063 – After Legnano, the cool Crusade an...

Episode OverviewHaving toured Spanish Sardinia and turbulent Sicily, we now complete our circuit of southern Italy by turning to the Kingdom of Naples.Once secured for Spain by the legendary Gonzalo de Córdoba, Naples became one of the crown jewels of the Spanish Empire — wealthy ... Show More

Episode OverviewHaving raced through the early 1500s following the Italian Wars, the Medici popes, Leonardo da Vinci, and the creation of the Medici duchy in Florence, it’s time to slow down and look at the parts of Italy we’ve left slightly out of focus.In this episode, we take ... Show More

To celebrate the 200th anniversary episode, which coincided with the 8th anniversary, we decided to hear from you, dear constant listener to create a special episode to celebrate this great milestone with many more hopefully to come.As well as greetings, we'll hear about:Sieges v ... Show More

By 711 Europe and the Frankish warlords were facing a graver threat than ever before. Bands of Northern African, nominally Muslim raiders had begun a steady incursion throughout the West, loosely unified under the banner of the Umayyads. Having already taken and plundered the Chr ... Show More

In 9CE three Roman legions were walking through Germany when they were ambushed in what would become one of the most notorious defeats throughout Rome’s history. The loss of the legions were a crippling blow to Rome’s plans of expansion, and redrew the borders in the province. Gu ... Show More

The Frankish king, Charlemagne the Great, is one of the titanic figures of European history, simultaneously renowned and shadowy. His rise to supreme power is a staggering story of warring religious empires, betrayal, battle, blindings and brutal conquest. How, then, did this one ... Show More

Following the death of Eudoxia, the Praetorian Prefect Anthemius took control of the Eastern Empire and ran it wisely for the next decade. Meanwhile in the West, anti-barbarian policies will lead to the invasion of Italy by Alaric. 

For centuries, Rome grew unchecked, until one man was able to reverse their fortunes, and free his country. On this episode, we take a look at the story of Arminius, and what it teaches us about how to overcome an unstoppable force. 00:00 Battle of the Teutoburg Forest 03:00 Intr ... Show More

<p>The fall of Constantinople in 1453 marked the end of the Roman Empire after more than 2,000 years and the rise of the Ottomans as a dominant global power. Dr. Roy explores the centuries of turmoil that led to this moment: Mongol invasions, the Black Death, fractured kingdoms, ... Show More

An introduction to my new podcast series which will be published from September dealing with the wars of German unification and influence of Otto von Bismarck on Germany and Europe. The first series will deal with the Revolutuion of 1848 and the First Schleswig War. Later series ... Show More

Synopsis:  King Muwatalli II relocates the Hittite capital to the new royal city of Tarhuntassa near the Mediterranean coast, then faces off against the young pharaoh Ramesses II in the Battle of Qadesh.  After Muwatalli’s death, his son and brother – Urhi-Teshub and Hattusili – ... Show More

<p>By the year AD 719, the Arab/Berber army had conquered Iberia and was invading Gaul or what is modern France. They seemed unstoppable. Would western Europe fall to Islam? And would the Qu’ran be taught in the schools of Oxford, as Edward Gibbon rather mischievously speculated. ... Show More