Today's question is about the Varangians, a group of Vikings that conquered Kievan Rus and became the first rulers of the Russian state. I'd love it if you could talk about Kievan-Rus, the Rurik dynasty, The Varangians...any of these would be great....
Aug 27
Stalin’s Ordered Killing of Trotsky Created the Playbook for Modern Political Assassination
Ramón Mercader expected to easily kill Leon Trotsky, silently and instantly. He had rehearsed the blow for months, practiced the angle, tailored a pocket into his raincoat to conceal the shortened ice axe. On August 20, 1940, he stood behind Trotsky -- who was the principle leade ... Show More
48m 10s
Aug 25
Belisarius Reconquered Africa and Italy for Rome. Why Did Rome Destroy Him for It?
In 533, a twenty-eight-year-old general named Belisarius sailed from Constantinople with 15,000 men to reconquer North Africa from the Vandals, a kingdom that had held it for nearly a century since the sack of Rome. The last time the Eastern Empire had attempted the crossing, the ... Show More
52m 44s
Oct 2025
Martyn Whittock, "Vikings in the East: From Vladimir the Great to Vladimir Putin – The Origins of a Contested Legacy in Russia and Ukraine" (Biteback, 2025)
In Western Europe, we typically associate Vikings with the storm-tossed waters of the North Sea and the North Atlantic, the deep Scandinavian fjords and the attacks on the monasteries and settlements of north-western Europe. This popular image rarely includes the river systems of ... Show More
1h 3m
Sep 2022
Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Vikings
<p>September is Vikings month on <em>Gone Medieval</em>, as Dr. Cat Jarman presents a mini-series about her favourite, specialist subject. Over her next four episodes, Cat will be taking a deep dive into the Viking age, looking at how it all started, how it all ended, and the sto ... Show More
36m 51s
Apr 2024
Viking Royalty: Nicknames, Love Poems & Victorian Myths
We think we know the Vikings, but how well do we really know them?From the insignia we think they wear, to the names they call themselves and the way they spoke to each other, there's a lot to uncover.Joining Kate today is Dr. Caitlin Ellis, historian and Associate Professor at t ... Show More
40m 34s