Subject to Change

Anna Keay's book The Restless Republic is just brilliant. It covers the period following the execution of Charles I when Britain became a republic. It is fascinating to see how the period (and the characters) mix revolutionary ideas with deep traditionalism. Anna approaches the subject by telling the stories of a number of people - men, women, powerful and powerless - who illuminate the times. And she is brilliant at using these stories to tell the history of the Republic itself as it struggles to define itself. The Restless Republic has been nominated for the 2022 Bailie Gifford Prize for non fiction. Anna is a really engaging speaker and it was a huge pleasure to be able to talk to her about some of the extraordinary characters and events from her book.

Tristan Hughes has writen a brilliant book about the years immediately following the Death of Alexander the Great. As Tristan says, history didn't just stop at Alexander's death and start again when Rome takes on Carthage. And in fact this period is one of the most fascinating and eventful in ancient history. It is also one of the most confusing and I hope this podcast is both entertaining and clarifying!
And check out HistoryHit. When not writing histories Tristan is a presenter with them - probably the most extensive and certainly one of the best online resources for history. Incredibly wide in its range and absolutely top quality.

Really thrilled to have Bret Devereaux and Ed Watts on the podcast together. We looked at Gladiator as a film (two thumbs up!) and also unpicking some of the history. Ranging far and wide we covered the battle scenes, gladiators, the role of an emperor and lots, lots more. Ed argues that Commodus was doing okay until stabbed in the back by his sister and Bret gives a masterclass in how not to name a Roman. I lower the tone by bringing the nazis into it.
Bret's superb blog is here.
Ed's latest book is here.
And check out Ed's brilliant YouTube channel.

I chatted to Battleship Bean and John Schilling about nuclear war. We discussed the wonderful Dr Strangleove and tried to unpick some of the realities of a nuclear war. How powerful are modern weapons? Would they knock out electrical systems world wide? Would such a war result in nuclear winter?
A book I mentioned in the podcast and which I recommend (though Bean is not a fan) is Command and Control by John Schlosser. Bean himself has written several articles on the subject on his excellent blog:
https://www.navalgazing.net/Nuclear-Weapon-Destructiveness

https://www.navalgazing.net/Nuclear-Strategy

https://www.navalgazing.net/Nuclear-Winter
I'm uploading this on the anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing and am very much hoping that that and the bombing of Nagasaki on 9 August is the last we see of these things.

Karl Marx called it 'one of the most monstrous enterprises in the annals of international history'. This seems unfair to the young Hapsburg royals who travel to Mexico in 1864 to become its emperor and empress. Highly liberal by the standards of the day and with the best of intentions they will face a terrible struggle to rule and (ultimately) to try to survive.
Edward Shawcross has written one of the best books I have read in years. It is simply a fantastic page turner. And Edward is also a hugely entertaining speaker as you will find out as you listen to the podcast.
This episode is part 1 and takes us up to the point the young couple arrive in Mexico. Enjoy!

In the Dutch Republic of the 1630's trading in tulips went mad with bulbs and even parts of a bulb changing hands for astronomical prices. Historian Mike Dash traces the extraordinary story from its beginnings centuries before up to and beyond the inevitable crash. I can't recommend Mike and his books enough. Hard core history and a fantastically accessible reading style. His book Tulipomania is an absolute pleasure.

I have always found the war Octavian fought against Antony and Cleopatra hard to understand. How did Antony find himself losing without even fighting a proper battle given all his experience as a general and commanding an army equal to or stronger than his opponent's? Barry Strauss explains the campaign brilliantly.
You can find his book The War that made the Roman Empire here. Highly recommended.