardinals; why law-abiding citizens are fascinated with gangsters; the genesis of the Banda della Magliana; the kidnapping of the Duke Massimiliano Grazioli Lante della Rovere; how the gang took over Rome; the gang becoming the liaison to the criminal underworld for Church and State; the story of The Years of Lead; Italian Prime Ministers being kidnapped by Communist guerrillas; the killing of Franchino Nicolini, and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Most people are not evil. Most people are weak. And weakness is fertile ground where evil can thrive.” DB "Every Day/ On our fellow man we prey/ Dog eat Dog/ To Get by/ Hope you like my genocide” The Offspring“Hello darkness, my old friend…” Simon and Garfunkel What makes seemingly normal men commit horrific acts against civilians during war? What allows some people to act heroically in the darkest circumstances and what makes others turn into monsters? How does training and leadership play into this? After discussing the stories of Sand Creek and My Lai in Episodes 32A and 32B, in this episode Darryl Cooper (The Martyrmade Podcast) and I sit down with retired Navy Seal, author and podcaster Jocko Willink (The Jocko Podcast) to tackle these questions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Because I felt like I was ordered to do it, and it seemed like that, at the time I felt like I was doing the right thing." Private First Class Paul Meadlo explaining his role in the My Lai Massacre."How do you shoot babies?" Meadlo was then asked. His reply... "I don't know. It's just one of them things." "I felt then and I still do that I acted as I was directed, and I carried out the order that I was given and I do not feel wrong in doing so." Lieutenant William Calley Jr. addressing his own leadership during the action."Every Day/ On our fellow man we prey/ Dog eat Dog/ To Get by/ Hope you like my genocide” The Offspring“Hello darkness, my old friend…” Simon and Garfunkel I’m not going to lie. This is one of the darkest episodes of History on Fire. But there are reasons for this journey into the heart of darkness. The stories of Sand Creek and My Lai offer an opportunity to explore human agency, the choices separating good and evil, and how some individuals can choose to become sources of light even in the most horrible circumstances. In part B, I hand the microphone to my friend and master podcaster Darryl Cooper (from The Martyrmade Podcast.) Darryl explores the context of the Cold War in order to come to terms with what happened at My Lai, in Vietnam, in 1968. Horror abounds, but if you are looking for heroes in the midst of the horror, you can do a lot worse than hear about the story of Hugh Thompson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices