Ivan's reign ends as it began, with needless death and destruction. Ivan appears powerless to resist Lithuanian advances but is more than capable of murdering his son and heir. WebsiteWestern Civ 2.0 Free Trial

Ivan creates a new government and takes his anger out on the citizens of Novgorod. WebsiteWestern Civ 2.0 Free Trial

Ivan goes on campaign against Kazan and the guardrails start coming off. WebsitePatreon Support

Ivan IV assumes the throne after a twelve-year regency. It does not take him long to earn his nickname. WebsiteWestern Civ 2.0

Before we jump into Ivan the Terrible (Ivan IV), let's catch up on the Rus.WebsitePatreon Support

Charles and Buckingham go on an adventure to Spain which ends, spoiler alert, horribly. The Thirty Years War erupts in Germany. But James does not live to see it reach a fever pitch. WebsiteWestern Civ 2.0

James I desperately wanted to marry his son, Charles, to the Spanish Princess. However, when his son-in-law, Frederick of the Palatinate, becomes embroiled in what will become the Thirty Years War, that goal seems more and more distant by the minute.WebsitePatreon Support

A global history of the world’s best-known and most influential book.For Christians, the Bible is a book inspired by God. Its eternal words are transmitted across the world by fallible human hands. Following Jesus’s departing instruction to go out into the world, the Bible has been a book in motion from its very beginnings, and every community it has encountered has read, heard, and seen the Bible through its own language and culture.In The Bible, Bruce Gordon tells the astounding story of the Bible’s journey around the globe and across more than two thousand years, showing how it has shaped and been shaped by changing beliefs and believers’ radically different needs. The Bible has been a tool for violence and oppression, and it has expressed hopes for liberation. God speaks with one voice, but the people who receive it are scattered and divided—found in desert monasteries and Chinese house churches, in Byzantine cathedrals and Guatemalan villages.Breathtakingly global in scope, The Bible tells the story of this sacred book through the stories of its many and diverse human encounters, revealing not a static text but a living, dynamic cultural force.Buy the book HERE.

The Stuart dynasty did NOT have a good relationship with the English Parliament. That begins with King James I. WebsitePatreon Support

Aesop’s fables are among the most familiar and best-loved stories in the world. Tales like “The Tortoise and the Hare,” “The Dog in the Manger,” and “Sour Grapes” have captivated us for generations. The fables delight us and teach timeless truths. Aesop’s tales offer us a world fundamentally simpler to ours—one with clear good and plain evil—but nonetheless one that is marked by political nuance and literary complexity.  Newly translated and annotated by renowned scholar Robin Waterfield, this definitive translation shines a new light on four hundred of Aesop’s most enduring fables. Buy The BookWebsite

Guy Fawkes et al decide to blow up King James I and the English Parliament. Spoiler alert: it doesn't work...WebsiteWestern Civ 2.0 Free Trial

The end of the reign of Elizabeth I ends the Tudor dynasty. James I becomes the first of the short-lived Stuart line. His reign begins with no shortage of economic headaches.WebsiteWestern Civ 2.0 Free Trial

Henry of Navarre spends several years fighting for the crown of France, converts to Catholicism (again), and issues the famous Edict of Nantes. WebsitePatreon Support

Few dynasties have had the impact on a modern state more so than the Tudors on England. Yet, the dynasty lasted hardly more than a century.  Elizabeth I, the second born daughter of Henry VIII, who reigned after her younger brother and elder sister, would prove to be the final name on the list. Today we finish her story as the sun sets on Tudor England.WebsiteWestern Civ 2.0 Free Trial 

In this bonus episode, you get a sneak peek of the great stuff going on in Western Civ 2.0. You can join for a free trial by clicking HERE.After the Third Punic War, the Romans wasted little time turning on each other. Long-standing economic inequality became the issue of the late second century BCE and would, eventually, bring down the republic. In the late 140s, however, Tiberius Gracchus believed his land redistribution scheme might just solve the problem. The Senate felt otherwise. But, in the end, it was not the Lex Agraria per se that cost Tiberius his life. Rather, it was his refusal to play the political game by the old rules. 

England emerges from the defeat of the Spanish Armada, its stock never higher. Yet all around Elizabeth the signs of the end of the Tudor age continue to emerge.Western Civ 2.0 Free TrialWebsite

We enter this episode with an heir and a spare. We end with neither and the end of France's ruling house since the High Middle Ages. Western Civ 2.0 Free TrialWebsite

The "Protestant Wind" fells Philip's Armada, leaving Elizabeth "Eliza Triumphant". Western Civ 2.0 Free TrialWebsite

Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, finally meets her end. Western Civ 2.0 Free TrialWebsite

Catherine D'Medic's favorite son takes over the throne of France. Henri III is going to be notable for many reasons in French history and today we begin his story in earnest. WebsitePatreon Support

Charles IX, fairly or unfairly, will forever be remembered for the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre. His death ushers in a new era of uncertainty for both France and England.WebsitePatreon Support

In this episode, we return to England under Queen Elizabeth I. Around Elizabeth, her key advisors grow increasingly uneasy about her seeming unwillingness to do anything about Mary Stuart's repeated efforts to steal her throne. When the Duke of Norfolk becomes implicated, even Parliament can no longer contain its frustration. WebsiteWestern Civ 2.0 Free Trial

After the death of Selim II, the Ottoman Empire goes into a period of decline. Successive Sultans seem far more interested in doling out favors to their friends and family than expanding the borders of the empire. The Janissaries, never easy to deal with under the best of circumstances, become an increasing drain on the treasury and a problem for the government. It is not over yet for the Ottomans. Not by a long shot. But the days of endless expansion are seemingly over.WebsiteAd Free Shows 

Today we are back in the Ottoman Empire. Selim II takes over for the deceased Suleyman the Magnificent. He continues his father's policies but suffers a major setback at the Battle of Lepanto. Western Civ 2.0 Free TrialWebsite

The swelling tide in France finally explodes in August 1572. Just as it seems like the marriage of the Protestant Henri of Navarre prepares to wed the Catholic Princess Margot and solve the religious crisis once and for all, the kingdom explodes into an orgy of violence. WebsitePatreon Free Trial

Catherine D'Medici does her best to continue charting a course of conciliation but, in this episode, her luck finally runs out. France lurches into not one but two wars of religion in this episode, leaving the kingdom torn and Catherine convinced conciliation with the Huguenots is no longer possible. WebsitePatreon Support

Today I sit down with author DW Gibson and discuss his latest book: One Week to Change the World: An Oral History of the 1999 WTO Protests.One week in late 1999, more than 50,000 people converged on Seattle. Their goal: to shut down the World Trade Organization conference and send a message that working-class people would not quietly accept the runaway economic globalization that threatened their livelihoods. Though their mission succeeded, it was not without blowback. Violent confrontations between police and protestors resulted in hundreds of arrests and millions of dollars in property damage. But the images of tear gas and smashed windows that flashed across TVs and newspapers were not an accurate representation of what actually happened that week.In the oral history One Week to Change the World, award-winning journalist DW Gibson pieces together a complex and compelling account of what really went down in Seattle, immersing you in the angst that defined the end of a millennium, complete with fight clubs and Y2K doomsday scenarios. In more than 100 original interviews with protestors, police, politicians, anarchists, artists, activists, union members, and many others, Gibson reconstructs the events in gripping detail; documents its antecedents and aftermath; and shows how so many of its themes remain just as pressing today, including the vitalness and difficulty of grassroots activism, the aspirations and limitations of globalization, the militarization of policing, the sensationalism of the media, and the undeniable power of the people.Timed to the 25th anniversary of the protests, this book is a page-turning drama, an essential history, and a practical handbook for how to make one’s voice heard.Buy The BookWebsiteSupport the Show

Catherine d'Medici and Charles IX take a grand tour of France while religious turmoils continue to simmer. Western Civ 2.0 Free TrialWebsite

In this two-part episode, we follow Elizabeth as she deals with a major northern uprising and potential treason surrounding Mary Stuart. Then we pause and, about twelve years into her reign, look at Elizabeth as a queen in general. WebsiteWestern Civ 2.0 Free Trial

In this episode, we follow Queen Elizabeth I of England and Mary, Queen of Scots, as they deal with similar issues. Elizabeth continues to grapple with demands that she marry which are more persistent and problematic due to her financial problems. Mary has a husband but Lord Darnley proves her undoing as Mary ends the episode as a permanent "guest" of the English monarch. Western Civ 2.0 Free TrialWebsite

Today I sit down with historian, Adam Smyth, and we discuss his latest book: The Book-Makers: A History of the Book in Eighteen Lives.Books tell all kinds of stories—romances, tragedies, comedies—but if we learn to read the signs correctly, they can tell us the story of their own making too. The Book-Makers offers a new way into the story of Western culture’s most important object, the book, through dynamic portraits of eighteen individuals who helped to define it.Books have transformed humankind by enabling authors to create, document, and entertain. Yet we know little about the individuals who brought these fascinating objects into existence and of those who first experimented in the art of printing, design, and binding. Who were the renegade book-makers who changed the course of history?From Wynkyn de Worde’s printing of fifteenth-century bestsellers to Nancy Cunard’s avant-garde pamphlets produced on her small press in Normandy, this is a celebration of the book with the people put back in.Buy the book HERE. Support the show HERE. 

Queen Elizabeth falls ill, bringing the nation up to the cusp of a complete succession disaster. Immediately afterwards Parliament pressures the Queen to wed immediately. Elizabeth, however, continues to resist. Western Civ 2.0 Free TrialWebsite

Today I sit down with historian, Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, and discuss his latest book: The Cleopatras: The Forgotten Queens of Egypt. One of history’s most iconic figures, Cleopatra is rightly remembered as a clever and charismatic ruler. But few today realize that she was the last in a long line of Egyptian queens who bore that name.      In The Cleopatras, historian Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones tells the dramatic story of these seven incomparable women, vividly recapturing the lost world of Hellenistic Egypt and tracing the kingdom’s final centuries before its fall to Rome. The Cleopatras were Greek-speaking descendants of Ptolemy, the general who conquered Egypt alongside Alexander the Great. They were closely related as mothers, daughters, sisters, half-sisters, and nieces. Each wielded absolute power, easily overshadowing their husbands or sons, and all proved to be shrewd and capable leaders. Styling themselves as goddess-queens, the Cleopatras ruled through the canny deployment of arcane rituals, opulent spectacles, and unparalleled wealth. They navigated political turmoil and court intrigues, led armies into battle and commanded fleets of ships, and ruthlessly dispatched their dynastic rivals.       The Cleopatras is a fascinating and richly textured biography of seven extraordinary women, restoring these queens to their deserved place among history’s greatest rulers.    Buy The BookWebsiteSupport The Show

In House of Lilies, historian Justine Firnhaber-Baker tells the epic story of the Capetian dynasty of medieval France, showing how their ideas about power, religion, and identity continue to shape European society and politics today.Reigning from 987 to 1328, the Capetians became the most powerful monarchy of the Middle Ages. Consolidating a fragmented realm that eventually stretched from the Rhône to the Pyrenees, they were the first royal house to adopt the fleur-de-lys, displaying this lily emblem to signify their divine favor and legitimate their rule. The Capetians were at the center of some of the most dramatic and far-reaching episodes in European history, including the Crusades, bloody waves of religious persecution, and a series of wars with England. The Capetian age saw the emergence of Gothic architecture, the romantic ideals of chivalry and courtly love, and the Church’s role at the center of daily life.BUY THE BOOKSUPPORT THE SHOW

Despite her best efforts to reach a compromise, the Massacre at Vassy finally pushed France over into its First War of Religion. Spoiler alert, it won't be the last. WebsitePatreon Support

Today I sit down for an interview with historian Mike Rapport to discuss his latest book: City of Light, City of Shadow: Paris in the Bellé Epoch.In City of Light, City of Shadows, Mike Rapport uncovers a Paris riven by social anxieties and plagued by overlapping epidemics of poverty, political extremism, and anti-Semitism. As the Sacré-Cœur and Eiffel Tower rose into the skies, redefining architecture and the Paris skyline, Paris’s slums were plagued by disease and gang violence. The era, now remembered as a high point of French art and culture, was also an age of intense political violence, including anarchist bombings, organized right-wing mobs, and assassinations.Buy The BookSupport the Show

Elizabeth deals with the continued fallout from the death of Amy Dudley while word from France arrives that Mary, Queen of Scots, believes she has a better claim to the English throne. WebsitePatreon Free Trial

This is a bonus sneak-peak of what I do over on the paid feed: Western Civ 2.0. (The actual paid feed does not have ads.) In this episode, I cover the First Punic War. Rome came consistently close to losing this war to Carthage and it is fascinating to think how different the outcome would have been had that happened. The First Punic War (264-241 BC) marked a pivotal moment in ancient Mediterranean history, pitting two formidable powers, Rome and Carthage, against each other in a struggle for supremacy. The conflict was primarily fought over control of Sicily, a strategically significant island rich in resources. Initially, Rome had little naval experience, while Carthage boasted a formidable navy. However, Rome rapidly adapted, constructing a fleet from scratch and employing a innovative tactic of boarding enemy ships to turn naval battles into land-based engagements, thus neutralizing Carthage's naval superiority.The war witnessed several key battles, including the Battle of Mylae and the Battle of Cape Ecnomus, where Rome secured significant victories. Despite these successes, the war dragged on for over two decades, characterized by a grueling war of attrition and fluctuating fortunes for both sides. The conflict exacted a heavy toll on both Rome and Carthage, with substantial loss of life and resources.Ultimately, it was Rome's perseverance and adaptability that proved decisive. The Roman victory in the Battle of the Aegates Islands in 241 BC forced Carthage to sue for peace. The resulting Treaty of Lutatius effectively ended the war, with Carthage ceding Sicily to Rome and paying a hefty indemnity. This victory established Rome as the dominant power in the Western Mediterranean and laid the foundation for its eventual expansion into a formidable empire, while also setting the stage for future conflicts between Rome and Carthage.Join Western Civ 2.0 (Free Trial)

The death of Henry II thrusts his fifteen-year-old son Francis into the throne. From the word go Francis II is uninterested in running his kingdom. Nor will his sickly frame allow him to. Francis' brief reign is dominated by his mother, Catherine d'Medici, and the powerful Guise family. More than anything else, his reign features the beginning of a difficult period for the French Kingdom, which quickly finds itself torn apart by religious strife. WebsiteWestern Civ 2.0 Free Trial

In this episode, we break down the changes that Robert Dudley might become the next King of England. Spoiler alert, he doesn't. While Elizabeth I might have truly loved her favorite, the reality was she could not marry him. Marrying Robert would have isolated England even further as we will see. Then, when Robert's wife dies under mysterious circumstances, the door closes forever on the idea of Robert Dudley, King of England. WebsiteSupport the Show and Get Ad-Free Episodes

Elizabeth is often known in history books as the "Virgin Queen". As we will see in this episode, to remain unwed was a conscious choice she cultivated from the very beginning of her reign. It gave her independence. And it allowed her to chart England's religious course, very much a compromise, without foreign interference. WebsitePatreon Support

Today we begin Queen Elizabeth I, one of the most important British monarchs in history. Elizabeth takes over for the deceased Mary with England in absolute turmoil. She appoints William Cecil her Secretary of State and together they begin the process of righting England's ship. WebsitePatreon Free Trial

The Dutch Rebellion is the longest domestic revolt in modern European history. Over 80 years the Dutch slowly but surely ground Philip II into bankruptcy. While Philip had what he thought was an inexhaustible pool of Mexican and Peruvian gold and silver to draw from, what he did not understand were the modern forces of inflation and interest. In the end, more even than the Dutch people, Philip found himself undone by modern economics.WebsitePatreon Support

In today's episode, the reign of Queen Mary I of England comes to an end. Mary's efforts to burn England free of heresy fails and Princess Elizabeth assumes the throne.WebsitePatreon Support

Now we get to the Queen Mary I of England everyone knows. In the span of just over two years, Mary burned more heretics than Edward VI or Henry VIII combined. All of this was an effort to reunite England with the Papal See. Reginald Pole, the papal legate, remained confident in the project. But the enthusiasm in England for a return to the age before Henry's schism was waning and time was very much running out.WebsitePatreon Support

Queen Mary I of England survives the first challenge to her power and emerges with the sense that she is God's ordained monarch. As a result, the pace of religious change quickened by the fall of 1554. WebsitePatreon Free Trial

With the death of Edward VI and the failure of Jane Grey to seize the throne, Queen Mary's ascent seemed likely to mean there would be a dramatic and immediate change in religious policy. The evangelical faction was now firmly out of power - many would flee to the continent in fact. But at least initially Mary and her court was a bit hesitant to push too hard too fast. For decades now the people of England had heard nothing but criticism of the Pope, it seemed unlikely they would forget all that overnight. Besides, Mary had to deal with the practical issues of being queen. Namely, she was not a young woman, was not married, and had no children. The proverbial clock, in other words, was ticking.WebsitePatreon Free Trial

The English Reformation really heats up between 1551 and 1553. Unfortunately, the boy king, Edward VI, dies young leaving the dream of a final evangelical nation unfulfilled. Edward attempts to cut his half-sisters out of the inheritance and leaves the throne to Lady Jane Grey. but England isn't having it. WebsitePatreon Support