The Biographers

In series 12 of The Biographers, we're talking about one of the truest titans of American literature to ever put pen to paper: Mark Twain. Given the name Samuel Langhorne Clemens at birth in the pre-Civil War era of America, our next subject would grow up in a time of slavery, witness its abolition, and grow to become an outspoken opponent of racism. His childhood was often times idyllic, but was not without its moments of extreme trauma and tragedy. Thankfully, literacy was on the rise, and through the magic of books, young Sammy Clemens was able to find an escape from the drudgery and sadness of his youth, and forge some unforgettable friendships. His childhood would abruptly come to an end, however, and at just 12 years old he would enter the workforce. Tune in for part 1 of Mark Twain to learn more! (Ep. 061)

It's time for another laid-back episode of Office Hours! A bit of nonsense as usual, chatting about mini vans, how they are superior to SUVs, and how trucks are worst, but we also talk a lot about corrections and answers to questions from the past series on Alexandre Dumas. We're relaxing this week, but will be back in two weeks as we start up a monster series on the legendary Mark Twain!

In the final episode of our series, we cover the last years of General Alexandre Dumas. With the smoldering wreck of The Orient sinking in Aboukir Bay, Dumas and his men abandoned their military charge and were reduced to a single objective: survive. With the help of Napoleon's band of academic geniuses, the French armies were stabilized, and the world's first institute of Egyptology was established. After putting down a revolt in Cairo, Dumas set sail for home, only to discover that the ship he had boarded was falling apart at sea. When he and his men were forced to dock in Italy, they were greeted by an unexpected host — an encounter that would later inspire his son to write The Count of Monte Cristo. Upon finally returning to France, Dumas realized that it was no longer the republic he had left behind, and his many years as a soldier would soon begin to catch up with him. Tune in to our final episode on General Alexandre Dumas to bid this hero a fond farewell! (Ep. 060)

In part four of Alexandre Dumas, we cover General Dumas's time under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte. Dumas would be sent to engage the "unwindable" parts of France, laying siege to the city of Mantua, and recovering a secret letter just in time to save his troops, but would have his named wiped from the newspapers by a jealous Napoleon. Demoted for “insubordination,” Alexandre went on to lead a subdivision in pursuit of the Austrians through the northern mountains of Italy. Personal tragedy fueled his rage, and Austrian soldiers gave him the bitter moniker “The Black Devil.” After an unbelievable shootout on the Bridge of Tyrol, Dumas would be sent on a secret expedition before a massive armada set sail for the sands of Egypt. Here, Alexandre would begin to truly understand the dangerous ego of the infamous Napoleon Bonaparte. Tune in for part four to learn more! (Ep. 059)

In part three of our series on Alexandre Dumas, we see the French Revolution enter phase two with the arrival of the Reign of Terror, led by the infamous Maximilien Robespierre. During this turbulent period, Alexandre earned a reputation as a commander with a remarkable ability to transform undisciplined troops into effective fighting forces — a skill that eventually elevated him to the rank of General. However, his rise was not without hardship. The French armies suffered heavy casualties under the rule of a government that had recently adopted the guillotine to dole out punishment. Through it all, Alexandre remained principled, denouncing the regime's bloodthirsty tactics while staying loyal to a country determined to see its revolution through. Tune in to part three of our series on Alexandre Dumas to learn more! (Ep. 058)

In part two of our series on the legendary French soldier Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, we witness the rise of a humble soldier as he climbs the ranks of the newly established national military during the early days of the French Revolution. After famine ravaged the population, France was in turmoil and hungry for change, leading the people to overthrow their king and establish the first democratic nation in modern Europe. Soon, Austria threatened to crush the French uprising, and Alexandre's battalion was stationed in a small town in the French countryside. It was there that he would fall in love—and despite being a person of color in a time when racism was still rampant—he was granted the hand of his beloved. But the French Revolution was only in its infancy, and Alexandre would soon be called upon to help command France’s first all-Black legion of soldiers. Tune in for part two of Alexandre Dumas to learn more! (Ep. 056)

We're back, and it's officially time to start up Series 11! For this series, we're getting back to our roots by discussing a person most people have never heard of. While many do know the name "Alexandre Dumas" — author of classic stories like The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers — most probably don't know that his father was actually the real-life inspiration for those classic adventure stories. That's right: we're not talking about Alexandre Dumas (Jr.), but rather his father. Born into slavery in Haiti, Alexandre Dumas (Sr.) would be no stranger to hardship throughout his early life, witnessing the sale of his entire family whom he would never see again. As a teenager, he found himself living the life of an aristocrat in Paris, rapidly receiving an education and learning the art of fencing, all before denouncing his deplorable father's family name and enlisting in the French military. Tune in for part one of our series on Alexandre Dumas Sr. to learn more — this is a story you really have to hear to believe! (Ep. 056)

It's time for another episode of Office Hours, but this one will be slightly different, in that Akiva is out of town! Don't worry -- he'll be back next time, but this means today's episode of Office Hours will be short and sweet.

In the conclusion episode of our series on the Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa, we take a look at the darker days of his life and the deeds that earned him the oft-overlooked reputation of a villain. Despite many of the initial goals of the Mexican Revolution being achieved, Pancho continued to fight, even as most of his army dwindled away. In the final years of his life, he committed some of his most heinous acts, making vengeful enemies who would ultimately become his assassins. Tune in for part five of Pancho Villa to decide for yourself whether this legendary figure of the Mexican Revolution was a hero or a villain. (Ep. 055)

In part four of our series on Pancho Villa, we witness Pancho rise to become the single most powerful person in the country of Mexico, after the notorious Victoriano Huerta is finally overthrown. The revolutionaries were victorious in their task, but the various leaders of the revolution couldn't seem to find a compromise on how to move the nation forward, which then led to a civil war breaking out between them. The third phase of the Mexican Revolution was about to kick off, and Pancho was about to discover that he wasn't quite as invincible as he had previously thought. Join us for part four of our series as we continue to unpack the fascinating character of Pancho Villa. (Ep. 054)