Radio Free History

Our hosts look continue their investigation of how modern art got so ugly, starting with a look at some of the entries in the 2024 Whitney Biennial. We then look at how the concept of art came about in the 18th and 19th centuries. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory

Our hosts look (with some exasperation) at the finals of the 2024 Turner Prize, and ask how modern art got so ugly. More importantly, what is art and why does it cover so many of these ugly works? The story behind that question goes all the way back to the Renaissance. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory 

Our hosts look at the life and times of Fred Phelps, the founder and face of the infamous Westboro Baptist Church. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory 

In a break from the usual format, this is Radio Free History's first interview episode, where we talk to a local (and well-respected) martial arts instructor about the history of Kung Fu and martial arts generally in the West, up to the current day with MMA. He dispels some common myths about martial arts that persist, often due to dramatic depictions in movies and media. At the end, we spend some time discussing how his training is relevant to his work with an international disaster relief charity. If you would like to donate or volunteer, please go to https://globalmedic.ca/. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory 

The conclusion of the previous episode about Francis Walsingham and the Elizabethan spy rings. In this episode, we see how Walsingham was directly involved with two historic events: the trial of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the defeat of the Spanish Armada. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory 

The Elizabethan age was in inflection point, when a lot of the things we associate with England came into being. The foundations of modern English culture, art, and religion are all products of the age. It was also a time when spies and informants were everywhere, and they played a crucial role in the struggle between the English Protestants and Catholics. James Bond may have been written during the reign of Elizabeth II, but he would have been right at home during the reign of Elizabeth I. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory 

When you dig into the history of any European country, the 16th century is always an inflection point, either because of the Reformation or the Renaissance. Our hosts take a bird's eye view to see just what the Continent (as a whole) looked like before and after this period of change. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory 

We've all heard the story of Al Capone making his fortune running rum from Canada to Chicago, as portrayed in classic films like The Untouchables. But what was the story of the man on the other end of that supply line? https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory

The Hell's Angels are the world's largest and most famous biker club, but like any other large organization or business, they have rules and procedures to work at scale. In this episode, the boys take a look at the world's most famous biker gang, and how it runs. It turns out that it's not so different from a franchise operation. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory 

The second in a series of episodes looking at the history of North America as a whole, we look at the Mexican-American War, including the run-up and aftermath. In less than 20 years, the map was redrawn in essentially every region on the mainland of the continent, and it was all related (directly or tangentially) to one conflict. https://www.subscribestar.com/radio-free-history https://ko-fi.com/radiofreehistory