Western Civ

Rome and Persia: The Seven Hundred Year Rivalry

06 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this bonus, author interview, I sit down with historian Adrian Goldsworthy and discuss his most recent book: Rome and Persia: The Seven Hundred Yea...

Episode 272: Galileo Part Four

03 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today we get to the meat of our series on Galileo, the publication of The Starry Messenger. Galileo turns his much-improved telescope to the heavens a...

Richard Nixon: California's Native Son

31 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this bonus, author interview, I sit down with Historian Paul Carter and discuss the role Richard Nixon played in modern American History. Needless ...

Episode 271: Galileo Part Three

27 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Galileo finally turns his attention firmly to the heavens. Quickly, Galileo recognizes that, with this new technology, the telescope,...

Justinian: Emperor, Soldier, Saint

24 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this author interview, I sit down with Peter Sarris and discuss his latest book: Justinian: Emperor, Soldier, Saint. It is an excellent historical ...

Bonus Author Interview: Techlash

23 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this historian interview, I sit down with Tom Wheeler, author of Techlash: Who Makes the Rules in the Digital Gilded Age? We talk about economic ex...

Bonus: Western Civ 2.0

22 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Here is a bonus, sneak peak of Western Civ 2.0. In my Patreon feed, we hit the proverbial reset button and start from scratch. The episodes are more d...

Episode 270: Galileo Part Two

20 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today we get more into the meat of Galileo. He is remembered as someone willing to challenge the church on the issue of the geocentric universe. But h...

Episode 269: Galileo Part One

13 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We come now to the most recognizable name from the early Scientific Revolution: Galileo. Galileo studied motion, falling bodies, and, of course, the s...

Around the World in 80 Games

12 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this author interview, I sit down with renowned mathematician Marcus Du Sautoy and talk about his newest book: Around the World in 80 Games. I LOVE...

Episode 268: Tycho Brahe

06 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Nicholas Copernicus and Galileo Galilei usually get all the credit for the breakthroughs in astronomy in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries and r...

Episode 267: Copernicus (Part Four)

29 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today we finish Copernicus and inch toward Tycho Brahe. On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres was a truly monumental achievement. Sadly, its rele...

Pax: An Interview with Historian Tom Holland

26 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There is no discussion of modern Roman Historiography without Tom Holland. He is one of the premier historians covering the medieval, classical, and a...

Episode 266: Copernicus (Part Three)

22 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

You probably know the name, Copernicus. But you likely don't know the name, Rheticus. Well, today I explain why you should. Without Rheticus, On the R...

Episode 265: Copernicus (Part Two)

15 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Copernicus completes his studies and begins his major astronomical research. Before long, the Father of Modern Astronomy becomes convinced Ptolemy was...

Episode 264: Copernicus (Part One)

08 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today we begin the life of Nicholas Copernicus - the father of modern astronomy. While there is a lot of validity to Copernicus' title, what I cover t...

Bonus Author Interview: Bismarck's War

05 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Bismarck. Napoleon III. France. Prussia. Germany. The siege of Paris. The great precursor to World War One. Today I talk about it all when I sit down ...

Episode 263: Facts and Experiments

01 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In our last overview episode, before we start Copernicus, I want to cover the concept of the "fact" and the "experiment" as each pertains to the Scien...

1923: The Crisis of German Democracy in the Year of Hitler's Putsch

29 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today I sit down with Historian Mark William Jones and discuss his newest book: 1923: The Crisis of German Democracy in the Year of Hitler's Putsch. T...

Episode 262: The Science of Math

25 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Prior to the Scientific Revolution, math was considered a part of philosophy. But with a new emphasis on measurement and objective facts, it did not t...

Episode 261: Defining Earth

18 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today we continue exploring the origins of the Scientific Revolution. If it was possible to sail across the Atlantic Ocean, and if there were large la...

Episode 260: The Scientific Revolution Begins

11 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It is weird to think about, but when Columbus "discovered" the New World there was no word for "discover" in English. Or French. Or Latin for that mat...

Episode 259: Hernando de Soto (Part Two)

04 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

***NOTE: I was not able to upload this episode as one file which is not what I originally planned. So I had to break it in half. In this episode, I be...

Episode 259: Hernando de Soto (Part One)

04 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

***NOTE: I was not able to upload this episode as one file which is not what I originally planned. So I had to break it in half. In this episode, I be...

Booze, Babe, and the Little Black Dress

02 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today I sit down with author Jason Voiovich and discuss his most recent book: Booze, Babe, and the Little Black Dress. Jason and I talk about all mann...

Episode 258: The Inca's Last Stand

28 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After so many battles and insurgencies today the Inca Empire finally runs out of gas. The Inca free state is destroyed and the last Inca Emperor is ex...

Episode 257: The Last of the Pizarros

21 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Francisco Pizarro failed to recognize the growing discontent from Almagro's old faction and, today, it costs him his life. Gonzalo, his brother, outli...

Bonus: Travel Colombia

19 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

I was fortunate enough to take a short trip to Colombia: Medellin and Cartagena. Colombia is a wonderful country to visit. I decided to do a short sho...

Episode 256: To The Amazon

14 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Manco Inca flees to the Amazon to avoid capture with Gonzalo Pizarro in hot pursuit. But before that can happen, Hernando Pizarro exa...

Episode 255: Almagro Returns

07 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Diego de Almagro returns from conquering the wealthy Inca Empire of the south. Just kidding. There is no southern Inca Empire, as Almagro and his roya...

Episode 254: O Brother, Where Art Thou?

30 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Manco Inca now has the Spaniards in Peru on the ropes. Hernando and Gonzalo Pizarro are trapped in Cusco. Francisco Pizarro is likewise trapped in wha...

Episode 253: The Great Rebellion

23 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Manco Inca launches his Great Rebellion in Peru. While Francisco Pizarro is pinned down in Lima, Manco seeks to crush the remaining Pizarro brothers i...

Episode 252: Cracks in the Foundation

16 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Up to this point, Francisco Pizarro has done a fantastic job of following the conquistador playbook. But now the weakness of the Pizarro family busine...

Episode 251: The Martyr Emperor and the Puppet Emperor

09 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Atahualpa's time finally runs out. Pizarro believes his captive emperor has ordered an Inca army to attack and finally consents to his death. Luckily,...

Episode 250: Rooms Full of Gold

02 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Atahualpa promises Pizarro rooms full of gold in the hope of getting the conquistador to leave. Little does he realize, in the Sixteenth Century sated...

Episode 249: Atahualpa and Pizarro

26 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In another of those history-making meetings of two cultures, Pizarro and Atahualpa finally come face to face. Against overwhelming odds, Pizarro succe...

Episode 248: Atahualpa

19 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Last time I introduced Francisco Pizarro. Today we bring Atahualpa onto our board. He will be the Incan Emperor at the time of Pizarro's conquest. But...

Episode 247: Francisco Pizarro

12 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today we introduce our Conquistador: Francisco Pizarro. Pizarro hears rumors of a great and wealthy Native American empire to the south: Peru. After a...

Episode 246: The Inca

05 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today we look more closely at the Inca political and military structure. These two aspects of the Incan Empire will be crucial to understand how Pizza...

Western Civ 2.0: Macedonia

04 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Here is a sneak peek of the kind of things I get to do on Western Civ 2.0. This feed is available in two ways: Patreon and Glow. (Note: With Glow ther...

The Middle Kingdoms: A New History of Central Europe

02 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today I sit down with Historian Martyn Rady and discuss his latest book: The Middle Kingdoms: A New History of Central Europe. This is a sweeping, sur...

Episode 245: People of the Andes

28 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today we pivot again and travel further south to the land of the Inca. Long before Pizzaro arrived, the people of the Andes built a miraculous civiliz...

Episode 244: Aftermath

21 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With Tenochtitlan conquered, Cortés tries to figure out how to make New Spain work.WebsiteAd-Free ShowsWestern Civ 2.0 Free Trial

Episode 243: The Battle for Tenochtitlan

14 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Cortés returns to Tenochtitlan and finally forces the great city into submission, effectively ending Old Mexico.WebsitePatreonWestern Civ 2.0

The Assyrians

07 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today I sit down with historian Eckart Frahm to discuss his new book: Assyria: The Rise and Fall of the World's First Empire. The Assyrians have a fas...

Episode 242: Spanish Recovery

07 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Cortés recovers from the disaster of La Noche Triste and plans for a triumphant return to Tenochtitlan. At the same time, Smallpox ravages Central Am...

Episode 241: La Noche Triste

31 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Cortés rushes back to Tenochtitlan only to find the city beyond saving. After the death of Montezuma, he has no choice but to cut his losses and run....

Episode 240: Montezuma and Cortés

24 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Cortés gambles again, taking Montezuma captive in the hope that he can turn the entire kingdom over to Charles V. But, the arrival of a relief force ...

Episode 239: Tenochtitlan

17 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Cortés finally reached the capital of the Mexica Empire and comes face to face with Montezuma.WebsiteAd-Free ShowsWestern Civ 2.0

Episode 238: Who Needs "Orders" Anyway?

10 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is the episode where Cortés really starts to come into focus. Up to this point, he has been just another explorer. But after this episode, his a...

Episode 237: A Gentlemanly Pirate

03 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hernan Cortes and his expedition continue to explore the Yucatan as they round toward modern-day Veracruz. He begins to learn what works and what does...

Episode 236: Cortés

24 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week we finally meet Hernan Cortes. Cortes has an interesting history himself, though much of it remains shrouded in myth and shadow. Yet, in 151...

Episode 235: Temples on the Sea

17 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hernan Cortes was not the first Spaniard to reach Mexico. But, somewhat shockingly, even as late as 1518, the Spanish did not know about Mexico. They ...

Immeasurable Outcomes

14 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

in this bonus, author interview, I sit down with Professor Gayle Greene and discuss her book: Immeasurable Outcomes: Teaching Shakespeare in the Age o...

History Ramble: All That is Lost

10 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The recent earthquake in Turkey and Syria destroyed a large portion of Gaziantep Castle in Turkey. This site dated back to the Second and Third Centur...

Queens of a Fallen World

10 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this bonus interview, I sit down with historian Kate Cooper and discuss her most recent book: Queens of a Fallen World. This gripping and innovativ...

Episode: 234: The Aztecs

10 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we take a look at the Aztecs as they are commonly known or the Mexica as they are correctly known. The Mexica ruled a flourishing, co...

Episode 233: Painting with a Broad Brush

03 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today we cover what we can in terms of Mayan political history. The Maya organized themselves into essentially what we might call city-states. These c...

Episode 232: The Maya

27 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today we really switch gears. Before we explore the Spanish conquest of the Aztec and Inca civilizations, we have to set the stage. Long before those ...

Episode 231: Suleiman's Final Years

20 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In our final episode on Suleiman the Magnificent, he nearly completes his conquest of the Mediterranean and Iran. Meanwhile, succession issues threate...

A Woman's Life

17 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this bonus author interview, I sit down with Historian Felicia Kornbluh and discuss her most recent book: A Woman's Life is a Human Life. This obje...

Episode 230: Ottoman High Tide

13 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we follow Suleiman as he leads the Ottoman Empire to its territorial height. After teaming up with the intrepid Barbarossa, Suleiman ...

No Right To An Honest Living

10 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this bonus author interview, I sit down with Historian Jacqueline Jones and talk about her latest book: No Right to an Honest Living. The book deta...

Episode 229: Ottoman Menace

06 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Last time Suleiman the Magnificent came to the throne and immediately threw himself at the west. Before two years were out Belgrade and Rhodes were bo...

Episode 228: Suleiman the Magnificent

30 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Having covered the period between the Fall of Constantinople and 1520, we can now get into the most famous Ottoman Sultan of all: Suleiman the Magnifi...

Episode 227: Sultan of the Faith

23 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Mehmet II's death leads to a brief power struggle between his two sons: Bayezid and Cem. In the end, the Janissaries pick Bayezid and Cem finds himsel...

Episode 226: After Constantinople

16 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We last left the Ottomans in May 1453, as Mehmet II triumphantly rode into the gates of a conquered Constantinople. After thousands of years, the Roma...

Episode 225: The End of an Era

09 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Marking the end of a turbulent beginning to the Sixteenth Century, the deaths of Henry VIII, Francis I, and Charles V (who technically abdicates befor...

Episode 224: Give Peace a Chance

02 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Francis and Charles finally resolve their differences and western Europe gets a break from the carnage. But, as usual, the fate of Milan spoils the po...

Episode 223: At It Again

25 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Unable to help himself, Francis I pushes Charles V and much of western Europe into war. Luckily for him, his talented General Montmorency takes the re...

Episode 222: So, Back on the Continent

18 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It has been a while but let's catch up with Francis and Charles. Since his release, Francis I has made it abundantly clear that he has no intention of...

Bonus: The Mongol Storm

15 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In his upcoming book, The Mongol Storm, historian Nicholas Morton discusses the vast subject that is the Mongol Empire. All of it. Here we talk about ...

Episode 221: The Not So Merry Wives of Henry VIII

11 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Anne Boleyn fails to produce a male heir (definitely NOT her fault) and loses her head while Henry does his best to enforce religious...

Episode 220: Supremacy

04 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Last time, King Henry VIII took England right up to the brink of separation from Rome in order to divorce Queen Catherine and marry Anne Boleyn. In to...

Episode 219: The King's Great Matter

28 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes in history, an unexpected event or emergency changes its course. In the late 1520s, Henry VIII, King of England, wanted to divorce his wife,...

Episode 218: The Origins of the English Reformation

21 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we take a step back and examine the origins of the English Reformation up to, roughly, 1522. Henry VIII and Cardinal Wolsey work to t...

Episode 217: Fallout

14 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Battle of Pavia left Francis I in Imperial custody, Henry VIII utterly jubilant, and Charles V hopeful but wary. While Francis stews in Italy and ...

Bonus: On Every Tide

11 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this bonus episode, I sit down with Sean Connolly, author of "On Every Tide" a new history of Irish emigration. It is an amazing book that covers t...

Episode 216: Pavia

07 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

While last week Charles V and Henry VIII slowly boxed Francis I in, this time the French King risks all on one more throw of the dice. And loses. The ...

Episode 215: Francis Surrounded

30 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week we really just focus on Francis I. The rise of Charles V left Francis out in the proverbial cold. Desperate to rekindle some kind of momentu...

Episode 214: Henry and Francis and Charles... Oh, my!

23 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we begin following King Henry VIII, King Francis I, and Holy Roman Emperor Charles V as the tumultuous 1520s unfold. Francis sees his...

Bonus: The Rise of Sparta

18 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Here's a quick bonus look at the kind of thing I am doing at Western Civ 2.0. This episode covers the rise of Corinth and Sparta and sets the stage fo...

Episode 213: Blood, Gold, and Glory

16 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we follow all three of our major protagonists for the first time. Charles I of Spain tries to win the Imperial Election and become th...

Episode 212: The Prophecy

09 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Years before her pregnancy, Louise of Angouleme was given a prophecy. Not only would she have a son, but that son would go on to be the King of France...

Episode 211: New Men and Counselors

02 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Henry VIII begins his reign as king immediately provoking a war with France. Henry's accomplishments in France, however, fighting against Louis XII wo...

Episode 210: A Renaissance Prince

26 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we explore Henry VIII's court broadly while considering the first few months of his reign. Henry quickly marries Katherine of Aragon ...

Episode 209: Tudor Spring

19 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Henry VII's reign reaches the end of the line. After finally cementing an alliance with the Hapsburgs, Henry finally succumbs to tuberculosis. Richard...

Episode 208: Continental Ambitions

12 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

King Henry VII decides he wants to play with the big boys on the continent while a freak storm finally delivers the Earl of Suffolk into his grasp.Web...

Episode 207: The Winter King

05 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The deaths of Prince Arthur and Queen Elizabeth decisively change Henry VII's reign. With only the young Henry VIII between the earl of Suffolk and th...

Episode 206: Henry VII

29 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Henry VII comes into his own as the king of England. His efforts to make England a major power player are effective until his eldest son, Arthur, trag...

Episode 205: Tudor Rose

22 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Henry Tudor defeats Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field to become Henry VII. But he is immediately beset by various pretenders to the throne l...

Episode 204: The Catholic Response and Reformation Recap

15 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

While Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, and John Calvin were leading the charge for reform, the Roman Catholic Church was not sitting idly by. Today we c...

Episode 203: Calvin's Shadow

08 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

John Calvin passes his final years still attempting to stitch together a Protestant alliance with Zurich and Germany. Simultaneously, he executes a Re...

Episode 202: Healing Christ's Body

01 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Now in complete control in Geneva, John Calvin sought to forge a Protestant alliance with first Strasbourg, then Saxony, and finally with Bullinger in...

Episode 201: Back in Geneva

24 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, John Calvin makes his triumphant return to Geneva where he can all his plans into action. Here he will build his Godly society and fo...

Episode 200: The Institutes of the Christian Religion

17 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

John Calvin is famous for putting together the first concise and complete doctrine for Reformed Christianity. His Institutes of the Christian Religio...

History Ramble Three: The Tale of the Gun

14 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

There are few issues that divide people in the United States like guns and gun ownership. The Second Amendment is normally cited as protecting citizen...

Episode 199: John Calvin

10 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today we meet our final early reformer: John Calvin. Calvin was significantly younger than Luther or Zwingli and does not even begin his reformation e...

Episode 198: Zwingli's Death and Legacy

03 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Last time, Zwingli rose to prominence in Zurich, creating his model for the perfect Reformed Christian community. For him, this was nothing less than ...

The Persians: An Interview with Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones

01 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today I sit down with historian Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones to discuss his most recent work: "The Persians: Age of Kings". We talk about all your usual topi...