History In Five Minutes Podcast

This podcast looks at the life of George Psalamanazar: The French youth who managed to convince England he was from Taiwan, and that all the natives were sun-worshipping cannibals who followed a strange calendar and lived underground. How did he managed to fool all of society? Did he know a trick that we can still use today? Like this podcast? Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript to Episode 19 (PDF)

How did a man who stole the identity of the 16th c. Frenchman Martin Guerre manage to fool his neighbors, family, and even wife into believing he was the long-lost man for three years? Was he a master con artists or did he prey on the village's suspension of disbelief? This podcast is Part 1 in a two-part series on history's most famous imposters.   Like this podcast? Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript to Episode 18 (PDF)

In this episode of the History in Five Minutes Podcast we look at the lost art of memorization. Boys in ancient Greece memorized Homer's The Odyssey and the Iliad, medieval monks committed dozens of sermons to memory, and Augustine could fire off Cicero without breaking a sweat. Were all people in the ancient world like Dustin Hoffman's Rain Man, or did they make use of lost techniques? Like this podcast? Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript to Episode 17 (PDF)  

Was it really possible to buy your way out of hell in the Middle Ages? If so, how much did it cost? And what did the Catholic Church do with this money? This episode of History in Five Minutes Podcast looks at all these issues and more. Additionally, you will find out that indulgences still exist today, although not in the way that you think. Like this podcast? Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download a transcript to Episode 16 (PDF)

In this episode of the History in Five Minutes Podcast, we look at the US Army's experiment of using camels as the military's main pack animal in the American Southwest. The new land that was conquered after the Mexican-American war required a sturdier animal than donkeys and horses, something that could withstand the heat of Death Valley. Would the project work?   Like this podcast? Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes To listen to a country song inspired by one of the cameleers, Hi Jolly, watch the Youtube video below: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZ5pKav9vCU TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript to Episode 15 (PDF)

In this  episode of the History in Five Minutes Podcast, we look at the crazed ruled of Kim Jong Il, the legends he spread about himself, and why the depiction of him in "Team America: World Police" is not so far off. Like this podcast? Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript to Episode 14

In this  episode of the History in Five Minutes Podcast, we look at the larger-than-life figure of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Overstating his role in the formation of Turkey is impossible, as is avoiding pictures of him in the country. What did he do to make such an indelible mark on history? Like this podcast? Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript to Episode 13

In this  episode of the History in Five Minutes Podcast, we look at the life of Vlad Dracul -- the namesake and inspiration of Count Dracula. He was also known as "The Impaler" due to his constant use of this gruesome means of medieval torture. How did he earn this blood reputation and what circumstances in life led him down this path? Like this podcast? Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript to Episode 12

In this  episode of the History in Five Minutes Podcast, we look at Ancient Middle East civilization. We look at the influence of Roman and Persian culture on the Arab tribes and Christian heretics that would one day form early Islamic civilization. Like this podcast? Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here for the transcript to Episode 11 (PDF)  

In this  episode of the History in Five Minutes Podcast, we look at the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks. Most people only know about the event thanks to the immortal song “Istanbul, not Constantinople” by They Might Be Giants, but they don’t know who the fighters were on each side or why it is a historically significant event. The first question is easy to answer – the Byzantine Greeks fought the Ottoman Turks. The second question is more difficult, but suffice it to say that some historians have good reasons for arguing that May 29, 1453 marks the day that the Middle Ages ended. We will cover all of this.... in 6 minutes! Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here for the transcript to Episode 10 (PDF)

In this episode of the History in Five Minutes Podcast, we look at why the Qur'an is so revered in Islam, and why its destruction has produced riots in recent years. The reasons are complicated, but they have to do with how the book is revered in the religion. We'll get into all those details and more... in less than 5 minutes. Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript for Episode 9 (PDF)

Most people think of furniture when they hear 'Ottoman', but it was actually a highly influential empire that lasted for six hundred years and controlled the entire Middle East, North Africa, and much of Eastern Europe. In this  episode of the Five Minute Courses Podcast, we look at the fall of the Ottoman Empire, which when it broke apart after the First World War completely re-altered the Middle East. The effects of its fall are still being felt to this day. Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript for Episode 8 (PDF)

In this  episode of the History in Five Minutes Podcast, we look at the history of the Crusades. The Catholic Church mounted multiple military campaigns against Middle Eastern Islamic states to recapture Jerusalem from 1095 to 1291. The crusades ultimately failed in their objective, but in the process they created deeper connections between the Middle East and Europe. The legacy of the Crusades is hotly disputed and remain vivid in the imaginations of Easterners and Westerners to this day. Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript for Episode 7

    In this  episode of the History in Five Minutes Podcast, we look at the issue of Muslim tolerance of other religions in history. Some Islamic groups have claimed that Muslims have always treated other religions with respect. In contrast, critics argue that throughout history Islam has been the one to impose itself in a totalitarian fashion onto other religions. They assert that wherever Islam has spread it made free worship for other religions impossible. Which version is correct? Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript of Episode 6 (PDF)

This History in Five Minutes Podcast episode looks at the reasons why Israel was able to defeat its neighbors in 1967, de spite being the size of New Jersey and being outnumbered almost 50-1. We also look at how its military strength has made problems for international diplomacy. Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript for Episode 5 (PDF)

In this  episode of the History in Five Minutes Podcast, we look at the exploits of the three most insane rulers in history: Ottoman Sultan Ibrahim I, Emperor Caligula, and Turkmenbashi, the former president of Turkmenistan. They are exchange unique snowflakes of craziness, and we will look into their particular exploits. Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript for Episode 4 (PDF)

In this  episode of the History in Five Minutes Podcast, we look into the lives of the people with the most descendants every. In five minutes we look into the lives of Charlemagne  Abraham, and one person that I guarantee you are related to. Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript for Episode 3 (PDF)

In this second episode of the History in Five Minutes Podcast, we look into the bloodthirsty lives of the five worst dictators in history. In five minutes we discuss their reigns, methods of rule, and reasons for their violent lifestyles. Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript for Episode 2 (PDF)

In this first episode of the History in Five Minutes Podcast, we answer the question of who is Genghis Khan. In five minutes we discuss his life, influence, religious beliefs, and title as a world conqueror and the world's most prolific lover. Click here to subscribe to this podcast via iTunes TRANSCRIPT Click here to download the transcript for Episode 1 (PDF)