Favorite History Podcasts

A trail of 65 pages, marked with comments, by Marje
About this trail:
History podcasts, history courses that are podcast, history podcast directories and history magazines that are podcast - all favorites of mine.
65 marks in this trail
1
Says Jim Mowatt, HistoryZine is a place for me to express the joy of discovery as I encounter the many surprises the past holds for me to uncover. Hugely entertaining, Historyzine includes history narrative, linguistic history trivia and reviews of other history podcasts.
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High school guy, Hank, broadcasts weekly podcasts   re: Advanced Placement European History - Hank has his own humorous style of story-telling - that makes history absolutely fascinating.
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"History from a big comfy amateur armchair." Fascinating documentary-style studies of various times in history ... the first four of which study the origins in British history of the American Constitution." I am especially fascinated by the author, Tony Cocks's, monologues about the British roots of the American constitution. I find myself listening to them over and over again. (Michael Woods and Dr David Starkey (an authority on the British monarchy) are cited as resources)
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Professor Bob Packet teaches history and absolutely adores telling stories about historical people, places and customs. His passion for history is obvious. This is an incredibly enthusiastic podcast, Bob's output is stunningly prolific, his conversational style is filled with anecdotes, quips and humor; he covers a huge breadth of subjects and often includes book titles and will allow you to dealve more deeply into the subject.
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This is a treasure trove of goodies. List of various history podcasts, podcast directories, history magazines, and online history courses. This is a blog that reviews and recommends podcasts. Includes over 360 podcasts, categorized into topics, with a leaning towards politics and history.
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Michael Anthony prepares a variety of snapshot studies of different periods and events in British History.
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The History of England from the Accession of James II is a work of epic scale covering only a short period of history. He briefly sketches out Britain’s history up until the Civil War and then he focuses more closely on the Stuart Kings leading up to a moment that he considers pivotal, that being ‘The Glorious Revolution’ of 1688. It’s a history that looks back on the growth of Liberalism (or Whiggism) as the culmination of all that England could want or hope to be. It has been criticised many times for this narrow focus but frankly this sells Macaulay’s work short.

He is a great writer who gives out his history as a grand performance. It is Macaulay who popularised history to such an extent that his books became ubiquitous throughout the homes of the literate during the Victorian era. His language is glorious, his rhetoric, awe inspiring, his vision, delightful.

Explore the 17th century and let Macaulay be your guide. You won’t regret it. Macaulay's prose is a thing of beauty. It is delightful to read and similarly delightful to listen to.  (25 chapters in all; a work in progress)
(Summary by Jim Mowatt)

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American History before 1870: These podcasts coordinate with Hist 1301, offered by Dr. Gretchen Ann Reilly at Temple College, in Temple, TX. Dr. Reilly makes American History fascinating!

This is the textbook's website ... there are lots of links and other resources here. http://wps.ablongman.com/long_nash_apbrief_4/
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Hugely entertaining, enthralling and informative  history podcasts with comments and reflections by history buff , Dan Carlin. He picks out bits of history and discusses why he finds them interesting. It makes the subject vital and encourages us to have a very personal interaction with history. Every podcast provokes thought and discussion, so included on this site is a bulletin board of people who love talking about history as well.

Another favorite podcast of mine is Dan Carlin's Common Sense - http://www.dancarlin.com/cspage1.asp
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Much of what we think are new events have occured over and over again, though often in different ways and with different outcomes. My History Can Beat Up Your Politics is a podcast that examines the historical foundation behind today's politics and provides layers and layers of historical insight to help you better understand current events.
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History Podcast is a podcast by Jason Watts devoted to learning about historical figures, events and places. It was started in 2005 and there are now over 100 podcasts available.
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This history lecture podcast covers the little known Byzantine Empire through the study of twelve of its greatest rulers. By Mr. Lars Brownworth, teacher of History at the Stony Brook School on Long Island, New York. 
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The National Constitution Center invites you to participate in a national conversation about the Constitution, its history and its contemporary relevance. Our programming features nationally recognized leaders debating and discussing the Constitution, our rights and responsibilities as citizens, and everyday politics. 
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A podcast dedicated to Tudor history. Well documented with links to music used in the podcast as well as links to original docs. Includes a Student Guide, Frequently Asked questions, and links to other Tudor enthusiasts on the web.
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This blog is made up of transcripts of Harry Lamin's letters from the first World War. The letters are being  posted exactly 90 years after they were written.
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Dattilo’s Matt’s Today in Historypresents a quick look at an event that happened on this day. Each is a short (5-10 minutes) podcast that brings you the story of an event that took place on today's date at some time in the past. From sobering to silly, from before the Roman Empire to the fall of Communism and beyond, we cover it all, a little at a time.
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Michael Anthony, the owner/host/producer of British History 101, wanted to share his fascination with the British Isles and learn more himself, and so decided to create his own podcast for the topic. He is a history student at Indiana University.
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The title, “History of Holland,” given to this volume is fully justified by the predominant part which the great maritime province of Holland took in the War of Independence and throughout the whole of the subsequent history of the Dutch state and people.
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Information about various history podcasts, including name of owner, creation date, description, episode frequency, number of subscribers, etc.
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European Civilization from the Renaissance to the Present. Thomas Laqueur's comprehensively tells and interprets European history as it unfolds and builds up to the Western World as we know it today.
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The goal of each of The Thomas Jefferson Hour® programs is to tease out the truth of each topic in the tradition of Thomas Jefferson - the founding father educated in Enlightenment ideals and considered by many to be the visionary of the founding of our nation.

Humanities scholar and author, Clay S. Jenkinson, adopts the persona of Jefferson each week to comment on current events and answer questions you may have about Jefferson's thoughts on any and all topics.

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Common Sense, Paine’s pro-independence monograph published anonymously on 10 January 1776, spread quickly among literate colonists. Within three months, 120,000 copies are alleged to have been distributed throughout the colonies, which themselves totaled only four million free inhabitants, making it the best-selling work in 18th-century America. Its total sales in both America and Europe reached 500,000 copies. It convinced many colonists, including George Washington and John Adams, to seek redress in political independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain, and argued strongly against any compromise short of independence.
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The U.S. Constitution: The United States Constitution is the legal backbone of the United States of America and comprises the basic laws of the United States Federal Government. Delegates from twelve of the thirteen original colonies put the Constitution’s frame work together in May 1787 in Philadelphia. The Constitution defines the three branches of government and their jurisdictions; they are the Executive Branch (President/Vice President), Legislative Branch (Congress comprised of the Senate & House of Representatives), and the Judicial Branch (the Supreme Court). The need for three branches of government was to create a separation of powers so that not one person or group has full responsibilities, but that they’re spread out and each branch must refer to the other by a means of checks and balances.
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Declaration of Independence is the document in which the Thirteen Colonies declared themselves independent of the Kingdom of Great Britain and explained their justifications for doing so. It was ratified by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.
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The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was ratified in 1948 by the United Nations General Assembly. It defines the fundamental rights of individuals, and exhorts all governments to protect these rights. The UN has translated the document into over three hundred languages and dialects. This audiobook includes readings in 21 languages
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Of all the beautiful women of history, none has left us such convincing proofs of her charms as Cleopatra, for the tide of Rome's destiny, and,
therefore, that of the world, turned aside because of her beauty. Julius Caesar, whose legions trampled the conquered world from Canopus to the Thames, capitulated to her, and Mark Antony threw a fleet, an empire and his own honor to the winds to follow her to his destruction.

Produced by peopletalk.libsyn.com and read by professional actress Sandra Ventris (she of the gorgeous voice).
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A weekly podcast tracing the history of the Roman Empire, beginning with Aeneas's arrival in Italy and ending (someday) with the exile of Romulus Augustulus, last Emperor of the Western Roman Empire.
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Another fascinating history podcast by Dr. Gretchen Ann Reilly at Temple College, in Temple, TX.  She also podcasts her American history courses. Says Dr. Reilly:

I can not pretend that these podcasts are comprehensive discussions of European History.  It is absurd-- to think that in 16 weeks you can discuss thousands of years of history in any kind of detail.  Much has been omitted and skimmed over.   These podcasts are meant to accompany and coordinate with the course’s textbook.  For those individuals who are willingly listening to these podcasts (as opposed to my students), that textbook is Jackson Spielvogel’s “Western Civilization”.

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The Teaching American History podcast will provide subscribers with a weekly seminar from a leading history scholar from our extensive audio archive.
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Professor Matthew Gabriele of Virginia Tech offers somw short descriptive discussions of important texts and authors from the Middle Ages - 300-1500 CE
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Two history scholars (husband and wife) put together historically accurate podcasts, relating to the fields they most enjoy. 
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The Gilder Lehrman page enables visitors to iTunes U to see and hear eminent historians discuss topics such as Lincoln and the Civil War, American Presidents, Slavery and Abolition, and the Great Depression and World War II.
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In partnership with ScottishPower, the University of Edinburgh hosts a series of speakers who examine aspects of the Enlightenment's legacy in the context of our own fraught and hectic times.
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A podcast to help with GCSE Modern World History Revision. The series will help students following this course in secondary schools in England and abroad to think - question - understand. The podcast is produced by teachers in the history department at Little Heath School, located in Reading, Berkshire, UK.
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News and Features from Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson. The Thomas Jefferson Foundation (formerly the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation) owns and operates Monticello - the only home in America on the elite World Heritage List of the United Nations.
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An immense amount of information about Napoleon Bonaparte told delightfully and enthusiastically by Cameron Rielly and David Markham. There is a real sense of life and vibrancy in these podcasts. The storytelling is enchanting and hugely entertaining.
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A BBC Radio 4 radio program about the "history of ideas."  In Our Time, BBC Radio 4. The big ideas which form the intellectual agenda of our age are illuminated by some of the best minds. Melvyn Bragg and three guests investigate the history of ideas and debate their application in modern life.
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UCTV delivers documentaries, faculty lectures, cutting-edge research symposiums and artistic performances from each of the ten UC campuses. In Conversations with History, distinguished men and women from all over the world talk about their lives and their work in lively and unedited interviews. Interviews span the globe and include discussion of political, economic, military, legal, cultural, and social issues shaping our world.
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Includes MP3 audio narrations of The Federalist Papers, Common Sense by Thomas Paine, Gettysburg Address, Declaration of Independence, US Constitution, Articles of Confederation, Typee by Herman Melville and the Bhagavid  Gita .
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Survey of the social, political, economic and cultural transformations that took place in colonial North America and the US from the 15th through the 19th centuries. This is a series of college lectures by Professor David Hoogland Noon.
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Survey of the political, social, cultural and economic history of the United States since the Civil War. A series of lectures from American History 132 (US since 1965), taught at the University of alaska Southeast by Professor David Hoogland Noon.
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As described on the website, "When we were children many of us sat in classrooms bored out of our minds. History was boring for many. IT is too often not taught as it should be. History is extraordinary people, amazing events, and world shaking concepts. It should be taught to the student not just repeated. This podcast is one of the many methods parnell (Trestin Meacham) uses to teach history. He tackles a wide range of subjects from Mongols to Buddha. Each week is a new look at the people, events and concepts of history. Most of all, it explains how it affects us." These are 8 - 15-minute podcasts and each treats a specific topic.
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A podcast about the history of man and his environment. Features interviews with people working in the field, reports on conferences and ciscussions on the use and methods of environmental history.
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Stanford offers a nice selection of podcasts of courses offered at the University.

Hannibel: This lecture series about Hannibal gives insight in the history of Hannibal, his trip over the Alps and Professor Patrick Hunt's efforts to reconstruct Hannibal's route over the Alps.
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History lectures by the talented professor Margaret Anderson about the history of Germany between the years 1820 and 1919. UC Berkeley Webcasts | Video and Podcasts.
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Professor Isabelle Pafford's lecture series, rapidly taking the listener through the Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations and then landing in detail on the Greeks and Romans. UC Berkeley Webcasts | Video and Podcasts.
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Top Notch! Professor Thomas Laqueur comprehensively tells and interprets European history as it unfolds and builds up to the Western World as we know it today. UC Berkeley Webcasts | Video and Podcasts.
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Professor Jennifer Burns lays out American History in 39 lectures lasting less than one hour each. She describes the course this way: History 7b, Introduction to the History of the United States, 1865-2005, is the basic introductory class for 20th century American history at UC Berkeley. With an enrollment that usually tops 500 students, it is the history department’s largest class and one of the largest classes at the university. History 7b is a pre-requisite for several different majors, including history, political science, and mass communications. It also fulfills the university’s American Cultures requirement. As such, the course is geared to non-majors and assumes little prior knowledge of American history. For this reason, I keep the lectures basic and also try to cover a little bit of everything over the 40-odd sessions. As I tell my students, view this class as a survey and overview, rather than the last word! My hope is that a topic I cover briefly will capture your interest, inspiring you to more in-depth learning and understanding.
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The aim of ‘Your History’ is to be an enjoyable podcast that is solely based on interesting events from the past. Whether it is a small scuffle that broke out in the streets of Rome due to a clumsy shopper breaking a pot, or the King of England having someone try and pull his coat off him on horseback. Dan hopes to put out a podcast every two weeks. Says Dan Brown "If you subscribe to this podcast you will be taken on a fascinating journey through all sorts of places and meet amazing characters from history!" Website includes lists of interesting links, books and other history podcasts.
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This inspiring speech was delivered by Patrick Henry on the brink of the Revolutionary War. This key speech in American history called forth the Founding Fathers to break the encroaching chains of slavery put on them by the British. It's a stirring cry for freedom delivered with gusto by narrator Jon Reiss
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lots to chew on here; many other topics of study available at the Do it yourself scholar.
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As described by the author,  Historicast is hosted by Jordan, a York University (Canada) student and enthusiast of history.
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This is an ever-growing list of history books being made available for free by Librivox.org. Includes works in progress. Among the completed works are: Alexander the Great, Cleopatra and Peter the great by Jacob Abbott, The South Pole by Roald Amundsen, Fifty Famous Stories Retold by James Baldwin, Life in Mexico by Frances Calderon de la Barca, History of the United States by Charles Beard, A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains by Isabella Bird, Early Kings of Norway by Thomas Carlyle, History of Greece to the Death of Alexander the Great by John Bagnell Bury, A Short History of England by G. K. Chesterton, and many many more.
1. thank you marje,
this is a most wonderful source for me
Anne

Posted at 18:12 on 2008-03-08 by AnneTheMan

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