History Loves Company

Many of us travel, but few get to experience the adventure of a lifetime. Such was the case of Alexander Gardner, an American and restless spirit who ultimately found himself in the service of the Sikh Empire of Northern India, where he fought alongside Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims to stop the British from advancing further into their territory. But how did this unassuming figure from the wilds of what's now Wisconsin end up on the opposite side of the world? Tune in to today's episode to find out!

The time is Prohibition. The place is Chicago, better known at the time as "Gangland," a playful, albeit sinister, moniker due to the long list of illicit activities that take place behind the scenes. It's against this backdrop that the events of this week's episode unfold, a bloody, violent crime the likes of which has seldom been seen in American history. Why did it happen? Who were the key players involved? And how is it that we're still talking about it nearly a century later? Tune in to find out (though I ain't no rat), this week on the "History Loves Company" podcast!

Several Black and African voices have contributed to Western theatre. Lorraine Hansberry, August Wilson, Langston Hughes...these are all big names, but there's one among them to whom they owe a debt of gratitude. Who was Publius Terentius Afer, better known in the English-speaking world as Terence? Find out in today's episode!

Since its birth in Antiquity, Ethiopia has claimed ties to the Biblical King Solomon, the Queen of the Sheba and the Holy Land in general. This may be true, but in the northern highlands of the this East African country, a community of Black Jews actually traces their lineage back to one of the famed Twelve Tribes of Israel. Join me for a look at the Beta Israel community of Ethiopia, a true story of tenacity and resilience.

With only two monarchs to its name, the Empire of Brazil could easily have gone down in history as just another tumultuous period in South America's history. But when Pedro II assumed command of the imperial throne at the tender age of five, neither he nor the Brazilian people could have guessed the great leader he would become. Ushering in an age of unprecedented growth and prosperity for Brazil, his reign is still being talked about to this day. Find out all about this most remarkable man and monarch, today on the 'History Loves Company' podcast!

The reputation of the fabled Age of Exploration was solidified by such titans as Christopher Columbus, Vasco da Gama and Sir Francis Drake, among many others. While their accomplishments were indeed significant, there's one voyage whose details have largely been forgotten by the greater public. In the 4th Century BC, a Greek set sail from his home in what's now Southern France and set sail for points unknown in the then uncharted North of Europe. Let's hop aboard his vessel and see what he discovered there, only on the 'History Loves Company' podcast!

No sooner had the Paris Commune gotten on its feet did threats of war from the Third Republic start to rear their ugly heads. Resulting in what Parisians called the "Bloody Week," the Commune's National Guardsmen clashed with the Republic's Regular Army in the streets, killing several and wounding more on both sides. Tune in to find out how this all played out, right here on the 'History Loves Company' podcast.

With France's disastrous defeat at the end of the Franco-Prussian War, the national government was tasked with creating some semblance of order while trying to keep the ever-growing discord amongst Parisians at bay. Find out just how it all went down in the second installment on the Paris Commune.

In light of the disastrous outcome of the Franco-Prussian War (from the perspective of the French), dissatisfaction with the Second Empire was at an all-time high. Though disillusionment had been stirring for some time, this was the final straw. It wasn't long before the people, namely the working-class, took to the streets to express their concerns, demanding the formation of a new government--a republic--to replace the monarchy and restore rights to the French people. Join me for the first half of a two-part special on this tumultuous time in French history.

"Once upon a time..." With those four simple words, generations of readers and listeners have been transported to a timeless realm where reality doesn't exist and magic reigns supreme. But while most of us are familiar with the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen and Charles Perrault, fewer still know those of Franz Xaver von Schönwerth. A civil servant by trade, he went on to gather folktales and legends from around his native Bavaria in the early 1860s. But by the time of his death over two decades later, they and his work had disappeared and remained forgotten for over a century. Join me as we take a look at this most fascinating man as well as the treasure trove of stories he collected, today on the 'History Loves Company' podcast!