The Admiration of Europe - History 5 review

Berkeley's History 5, that covers European History from the Renaissance until today, has a different professor each semester. Though the material covered is the same each time, naturally, each professor brings her own emphasis to the course. Now that the latest course has ended, especially by the end, we can compare the perspectives on Europe and most notably the differences.

The previous course, if I recall correctly, by Professor Anderson ended with a bit of a downturn. Or at least, it ended with the feeling of true end. Europe's glory started with the Renaissance and right now we witness its secession of power, of influence, of importance. Anderson noted in addition to the reduced military power of Europe, its receding population and sort of hinted that this might well be the end of Europe, at least the Europe as we know it.

This semester History 5 by Professor Carla Hesse ended completely differently. Hesse ended with an admiration of Europe I have seldom experienced, not even among Europeans themselves. Hesse's take on the EU is that of an impressive upturn. She painted the picture of a continent that has retrieved its unity it had in the Middle Ages and thus has overcome all the adverse circumstances that have followed us during the course. Europe, it suddenly seems, stands on the threshold of a whole new era, a whole new flourishing with renewed vitality. It is all in the eye of the beholder. A very fascinating conclusion though.

More on History 5:
Industrialization (Carla Hesse),
History 5 by Carla Hesse,
History 5 by Margaret Anderson,
History 5 by Thomas Laqueur.

Hoor! Geschiedenis - historische podcast recensie

Het was Tom Tacken van de podcasts Veertien Achttien en Sterke Geschiedenis die mij deze podcast tip toestuurde. Een nieuwe Nederlandse geschiedenispodcast die maar liefst elke werkdag publiceert en zich in rap tempo mag verheugen in de belangstelling van een relatief groot publiek: Hoor! Geschiedenis.

De journalist Feico Houweling heeft de week van de geschiedenis aangegrepen om deze serie te starten. In korte, dagelijkse uitzendingen loopt hij chronologisch door de geschiedenis. Hij vertelt de geschiedenis van Nederland en gaat daarbij terug tot de vroegste culturele en politieke wortels. Dat betekende een begin bij de Romeinen, het vroege Christendom en bi jde Germaanse volkeren en hun culturele en religieuze overlevering. Van daar ging het naar de vroege middeleeuwen en zitten we bij de 59e aflevering nog altijd in de Investituurstrijd. Als Houweling het jaar 2000 wil bereiken heeft hij nog een leven lang podcasten voor de boeg.

Houweling is voelbaar een ervaren verteller. Zelfs al zijn de podcasts ultrakort (vijf minuten is zo weinig, dat heb ik nog niemand zo effectief zien doen behalve Engines of our Ingenuity), het is een formaat waarmee hij uitstekend uit de voeten kan. Het is precies genoeg om één punt heel duidelijk te maken. En bij de volgende podcast gaat hij verder waar hij gebleven is, zodat ook het grotere verband en de chronologie en de elementaire feiten allemaal op ordentelijke wijze aan de orde komen. Houweling krijgt dit voor elkaar met een zeer kalme, haast bestudeerde spreekstijl. Zijn intonatie, woordkeus, ja de stijl als geheel, doet mij nog het meest denken aan de spreekstijl van lieve, oude schoolmeesters, of radiosprekers bij de EO. Dat pakt echter niet paternalistisch of dominee-achtig uit, integendeel, het levert een sobere en buitengewoon heldere vertelling op. Of Houweling daadwerkelijk in een traditionele, protestants-christelijke signatuur thuishoort is niet merkbaar, maar zal ook pas veel nadrukkelijker op de proef gesteld worden wanneer we bij de Reformatie belanden.

The Premium Pill - paid podcast review

With such a large supply of free podcasts, why would you want to subscribe to a premium podcast? Even if it is only $1 per episode? The excellent comedy podcast The Bitterest Pill is going to let you find out for yourself. Did you enjoy one pill a month? How about getting four? Normally it costs $4, but in January 2009 you can try out for free. (The Bitterest Pill premium trial)

So I signed up. Of course paypal was making me go through the motions, even if the charge is nil and needless to say, being a non-American, as usual with on-line payments, this involved a lot of extra steps that failed a couple of times. However, don't ask me how, I managed to get subscribed to the premium podcast, so just sit back and enjoy. Enjoy, because the fun starts right away: The Bitterest Pill, premium free trial for January, effectively gave me all the premium backlog of the last weeks. Wow!

I couldn't stop my player. I sat down and listened to three premium shows back to back. I was afraid it was going to be more of the same and it was more of the same, but what same. The same brilliant comedy you get once for free. Want to find out how Dan gets a ticket for a malfunctioning brake light? Buys a flat screen TV? Has the kids with his parents and can finally enjoy a night on the town with his wife - alone? Different stories, same style, same amazingly funny, dramatic, compelling entertainment. If this is your thing, $4 a month is a joke.

You know what baffles me? Dan Klass is supposed to be this failed actor and comedian. He tries to get accepted, god knows to what degrading roles. He continues to be just some anonymous dweller of Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, US, the World. Yet, his podcast proves already for over 4 years his amazing talent. The character, the timing, the drama, the comedy. We podcasters are only lucky the worlds are not connecting. Some day soon, the party must be over. Until then, enjoy.

Previously about The Bitterest Pill:
Stylized Lamentations.

Charlemagne - history podcast review

Suppose you want to know about Charlemagne. If you are looking for a podcast, there are quite a few options. A good, but old and podfaded podcast is the Ancient and Medieval History Podcast. Another place to go is History according to Bob, but he has spread his episodes so wide, the preceding series about the Franks and the eventual Charlemagne are no longer in the feed and you will have to buy them on CD. A splendid new podcast is Hoor! Geschiedenis which very effectively addresses the build up and Charlemagne in several episodes worth over an hour and a half in listening, but it is in Dutch - which may not all of you master.

So, I reserved the best for last: TPN's Biography Show which has dedicated its 8th episode to Charlemagne. All aspects are explained: how Charles comes to power, where his roots lie, why he becomes emperor (and hates that), what the renaissance is he brings about, and more. Additional strength of the show is that it is a conversation. Host Cameron Reilly is well prepared and asks excellent questions. Historian David Markham is at his best and is informative and instructive with the best. Last but not least, these veterans of the Napoleon 1O1 podcast, do not miss the opportunity to put Charlemagne in the wider time frame with the Roman emperors, the Holy Roman Empire, the power of the popes and the culmination in the figure of Napoleon.

An interesting side note is to be made about an additional episode in the TPN podcasts: Cameron Reilly's pledge drive. TPN, the Podcasting Network (in Australia) is asking for your money and in doing so positions itself in the tradition of public television and radio networks in America, that also live from the donations of their listeners. It gives one answer to the question how podcasts can survive into the future: they can be packaged together and as a whole offer a service to the listeners for a small fee, that by virtue of the vast audience amounts to a fair income - we hope.

More Cameron Reilly:
Cameron Reilly: Is podcasting dead?,
Biography podcasts,
Sargon of Akkad and Ramses II,
Helen of Troy,
Alexander the Great - Biography Show,
TPN Napoleon 1O1.

Edgy podcast reviews

I hope one day Daniel Sellers is going to explain to us why Jana Selllers and he chose such a tough name for their podcast review podcast. As I see it, the name came about in stages. It started more simply as That Podcast Show, which had as a weak point that it could be about anything, but on the other side had something cheeky. I mean THAT podcast show, sounds like the show you and I need to talk about - right. Then they added Edgy Reviews From. This made clear it was a review show. But why Edgy? And why so long: Edgy Reviews from That Podcast Show.

The name aside, this is THE podcast review podcast around. Its scope is vast - much vaster than mine. ERFTPS are ready to cover all podcasts, everything, anything, that is out there. Only, there need to be at least 10 episodes out and maybe a couple of tiny admission prerequisites, that probably most podcasts cover.

Since my last writing about them, they have reviewed 18 more podcasts. The team on the show, temporarily is Daniel and Sue, because Jana is on maternity leave. (Daniel and Jana create more than just podcasts.) Here are the latest 18.

1. The Kitchen Sink 
2. Cruising Authority
   
3. Roadcast Radio
   
4. My Living Room! Radio Show Podcast (also at Anne is a Man )
   
5. MetroBuzz
   
6. Real Talk (also at Anne is a Man )
   
7. Cue the Film
   
8. That’s What She Said: The Office
   
9. The Office Alliance Podcast
10. Planned Brotherhood 
11. D6 Generation
    
12. Wine for Newbies
    
13. Wikipedia Weekly  
14. Zune Insider
    
15. Common Sense with Dan Carlin (also at Anne is a Man)
    
16. Blogs, Views, and Blues 
17. Camera Dojo
    
18. Space Podcast
    

Douglas Adams - Making history with Ran Levi

The latest show of Making History with Ran Levi (עושים היסטוריה עם רן לוי) was done with the regular professionalism, but with an added element of joy and love. Ran Levy discussed on his show writer, comedian, scientist and visionary the late Douglas Adams. Answer: 42. Credo: Don't Panic. Advise: Never leave home without your towel.

The listeners were signaled in advance and phoned in with their explanations why they loved Douglas Adams. Ran Levi chipped in and while maintaining his academic qualities, didn't hide his own love for Adams. He went through the biography, making excursions into the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, other works of Adams, and, this is a history of science show after all: science.

How did Adams take elementary ideas out of science and technology and apply them in his life and in his stories. How did he see the potential before others did. A vibrating podcast in the series.

More Making History:
Sophie Germain,
Max Planck,
Isaac Newton,
Making History with Ran Levy - Hebrew Review