In this episode we discuss the early years of Vlad III of Wallachia, also known as Vlad Dracula or Vlad the Impaler, both personally and in the context of the contemporary collapse of the Byzantine Empire and expansion of the Ottoman Turks. Colin Oliver returns as guest.

In this episode we follow some of the non-Lutheran reformers in their early days, as well as the Catholic response to the Reformation and the ensuing religious wars, culminating in the Peace of Westphalia. Gary Hallman returns as guest.

In this episode, we discuss the roots of Luther’s reformation philosophies, as well as what set Luther apart from other early heresies. Gary Hallman joins as guest.

In this episode, we discuss the jazz age, the gentrification of jazz under the banner of big band, and the maturation and diversification of the genre in the post-war era. Yumiko Hutchenreuther returns as guest.

In this episode, we discuss the beginnings of the music tradition that would eventually become jazz, as well as some landmark works that were pivotal in the development of the style, up to 1923. Yumiko Hutchenreuther returns as guest.

In this episode, we discuss the collapse of the monotheistic religion created by Akhenaten and the course correction made by Egyptian civilization over several Pharaohs in order to correct the social damage done and bring an end to the 18th Dynasty. Kevin Miller returns as guest.

In this episode we discuss life in Ancient Egypt specifically in the 18th dynasty, as well as the Pharaoh Akhenaten who attempted to make the god Aten the only god of a formerly polytheistic society. Kevin Miller returns as guest.

In this episode we discuss Cortes’ meeting with Montezuma, the time the Conquistadors spent in Tenochtitlan, and the siege of the city that effectively ended the Aztec empire. Ethan Bleskie returns as guest.

In this episode we discuss the Aztec empire just prior to contact with Europeans, as well as the Spanish in the Age of Exploration and the first legs of Cortes’ journey into the mainland of the New World. Ethan Bleskie joins as guest.

In this episode we focus mainly on Charlemagne’s coronation by Pope Leo III as Roman Emperor and the far-reaching consequences of the act. Phil Downey returns as guest.