New history podcasts to look out for

In the past weeks several history podcasts that are worth following delivered new content. I will be referring to history podcasts that have little frequency in their release schedule and this may have as a result the new episode is overlooked.

First of all, there was a new episode in the series Dan Carlin's Hardcore History. Dan Carlin took up the story of Ferdinand Magellan in order to delve into thoughts about the dynamics of the age of exploration. When the old world and the new world got connected it radically changed the entire world. And although it was bound to happen one day and be set in motion by some people, there is something surprising about the fact that the likes of Magellan were the agents of history. Those, the Europeans, until then rather marginal on the world stage, got from this point center stage. And Dan Carlin deliberates what was special about them. Especially good and especially bad. (feed)

Historyzine came with the next episode and in addition to the podcast reviews and an exceptionally good edition of the linguistic trivia, which had an Indian theme with words like Avatar, Thug and Blighty. The narration of the War of the Spanish succession, entered the year 1707 in which, for the first time I remember in this series, the allies (the English, Dutch and Austrians) suffer some serious setbacks. (feed)

After a very long hiatus during which I thought the podcast had faded, La Resistance released an episode about the resistance figure Henry Frenay. After Jean Moulin, Frenay was probably the most influential and important person in the French Resistance. With Frenay, this did not sit well. This podcast studies the complicated history and character of Frenay who not only battled the Germans, but also ... Jean Moulin. (feed)

Two new interviews were released on the Exploring Environmental History podcast. Jan Oosthoek spoke with Jim Clifford about the history of the river Lea, which developed from a rather insignificant arm of the Thames to to a major industrial artery with great environmental impact. With James Beattie he discusses the anxieties colonists dealt with. When the Europeans began to colonize the rest of the world during the age of imperialism, they had to manage to adapt to and survive in radically different climates and landscapes than they were used to. This was not merely a practical challenge, it turned out to be also a psychological one. (feed)