History In Five Minutes Podcast

Government departments went on strike in similar ways during the reign of Ramses III (1186-1155 BC) as they do in the 21st century. But how do temple priests strike in similar ways as BART employees in San Francisco? We are joined by Dominic Perry from the Egyptian History Podcast to explain all this for us. Like this podcast? Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript to Episode 39 (PDF)

What was love like in Ancient Egypt? Did a society that worshipped the sun and cats approach amor in the same way that we do today? We will find out all that and more with our special guest Dominic Perry from the Egyptian History Podcast. Like this podcast? Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript for Episode 38 (PDF)

What does it take to be considered the "heretic king" in a society that worshipped cats and literally everything under the sun? We find out by exploring the life of Akhenaten: the father of the famed Tutankhamun. He reigned from 1353-1334 B.C. and has quite an interesting life. Like this podcast? Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript to Episode 37

What caused the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917? Was it the result of a few days of rioting getting out of control? Or is there a much deeper reason? Today we have Mark Schauss of the Russian Rulers History Podcast to discuss this question. Like this podcast? Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript to Episode 36 (PDF)

Hannibal almost destroyed the Roman Empire by deploying an incredibly effective maneuver -- the double pincher. How did he do it, and why is it so hard to pull off? Like this podcast? Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript to Episode 35 (PDF)

How did Alexander the Great practically conquer the entire known world? By six easy steps. If you can do them, then maybe the sobriquet "Great" is yours for the taking! Like this podcast? Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript to Episode 34 (PDF)

It's almost impossible to separate Alexander the man from Alexander the myth, but we'll give it a try. Was he really tutored by Aristotle and cut a knot in half with his sword? Yes. Did he impregnate 300 Amazonian woman to create a master race? Hopefully not. Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript to Episode 33 (PDF)

Cars, computers, and batteries are modern inventions, and before that we lived in a technological dark age, right? Not exactly. Some of your favorite inventions are much older than you thought. Find out in this podcast! Like this podcast? Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript to Episode 32 (PDF)

The Great Library of Alexandria is believed to have housed many, if not most, of the books in the ancient world. All of the plays of Sophocles were held there, over 100, and we only have 7 that survive today. What did we lose by its destruction, and who burned it down? Like this podcast? Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript to Episode 31 (PDF)

Queen Elizabeth of Tudor is considered the greatest queen of England. Learn how she defeated the Armada, funded Shakespeare, and forged an English identity in this podcast. Like this podcast? Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download a transcript to Episode 30 (PDF)

Joan of Arc has one of the most incredible stories in history. How did an illiterate peasant lead an army into victory against England in the Hundred Years War? Learn about her upbringing, her visions from God, how she learned years of military strategy in a matter of weeks, and why she convinced King Charles VII to give her command of the army even though she had no combat experience. Like this podcast? Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript to Episode 29

Eowyn of Rohan from the "Lord of the Rings" is based on a real person, but she was far more fericious! Learn about Lady Aethelflaed, ruler of England in the 900s and slayer of Vikings. This is the first in a three-part series on the most powerful women in the Middle Ages. Like this podcast? Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript to Episode 28 (PDF)

Was there a real life Dr. Frankenstein who tried to bring the dead back to life by science and alchemy? Yes there was, and his name was Johann Dippel. He lived in the transitional period between alchemy and modern science. He may have experimented on bringing dead animals back to life, but modern physiology owes a lot to him.   Like this podcast? Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript to Episode 27 (PDF)

Does Richard the Lionheart, the hero of Robin Hood, live up to the legend? On the battlefield yes, but as a king, not exactly. We look at the larger-than-life leader of the Third Crusade in this podcast. Like this podcast? Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript to Episode 26 (PDF)

Godfrey of Boullion, a commander of the First Crusade, was immortalized for being the first knight to enter Jerusalem. To arrive at this point he led thousands of soldiers on an expensive and dangerous adventure across a continent. How did he do it? Like this podcast? Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript to Episode 25 (PDF)

Today we look at the life of Peter the Hermit, the rag-tag leader of the first crusading force (whom many said resembled the donkey he rode), and one that would meet its complete slaughter at the hands of the Seljuk Turks. Like this podcast? Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript to Episode 24 (PDF)

Today special guest Tim O'Neill,  medievalist and Quora's resident historian, explains that the idea that millions of women died in the medieval period (500-1500 A.D.) from witch burnings due to superstition and is incorrect. Witch burnings did happen, but at a time and for reasons that we wouldn't expect. If you would like to see Tim's book review website Armarium Magnum, you can check it out by clicking here.  Like this podcast? Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript to Episode 23 (PDF)

Today special guest Tim O'Neill,  medievalist and Quora's resident historian, explains that in the medieval period (500-1500 A.D.), rather than being the Dark Ages, was a time of great technological advancement. If you appreciate the printing press, clocks, eye glass, or modern agriculture, then you have the Middle Ages to thank. If you would like to see Tim's book review website Armarium Magnum, you can check it out by clicking here.  Like this podcast? Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript to Episode 22 (PDF)

Today special guest Tim O'Neill,  medievalist and Quora's resident historian, explains that no educated person thought the earth was flat in the Middle Ages in the first of a three-part series on common knowledge about medieval history that is incorrect. If you would like to see Tim's book review website Armarium Magnum, you can check it out by clicking here.  Like this podcast? Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript to Episode 21 (PDF)

When did ancients stop believing in Greek gods and goddesses? Was it Constantine's conversion to Christianity? Zeus no longer sending down thunderbolts? Dionysus no longer providing his wine? Find out here, and learn that it probably took much longer than you think. Like this podcast? Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript to Episode 20