The Royal Navy vs. Napoleon and post-Napoleon -- BTHP

Since I last wrote about Tony Cocks's Binge Thinking History Podcast, he has proceeded with two more episodes on his current subject, the history of the Royal Navy. The Reign of Terror to Trafalgar and The demise of Bonaparte to the introduction of steam power. (feed)

Tony Cocks is an engaging and detailed narrator of history. Just as with his previous subject, The battle of Britain, he takes no short cuts to tell his history. And also similarly, this history is filled with technical details. Where we had extensive mention of aircraft and flight technology when he discussed the Battle of Britain, now that he displays the history of the Royal Navy, he makes a point of getting across a lot of shipping technology. It may be tough on the passing listener, it is splendid for the seriously involved.

Much of the history acquires a deeper logic when you get into the technical details of the ships involved. It is the technology, very frequently, that marks the difference in power between British ships and those of its competitors. Or where no such advantage existed, you get to appreciate much more the sheer seamanship that made the day. Britons make the day eventually in BTHP because, just as with the Battle of Britain, Tony Cocks has yet again chosen a subject that culminates in British success, however challenged all through the narrative.

More BTHP:
James Cook and a famous mutiny,
The Royal Navy and the Seven Year War,
Britannia Rules the Waves,
Royal Navy,
Win, lose or draw.

Dan Carlin and SFF Audio

Dan Carlin has started a new multi chapter subject at Hardcore History: Death Throes of the Republic. In this series he will extensively analyze how the Roman Republic dwindled from a formidable Mediterranean power to a decadent and deteriorating empire. (feed)

Carlin is a very successful and popular podcaster in addition to his Hardcore History (which is the most popular podcast among readers of this blog) Carlin also makes the more frequently appearing political opinion podcast Common Sense (feed). Personally I find Common Sense too much focussed on US politics, but also here Carlin can pride himself with reaching a large, international audience.

Common Sense features also dominantly in the interview Carlin gave at the SFF Audio podcast (feed). It is a dynamic and lively interview and one of the highlights is Dan's comparison of making radio with making podcast. We have already widely discussed how listening to podcast is different to listening to radio. But by the same token, Carlin demonstrates, making a podcast is different. You have no time constraints, less worries about losing the audience and a wider reach.

More Dan Carlin's Hardcore History:
Dan Carlin's history musings,
The end of the war,
Stalingrad,
Ghosts of the Ostfront,
Dan Carlin about the East Front.

More SFF:
Anne is a Man on SFF Audio,
Jesse Willis's five free favorites.

Malcolm Gladwell - Big Ideas

TVO's Big Ideas recently reran a lecture from 2005 by Malcolm Gladwell. (feed)

Gladwell wrote a book (Blink) about the problem that people take many important decisions quickly, in a matter of seconds, in the blink of an eye as it were. This is maybe not a problem from the point of view of economy, but it surely should make us feel uncomfortable about the validity of our decisions, especially on important issues, such as for example, the decision to hire one candidate from a range of applicants to an important job.

Gladwell's example, exactly about hiring: a musician for an orchestra, shows the rapid decision to be fault prone. However, this is not for its speed, which would demand slower deliberation and the viewing of more facts. Gladwell argues that split second decisions are rather reliable and pretty useful and where they go wrong, they do not go wrong for lack of facts, for missing deliberation, but rather too much input. Food for thought, a good podcast to listen to.

More Big Ideas:
The Age of Inequality,
Disappearing cultures,
Waiting for Godot,
Religion as culture - Camille Paglia,
Christopher Hitchens on the Ten Commandments.

The history of Anesthetics - Making History

My favorite Hebrew podcast is Making History with Ran Levi (עושים היסטוריה! עם רן לוי). I would like to draw your attention to one of the latest episodes. Here Ran Levi discusses the history of Anesthetics.

Three years ago BBC's In Our Time had a great program about Anesthetics as well and it is great to compare with Ran Levi's excellent work. Despite overlap, there are some good new insights to be had with him as well. In Our Time pays more attention to the assumed religious problem with anesthetics: pain was supposed to be a meaningful gift of god - how could we attempt to take it away?

This is pointed out by Levi as well, but with Levi we learn more about the finer techniques of the various narcotics that have been in use. And this gives great insight in the technical development. And as usual with histories of human discovery, frequently the wrong people are credited for the invention.

More Making History with Ran Levi:
Social Engineering for hackers,
Ran Levi, then, now and about the Long Now,
Of nightmares and sleepwalking,
Mass Extinctions,
Making History with Ran Levi - עושים היסטוריה! עם רן לוי.

Two issues of Entitled Opinions

One of the best podcasts around, Entitled Opinions, is off to summer hiatus and in addition to recommending to you the latest issue (about The Doors) I would like to encourage you to dive into the long history of the show and try an old issue. (feed)

First about The Doors. This is a great show in the Entitled Opinions tradition of shows about classic heroes in pop music which have already seen outstanding shows about Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd. The Doors is mostly about Jim Morrison, about his road to artistry and hence, more show about the creative process as a personal journey rather than the musical genre, culture and era of The Doors. And something to point out to you: this show defines for you what is 'cool'.

An old show I picked up thanks to the tip from a reader of the blog was a show from November 2005 in which Robert Harrison has Joshua Landy on the show and the two discuss Marcel Proust's À la recherche du temps perdu. Accompanied by single-malt whiskey we are treated with a grand overview of this long work and the meaning of human memory. Where Proust seems to be telling us that our memories are false and what we think we remember is eternally lost, the real verdict turns out to be much much more subtle.

More Entitled Opinions:
Heidegger,
Pink Floyd,
Alexander the Great,
Athanasius Kircher (Giordano Bruno),
King Lear.

Irish History in Podcasts

The medieval history of Ireland is heavily influenced by the Vikings. The new Irish History Podcast (feed) has already dedicated two different shows to the Vikings. Next to this podcast, I checked also what another Irish history podcast reported about Ireland and the Vikings: Irish Hedgerow history Lessons (feed) The first is an Irish podcast, the second is an American, Irish roots podcast.

It is interesting to find out that Ireland was not just raiding ground for the Vikings. First of all it was a place for trade and eventually it was also a place for settlement. In addition to the era of fear and negative approach to the Vikings which made the Irish rather flee than seek contact, in the end there was a relation of influence. And Ireland became integrated in the wide world of Scandinavia.

Eventually the Irish also influenced the Norse and especially in the Christianization of the Scandinavians the Irish were instrumental.

More Irish History:
Irish History Podcast