Last Week's Most Viewed Podcast Reviews

A bit more of an even show this week, with Dan Carlin just ahead.

Death Throes of the Republic IV - Hardcore History... 5 Feb 2011   22 Pageviews

Why did Rome fall? - New Books in History Adrian G... 4 Jun 2011   19 Pageviews

William Rufus and the First Crusade - History of E... 16 Jul 2011   17 Pageviews

Introduction to World War II - History of World Wa... 31 May 2011   16 Pageviews

Dead Aid by Dambisa Moyo - History Books Review Co... 9 May 2011   15 Pageviews

Julian the Pre Apostate - History of Rome Mike Duncan

This podcast is always good, but the highlight is always the portrayals of strong characters like Julius Caesar and Constantine.  It looks like we have another in the form of Julian the Apostate.  He was to be the last pagan emperor and we don't have that many emperors left now so lets hope we get the full treatment on this one.  This episode covers his early life while he was still a Christian, he only became the Apostate when he abandoned his Christianity. (Just in case you don't get the title.) 

http://thehistoryofrome.typepad.com/the_history_of_rome/2011/07/143-julian-the-pre-apostate.html

Foundation of the Chinese Communist Party - History of China Podcast Lazlo Montgomery

One of the most significant events in the history of the twentieth century was the foundation of the Chinese Communist Party.  This podcast gives you the background to why it happened and some of the characters involved.  It works pretty well as a stand alone episode if you aren't that interested in the whole of Chinese history.  But if you are, there are now 50 podcasts in this series to work through so you won't be short of listening.

http://www.chinahistorypodcast.com/ChinaHistoryPodcast/Podcasts/Entries/2011/7/1_CHP-048-The_Founding_of_the_CCP.html

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/

What are you protesting against? What have you got?

Here is a great idea.  The proceedings of an historical conference posted online.  They are videos rather than podcasts and they look at various aspects of protesting over the years.  Its an interesting angle and it covers a lot of ground.  I always like to hear about Captain Swing for instance.  It is good to remember that the countryside wasn't the idyllic place it is often portrayed as.

The drawback is that the audio quality isn't good on any of them, and is terrible on a couple.  Also we could do with a bit of context about who the speakers are.

But it is a good initiative and I'd love to see more of this kind of thing.

http://protesthistory2011.org.uk/broadcast.html

The Tsar Liberates Europe - LSE Dominic Lieven

Was Russia a marginal power that simply reacted to the threat from Napoleon and simply ended up with an army in Paris as a result of a series of unwise actions on the part of the French tyrant?  That may not be what historians say explicitly, but it is how the story often gets told.

But what if the Russians were well informed, pro-active and sophisticated players who worked out the character of the French Empire and used their intelligence to thwart it with well developed plans, strategies and tactics?  In particular, did their spies know in advance that Napoleon had been long planning to attack them?

Dominic Lieven makes a terrific case that the Russians led by Tsar Alexander knew exactly what they were doing all along.

http://www2.lse.ac.uk/newsAndMedia/videoAndAudio/channels/publicLecturesAndEvents/player.aspx?id=433

Sir Orfeo - Corey Olsen

Here is an unusual one.  A professor of English with a particular interest in Medieval Literature and J.R.R.Tolkien has recorded verbatim one of the Middle English poems that inspired Tolkien's work.  It sounds like gobbledygook at first but I found that if I persisted I began to pick it up.

Its not exactly top notch blockbuster mass entertainment, but it is fascinating listening.  It is basically a retelling of the Orpheus myth but with fairyland taking the place of Hell.  It isn't bad, though the ending is a bit sudden.

An interesting read that repays the effort of getting into it in the first place.

http://www.tolkienprofessor.com/lectures/courses_seminars/wc_faerie.html#orfeo_title