Dangerous Liaisons (1988) is a movie based on a play based on Pierre Choderlos de Laclos's novel from 1782. What does this have to do with the French Revolution? Lots, including that Marie Antoinette herself owned a copy of this novel.
I'm joined by Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times movie reviewer and co-host of Unspooled to talk about this movie and also th ... Show More
Yesterday
Mary Shelley's mother, Mary Wollstonecraft (part one)
It's Mary Shelley Month on Vulgar History! For Halloween season, we're looking at goth icon Mary Shelley and her friends and family. And we'e starting with her equally iconic mother, Mary Wollstonecraft! — Preorder info for Ann's upcoming book, Rebel of t ... Show More
1h 15m
Oct 3
How Benjamin Franklin Tried (And Failed) To Conquer Canada
Throughout his long and illustrious career, Benjamin Franklin nursed a not-so-secret desire to annex Canada and make it American. But he failed, over and over again. Author Madelaine Drohan has written all about this in her new book, He Did Not Conquer: Benjamin Franklin's Failur ... Show More
33m 37s
Sep 23
The Definitely Real, Totally Accurate Story of Cyrus (Herodotus The Histories Bk 1, Part 3)
And we are back again with another week of Herodotus and his Histories. This time, we go backwards to explore how the Persian Empire got power within Asia. Isn't that fun? There certainly will not be any tangents here! No, not at all. Why would you think that?Submit your question ... Show More
34m 45s
Oct 6
738 Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (#15 Greatest Book of All Time)
Emily Brontë only published one full-length book before dying at the tragically young age of 30. But that book, Wuthering Heights, which tells the story of obsessive and vengeful love on the rugged moors of Yorkshire, is still considered one of the pinnacles of English literature ... Show More
1h 16m
Aug 2024
Life Lessons From Historical Women
When women's stories aren't being flat-out ignored from the history books, they can often be sidelined.
Well not here! Joining Kate today is the comedian and author of Life Lessons from Historical Women, Eleanor Morton, to share some of her favourite stories of inspirational wome ... Show More
35m 48s
Sep 18
Anne Boleyn: Myths vs Reality
The life of Anne Boleyn has intrigued audiences for centuries. Everyone knows something about her time as Queen of England, and of course, her betrayal and execution. But her formative years in France remain a bit of a mystery.Joining us today is Estelle Paranque, an Associate Pr ... Show More
1h 1m
Aug 22
Update: Autocrat interview and Vintage Egyptologist online classes
Howdy folks. In lieu of a narrative episode this week (while I recover from the quadruple-length Battle of Kadesh), I wanted to alert you to an interview I did for the Autocrat podcast (available on Spotify, YouTube, and the Autocrat website). In a lengthy conversation, we explor ... Show More
16m 2s
Mar 2025
Edward II: King of Incompetence
Gone Medieval begins a gripping 4 part series exploring scandal, power, and betrayal in the Plantagenet Court.
This one of England’s most dramatic royal sagas; from the ill-fated reign of Edward II to the rise of his son, Edward III, Matt Lewis and Dr. Eleanor Janega uncover how ... Show More
1h 16m