Poet, adventurer, bard of the Yukon, and British cowboy (that's a thing) Robert W. Service (1874-1958) is showcased in this week's history byte, followed by a retelling of his spookiest of poems, The Cremation of Sam McGee. 

This is the first of THREE EXTRA episodes premiering this month just for your Halloween season enjoyment, so pumpkin up that coffee, put in those ear buds, dust off that Necronomicon, and go nuts. 

In 1914 the crew of the Endurance left to trek across the continent of Antarctica on foot. Led by Sir Ernest Shackleton, they believed their journey would bring them adventure, scientific discovery, and fame. What actually unfolded would become one of the greatest stories of human endurance the world has ever seen. Crushed by ice, lost, and wandering at the bottom of the world, they would harrow the most severe environment on Earth as they gave everything to make it home again. Come hear the story of the Trans Antarctic Expedition and the polar explorers that colored in the last pieces of the world's map. 

Come and meet Ham the astronaut chimp and discover how the animal astronauts of history just may have saved us all. Also featuring Space Dogs and one phenomenal Astro Cat for an episode that's literally out of this world. 

Come and meet Poll, a presidential parrot so extra that his epic level of snark still lives on today. 

Join us for Part 2 where we finish our exploration of the fierce, mysterious, and fascinating Shuar. This unconquerable tribe resisted conquest from both the Incan and Spanish empires, and was the only tribe in history to successfully revolt against the Spanish empire--and win. Find out who they were, who they are now, and buckle up for some truly epic Amazonian history. 

Hidden in the deepest interior of the Amazon lived the fierce, mysterious, and fascinating Shuar. This unconquerable tribe resisted conquest from both the Incan and Spanish empires, and was the only tribe in history to successfully revolt against the Spanish empire--and win. Come meet them in Part 1; hear their story and find out just what made them so epically unstoppable. 

And so it begins.