We talk about four pieces of 19th century art which directly respond to the events of the French Revolution.

We talk about how the First Republic spiraled into confusion, widespread paranoia, imprisonments, and mass executions, all in the name of "liberty."

We talk about the tensions building in 1789: how the French Crown found itself in inescapable debt, how the peasants and the nobles came together to overthrow the old system, and how the medieval fortress, the Bastille, was taken by revolutionaries.

We begin our discussion of the French Revolution, looking at the three estates of life in 17th century France, as well as the Age of Enlightenment philosophies that provoked change.

Salmagundi the third! We mix it up, combining eight mini topics into a gallimaufry of assorted trivia. This macédoine of an episode features seven unrelated but fascinating discussions. None of these brief topics could be an episode on their own, but they deserved to be heard so we created this farrago for your enjoyment.

Attu Island: It’s the American island that’s closer to Russia than to Juneau, so far west that it’s east, and so remote that it’s impractical to visit. Yet, for decades militaries and ornithologists have flocked there at great cost. We discuss the weird historical, geographical, and zoological attributes of the most interesting island you’ve never heard of. *Quick correction: The Battle of Attu Island was the only *land* battle fought in the US during WWII. Pearl Harbor took place six months earlier in Hawaii, an American territory.

We discuss the US Army’s genius plan to cross the American southwest using camels, and the reasons why this great idea failed.

We discuss the (abridged) history of the Christmas holiday. How was December 25th chosen as the day? Who was the first person to put lights on the tree? And why did opposing soldiers during WWI spontaneously put down their weapons and sing carols together in no man’s land?

We close out our series on the English Revolution by talking about Queen Anne, the "last" monarch of England, and her relationship with her Favourite, Sarah Churchill, the Duchess of Marlborough.

We talk about the revolution in England, yet another fight in the saga of Catholics and Protestants, and how the monarchy was permanently changed when William of Orange showed up in London.