Conversations: The Lost Cities of El Norte, w/ Peter Stark
History Shorts
In this week’s Conversation Series, Peter sits down with bestselling historian and adventurer Peter Stark to discuss his gripping new book, The Lost Cities of El Norte. Together, they journey into the brutal and little-understood world of Spanish exploration in North America, following Francisco Vázquez de Coronado and his ill-fated quest for legendary cities of gold. Stark brings cinematic detail to a story often overshadowed by later colonial narratives, revealing a landscape of immense hardship, cultural collision, and fierce Indigenous resistance. The conversation explores not only the...
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Legend of the Loveland Frogman
History Shorts
Few American legends are as strange—or as stubbornly persistent—as the Loveland Frogman. First reported in the 1950s along the banks of the Little Miami River in Loveland, Ohio, witnesses described a bizarre, human-sized creature with leathery skin, bulging eyes, and the posture of a man… but unmistakably frog-like. In this episode of History Shorts, we dive into the origins of the legend, the chilling police encounters of the 1970s, and the question that continues to linger: hoax, misidentification, or something else entirely? We explore how local folklore, media coverage, and...
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Who Was Muhammad? The Story of Islam's Prophet
History Shorts
The life of Prophet Muhammad is one of the most transformative stories in world history—one that reshaped not only the Arabian Peninsula, but the course of civilization itself. In this episode of History Shorts, we trace Muhammad’s journey from an orphan in Mecca to the founder of a global faith. We explore the pivotal moment of revelation in the cave of Jabal al-Nour, the challenges he faced spreading his message, and the historic migration—known as the Hijra—to Medina. Along the way, we examine the social, political, and spiritual legacy he left behind, from the unification of...
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Grisly Papal Deaths
History Shorts
The papacy is often seen as one of the most sacred institutions in history—but behind the grandeur of St. Peter’s lies a far darker story. In this episode, we explore the most shocking and mysterious deaths of popes across the centuries, from suspicious poisonings to violent ends and sudden, unexplained collapses. Figures like Pope John VIII, rumored to have been murdered in a conspiracy, and Pope Alexander VI, whose death sparked whispers of poison and betrayal, reveal a papacy entangled in politics, ambition, and danger. SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: LEARN...
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The Last U.S. Cavalry Charge in History
History Shorts
In January 1942—amid the chaos of Japan’s rapid advance in the Pacific—an echo of an older kind of warfare thundered across the battlefield. In this episode, we revisit the last mounted cavalry charge in U.S. military history, carried out near Morong during the early days of World War II. Led by Edwin Price Ramsey, American and Filipino cavalrymen launched a desperate, daring attack against advancing Japanese forces—sabers drawn, horses charging into modern war. SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: LEARN MORE: SPONSORED BY:
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Audie Murphy and the Cost of Courage
History Shorts
Before he became one of the most decorated soldiers in American history, Audie Murphy was just a quiet, underage teenager from Texas looking for a way out. In this episode, we follow Murphy’s extraordinary rise during World War II—from a slight, overlooked recruit to a battlefield legend who single-handedly held off an entire German force in a burning tank destroyer. His bravery would earn him the Medal of Honor and make him a national hero. But this is not just a story of heroism—it’s a story of its cost. Behind the headlines and Hollywood fame, Murphy carried the invisible...
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Killing Hypatia
History Shorts
In this episode, we explore the life and tragic death of Hypatia—a brilliant mathematician, philosopher, and teacher in Alexandria. Revered by students and respected across religious lines, Hypatia represented the enduring legacy of classical learning at a time when the Roman world was rapidly changing. SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: LEARN MORE: SPONSORED BY:
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Conversations: A Road Trip Through U.S. History, w/ Beverly Gage
History Shorts
In this episode of the History Shorts Conversation Series, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Beverly Gage joins us to discuss her new book This Land Is Your Land: A Road Trip Through U.S. History.Yale professor Gage spent years traveling the country, visiting museums, battlefields, roadside attractions, living-history sites, a nuclear silo, and even a sex commune — all to understand how Americans actually encounter and argue about their past. Timed for the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary, the book explores 13 key places that reveal our greatest triumphs, deepest contradictions,...
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The Fall of Valerian and Rome's Darkest Hour
History Shorts
In the third century, the mighty Roman Empire faced one of its most humiliating and devastating moments. In this episode, we explore the shocking downfall of Valerian, the Roman emperor who marched east to confront the rising power of Shapur I—and never returned. Instead, Valerian became the first Roman emperor ever captured alive by a foreign enemy, an event that sent shockwaves across the ancient world. As plague, invasion, and internal chaos tore at Rome’s foundations, Valerian’s capture symbolized something far worse than military defeat—it exposed the empire’s growing fragility...
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Battle of Hastings
History Shorts
In 1066, the fate of England was decided on a single battlefield. In this episode, we dive into the dramatic clash at Battle of Hastings, where William the Conqueror faced off against Harold Godwinson in a fight for the English crown. What began as a disputed succession quickly turned into one of the most consequential battles in European history. From the disciplined Norman cavalry to the stubborn Anglo-Saxon shield wall, we explore the tactics, turning points, and moments of chaos that defined the day. And at the center of it all lies a single, legendary moment—the death of a king that...
info_outlineIn the late 19th century, one naval officer reshaped how the world understood power itself—not through speeches or battlefield heroics, but through a book. Alfred Thayer Mahan, a U.S. Navy captain and historian, argued that national greatness depended on control of the seas. His landmark work, The Influence of Sea Power upon History, would go on to transform military strategy across continents.
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