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SEASON 8: The First Crusade EPISODE 209: Ground Zero: Jerusalem This is the final offering from my archive—an episode I couldn’t leave behind. It became something more than a retelling; it became a reckoning with one of the most consequential places in human history. Because everything — everything — seems to lead back to Jerusalem. Long before crusaders fixed their eyes on its walls in 1099, this city had already stood at the center of the human story: a meeting point of heaven and earth, of covenant and conquest, of faith and blood. For Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike, Jerusalem is not merely a city — it is memory, promise, and destiny intertwined. Empires rose and fell for it. Prophets wept over it. Kings fought to possess it. And still, it endured — scarred, sacred, and unyielding. To understand the First Crusade, you must first understand this: Jerusalem is not the destination. It is the axis upon which the story turns. So before the armies arrive… before the siege begins…let’s step back and see the city that made it all inevitable. No More Paywalls! How? If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful! NOTE: DISREGARD ANY MENTION OF PATREON. That account has been closed in the process of tearing down any and all paywalls!  Social Media: YouTube: Fortune’s Wheel Podcast Meta: https://www.facebook.com/fortunes.wheel.3  X: https://twitter.com/WheelPodcast Buy Me A Coffee!

SEASON 8: The First Crusade EPISODE 208: A Crusade Divided Antioch had fallen—and with it, unity. Bohemond of Taranto claimed the city as his prize, but the greater question lingered: who, if anyone, could command the Crusade itself? Raymond of Toulouse would test that claim, pressing southward with visions not merely of victory, but of purpose. Yet between Antioch and Jerusalem lay more than distance—it was a road darkened by hunger, ambition, and fracture. At Ma'arrat al-Numan, desperation reached its most harrowing depths, as starvation drove crusaders to acts that would haunt the memory of Christendom. What began as a holy expedition now strained under the weight of human weakness, competing loyalties, and the terrible cost of survival. The path to Jerusalem remained—but the Crusade itself stood divided. No More Paywalls! How? If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful! NOTE: DISREGARD ANY MENTION OF PATREON. That account has been closed in the process of tearing down any and all paywalls!  Social Media: YouTube: Fortune’s Wheel Podcast Meta: https://www.facebook.com/fortunes.wheel.3  X: https://twitter.com/WheelPodcast Buy Me A Coffee!

SEASON 8: The First Crusade EPISODE 205: Antioch & the Gate to Heaven As Antioch grinds its besiegers down to the bone, whispers of salvation begin to circulate—quiet plans, private bargains, and a single gate that might open from the inside. Bohemond and Tancred step out of the mud and into the realm of cunning, where redemption is no longer earned by endurance but by nerve, secrecy, and timing. This episode follows the moment when suffering gives way to revelation, and the road out of hell begins not with a miracle, but with a choice. No More Paywalls! How? If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful! NOTE: DISREGARD ANY MENTION OF PATREON. That account has been closed in the process of tearing down any and all paywalls!  Social Media: YouTube: Fortune’s Wheel Podcast Meta: https://www.facebook.com/fortunes.wheel.3  X: https://twitter.com/WheelPodcast Buy Me A Coffee!

SEASON 8: The First Crusade EPISODE 206: Antioch & the Harrowing of Hope The long siege of Antioch grinds on, and the crusaders are forced to endure more than a military struggle. Between disaster and miraculous deliverance, they fight not only for survival, but for meaning, as hope is beaten, tested, and harrowed by suffering. No More Paywalls! How? If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful! NOTE: DISREGARD ANY MENTION OF PATREON. That account has been closed in the process of tearing down any and all paywalls!  Social Media: YouTube: Fortune’s Wheel Podcast Meta: https://www.facebook.com/fortunes.wheel.3  X: https://twitter.com/WheelPodcast Buy Me A Coffee!

SEASON 8: The First Crusade EPISODE 205: Antioch & the Winter in Hell Winter descends on Antioch like a verdict. Starvation, disease, and desertion hollow out the Crusader camps while Ridwan of Aleppo and Duqaq of Damascus circle like patient predators, turning every foraging run into a blood tax. This episode lives in the season where faith freezes, hope thins, and survival becomes the only prayer still answerable. No More Paywalls! How? If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful! NOTE: DISREGARD ANY MENTION OF PATREON. That account has been closed in the process of tearing down any and all paywalls!  Social Media: YouTube: Fortune’s Wheel Podcast Meta: https://www.facebook.com/fortunes.wheel.3  X: https://twitter.com/WheelPodcast Buy Me A Coffee!

SEASON 8: The First Crusade EPISODE 204: Antioch & the Edge of Damnation The Crusaders reach Antioch in October of 1097 and begin the uneasy work of surrounding one of the greatest fortified cities in the eastern Mediterranean, probing its roads, rivers, and defenses to see where it might break. Over the ensuing weeks, camps harden into positions, violence escalates on both sides, and the siege takes on a darker, more personal character as Antioch and its attackers lock eyes and wait. No More Paywalls! How? If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful! NOTE: DISREGARD ANY MENTION OF PATREON. That account has been closed in the process of tearing down any and all paywalls!  Social Media: YouTube: Fortune’s Wheel Podcast Meta: https://www.facebook.com/fortunes.wheel.3  X: https://twitter.com/WheelPodcast Buy Me A Coffee!

SEASON 8: The First Crusade EPISODE 203: Before the Walls of Antioch What was Alexios and the Romans doing while the main army swept through Cilicia and the Taurus Mountains? This beef forming between Tancred and Baldwin…is it going to boil over or fizzle away? How is the main army doing as they approach the mighty walls of Antioch? Hey, where’s Baldwin go–? Can someone see what Baldwin’s up to now? Every ball is in the air at this point in the First Crusade. No More Paywalls! How? If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful! NOTE: DISREGARD ANY MENTION OF PATREON. That account has been closed in the process of tearing down any and all paywalls!  Social Media: YouTube: Fortune’s Wheel Podcast Meta: https://www.facebook.com/fortunes.wheel.3  X: https://twitter.com/WheelPodcast Buy Me A Coffee!

SEASON 8: The First Crusade EPISODE 202: Routes & Ruptures Steel meets panic at Dorylaeum in 1097, where the Crusade nearly collapses before clawing its way back from annihilation. From that chaos, Tancred and Baldwin peel off and barrel into Cilicia, turning the march southeast into a ruthless side-quest of ambition, betrayal, and opportunistic warfare. This episode follows the moment the holy army stops pretending it’s unified and starts revealing the knives behind the vows. No More Paywalls! How? If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful! NOTE: DISREGARD ANY MENTION OF PATREON. That account has been closed in the process of tearing down any and all paywalls!  Social Media: YouTube: Fortune’s Wheel Podcast Meta: https://www.facebook.com/fortunes.wheel.3  X: https://twitter.com/WheelPodcast Buy Me A Coffee!

SEASON 8: The First Crusade EPISODE 201: The Secret Drama of Treachery Nicaea. May – June, 1097. Anna Komnene writes about “the secret drama of treachery,” a hint as to how this formidable Seljuk capital of the new Sultanate of Rum would return to Roman hands. Would it fall by Western efforts…or by some other way? It’s a fascinating story about the opening salvos of the First Crusade, showcasing Western cooperation, Seljuk ferocity, and Byzantine statecraft. No More Paywalls! How? If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful! NOTE: DISREGARD ANY MENTION OF PATREON. That account has been closed in the process of tearing down any and all paywalls!  Social Media: YouTube: Fortune’s Wheel Podcast Meta: https://www.facebook.com/fortunes.wheel.3  X: https://twitter.com/WheelPodcast Buy Me A Coffee!

SEASON 8: The First Crusade EPISODE 200: God’s Mercs, Pt. 2 Last time, we introduced (or reintroduced) ourselves to Hugh of Vermandois, Godfrey of Bouillon, Baldwin of Boulogne, and, of course, the incomparable Bohemond and his lightning bolt of a nephew, Tancred. This time, we round out these introductions and end right at the beginning, the moment these armies meet and cross the Bosporus.  No More Paywalls! How? If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful! NOTE: DISREGARD ANY MENTION OF PATREON. That account has been closed in the process of tearing down any and all paywalls!  Social Media: YouTube: Fortune’s Wheel Podcast Meta: https://www.facebook.com/fortunes.wheel.3  X: https://twitter.com/WheelPodcast Buy Me A Coffee!

SEASON 8: The First Crusade EPISODE 199: God’s Mercs, Pt. 1 On this episode, we begin a two-parter laying out the principle leaders of the First Crusade. Who were they? What were their stories? What connections did they share? I can’t wait to unpack this part of the series.  No More Paywalls! How? If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful! NOTE: DISREGARD ANY MENTION OF PATREON. That account has been closed in the process of tearing down any and all paywalls!  Social Media:YouTube: Fortune’s Wheel Podcast Meta: https://www.facebook.com/fortunes.wheel.3  X: https://twitter.com/WheelPodcast Buy Me A Coffee!

SEASON 8: The First Crusade EPISODE 198: Poor People’s Crusade A tidal wave of zealots, doomsday preachers, and broke knights surges across Europe in the so-called Poor People’s Crusade—burning bright, burning fast, and mostly burning down. From Emicho’s disastrous rampage along the Rhine to the ragged march of Walter Sans Avoir straight into the jaws of Kilij Arslan at Civetot, this is the First Crusade’s explosive prologue. A movement born in frenzy ends in annihilation, leaving a smoking warning flare for the armies yet to come.  No More Paywalls! How? If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful! NOTE: DISREGARD ANY MENTION OF PATREON. That account has been closed in the process of tearing down any and all paywalls!  Social Media: YouTube: Fortune’s Wheel Podcast Meta: https://www.facebook.com/fortunes.wheel.3  X: https://twitter.com/WheelPodcast Buy Me A Coffee!

SEASON 8: The First Crusade EPISODE 197: The Fez Massacre This is an older Patreon episode about another Jewish pogrom taking place in Fez in modern Morocco decades before the Rhineland massacres during the Poor People's Crusade. This serves as a bonus episode and not a direct part of my research into the First Crusade.A new episode will be released in a couple days getting us back on track! No More Paywalls! How? If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful! NOTE: DISREGARD ANY MENTION OF PATREON. That account has been closed in the process of tearing down any and all paywalls!  Social Media: YouTube: Fortune’s Wheel Podcast Meta: https://www.facebook.com/fortunes.wheel.3  X: https://twitter.com/WheelPodcast Buy Me A Coffee!

SEASON 8: The First Crusade EPISODE 196: Blood on the Rhine The First Crusade hadn’t even started yet, so why was the Rhine flowing red?   No More Paywalls! How? If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful! Social Media: YouTube: Fortune’s Wheel Podcast Meta: https://www.facebook.com/fortunes.wheel.3  X: https://twitter.com/WheelPodcast Buy Me A Coffee!

SEASON 8: The First Crusade EPISODE 195: Did God Will It? Where does a pope get off telling thousands of armed men to march across the known world with a promise of eternal salvation? This wasn’t a whim. It was centuries in the making. Welcome to the origin story of Christian holy war. No More Paywalls! How? If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful! Social Media: YouTube: Fortune’s Wheel Podcast Meta: https://www.facebook.com/fortunes.wheel.3  X: https://twitter.com/WheelPodcast Donate! Buy Me A Coffee!