New podcasts in June and July 2010 - Anne is a Man

I have not summarized the newly reviewed podcasts in two months, so finally here goes:

History:
History of Jerusalem (UCLA) (review, site, feed)
All you needed to know about the Middle-East in a 3000 year span nut shell is offered in this course.

Irish History Podcast (review, site, feed)
New podcast that takes on the history of Ireland in chronological order, starting in Roman times and quickly proceeding to the Middle Ages.

Irish Hedgerow history Lessons (review, site, feed)
Irish roots podcast with assorted items about Irish history.

History of the American Revolution (review, site, feed)

Kurtis Ford, retells the American history in quite extensive detail and with great narrative power with a very personal touch.

Culture:

The Geologic Podcast (review, site, feed)

Comedy podcast by George Hrab - this is not about geology.

Mahabharata Podcast (review, site, feed)

Narrative podcast taking on the mighty task of retelling (and abridging) the Mahabharata.

Sports (World Cup and Tour de France):

World Cup Daily (The Guardian) (review, site, feed)

FIFA World Cup Today (ESPN Radio) (review, site, feed)

ITV Tour de France Podcast (review, site, feed)

The Cycling News Podcast (review, site, feed)

VeloCast (review, site, feed)

Le Journal du Tour (Radio Sud) (review, site, feed) (in French)

Mark Schauss: Russian Rulers History Podcast

Two months ago I reported about the Russian Rulers History Podcast for  the first time. Then it had just started and by now it has picked up speed. Maker Mark Schauss has improved the podcast while churning out a good stream of some 10 new episodes. The sound is better, the reading is better, the main subject is adorned with additional rubrics, in short: this podcast is becoming a joy to listen to. (feed)

Before I started listening I knew a very little bit of Russian history. Just enough to place it in the larger scheme of things and to make the mental connection from the Rus, Kiev, Moscow, Czars to Bolshevists and the present. Schauss is not only filling in the gaps, but also tackles the theory of this history for example by delving into the question why is it that Moscow came to dominate Russian history and not Kiev, Novgorod, Rostov, Vladimir or other cities.

It seems Schauss is rising to the task of filling not just my gap. He manages to reach a wider audience and he also interacts with it. He takes on the questions and suggestions and lately he has been rewarding the audience also with free iPhone apps for the podcast.

More Russian history:
Russian Rulers Podcast,
The Caucasus,
Jews in the Russian army,
Lies and truths by Jan Struys,
The great dictators.

After the Cup - Africa past and Present

Africa Past and Present is a richly varied podcast with conversation about all kinds of subjects related to Africa. Specialists are invited on the show to shed their light in their realm of expertise. The podcast is produced at Michigan State University by the historians Peter Alegi and Peter Limb. It is not just about the continent itself, but also about African influence elsewhere, whether by virtue of the African population living abroad or otherwise. (feed)

I have occasionally pointed at this podcast in the past and I continuously keep an eye on the feed ready to pick up a subject that connects with my interests. This came up with the latest issue where the meaning of the World Cup for Africa was discussed. The conversation was recorded on the eve of the final of the World Cup 2010 in South-Africa. There is some discussion of football, especially about the Ghana team, but mostly about the feat of organizing the tournament for South-Africa in particular and Africa in general.

The greatest concern, also in other media, is how the huge economic investments will pan out. The podcast mentions Greece as an example and makes a connection between Greece's current financial crisis and its organizing of the Summer Olympics 2004. It is pointed out that the World Cup, though big, is not as huge as the Olympics and it is assumed South-Africa learned from the Greek mistakes. Yet, the financial outcome still has to be figured out, the reputation of South-Africa and even Africa in general, has greatly benefited from the World Cup.

More Africa Past and Present:
Podcast Review: Africa Past and Present.

More Africa:
Desmond Tutu,
New weeds in Africa,
Atlantic History,
World History between 100 BCE and 1200 CE,
Sudan and the fallacy of statehood.

Sjoerd Kooistra - Simek 's Nachts

Recentelijk werd hij dood gevonden. Omgekomen vanwege een misdrijf? Of was het toch zelfmoord. Hier is een kans om hem in leven te horen. In 2004 was hij, Sjoerd Kooistra, op bezoek bij Simek 's Nachts.

We horen van hem hoe hij in de horeca is gerold. Hoe het was om als homoseksueel te functioneren, eerst in Groningen en later in Amsterdam. De magnaat komt vooral naar voren als een horeca man in hart en nieren. Een die als het moet zelf achter de tap gaat staan. Je blijft je afvragen hoe dat te rijmen valt met de criminele sferen die rondom zijn verscheiden gesuggereerd werden. Of wordt hier een vooroordeel over de branche bevestigd?

Natuurlijk is de oude Simek podcast (zowel de RVU podcast als de Elsevier podcast) onvindbaar geworden, maar waar mogelijk breng ik de oude afleveringen in mijn simek huffduffer feed.

Meer Martin Simek:
Ik ben een geraffineerde vrouw - Naema Tahir,
Fabienne (dochter van Lucia de B (RVU),
Mohammed Jabri (RVU),
Nico Frijda (RVU),
Aaf Brandt Corstius (Elsevier).

War in Human Civilization - NBIH

I am amazed at New Books in History. Marshall Poe manages to produce new chapters every week. He reads the book and he interviews the author for about an hour. He must be reading more than just those books. He has got his position as a history professor at the University of Iowa, he has to write and he has to teach. In addition he must have got all those would be interviewees, but he won't pick each and every book only those whom he deems good enough.

What a selection we therefore get every week. Still it is one thing Poe gives an implicit recommendation of the book, it means even more if he explicitly does so. When he speaks with Azar Gat about War in Human Civilization, he recommends with special enthusiasm. And he adds he is going to use Gat's book for a course he wants to give. That kind of endorsement we have not yet witnessed often in NBIH.

Sure enough, Gat and Poe are off to a very spirited discussion. The subject is huge: how does war feature in human civilization? Has it always been there? Has it become worse, or perhaps better? Should we go with Rousseau and assume that war comes with civilization and man is deep down a noble savage. Or should we lean towards Hobbes and agree that man is a wolf to man and war is the state of nature, which civilization so feebly attempts to restrain? And what about nationalism and globalization? Poe and Gat are not done in the end. They will continue with Gat's next book.

More NBIH:
Always recommended: New Books in History,
The best varied history podcast,
The Caucasus,
The genocide and the trial,
Nation and Culture.