Charlemagne was a king, emperor, conqueror, reformer, and the father of a united Europe. On this episode we look at how he forged the Holy Roman Empire and built the foundations of western civilization as we know it.

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Sources:

Two Lives of Charlemagne by Einhard and Notker

Charlemagne From the Hammer to the Cross by Richard Winston

King and Emperor: A New Life of Charlemagne by Janet Nelson

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Writing, research, and production by Ben Wilson.

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Lee Kuan Yew took a crowded, dirty, poor port town, and turned it into one of the world's great cities. How was he able to lead such an incredible transformation of Singapore?

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Sponsors:

https://www.costofglory.com/cog-retreats/texas-retreat - Austin Retreat with the Cost of Glory January 23-26. Use code TAKEOVER for $200 off.

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Stay in touch:

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Sources:

No Man Is An Island: A Portrait of Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew by James Minchin

Lee Kuan Yew: The Grandmaster's Insights on China, United States, and the World by Graham Allison, Michael McConnohie, et al.

From Third World to First by Lee Kuan Yew

Singapore: A Modern History by Michael D Barr

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Writing, research, and production by Ben Wilson.

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John Williams is the brilliant composer behind film scores like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, Jaws, Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List, and more. On this episode, we take a look

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HTTOTW Premium - For all endnotes, takeaways, and bonus episode, subscribe to How to Take Over the World Premium

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Stay in touch:

Twitter/X: @BenWilsonTweets

Instagram: @HTTOTW

Email me: [email protected]

Sources:

Music By John Williams on Disney Plus

John Williams Always Settles The Score - Vanity Fair

John Williams: The Force Is With Him - uDiscoverMusic

The Force Is Still Strong with John Williams - The New Yorker

An Interview with John Williams - Symphony.org

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Writing, research, and production by Ben Wilson.

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My takeaways and endnotes from the life of Augustus Caesar. Plus a conversation with Alex Petkas, and a review of Gladiator II!

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How does one go about creating the Roman Empire? That is exactly what Caesar Augustus did, and on this episode, we dive into the strategies, tactics, and approaches that made it possible.

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Twitter/X: @BenWilsonTweets

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Email me: [email protected]

Sources:

Augustus: The Biography by Jochen Bleicken

Augustus: First Emperor of Rome by Adrian Goldsworthy

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Writing, research, and production by Ben Wilson.

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Who was Vlad Dracula, and how did he go from Romanian ruler to blood-sucking monster?

On this episode we dive into the strategies and tactics that Dracula used to take power, how he became a legend, and what we can learn from him.

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Becoming The Main Character

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How did Grigory Rasputin become a close personal advisor to one of the most powerful people on earth, despite having no education, no money, and no accolades whatsoever?

On this episode we dive into the strategies and tactics that Rasputin used to become one of the most controversial and influential people in the world, and we discover the truth behind the legend.

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Becoming The Main Character

Cost of Glory Podcast

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What was it about Christianity that allowed it to grow from a few dozen believers to a global religion with billions of adherents? On this episode, we go through how Christianity became a global religion and what attributes enabled its rise.

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Sources:

The Triumph of Christianity: How a Forbidden Religion Swept the World by Bart D Ehrman

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Constantine the Great united the Roman empire, founded one of the world's great cities, oversaw the creation of Christianity's most famous creed, and laid the groundwork for the widespread adoption of Christianity throughout Europe and the Middle East. How was he able to accomplish so much in one lifetime?

On this episode, we explore his life, his impact, and how he was able to build such a powerful movement.

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Sources:

The Reign of Constantine, 306–337: Continuity and Change in the Late Roman Empire by Stanislav Dolezal

Constantine: Roman Emperor, Christian Victor by Paul Stephenson

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Simon Peter was Jesus's top guy. But he also denied him three times, and constantly got in trouble for misunderstanding Jesus's message. In this episode we dissect what eventually made him a great follower, and leader.

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