logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2022
40m 59s

What is the State?

Wondery / Patrick Wyman
About this episode

The state - a centralized administration that exerts control over a territory and can coerce the people living there - is one of the driving forces of the last several thousand years of history. But when and where did states appear, and why? And can we really call all of the various forms of political control that emerged around the world “states?” We can’t understand the world today without understanding the state, but that’s no easy task.


Patrick's book is now available! Get The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Years that Shook the World in hardcopy, ebook, or audiobook (read by Patrick) here: https://bit.ly/PWverge 


Listen to new episodes 1 week early, to exclusive seasons 1 and 2, and to all episodes ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App https://wondery.app.link/tidesofhistory.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up next
Jul 31
How the Horse Changed the World: Interview with Author David Chaffetz
David Chaffetz, author of the recent and truly outstanding book Raiders, Rulers, and Traders: The Horse and the Rise of Empires, joins Tides to talk about the long and intertwined history of horses and people in Central Asia and beyond. The trade in horses, not silks and spices, ... Show More
40m 8s
Jul 24
Why Did Rome Win?
Why did Rome win? It's a simple question, but the answer is anything but. To figure it out, we have to look not only at what made Rome special but also at its adversaries. Only then can we understand how, in such a short time, the Republic conquered the entire Mediterranean, a fe ... Show More
42m 51s
Jul 17
Guerrilla Warfare and Insurgency in the American Civil War: Interview with Professor Andrew Fialka
We usually think of the American Civil War as a conflict fought between massive armies at famous battlefields like Gettysburg, but that's not really accurate: Much of the war was actually made up of guerrilla attacks, insurgencies, and the kind of violence between neighbors that ... Show More
51m 23s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2022
DuPont Chemical Cover-Up | Dry Run Creek | 1
A devastating plague strikes a cattle farm in West Virginia. As he investigates the mystery, an attorney uncovers a secret that threatens a corporate empire.Want to listen to the remaining episodes of DuPont Chemical Cover-Up? Episodes 2-4 are available exclusively and ad-free on ... Show More
40m 52s
Nov 2022
The Kidnapping of Patty Hearst | The Plot | 1
Media heiress Patricia Hearst moves to Berkeley, intent on building a new life. In Oakland, a group of political radicals plot a deadly attack.Want to listen to the remaining episodes of The Kidnapping of Patty Hearst? Episodes 2-45are available exclusively and ad-free on Wondery ... Show More
43m 45s
Sep 2023
Jonestown | Reverend Jim Jones | 1
In Indiana, a young preacher forms his own church. The goal: to spread a radical political message.Want to listen to the remaining episodes of Jonestown? Episodes 2-6 are available exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. With Wondery+, enjoy exclusive seasons, binge new seasons firs ... Show More
41m 6s
Oct 2023
History Daily: The Unearthing of the Cardiff Giant
October 16, 1869. An American trickster masterminds the discovery of a mysterious petrified giant in upstate New York.You can listen ad-free in the Wondery or Amazon Music app. Or for all that and more, go to IntoHistory.comHistory Daily is a co-production of Airship and Noiser.G ... Show More
15m 18s