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In this episode, Woodrow Wilson and Vladimir Lenin take center stage. Both men set out with visions of a better world but took different paths to realize their dreams.  Join us as we discuss how their worldviews shaped the coming Cold War. Along the way, Wilson gambles everything on a League of Nations but fails to bring his nation along with him, Lenin makes some unexpected compromises as Bolshevism brings disaster to Russia, both men suffer sudden steep declines in their health, and Stalin begins his ascent to power.  Further reading Paris 1919 by Margaret Macmillan 1917 by Arthur Herman To End All Wars by Thomas Knock Woodrow Wilson Radio Address 1923 Breaking the Heart of the World by John Milton Cooper, Jr. Wilson is a complex but fascinating president, this biography by John Milton Cooper, Jr is a good source and so is this one by A. Scott Berg Our previous episode has some great reading recommendations on Lenin and the Bolsheviks. We don't get a commission from these links, but we probably should! Send us Fan Mail Follow us on our Facebook page or on X (formerly Twitter) You can reach out to us by email:  [email protected]

The Cold War was the great ideological conflict of the 20th century. In the first of our multi-part series, we will discuss one of the two ideological belligerents in that war: communism. We try to describe its appeal, trace its deep roots in western history, take a look at its modern prophet Karl Marx, and briefly examine how the Bolsheviks as Marxist foot soldiers created the world's first communist state in Russia. For further reading: Lenin: the man, the dictator, and the master of terror by Victor Sebestyen Lenin: A biography by Robert Service A People's Tragedy by Orlando Figes  Karl Marx: Greatness and Illusion by Gareth Stedman Jones Karl Marx: A Nineteenth Century Life by Jonathan Sperber Send us Fan Mail Follow us on our Facebook page or on X (formerly Twitter) You can reach out to us by email:  [email protected]

In the second of two episodes on Houdini and the Spiritualists, we discuss Houdini's multi-front war against fraudulent mediums. It was an all-consuming undertaking, waged from the stage, in print, on lecture tours, and in the halls of congress. Along the way we discuss a handful of colorful figures and the strange, mysterious circumstances surrounding Houdini's death.  The Official Houdini Séance next year could be the year! Further Reading: The Life & Afterlife of Harry Houdini by Joe Posnanski Calling the Spirits by Lisa Norton In Search of White Crows by Robert Moore The Secret Life of Houdini by Kalush & Sloman A Magician Among the Sprits by Harry Houdini The Man who Killed Houdini by Don Bell Send us Fan Mail Follow us on our Facebook page or on X (formerly Twitter) You can reach out to us by email:  [email protected]

Just in time for Halloween! In the first of two parts, we will weave a kind of dual biography: Harry Houdini and the spiritualist movement. While Houdini is perfecting his craft to become the world's most famous illusionist, scores of Americans and Europeans are being drawn into darkened rooms with mediums who can talk to the dead. Eventually, maybe inevitably, these two, the magician and the movement, will intersect and then clash.  As usual, here is a possible reading list for your enjoyment: The Spiritualists by Ruth Brandon The Witch of Lime Street by David Jaher Houdini! by Kenneth Silverman Ghost Hunters by Deborah Blum Talking to the Dead by Barbara Weisberg Calling the Spirits by Lisa Norton A Magician Among the Spirits by Harry Houdini Send us Fan Mail Follow us on our Facebook page or on X (formerly Twitter) You can reach out to us by email:  [email protected]

In our second and final episode on the life and music of Dolly Parton, we pick up in the 1980s. Dolly makes a splash into Hollywood, endures some dark times in her personal life, gets dropped by her long-time record label, and roars back under new management. Then Jason makes his pitch for Dolly being among the top 5 American women in history and we reflect on how profiling a pop culture figure differs from the other subjects we've tackled. If you're interested in listening to any of the songs we've discussed, here's a list of titles to try out: Mule Skinner Blues  Jolene Silver Dagger Wildflowers My Tennessee Mountain Home Just Because I'm a Woman I Will Always Love You If I had Wings  The Bargain Store Shine (Austin City Limits)  PMS Blues  Backwoods Barbie If you hadn't been there I wouldn't be here   9 to 5  Rockstar Travelin Prayer Blue Smoke  Cash on the Barrelhead Send us Fan Mail Follow us on our Facebook page or on X (formerly Twitter) You can reach out to us by email:  [email protected]

It's time for Jason to make his case! In part 1 of 2 biographical sketches of Dolly Parton, we discuss Dolly's background, her early music career, her challenges and opportunities, and try our hands as music critics with a handful of her songs. Along the way, we light-heartedly discuss covered songs, opine on whether Whitney or Dolly did I will Always Love You better, trot out a few other famous personalities who worked with Dolly, and at one point Jason shares a shocking take on whether Carl Perkins or Elvis did Blue Suede Shoes better.  Further Reading There is no shortage of information on Dolly Parton available. Most of her story has been told her way or by Dolly herself. Maybe that's one-sided but, then again, it has worked to create an image of Dolly that almost nobody dislikes. Very few can lay claim to that feat.  My Life and Other Unfinished Business by Dolly Parton Songteller: My life in lyrics by Dolly Parton Send us Fan Mail Follow us on our Facebook page or on X (formerly Twitter) You can reach out to us by email:  [email protected]

The Comanche peaked and then fell in the decades between 1840 and 1880. In this episode, we discuss that story arc. From the Comanche retaliation against Texas for the Council House Massacre, through a brief peace with the Texans, drought and declining bison herds, collapsing population, and finally to the back-and-forth relations with the US that culminated in the reservation period. In the middle of this story, Quanah Parker emerges as a great Comanche warrior who would then, in an unexpected pivot, urge assimilation as the last, best hope for his people.  Follow us on our Facebook page or on X (formerly Twitter) You can reach out to us by email:  [email protected] Further reading: Comanches: History of a People T.R. Fehrenbach The Comanche Empire Pekka Hamalainen Empire of the Summer Moon S.C. Gwynne The Comanches: A History 1706-1875 Thomas Kavanagh The Last Comanche Chief Bill Neely In this YouTube Video, archer Lars Anderson recreated Comanche feats of archery If you wish to visit Quanah Parker's Star House, contact Wayne Gipson at Trading Post Restaurant in Cache, OK Send us Fan Mail Follow us on our Facebook page or on X (formerly Twitter) You can reach out to us by email:  [email protected]

In the third episode of our series on the Comanche, Comancheria slowly divorces itself from New Spain  to seek better fortunes in the bustling American markets. The Mexican government inherits a troubled border in Texas and disastrously mismanages the Comanche challenge. Texas breaks away from Mexico and her frontier explodes with settlements that pressure the Comanche homeland. Listen in as Chris and Jason discuss two restless worlds that are ready to collide.  Follow us on our Facebook page or on X (formerly Twitter) You can reach out to us by email:  [email protected] Further reading: Comanches: History of a People T.R. Fehrenbach The Comanche Empire Pekka Hamalainen Empire of the Summer Moon S.C. Gwynne The Comanches: A History 1706-1875 Thomas Kavanagh The Last Comanche Chief Bill Neely Send us Fan Mail Follow us on our Facebook page or on X (formerly Twitter) You can reach out to us by email:  [email protected]

Just in time for Halloween! Join Chris and Jason as they discuss two historic sites that are reputed to be haunted: Poveglia Island in the Venetian Lagoon and Greyfriars Kirkyard in Old Town Edinburgh. Are the tortured souls in their tragic pasts still with us today? Follow us on our Facebook page or on X (formerly Twitter) You can reach out to us by email:  [email protected] Reading material on Poveglia Island is extremely scarce. But if you're interested in Greyfriars, and larger Scottish history in general, you could do worse than this list. The Ghost that Haunted Itself by Jan-Andrew Henderson Scotland: the Story of a Nation by Magnus Magnusson How the Scots Invented the Modern World by Arthur Herman Charles II by Ronald Hutton Send us Fan Mail Follow us on our Facebook page or on X (formerly Twitter) You can reach out to us by email:  [email protected]

The Comanche entered the southern great plains slowly and imperceptibly, ultimately to find themselves one part of a very restless world. There were imperial tensions between European powers, as well as ancient rivalries and territorial ambitions of powerful native nations. It wasn't exactly a game of thrones, but it was a contest nonetheless. Listen in as Chris and Jason discuss the Comanche's war of annihilation against the Apache, their tumultuous relationship with the Spanish, shrewd alliances with other native nations, and the peace that was engineered in the twilight of Spanish power in North America.   Follow us on our Facebook page or on X (formerly Twitter) You can reach out to us by email:  [email protected] Further reading: Comanches: History of a People T.R. Fehrenbach The Comanche Empire Pekka Hamalainen Empire of the Summer Moon S.C. Gwynne The Comanches: A History 1706-1875 Thomas Kavanagh The Last Comanche Chief Bill Neely Send us Fan Mail Follow us on our Facebook page or on X (formerly Twitter) You can reach out to us by email:  [email protected]

"They came to the plains from the west, slipping through the canyon passes of the Sangre de Cristo Range in small, roving bands...They were few in number, possessed little wealth...New Mexico's Spanish officials noted their arrival to the southern grasslands in 1706 and wrote it off as a minor event. Yet by midcentury, the Numunu, then bearing the name Comanches, had unhinged the world they had almost unnoticeably entered" So begins historian Pekka Hamalainen's epic history, The Comanche Empire. They were the continent's greatest horsemen and possibly the most ferocious warriors in history. In the first of several episodes on the Comanches, Chris and Jason trace their origins as hunter gatherers in vast North American wilderness, their migration south, and the fearsome but adaptable culture they forged on their path to dominance of the southern Great Plains.  Follow us on our Facebook page or on X (formerly Twitter) You can reach out to us by email:  [email protected] Further reading: Comanches: History of a People T.R. Fehrenbach The Comanche Empire Pekka Hamalainen Empire of the Summer Moon S.C. Gwynne The Comanches: A History 1706-1875 Thomas Kavanagh Send us Fan Mail Follow us on our Facebook page or on X (formerly Twitter) You can reach out to us by email:  [email protected]

Lord Chelmsford, looking to redeem himself from his failed first invasion,  crosses into Zululand in force for a second attempt. Pressure on Chelmsford mounts as Field Marshal Garnet Wolseley races to South Africa to assume full command. Cetshwayo sues for peace but assembles his army for one last showdown at the capital city of Ulundi Join Chris and Jason as they conclude their look at the rise and fall of the Zulu nation. Follow us on our Facebook page or on X (formerly Twitter) You can reach out to us by email:  [email protected] Once again, here is a possible reading list on the Zulus and the Anglo-Zulu War: The Washing of the Spears by Donald Morris Anatomy of the Zulu Army by Ian Knight The Zulus at War by Adrian Greaves & Xolani Mkhize Brave Men's Blood by Ian Knight In the Shadow of Isandlwana by John Laband Who's Who in the Zulu War Vols I & II by Adrian Greaves and Ian Knight This article by DP O'Connor is an interesting take on Sir Bartle Frere Running the Gauntlet by George Mossop Send us Fan Mail Follow us on our Facebook page or on X (formerly Twitter) You can reach out to us by email:  [email protected]

In this episode on the Zulu nation, we discuss Cetshwayo's violent march to the Zulu throne, his cozying up to the British as a bulwark against the Boers, and then the inexplicable events that thrust his people into a war with England. As the English columns  invade Zululand, a story of victory and defeat unfolds, with heroism and tragedy on both sides of the conflict.   Follow us on our Facebook page or on X (formerly Twitter) You can reach out to us by email:  [email protected] These are great places to start reading on the Zulu War: The Washing of the Spears by Donald Morris Anatomy of the Zulu Army by Ian Knight The Zulus at War by Adrian Greaves & Xolani Mkhize Brave Men's Blood by Ian Knight In the Shadow of Isandlwana by John Laband Who's Who in the Zulu War Vols I & II by Adrian Greaves and Ian Knight This article by DP O'Connor is an interesting take on Sir Bartle Frere Running the Gauntlet by George Mossop Send us Fan Mail Follow us on our Facebook page or on X (formerly Twitter) You can reach out to us by email:  [email protected]

The Zulu nation as we remember it was forged in a world of upheaval under the leadership of the intelligent, dynamic, and ruthless king Shaka Kasenzangakhona. Shaped by the tumultuous events known as the Mfecane, Shaka imposed and maintained a new order on his world by the force of his will, his innovative military tactics, and his brutal efficiency.  After he was brought down by the assassin's spears, he was followed on the Zulu throne by two half brothers. And their reigns would collide in what many Zulus today  remember as the moment the nation's soul began to break. Join us in this episode for a fascinating journey through the reigns of these three Zulu kings. Don't forget to like and subscribe! And leave us a review if you feel so inclined. You can follow our Facebook page to keep in touch and comment on the episode. You can reach out to us for suggestions, questions, your own interpretations and thoughts, or just to chat at [email protected] We posted a selected reading list with part 1 of this series but here it is again for convenience: The Washing of the Spears by Donald Morris Anatomy of the Zulu Army by Ian Knight The Zulus at War by Adrian Greaves & Xolani Mkhize Brave Men's Blood by Ian Knight In the Shadow of Isandlwana by John Laband Send us Fan Mail Follow us on our Facebook page or on X (formerly Twitter) You can reach out to us by email:  [email protected]

We took a holiday hiatus but we're back with the first in a 3-part series on the most dominant tribal nation in 18th-century South Africa: The Zulus. In this episode, we range from their Bantu origins to the emergence of Shaka and his military innovations. We will briefly meet The Boers as they race across the frontier from Cape Town on a collision course with the Zulus, then settle down to a tour of Zulu war rituals and tactics. Give our page a like on Facebook If you're interested in further reading on the topic, here are some great suggestions. It is far from an exhaustive list but we think any of them are a good place to start. The Washing of the Spears by Donald Morris Anatomy of the Zulu Army by Ian Knight The Zulus at War by Adrian Greaves & Xolani Mkhize Brave Men's Blood by Ian Knight In the Shadow of Isandlwana by John Laband Send us Fan Mail Follow us on our Facebook page or on X (formerly Twitter) You can reach out to us by email:  [email protected]