Conversations: Family of Spies, w/ Christine Kuehn
History Shorts
In this Conversation Series episode of History Shorts, Peter sits down with Christine Kuehn and her husband, Mark, to unpack the extraordinary true story behind Christine’s latest book, Family of Spies. What begins as a personal family mystery unfolds into a sweeping tale of secret agents, betrayal, and the hidden intelligence battles of World War II. Drawing on newly uncovered documents, diaries, and long-buried records, Christine and Mark reveal how an ordinary American family became entangled in a global web of Nazi espionage — and how their story connects to some of the most...
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How 'Dark' Were the Greek Dark Ages?
History Shorts
After the collapse of the great Mycenaean palaces around 1200 BCE, the ancient Greek world entered a mysterious era often called the Greek Dark Ages—a time when cities vanished, writing disappeared, and long-distance trade fell silent. For centuries, history seemed to fade into myth, leaving behind only scattered villages, buried ruins, and the echoes of heroic stories that would later inspire Homer’s epics. Yet just how “dark” was this age? SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: LEARN MORE: SPONSORED BY:
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George Washington's Spies
History Shorts
Long before modern intelligence agencies existed, George Washington relied on an unlikely network of merchants, tavern keepers, and ordinary civilians operating in the shadows of British-occupied New York. Known today as the Culper Ring, this secret spy network became one of the most effective intelligence operations of the American Revolution. SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: LEARN MORE: SPONSORED BY:
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Berlin: The Brutal Last Chapter of WWII
History Shorts
In the spring of 1945, as Nazi Germany collapsed under relentless pressure, the final battle for the German capital became one of the most brutal chapters of World War II. The Battle of Berlin marked not only the end of the Third Reich but also the beginning of a dark and complicated legacy shaped by revenge, trauma, and the chaos of total war. As Soviet forces pushed into the shattered city, they carried with them the scars of years of devastation inflicted by Nazi Germany across Eastern Europe. What followed was a victory overshadowed by widespread violence against civilians—events that...
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Pen Pals with the President
History Shorts
Before he became one of America’s most unexpected reform presidents, Chester A. Arthur was widely dismissed as a creature of political machines—a man few believed would ever rise above patronage and scandal. Then, during one of the most turbulent moments in his life, a quiet voice began reaching him through a series of handwritten letters. That voice belonged to Julia I. Sand, a politically engaged New Yorker who never held office, never wielded power, and never even received a reply—yet wrote dozens of deeply personal letters urging Arthur to lead with integrity, courage, and reform....
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The Roaring 20s
History Shorts
It was an age of jazz and speakeasies, stock tickers and skyscrapers—an era that looked unstoppable. In the wake of World War I, the United States surged forward into what became known as the Roaring 1920s. Cities exploded with energy, radios crackled with new voices, women pushed social boundaries, and a booming stock market convinced millions that prosperity was permanent. Beneath the glitter, however, lay Prohibition, organized crime, racial violence, political corruption, and an economy built on borrowed confidence. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW!...
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Saint Louis IX: The Perfect Medieval King?
History Shorts
In an age defined by war, cruelty, and dynastic ambition, one king earned a reputation so extraordinary that he was later declared a saint. Louis IX of France, better known as Saint Louis, ruled 13th-century France with an intensity of faith, justice, and personal discipline rarely seen in medieval monarchy. He dispensed justice beneath an oak tree, reformed royal courts, strengthened the French crown without constant bloodshed—and yet led disastrous crusades that cost thousands of lives, including his own. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN...
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Conversations: The Real Story Behind the Blood Countess, w/ Shelley Puhak
History Shorts
In this special Conversation Series episode of History Shorts, Peter sits down with Shelley Puhak to explore her gripping new book, The Blood Countess — a haunting deep dive into one of Europe’s most infamous noblewomen. Often remembered through legend as a sadistic vampire-like figure, Elizabeth Bathory has long hovered between history and horror story. In this conversation, Puhak peels back centuries of myth to examine what the evidence actually shows, how politics and gender shaped Bathory’s downfall, and why her story has been sensationalized for over 400 years. DON’T FORGET...
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Germany vs. Japan: The Forgotten Conflict of WWI
History Shorts
Before they were allies in World War II, Germany and Japan were enemies. In the opening months of World War I, Japan entered the war not as a future Axis partner, but as an ally of Britain—and swiftly turned its attention toward German colonial possessions in the Pacific and China. What followed was a brief but consequential conflict that saw Japan seize German territory, expand its regional influence, and lay the groundwork for tensions that would echo through the 20th century. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SUPPORT THE SHOW: ...
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Penny Auctions: Defiance in the Great Depression
History Shorts
During the darkest years of the Great Depression, Americans didn’t just lose jobs, homes, and savings—they lost faith in the systems meant to protect them. Out of that desperation emerged a strange and deeply revealing phenomenon: penny auctions. On courthouse steps and dusty town squares, neighbors gathered as foreclosed farms, homes, and equipment were auctioned off—often for just a few cents. But these weren’t ordinary sales. Communities quietly conspired to sabotage the auctions themselves, intimidating outside bidders and ensuring property could be returned to its original owners...
info_outlineBefore he became one of America’s most unexpected reform presidents, Chester A. Arthur was widely dismissed as a creature of political machines—a man few believed would ever rise above patronage and scandal. Then, during one of the most turbulent moments in his life, a quiet voice began reaching him through a series of handwritten letters.
That voice belonged to Julia I. Sand, a politically engaged New Yorker who never held office, never wielded power, and never even received a reply—yet wrote dozens of deeply personal letters urging Arthur to lead with integrity, courage, and reform.
DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!
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