World History by the Numbers
The History Fangirl Podcast
In this episode, I chat with Daniel Hoyer from Seshat about looking at history through a statistical lens. We discuss the and his new book, Figuring Out the Past: The 3,495 Vital Statistics that Explain World History. Let's Stay in Touch! You can join the conversation in our Facebook Group, , or come say hi on ! My Travel Websites - Culture & History Travel Guides in the USA, Europe, and Beyond - Balkan Travel Blog - Travel in Oklahoma & Route 66 The theme music for the podcast is "Places Unseen" by Lee Rosevere.
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Veliko Tarnovo: Bulgaria's Medieval Capital
The History Fangirl Podcast
In this episode, I chat with Eric Halsey from the Bulgarian History Podcast about the hidden gem of Veliko Tarnovo. This once-important Bulgarian city is one of the most picturesque in Europe, and yet not many outside of Bulgaria know much about it. You can find Eric's podcast Let's Stay in Touch! You can join the conversation in our Facebook Group, , or come say hi on ! More on Veliko Tarnovo: If you are planning to visit Veliko Tarnovo, here are our Veliko Tarnovo travel guides. My Travel Websites - Culture & History Travel Guides in the USA, Europe,...
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Stalking Chernobyl
The History Fangirl Podcast
Yes, it's been two years, and for that I'm very sorry! But I'm back with new episodes next week. In the meantime, enjoy this interview on Chernobyl I did a few weeks ago with Darmon Richter, the author of the new book Chernobyl, a Stalker's Guide. The theme music for the podcast is "Places Unseen" by Lee Rosevere.
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The Great Kazakh Famine
The History Fangirl Podcast
On today’s episode of the History Fangirl Podcast, we talk with renowned travel blogger Megan Starr, whom we spoke to a few months back about Kiev. But this week, we’re talking in person, in Kazakhstan, at the site of the memorial to the Great Kazakh Famine, a historical event which not many people know about in the West but looms large in the history of Kazakhstan. And, we both have recovered from the Kazakhstani flu that has been going around, so we’re ready to get rolling!
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The World Nomad Games
The History Fangirl Podcast
This week’s episode is something a little different. I am in Isyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan, covering the World Nomad Games, a festival of sports that’s sort of like the Olympics for nomadic peoples. The sports, though, are way more interesting than, say, basketball. My first interview this episode is with the co-captain of the American Kok Boru team (I’ll explain later), and the sports include horse archery, tug of war, arm wrestling and more.
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The Massacre at Srebrenica
The History Fangirl Podcast
Last year, Alex Cruikshanks came on the show to talk about Belgrade, a really detailed and wide-ranging episode. And we had such a great time, he’s back again to talk about more recent history in Yugoslavia, specifically the brutal massacre at Srebrenica. Yugoslavia, as anyone who was alive in the 1990s knows, was falling apart in the early part of the decade. The Bosnian War was raging, and in 1995, some 8,000 Bosniaks, mostly men and boys, were killed.
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The Strangely Competitive History of the CN Tower
The History Fangirl Podcast
Every city has that one landmark that seems like a tourist trap and practically begs you not to visit. For me, that was the CN Tower in Toronto. I didn’t go near it the first time I visited the city, and the second time, this past July, I planned to steer clear. But it turns out the joke was on me, as the CN Tower is an amazing building with a funny, competitive and ingenious bit of Canadian history.
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Traveling the Green Book
The History Fangirl Podcast
In the first half of the 20th century, the automobile became a symbol of freedom to American families. Middle-class families able to afford their own car were no longer restricted to train or bus timetables, and the great American road trip was born. But for black Americans, this new freedom collided with old hatred, prejudices and dangers. African Americans began using “the Green Book,” a guide to places that were friendly to them along their journey.
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The Best of The History Fangirl Podcast's First Year
The History Fangirl Podcast
We did it! Next week will mark a full year of publishing The History Fangirl Podcast, and this week marks the 50th episode, so it felt like the right time to do a retrospective of the first 12 months of the show. My producer picked a handful of his favorite clips (it was too hard for me to pick!) from the past year, and so this episode looks back on some of the fun and fascinating stories my amazing guests have told.
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Philadelphia's Elfreth's Alley
The History Fangirl Podcast
Philadelphia is by far one of my favorite American cities. I used to live there and run a photo-a-day website there, and it’s one of the best cities to live in if you’re a history buff. On today’s episode, we talk about the amazing Elfreth’s Alley, the oldest continually lived-on residential street in the country (hard to fit that on a title belt, but still pretty cool). I had the chance to take a tour of the street with the Elfreth’s Alley Association’s Board Member Brittany Thomas.
info_outlineEngland’s Windsor Castle has been home to 39 British monarchs, with its history stretching back nearly 1,000 years to William the Conqueror. My guest today is Deborah Cadbury, the author of Queen Victoria’s Matchmaking: The Royal Marriages That Shaped Europe, among many other books. We chat about the illustrious history of the castle, what historical events took place within its walls, and what it was like to do research in the Windsor Castle archives. British history buffs will not want to miss this episode.
Windsor and William the Conqueror
Windsor Castle is the oldest occupied castle in the world, but it’s even more than that. As Deborah tells me in this episode of History Fan Girl, the grounds of Windsor Castle are 13 acres, so it has the feel of a town. But it’s also a private residence and a window into 1,000 years of British history. It was originally picked by Saxon kings as a fortress, but in the 11th century, William the Conqueror chose it as one of nine castles to form a defensive ring outside of London. And it was chosen because of its elevation, its close proximity to the Thames, and just a day’s march from the Tower of London. It started out as a very simple design, with the round tower at the heart of the castle being one of the very first structures erected.
The Royal Archives of Windsor Castle
Anyone who loves history can appreciate the excitement in Deborah’s voice when she describes visiting the Windsor Archives. You have to, of course, first get permission to view the archives, and then you go right into the heart of the castle, climbing 200 stone steps to, as she said, “another world.” The first time she was granted permission, she was researching King George VI’s experience in World War II. And having those diaries from the king opened up the royal family to the historian in a whole new way. Deborah shares some fascinating insights into the monarchy, but also shares the enthralling process of the historian at work.
From William the Conqueror to King Edward
The stories Deborah has researched in Windsor Castle could fill a book (in fact, they’ve filled several of her books). When I ask her about events that have taken place in the castle, she speaks of King Edward abdicating the throne, Queen Victoria falling in love, and King Albert passing away. She told me about how William the Conqueror began building the castle, but his grandson made it into the stone structure it is now. But perhaps no event is more significant than the signing of the Magna Carta, which happened with Windsor Castle as the backdrop. And when you’re talking about 1,000 years of British history, you know there’s a lot more going on than that, and Deborah is an amazing storyteller to revel in that drama.
Windsor Castle: Where Britain unfolded
If you can’t climb the 200 steps to view the Royal Archives, the next best thing is listening to a wonderful historian like Deborah spin tales of Britain’s history. In addition to all of the stories that unfolded within Windsor’s walls, she gave us a sense of what architectural highlights to look for should you visit, like the dollhouse and St. George’s Chapel. We also discuss Queen Victoria’s legendary matchmaking skills, and Deborah’s beautiful book. If you love British history, or have binged your way through The Crown on Netflix and are suffering withdrawals, you need to listen to this episode.
Outline of This Episode
- [2:15] What Windsor Castle is like
- [7:22] The Windsor archives
- [11:34] Major events in Windsor Castle
- [15:25] Beginnings of the castle
- [22:06] Architectural highlights
- [25:07] Queen Victoria’s matchmaking
- [32:07] The marriage of the tsar and tsarina
- [37:27] How Deborah came to write her book
- [40:30] Visiting Windsor
Resources Mentioned
Connect With Stephanie
Featuring the song “Places Unseen” by Lee Rosevere.
More info and photographs for this episode at:
https://historyfangirl.com/windsor-castle/