Fortune's Wheel: A Podcast History of Our Medieval Story

SEASON 4: The Mediterranean Prepares

Miniseries: Medieval West Africa

EPISODE 62: Across the Sahara

Long before GPS and bottled water, traders and pilgrims dared to cross one of the most unforgiving landscapes on Earth—the Sahara Desert. In this episode, we travel the sand-swept routes that linked sub-Saharan Africa to the Mediterranean world. From gold and salt to stories and beliefs, these daring journeys shaped empires and changed the medieval world.

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If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful!

NOTE: DISREGARD ANY MENTION OF PATREON. That account has been closed in the process of tearing down of any paywalls! 

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Music:

Music for this episode is called “Borders” by the incredibly talented Danijel Zambo. Check him out at https://uppbeat.io/t/danijel-zambo/borders. [License Code: ZMKNFN3S9R6BYWFC]

SEASON 4: The Mediterranean Prepares

EPISODE 61: The Tables Have Turned

As the fractured taifas simmer in the south, Christian Iberia begins to stir in the north. In this episode, we track shifting powers, rising ambitions, and the early rumblings that will give rise to one of the most legendary figures in Spanish history. The groundwork is being laid.

No More Paywalls! How?

If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful!

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Music:

Music for this episode is called “Al Andalus” by the incredibly talented (as you’ll hear) Shane Ivers. Check him out at https://www.silvermansound.com.

SEASON 4: The Mediterranean Prepares

EPISODE 59: What Was Gained

Before the fall, there was a flowering. Today, we pause to appreciate what Muslim rule in Córdoba gave the world—advances in science, medicine, architecture, philosophy, and poetry that would echo across continents and centuries. This isn’t just history—it’s legacy.

No More Paywalls! How?

If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful!

Social Media:

YouTube: Fortune’s Wheel Podcast

Meta: https://www.facebook.com/fortunes.wheel.3 

X: https://twitter.com/WheelPodcast

Buy Me A Coffee!

Music:

Music for this episode is called “Al Andalus” by the incredibly talented (as you’ll hear) Shane Ivers. Check him out at https://www.silvermansound.com.

SEASON 4: The Mediterranean Prepares

EPISODE 58: What Was Lost

Córdoba wasn’t just a city—it was a library, a beacon, a living crossroads of ideas. In this episode, we reflect on what the world lost with its collapse in the early 11th century: the poetry, the philosophy, the science, and the spirit of a place that once stood at the very edge of the possible.

Music:

Music for this episode is called “Al Andalus” by the incredibly talented (as you’ll hear) Shane Ivers. Check him out at https://www.silvermansound.com.

SEASON 4 (BONUS): The Mediterranean Prepares

EPISODE 57: Abd al-Rahman

Before Córdoba fell, it rose—brilliantly. In this episode, we rewind the clock to trace the origins of Umayyad rule in Iberia. From the embers of a collapsed caliphate in Damascus to a bold new dynasty in exile, we explore how one of medieval Europe’s greatest cities was born—and why its foundations mattered centuries later.

No More Paywalls! How?

If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful!

Social Media:

YouTube: Fortune’s Wheel Podcast

Meta: https://www.facebook.com/fortunes.wheel.3 

X: https://twitter.com/WheelPodcast

Buy Me A Coffee!

Music:

Music for this episode is called “Al Andalus” by the incredibly talented (as you’ll hear) Shane Ivers. Check him out at https://www.silvermansound.com.

SEASON 4: The Mediterranean Prepares

EPISODE 56: Of Taifas and Berbers

In the wake of Córdoba’s collapse, al-Andalus doesn’t disappear—it fractures. In this episode, we explore the rise of the taifas, the patchwork kingdoms that sprang up like splinters from a fallen empire. And we meet the Berbers, fierce and often misunderstood, whose presence would reshape Iberian politics for generations to come.

No More Paywalls! How?

If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful!

Social Media:

YouTube: Fortune’s Wheel Podcast

Meta: https://www.facebook.com/fortunes.wheel.3 

X: https://twitter.com/WheelPodcast

Buy Me A Coffee!

Music:

Music for this episode is called “Al Andalus” by the incredibly talented (as you’ll hear) Shane Ivers. Check him out at https://www.silvermansound.com.

SEASON 4 (OPENER): The Mediterranean Prepares

EPISODE 55: Scattered Pearls

After centuries of brilliance, Córdoba falls. In this episode—Scattered Pearls—we reflect on the unraveling of a once-magnificent caliphate. Once the beacon of learning, art, and power in al-Andalus, the city’s collapse leaves behind echoes of poetry, shattered alliances, and a fractured future for Iberia.

No More Paywalls! How?

If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful!

Social Media:

YouTube: Fortune’s Wheel Podcast

Meta: https://www.facebook.com/fortunes.wheel.3 

X: https://twitter.com/WheelPodcast

Buy Me A Coffee!

Music:

Music for this episode is called “Al Andalus” by the incredibly talented (as you’ll hear) Shane Ivers. Check him out at https://www.silvermansound.com.

SEASON 3 -- EXTENDED: Heresy in Orleans

Standalone: Christian Heresy

EPISODE 54: Heresy in Orleans

In this episode, we explore one of the strangest and most mysterious moments of the early 11th century—the Orléans Heresy. Accusations fly, theology fractures, and royal politics stir the pot as a group of learned clerics question the foundations of the faith... and pay the price.

No More Paywalls! How?

If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful!

Social Media:

YouTube: Fortune’s Wheel Podcast

Meta: https://www.facebook.com/fortunes.wheel.3 

X: https://twitter.com/WheelPodcast

Buy Me A Coffee!

Happy Halloween 2021, Everyone! And I can't think of a single better way to spend Halloween than to learn about some good old fashioned heresy! I hope you enjoy the show! And be safe out there today!

SEASON 3 -- EXTENDED: North Sea Collapse

Standalone: Beowulf

EPISODE 53: The Greatest of Heroes

This episode is my love letter to Beowulf—the epic that defined a world of monsters, mead halls, and mortal glory. We explore what makes this story endure: the raw courage, the existential dread, the warrior code, and the poetic beauty that still echoes through time. Hwaet! Let’s dive in.

No More Paywalls! How?

If you believe in what’s happening here – bringing our shared history to life, warts and all, free to the public with absolutely no more paywalls…ever…please consider donating to my caffeine-mediated research and writing through the website/app Buy Me A Coffee! With opportunities for one-time donations and even a monthly donation plan, you can voluntarily contribute to the continuation of this show. I would be eternally grateful!

NOTE: DISREGARD ANY MENTION OF PATREON. That account has been closed in the process of tearing down of any paywalls! 

Social Media:

YouTube: Fortune’s Wheel Podcast

Meta: https://www.facebook.com/fortunes.wheel.3 

X: https://twitter.com/WheelPodcast

Buy Me A Coffee!