History Loves Company

Despite there being several examples of female pirates in popular culture, there were, in fact, only about a hundred of whose exploits were recorded throughout history. One of these was Grace O'Malley, the daughter of a prominent Irish clan leader who would go on to gain a fearsome reputation for herself in a largely male-dominated society and age. So avast, me hearties, as the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' song at Disneyland goes, and join me on deck for her incredible story!

Anyone who has seen 'Jurassic Park' will be familiar with amber, as it plays a major role in the plot. This fossilized tree resin was described by the ancients as "warm to the touch and, when burned, is even more agreeable than frankincense." Indeed, it was a highly prized commodity in Antiquity, being used in jewelry and religious practices throughout the Mediterranean, North Africa, and even Central Asia. But the amber in question came from somewhere decidedly far from any of these places: the Baltic Coast. How did this "red gold" travel so far? Tune in to this week's episode to find out!

The Oxford English Dictionary defines a golden age as "an idyllic, often imaginary, past time of peace, prosperity, and happiness." Yet, for the people who lived under the reign of the subject of this week's episode, it was anything BUT imaginary. To this day, the name Mansa Musa strikes awe in the hearts and minds of all those who hear his story, but what exactly IS that story? How was his reign seen as both a literal and figurative golden age? And why are we still talking about it seven centuries later? Tune in to find out!

Never had Italy been more fractured in its reunification efforts than it was following the Revolutions of 1858-49 as well as the Italian Independence War. Both sides kept butting heads with one another in a tug-of-war that showed no signs of stopping. How long would the revolutionaries' struggle last? Would the Italian Peninsula ever be united? And were it so, what sort of government would ultimately be chosen? Find out in the thrilling conclusion on the Risorgimento!

As Charles Dickens wrote at the beginning of 'A Tale of Two Cities': "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," though for the disparate states scattered throughout the Italian Peninsula for much of the start of the 19th Century, it was more the latter. With the people demanding a unified Italy, a series of revolts (some peaceful, some not) broke out, some of which bore partial fruit with others being quickly suppressed. By the middle of the century, it seemed as if all hope of unification had been dashed, but was it really? Join for a tour through this Age of Revolutions, this week in part two on the Risorgimento!

Once, all of the Italian Peninsula was united under the Roman banner. But with the fall of the western half of that mighty empire in the late 5th Century, it became a fractured collection of kingdoms, republics, and city-states. It would take another fourteen centuries before anything close to cohesion would emerge in Italy and it would come at a highly volatile time in European history. Tune in this week for the distant rumblings of what would ultimately come to be known as the "Risorgimento" (literally "resurgence," but more generally "reunification") on the 'History Loves Company' podcast!

The word "frontier" conjures up many ideas in the American consciousness. It's become synonymous with the concept of Manifest Destiny in 19th Century American politics, the eventual westward expansion, and, of course, the so-named "Wild West" period that ensued. But before all that, the American Frontier was confined to the land west of the Appalachian Mountains along the country's eastern seaboard, where a group of hearty "overmountain men" lived and would play a significant role in the fight for independence against the British. Join me as we explore the Overmountain Men, this week on the 'History Loves Company' podcast!

The modern nation-state of Romania is a puzzle of sorts. Given its place in Eastern Europe, surrounded by mostly Slavic and Slavic-speaking countries, its people speak a tongue descended from Latin, the noble language of the Romans. Its name also gives a hint at ties to Rome, but before these lands fell under Roman influence and jurisdiction, they were united by a man who has since become a national hero the Romanians: Burebista. Join me today for a look at the reign and times of this great leader, who forged an empire all his own!

With several rescue and relief efforts underway, one would think the surviving Donner Party members' fates were secured. But alas, inclement weather and the limits of manpower meant that they still had several struggles to overcome, the like of which would cost some of them their lives. Tune in this week for the third and final installment of the Donner Party's epic journey.

When last we left our...heroes? Anti-heroes? Villains? Anyway, when last we left the Donner Party, they had rejoined the Oregon Trail after the disastrous "shortcut" that had been the Hastings Cutoff. But their troubles were only just beginning, as we'll discover in this week's episode, part two of the Donner Party.