How could a war be beneficial for fiscal capacity? Why did some mercantilist states become wealthy, free-trading empires while others faded into obscurity? Prof. Didac Queralt of Yale University provides some surprising answers in this episode

From Mayans to Modernity: Glenn David Cox on the History of Guatemala

Feb 28th, 2020 1h 23m

We interview Prof. Glenn David Cox of the Universidad Francisco Marroquín in Guatemala City about the fascinating history of the country. Discover the Spanish conquest of the Maya, the truth about the controversial United Fruit Company, and the

The Long Road To Religious Freedom: Mark Koyama on Witchcraft, Heretics, and Industrialization

Jan 25th, 2020 1h 6m

The Long Road To Religious Freedom: Mark Koyama on Witchcraft, Heretics, and Industrialization by HistoryTwins

Kinship Networks and Psychology: The Catholic Church´s Obsession With Consanguineous Marriage

Dec 5th, 2019 50m 51s

We interview Prof. Jonathan Schulz of George Mason University on the Catholic Church, cousin marriage, and psychological variations between countries. Discover the Church´s Marriage and Family Program and its impact on development and instituti

The Prince and The Pauper: John Marsh on the Gilded Age and Great Depression

Oct 31st, 2019 55m 33s

We interview Prof. John Marsh of the Pennsylvania State University on subjects from the Gilded Age to the Great Depression. Discover political bosses, Orson Welles's War of the Worlds broadcast, and the emotional reaction to the greatest econom

The Fate of Rome: Climate, Contagion, and Slavery in the Roman Empire

Sep 26th, 2019 55m

We interview Prof. Kyle Harper of the University of Oklahoma on the Roman collapse. Discover the disease events and climatic transitions which brought down one of the greatest empires ever known. Learn what's wrong with the slavery-to-serfdom t

Contemporary Politics, Contagion, and Copyright with Prof. Peter Baldwin

Aug 19th, 2019 1h 1m

We interview Prof. Peter Baldwin of UCLA on the divide between US and European politics, Anglo-American vs Continental copyright law, and European reaction to the spread of disease. Discover how different are the US and Europe really are, how E

Reconquista to Renacimiento: Teofilo Ruiz on Medieval Spain

Jul 24th, 2019 1h 5m

We interview UCLA's Prof. Teofilo Ruiz on medieval Spain. Discover Spain's "centuries of crisis", why the Reconquista lasted nearly eight centuries, the holes in the classic theory of coexistence, and the contrast between peasant and noble life

Theories of Empire With Prof. Anthony Pagden

Jun 6th, 2019 1h 1m

We interview UCLA's Prof. Anthony Pagden on the history and political theories behind empire, from early colonial Spain to 18th-century France and Britain to 19th-century Germany. How were empires justified? Why did they collapse, and how did r

Cut From a Different Sort of Cloth: Lawrence Duggan on Clerical Armsbearing During the Middle Ages

Apr 16th, 2019 57m 31s

Perhaps Jesus said to "turn the other cheek", but these men of the cloth were made of sterner stuff. We interview Prof. Lawrence Duggan of the University of Delaware on clerical armsbearing. Discover the role of the warrior popes, the Crusades,

Made and Unmade in Defeat: Philip Nord on the French Third Republic

Mar 18th, 2019 58m 52s

The French Third Republic (1870-1940) has suffered a reputation of decadence, corruption, and weakness since its defeat in WWII. Yet we often forget that it remains to date the longest-lasting post-revolutionary French regime. Discover the stor

The Bomb: Michael Gordin on August 1945, the U.S. Nuclear Monopoly, and Dr. Strangelove

Feb 18th, 2019 1h

We interview Princeton University's Michael Gordin on the Cold War, the U.S. nuclear monopoly, and Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove. Discover the "Two Bomb Myth", why the Soviets became a nuclear power so quickly, and how closely Dr. Strangelove port

Health, Hatred, and Urban Development With Edward Glaeser

Jan 30th, 2019 42m 33s

We interview Prof. Edward Glaeser of Harvard University on his best-known work, ranging from the obesity crisis in America during the last half-century to the twentieth-century rise of the welfare state. Learn about the "Political Economy of Ha

A Millenium of History: Steve Davies from the Norman Conquest to the World Wars

Dec 19th, 2018 1h 5m

We interview the amazingly knowledgeable Dr. Stephen Davies of the IEA from the Norman Conquest all the way through to the World Wars. Find out what's wrong with Rousseau, who started the First World War, and what we're missing about the Indust

The Trouble with Stuarts: Steve Pincus on the Glorious Revolution and 17th-century England

Nov 7th, 2018 1h 2m

We interview Prof. Steve Pincus of the University of Chicago about 17th-century England. Find out why the Glorious Revolution (1688) wasn't so glorious, how the Dutch "won" the Anglo-Dutch Wars, and about a time when Popery was a subject of muc

Pagans, Patricians, and Provincial Loyalty: Clifford Ando on the Roman Empire

Oct 17th, 2018 59m 17s

We interview Prof. Clifford Ando at the University of Chicago. Learn why paganism was better than Christianity, what's wrong with Edward Gibbon, and why joining Rome was worth fighting Rome.

A Clash of Faiths: Mack Holt on the Wars of Religion in France

Sep 25th, 2018 1h 1m

Weren't the Wars of Religion just a German affair? Find out about the French Wars of Religion in this exciting podcast with Prof. Mack Holt of George Mason University. Learn how the Bourbons got in power, who the Guises were, and why this is th

A Clash of Faiths: Mack Holt on the Wars of Religion in France

Sep 25th, 2018 1h 1m

John Turner: Prophets, Pilgrims, and Proselytizers

Aug 2nd, 2018 1h 2m

We interview prolific historian John Turner (George Mason University) about Mormonism, the Pilgrims, Billy Graham, and Bill Bright's Campus Crusade for Christ. Find out how the Mormons became nice, the story before and after the "First Thanksgi

Rate