Scottish Independence

Colin of the History Books Review has decided he can't wait for somebody to write a book about the Scottish Independence vote and has gone ahead and done a podcast about it anyway.  He was in too much of a rush to provide his usual transcript - or at least he hasn't done so yet - so you'll have to find it on iTunes if you want to hear it.

He puts it in historical context and it sounds like he quite likes the idea in some ways even though he ends up with a plea to vote to maintain the union.  (It was recorded before the vote took place.)

It's good to hear something from someone without too much of an axe to grind.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/history-books-review/id397610094?mt=2&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Heretics - History Books Review Colin Sanders

Christianity conquered the late Roman Empire under Constantine.  But which version of Christianity would prevail?  This podcast is basically one prolonged punch up between the factions.  By the end of it Colin sounds tired and upset.  I get the feeling he didn't enjoy researching this one much.  But it does make for good listening.

http://historybooksreview.co.uk/heretics-gibbons-decline-and-fall-of-the-roman-empire/

Conversion of Constantine - History Books Review Colin Sanders

In the last History Books Review podcast we left Julian on the Rhine fighting the Germans.  If you have tuned in to find out what happens to Julian next, you will be disappointed because we are back in the reign of Constantine looking in detail at his relationship with Christianity.  Some surprises as usual.

http://historybooksreview.co.uk/the-conversion-of-constantine-gibbons-decline-and-fall-of-the-roman-empire/

Constantius and Julian - History Books Review Colin Sanders

Julian was catapulted from political prisoner to Caesar of the West.  He was supposed to be a figurehead through which Constantius was to rule.  But that wasn't how it turned out.  A story of hard deadly fighting and even more deadly politics as the declining empire is attacked on all sides.  Don't miss this one.

http://historybooksreview.co.uk/constantius-and-julian-gibbons-decline-and-fall-of-the-roman-empire/

Constantius and Gallus - History Books Review Colin Sanders

The sons of Constantine were all killed in civil wars with the exception of Constantius.  He found running the empire alone to be difficult, and recruited his cousin Gallus to act as emperor in the East.  Unfortunately it didn't work out too well.  Colin gives us the story of the unfortunate Gallus and in the process illuminates just how decadent the court in Constantinople was becoming.

http://historybooksreview.co.uk/constantius-and-gallus-gibbons-decline-and-fall-of-the-roman-empire/

Constantius - History Books Review Colin Sanders

Colin's review of Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire has now reached the rise of Constantius, the only one of Constantine's successors to get a decent run at being in charge of the empire.  It is a bit hard to keep up with the details, but we do get to hear about the bloodiest battle in the history of Rome.

http://historybooksreview.co.uk/constantius-gibbons-decline-and-fall-of-the-roman-empire/

Constantinople - History Books Review Colin Sanders

I had begun to despair of Colin ever getting another podcast out, but at last one has reappeared.  He seems to be on great form with an account of the building of Constantinople.  Rome was to be eclipsed by this new city, but it is probable the Eastern Roman Empire would not have survived if Constantine hadn't done what he did.  (There isn't as much humour as usual in this one but even so, it might be worth giving it a skip if you are a lawyer.)

http://historybooksreview.co.uk/constantinople-gibbons-decline-and-fall-of-the-roman-empire/

Persecution - History Books Review Colin Sanders

This episode of the podcast continues looking at the rise of the Church as portrayed by Gibbon in the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.  The Church was well organised and became steadily more numerous, until it got to the stage of threatening the authority of the emperor himself.  The persecutions started quite late and were not quite what most people think they were like.  Worth a listen if only to hear the story of St Cyprian.

http://historybooksreview.co.uk/persecution-gibbons-decline-and-fall-of-the-roman-empire/

How the Church Won - History Books Review Colin Sanders

The History Books Review looks at how the Church grew within the Roman Empire and why the emperors persecuted the early Christians. Not many jokes in this one, but still entertaining.  One thing that isn't widely realised is just how big a role women played in the early days of Christianity.

Well worth a listen.

http://historybooksreview.co.uk/how-the-church-won-gibbons-decline-and-fall-of-the-roman-empire/

Miracles - History Books Review Colin Sanders

Gibbon's negative view of Christianity is well known.  In this podcast Colin tries to get to roots of what exactly his problem was.  He concentrates on the issues of miracles which seem to have been a big issue for him.  An interesting and unusual angle on a familiar story.

http://historybooksreview.blogspot.com/2011/05/miracles-gibbons-decline-and-fall-of.html

The Rise of Christianity - History Books Review Colin Sanders

Colin is back to his review of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire in this episode.  The subject is the rise of Christianity - as a bit of history it is a lot more obscure than you might expect.  It is also surprising how big a part the actions of the emperor Hadrian played.

http://historybooksreview.co.uk/rise-of-christianity-gibbons-decline-and-fall/

Dead Aid by Dambisa Moyo - History Books Review Colin Sanders

Colin is pushing the definition of a history book a bit in this one, though it does cover the historical background of aid a fair bit.  Anyway, it is an interesting and provocative listen.  If you are a liberal minded person who is worried about giving too little aid to developing countries, then you should have a listen.  It sounds like you might need to feel guilty about giving too much rather than too little.

http://historybooksreview.co.uk/dead-aid-by-dambisa-moyo/

Back down to Four Emperors - History Books Review Colin Sanders

Do you have trouble with your father-in-law?  Probably not as much as Constantine did with his.  

Six Emperors at the same time- History Books Review Colin Sanders

Despite the best efforts of Diocletian, the political situation in the Roman Empire after he resigned was confused and confusing.  Colin artfully picks us through a complex situation.

http://historybooksreview.blogspot.com/2011/03/six-emperors-at-same-time-gibbons.html

Diocletian's Character - History Books Review

The character of Diocletian shone through every thing he did as emperor and Colin does a good job of explaining what he was like in this episode of his extended review of Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.

http://historybooksreview.blogspot.com/2011/02/diocletians-character-gibbons-decline.html

Diocletian and the Borders - History Books Review

In this podcast Colin looks at the various wars that needed to be fought by Diocletian to protect the borders of the empire.  With barbarians still formidable and Persia still a threat, Diocletian went to some trouble to maintain and reform the empire's defences.

http://historybooksreview.blogspot.com/2011/02/diocletian-and-borders-gibbons-decline.html

British Empire 1.0 -Two Very Different Revolts - History Books Review

Colin deals with a subject that will particularly interest British listeners, the revolt of Carausius that saw the province of Britain break away briefly from the Roman Empire.  Good listening as always.

http://historybooksreview.blogspot.com/2011/02/two-very-different-revolts-gibbons.html

Diocletian and the Tetrarchy - History Books Review

Colin on the History Books Review has reached the reign of Diocletian, one of the pivotal figures in the history of Rome.  It may have been Diocletian's reforms - even though they didn't last long - that enabled the Roman Empire to make it through long enough for Constantine to move the capital to Constantinople and ensure that it survived in some form until the end of the Middle Ages.

http://historybooksreview.blogspot.com/2011/02/diocletian-tetrarchy-gibbons-decline.html

Tiber and the Potomac - History Books Review

How did the Romans conquer the world?  Or did they?

History Books Review: The Germans - drunken, highly armed feminists

Colin Sanders' History Books Review has been pumping out a whole load of episodes since Christmas.  He explains that he has upgraded his bandwidth and has a lot of unreleased material to make public.

One of his recent podcasts caught my eye.  This describes the German tribes who the Romans first failed to conquer, then used as troops in their army and who finally destroyed the empire itself.  They sound like a fun bunch of guys.

http://historybooksreview.blogspot.com/2010/10/germans-gibbons-decline-and-fall-of.html 

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