Shows / History Unplugged Podcast
History Unplugged Podcast
For history lovers who listen to podcasts, History Unplugged is the most comprehensive show of its kind. It's the only show that dedicates episodes to both interviewing experts and answering questions from its audience. First, it features a call-in show where you can ask our resident historian (Scott Rank, PhD) absolutely anything (What was it like to be a Turkish sultan with four wives and twelve concubines? If you were sent back in time, how would you kill Hitler?). Second, it features…
Episodes
History Unplugged PodcastCruel and Unusual (Medieval) Punishment
An inquisitor thirsty for a confession had plenty of medieval tools of torture at his disposal: the iron maiden, the judas cradle, the rack, or the brazen…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Easter Uprising of 1916
Learn about one of the most important events in modern Irish history. On Easter Monday, April 24, 1916, a group of Irish nationalists proclaimed the…
History Unplugged PodcastMisattributed Quotes—No, Mark Twain Didn't Say That
Thomas Jefferson once said you can't believe everything you read on the Internet. With those extremely true words in mind, let's look at other quotes that are…
History Unplugged PodcastHow to Build a 13th-Century Castle From Scratch
In a remote forest clearing in Burgundy, France, a 13th-century castle is slowly being constructed using only the tools, techniques, and materials that would…
History Unplugged PodcastTelling Japan’s Story in The Last Samurai, Letters From Iwo Jima, and Medal of Honor—Dan King
The Japanese military of World War Two has a nasty reputation—kamikaze pilots, baby killers, and brain-washed, honor-obsessed soldiers who threw away their…
History Unplugged PodcastTeddy Roosevelt’s Journey Through Uncharted Amazonian Jungle
Teddy Roosevelt was not afraid to tempt death. He hiked the Matterhorn during his honeymoon. He arrested outlaws on the Dakota Frontier. He hunted rhinos in…
History Unplugged PodcastHow Teddy Roosevelt Gave a 90-minute Speech After Being Shot
Theodore Roosevelt was hell bent on becoming president in 1912. He ran as a third-party candidate for the Progressive Party, a splinter group of Republicans…
History Unplugged PodcastWhen Teddy Roosevelt Arrested Three Boat Thieves
Perhaps no president has as many unbelievable stories about his life than Teddy Roosevelt. He was an amateur boxer. He was the first American politician to…
History Unplugged PodcastCarrie Nation—The Hatch-Wielding Prohibitionist
Nothing supports the Prohibition movement like a hatchet-wielding radical ready to smash in a Midwestern saloon. Carrie Amelia Nation would know. She made a…
History Unplugged PodcastDiscovering Embarrassing Family Secrets and Famous Third Cousins with Genealogist Crista Cowan From Ancestry.com
Shake a family tree long enough and something embarrassing secret is sure to drop out: a felon uncle here, an illegitimate nephew there, a grandfather arrested…
History Unplugged PodcastWhy Does American Give Automatic Birthright Citizenship?
Anyone born on American soil gets automatic citizenship. This isn't true in the rest of the world. Few other nations in the world practice jus soli (right of…
History Unplugged PodcastWhat Was It Like To Be Enrolled at the University of Constantinople?
The Pandidakterion (University of Constantinople) was the empire's imperial school. It can trace its origins to 425 AD to Emperor Theodosius II. Learn what it…
History Unplugged PodcastJohn Birch-The First Death in the Cold War
The first death of the Cold War quickly became an anti-communist icon and symbol of the American far right from the 1950s onward. TO HELP OUT THE SHOW Leave an…
History Unplugged PodcastGeorge Washington Wasn’t the First President. He Was the Ninth
George Washington was the First President of the United States. This is the most basic fact that an American school child can learn. Only it isn't true. He…
History Unplugged PodcastAnthony Esolen on Translating Dante’s Divine Comedy and Dan Brown’s Supercilious Stupidity
‘Dante and Shakespeare divide the modern world between them: there is no third’ —T.S Elliot The most towering epic poem in Western literature, save perhaps the…
History Unplugged PodcastChristopher Columbus Wasn’t as Good—Or as Terrible—As You Think
Depending on which account you hear, Columbus was either the bravest explorer of the early Renaissance or a mass murdered who subjected the indigenous…
History Unplugged PodcastHow the 1565 Siege of Malta Led to the Golden Age of Piracy
The Knights Hospitaller were kicked out of Jerusalem following the Third Crusade, but they found a new home on the Mediterranean island of Malta. Their defense…
History Unplugged PodcastEuropeans in the Far East Before Marco Polo
Marco Polo is the most famous European explorer to the Far East, but he definitely wasn’t the first. His father and uncle came there years before. And they…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Lost Technology of Damascus Steel
Damascus swords, which were generally made in the Middle East anywhere from 540 A.D. to 1800 A.D., were sharper, more flexible and harder/stronger than other…
History Unplugged PodcastAlexander Hamilton’s Broadway Musical is Great, but Brion McClanahan Thinks He Screwed Up America
He’s the subject of a hit Broadway musical, the face on the ten-dollar bill, and one of the most popular Founding Fathers. But what do you really know about…
History Unplugged PodcastTimur the Tatar’s Revenge on Bayezit—When an Emperor Literally Made a Sultan His Footstool
One of the most chilling stories of revenge is Timur the Tatar's defeat of Ottoman Sultan Bayezit and literally making him his footstool. The humiliation…
History Unplugged PodcastA Revolutionary-Era Soldier Fights a Modern One Hand-to-Hand. Who Wins?
If we were to have a battle royale with American soldiers from its different eras all duke it out, who would win? Would a Revolutionary-era soldier win due to…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Origin of the Middle Finger Insult
We’ve all done it in moments of anger. But why do we use our middle finger to express anger? And why do we call it “the bird.” Suggestions range from The…
History Unplugged PodcastWhy the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and the Norman Conquest of England Changed Everything—Jennifer Paxton
If you were to ask a scholar about one critical moment after which the history of the English-speaking world would never be the same again, it would…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Daily Schedule of a Samurai
Samurai were the military nobility and officer cast of feudal Japan, serving an important role of social stability until their functions ceased in the 19th…
History Unplugged PodcastWhy Did British Men Wear Wigs in the 1700s?
You’ve seen the look in historical dramas. You laughed at the foppish dandies that appear on Masterpiece Theater. In grade school you sneered at pictures of…
History Unplugged PodcastWho Had the Worst Flatulence in History?
The goal of this podcast is to answer any question that you have about history... and I mean anything. To prove it, I am answering a question from a listener…
History Unplugged PodcastConstantinople’s Walls—The Strongest Fortress Ever Built
There are many contenders for the strongest fortress in history (Malumat in Iran or the island fortifications of Malta to name a few). But nothing can compare…
History Unplugged PodcastHow Religion Has Influenced Politics Across History, From Ancient Sumeria to the 21st Century—Paul Rahe
In our interview, Prof. Paul Rahe says that a liberal democracy that guarantees the rights of all citizens needs the guarantee that no one religion is…
History Unplugged PodcastWhy The Potato Led to the Rise of Modern Europe
The humble potato has done more for Old World peasants than any other food. Famine plagued the lower class from time immemorial. But once the potato was…
History Unplugged PodcastWhen Churchill Experimented with Chemical Weapons—Giles Milton of the Unknown History Podcast
Winston Churchill is consistently ranked as the greatest leader in British History. But like any complex historical figure, he has his dark side. Most…
History Unplugged PodcastDan Carlin of Hardcore History on Why the German Military Was Better in WW1 Than WW2
I was honored on this episode to interview Dan Carlin, whose podcast Hardcore History is the biggest history podcast in existence. It regularly features shows…
History Unplugged PodcastThe History of Pig Latin (ig-pay atin-lay)
Everyone's favorite code (it's not a language) has quite a storied history. Learn how Pig Latin became the fastest, most convenient way to sound intelligent…
History Unplugged PodcastWait, Nixon Was Innocent?—Geoff Shepard
Richard Nixon left the White House over 40 years ago, yet he remains embedded in American pop culture like no other ex-president. He was the body-less leader…
History Unplugged PodcastHow Was Alexander Able to Supply His Army Deep Into Asia?
It's one thing to conquer the known world and beyond without the benefit of modern communications like Alexander the Great did. It's another thing to supply…
History Unplugged PodcastDaily Life During the Civil War for Non-Combatants
More soldiers died in the Civil War than any other American conflict. But how did non-combatants fare? It depends on where you were and your life station. A…
History Unplugged PodcastWhy Gutenberg Didn’t Kick Off the Reformation
Gutenberg’s moveable type printing press was the prime mover of the Renaissance. From his machine came millions of books, leading to the democratization of…
History Unplugged PodcastWhat if Japan Hadn’t Surrendered After Nagasaki?
The Allied Forces hoped the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki would finally convince Imperial Japan to end the war. If not, they were prepared to…
History Unplugged PodcastGenghis Khan, Attila the Hun, and the Barbarian Empires of the Steppe—Kenneth Harl
Attila the Hun and Genghis Khan loom large in Western popular consciousness as two of history’s most fearsome warrior-leaders. Chroniclers referred to them as…
History Unplugged PodcastWhy the Galileo Affair is Completely Misunderstood
There are few episodes in history that are so misunderstood as the condemnation of Galileo. His trial has become a stock argument to show the fundamental clash…
History Unplugged PodcastDid Medieval Women Really Wear Chastity Belts?
According to legends of the Middle Ages, knights used the chastity belt on their wives as an anti-temptation device before embarking on the Crusades. When the…
History Unplugged PodcastWhy is Louis Such a Popular Name for French Kings?
If you want to be a French king who is also named Louis, then you have to slap enough Roman numerals at the end of your name to look like an encrypted message…
History Unplugged PodcastDid People in the Past Get 8 Hours of Sleep a Night?
Doctors love to say that eight hours of nightly rest is vital to good health. But did people in the past get this much sleep, more, or less? And how did the…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Real-Life Pirates of the Caribbean—Matt Albers from The Pirate History Podcast
Pirates are popular these days: they adorn our favorite brands of bargain-basement rum and populate beloved Disneyland rides and multibillion-dollar film…
History Unplugged PodcastWould You Rather Be An Average Person Today or a Billionaire 100 Years Ago?
It's good to be as rich as a Rockefeller. John—the patriarch of the family—rose from a lowly Ohioan bookkeeper to the leader of Standard Oil, which owned 90…
History Unplugged PodcastWhy Wasn’t There a Scientific Revolution Under the Romans?
Scientific progress has moved steadily forward across much of the world for centuries, with few examples of abatement. The Scientific Revolution is often…
History Unplugged PodcastWhat if the Nazis Had Won World War Two?
This episode is fifth in our Alternate History Week series, where I look at famous books of alternate history and discuss why I think their alternate timelines…
History Unplugged PodcastIf I Were Sent Back in Time to the Roman Empire, How Would I Take Over?
This episode is fourth in our Alternate History Week series, where I look at famous books of alternate history and discuss why I think their alternate…
History Unplugged PodcastA Vietnam POW’s Story of 6 Years in the Hanoi Hilton — Amy Shively Hawk
A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic. -Joseph Stalin When consider major historical events that involved millions of people— World War…
History Unplugged PodcastWhat if Byzantium Had Never Fallen?
This episode is third in our Alternate History Week series, where I look at famous books of alternate history and discuss why I think their alternate timelines…
History Unplugged PodcastWhat if China Had Discovered the New World?
This episode is second in our Alternate History Week series, where I look at famous books of alternate history and discuss why I think their alternate…
History Unplugged PodcastCould One Marine Corps MEU Destroy the Entire Roman Army?
This episode is the first of a five-part series in our Alternate History Week—our version of Shark Week, if you will. We are looking at famous books of…
History Unplugged PodcastThe Bronze Age Collapse of 1177 BC: The Most Catastrophic Event in History
There was an event in history worse than World War I, worse than the Mongol invasions that killed 40 million, worse than the little Ice Age that triggered…
History Unplugged PodcastIs There a Roman City in Present-Day China?
Since the 1950s, many classicists and military historians have believed that an ancient Roman bloodline lives on in a Chinese village. The town of Liqian sits…
History Unplugged PodcastWhy The Irish May Have Really Saved Civilization
Thomas Cahill argues in his best-selling book How the Irish Saved Civilization that Ireland played a critical role in Europe's evolution from the classical age…
History Unplugged PodcastDid Rome And China Know of Each Other?
Rome and China were the two poles of the Silk Road. One sent precious porcelain, spices, and silks, the other sent out glassware and high-quality cloth. As…
History Unplugged PodcastAmericana: The Brazilian City Where the Confederacy Lives On
The United States has accepted immigrants throughout its history, but America has its emigrants as well. Did you know there is a city in Brazil founded by…
History Unplugged PodcastCurtis Lemay: World War II’s Greatest Hero or Worst War Criminal?—Warren Kozak
General Curtis LeMay is perhaps the most misunderstood general of the 20th century, despite the fact that he played a major role in so many important military…
History Unplugged PodcastIf the Moon Landings Weren’t Fake, Why Haven’t We Been Back?
Conspiracy theorists have many "reasons" for why we've never been to the moon: the Van Allen radiation belts are too deadly, the challenges are too difficult…
History Unplugged PodcastAn Interview With Jerry Yellin, the 93-Year-Old Vet Who Flew WW2’s Last Combat Mission
I had the extraordinary pleasure to talk with Captain Jerry Yellin, a 93-year-old World War Two vet who flew the final combat mission in World War Two's…