Podcast Episodes

Historical Fiction and the Wars of the Roses: An Interview with Philippa Gregory

Season 3 Episode 2

We talked to bestselling novelist Philippa Gregory about her views of history and historical fiction, and her perspective on the Wars of the Roses, where she has spent many years.

You can listen to th…

Published on 6 years, 8 months ago

1492: A Guided Tour of Europe on the Brink

Season 3 Episode 1

1492 was a big year, and not just because a certain Genoese navigator set sail into the unknown. Europe was on the cusp of enormous changes. Follow along as we travel all across the continent and get…

Published on 6 years, 9 months ago

Who Was Christopher Columbus? With Professor Felipe Fernandez-Armesto

Season 2 Episode 35

1492 was a truly wild year, and there is no one better to talk about it with than one of Patrick's favorite historians, Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, author of many excellent books on Columbus and explor…

Published on 6 years, 9 months ago

Civil Servants, State Finance, and the Rising State

Season 2 Episode 34

States didn't pull themselves up by their bootstraps, driven solely by the will of indomitable rulers; instead, they benefited from the services of a class of highly educated and dedicated civil serv…

Published on 6 years, 9 months ago

The Troubled Inheritance of Mary of Burgundy and Dynastic Consolidation

Season 2 Episode 33

When Charles the Bold, duke of Burgundy, met the business end of a Swiss halberd in 1477, his 19-year-old daughter Mary was set to inherit all of his vast possessions. But her position was precarious…

Published on 6 years, 10 months ago

The Rise and Fall of Burgundy

Season 2 Episode 32

The Valois dukes of Burgundy were kings in all but name. Originally a branch of the French royal family, they fought for control of the French crown, accumulated vast lands, and nearly carved out a k…

Published on 6 years, 10 months ago

Game of Thrones and Late Medieval Politics

Season 2 Episode 31

Surprise: Patrick loves Game of Thrones. Bigger surprise: GoT is actually a pretty accurate portrayal of late medieval politics - except for the dragons. Patrick's friend Albro Lundy, a very funny an…

Published on 6 years, 10 months ago

Civil Wars and Political Breakdowns in Late Medieval Europe

Season 2 Episode 30

The Wars of the Roses are infamous, but practically every European kingdom, not just England, was wracked by serious bouts of infighting in the second half of the 15th century. In a time period known…

Published on 6 years, 11 months ago

The Wars of the Roses, II

Season 2 Episode 29

By 1461, the Wars of the Roses had already claimed thousands of lives and shaken England's political system to its foundations. The bloodiest battle ever fought in England would soon follow, along wi…

Published on 6 years, 11 months ago

The Wars of the Roses

Season 2 Episode 28

The Wars of the Roses brought what had once been Europe’s most stable and well-governed kingdom to its knees. Weakness at the center, in the form of the useless King Henry VI, reverberated outwards t…

Published on 6 years, 11 months ago