Western Civ

In this episode, Galileo finally turns his attention firmly to the heavens. Quickly, Galileo recognizes that, with this new technology, the telescope, he can decisively prove that both Ptolemy and Tycho Brahe were wrong. Copernicus was right. Today Galileo sets himself on a collision course with the Inquisition and the Roman Catholic Church. WebsitePatreon SupportWestern Civ 2.0 Free TrialThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5553835/advertisement

In this author interview, I sit down with Peter Sarris and discuss his latest book: Justinian: Emperor, Soldier, Saint. It is an excellent historical biography that covers the importance of one of the most influential figures of the Early Middle Ages. We talk about Rome, Persia, the plague, Belisarius, and, of course, Hagia Sophia. Links:Buy The BookWebsite Patreon Ad-Free ShowsWestern Civ 2.0This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5553835/advertisement

In this historian interview, I sit down with Tom Wheeler, author of Techlash: Who Makes the Rules in the Digital Gilded Age? We talk about economic explosion, social unrest, international competition, and even fake news. Can the problems of the past provide inspiration to the solutions of the future? Are we doomed to repeat the growing pains of the early Twentieth Century? We discuss all this and more.Buy the book HERE.WebsitePatreon Support This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5553835/advertisement

Here is a bonus, sneak peak of Western Civ 2.0. In my Patreon feed, we hit the proverbial reset button and start from scratch. The episodes are more detailed but the storytelling is the same. This is the principal way I support the show. Patreon offers a variety of options for support running as low as $1 per month. There is also a free trial wherein you check it out for a week free of charge.In this episode, I wrap up the Wars of the Successors. Alexander the Great's death in 323 BCE shattered his empire before it had the chance to get up and going. Ptolemy, Seleucus, and a slew of others fought over the remains until Rome gobbled it all up. Patreon FeedWebsiteThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5553835/advertisement

Today we get more into the meat of Galileo. He is remembered as someone willing to challenge the church on the issue of the geocentric universe. But he actually challenged a lot more than that. Today we will explore how Galileo challenged Aristotle's perceived truths and how that changed science. Website Patreon Ad-Free ShowsWestern Civ 2.0This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5553835/advertisement

We come now to the most recognizable name from the early Scientific Revolution: Galileo. Galileo studied motion, falling bodies, and, of course, the stars. His infamous Inquisition trial has made him a nearly household name. Today we begin his story. WebsitePatreon Free TrialWestern Civ 2.0 Free TrialThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5553835/advertisement

In this author interview, I sit down with renowned mathematician Marcus Du Sautoy and talk about his newest book: Around the World in 80 Games. I LOVE games, as will be apparent in this interview. And I could not miss the chance to talk to a mathematician about how, for example, my Risk strategy has been all wrong. Links:Buy The BookWebsite Patreon Free TrialWestern Civ 2.0 Free TrialThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5553835/advertisement

Nicholas Copernicus and Galileo Galilei usually get all the credit for the breakthroughs in astronomy in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries and rightfully so to an extent. However, though his efforts were far from "sexy", Tycho Brahe was an essential innovator in his own right during the early Scientific Revolution. Without Brahe, we might not get many aspects of modern science that we, frankly, take for granted today. In today's episode, I tell the tale of the early modern astronomer who lost half his nose in a duel. WebsitePatreon SupportWestern Civ 2.0This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5553835/advertisement

Today we finish Copernicus and inch toward Tycho Brahe. On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres was a truly monumental achievement. Sadly, its release was marred by a poorly added preface by Andreas Osiander. In the end, no one involved with its publication was pleased by the final product. Still, in this history podcast, we evaluate the role the work played in the beginning of the Scientific Revolution. WebsitePatreon Support Western Civ 2.0This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5553835/advertisement

There is no discussion of modern Roman Historiography without Tom Holland. He is one of the premier historians covering the medieval, classical, and ancient world. Today I get the pleasure of talking to him about his new book: Pax: War and Peace in Rome's Golden Age. We discuss Nero, Vesuvius, the Year of the Four Emperors, Vespasian and his sons: Titus and Domitian, and then the emperors of Rome's true golden age: Trajan and Hadrian. Pick up a copy of the book HERE.Check out the WEBSITE for more content.Join Western Civ 2.0 to support the show and receive bonus, ad-free content.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5553835/advertisement

You probably know the name, Copernicus. But you likely don't know the name, Rheticus. Well, today I explain why you should. Without Rheticus, On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Bodies might never get published and the Father of Astronomy might have been an unknown. In this history podcast, we take a look at Copernicus between roughly 1531 and 1540.WebsitePatreon SupportWestern Civ 2.0This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5553835/advertisement

Copernicus completes his studies and begins his major astronomical research. Before long, the Father of Modern Astronomy becomes convinced Ptolemy was wrong. The sun does not revolve around the earth. And that is not all Ptolemy was wrong about. WebsitePatreon Support Western Civ 2.0 Free TrialThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5553835/advertisement

Today we begin the life of Nicholas Copernicus - the father of modern astronomy. While there is a lot of validity to Copernicus' title, what I cover today are his immediate predecessors: George Peurbach and Regiomontanus. Without these two men, Copernicus might never have written On The Revolutions of the Heavenly Bodies. WebsitePatreon SupportWestern Civ 2.0This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5553835/advertisement

Bismarck. Napoleon III. France. Prussia. Germany. The siege of Paris. The great precursor to World War One. Today I talk about it all when I sit down with Rachel Chrastil and talk about her new book: Bismarck's War: The Franco-Prussian War and the Making of Modern Europe. Click the link to buy the book. But, honestly, even if you don't, you are going to love this excellent historian interview. WebsitePatreon Support Western Civ 2.0This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5553835/advertisement

In our last overview episode, before we start Copernicus, I want to cover the concept of the "fact" and the "experiment" as each pertains to the Scientific Revolution. Both were products of the Scientific Revolution and did not exist, at least in our modern sense, in the Middle Ages or prior. While Francis Bacon usually gets the credit for the "fact", the true story is more complicated.WebsitePatreon Free Trial Western Civ 2.0 Free TrialThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5553835/advertisement

Today I sit down with Historian Mark William Jones and discuss his newest book: 1923: The Crisis of German Democracy in the Year of Hitler's Putsch. The story of Hitler's rise to power is documented in many histories. Jones, however, gives a much more detailed account that describes how Hitler's rise was anything but inevitable. More than anything, the work serves as a cautionary tale about how we can never take democracy for granted.Links:Buy The BookWebsitePatreon Free TrialWestern Civ 2.0 Free TrialThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5553835/advertisement

Prior to the Scientific Revolution, math was considered a part of philosophy. But with a new emphasis on measurement and objective facts, it did not take long for mathematics to have a profound impact on the European world.WebsitePatreon Western Civ 2.0This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5553835/advertisement

Today we continue exploring the origins of the Scientific Revolution. If it was possible to sail across the Atlantic Ocean, and if there were large landmasses directly opposite Asia, then how the ancients had thought about the earth was wrong. The idea of Earth would need to be rethought and reconsidered. Moreover, while Columbus' discovery might have implications for the continents, it also had implications for the cosmos. WebsitePatreon Support (With Seven-Day Free Trial)Western Civ 2.0This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5553835/advertisement

It is weird to think about, but when Columbus "discovered" the New World there was no word for "discover" in English. Or French. Or Latin for that matter. Discover, as a word, did not exist because it was not something one did. Today I talk about the origins of the Scientific Revolution which are inherently grounded in the Age of Discovery. I also answer the question: can there be a Scientific Revolution without discovery?WebsitePatreon SupportWestern Civ 2.0This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5553835/advertisement

***NOTE: I was not able to upload this episode as one file which is not what I originally planned. So I had to break it in half. In this episode, I begin a deep dive into Hernando de Soto who, in so many ways, absolutely represents the conquistador era. I over Soto's travails through Panama with Balboa, in Nicaragua on his own, in Peru with Pizarro, and, ultimately, to La Florida. Soto would die in the wilds of Arkansas, still searching for that El Dorado he would never find. WebsitePatreon (Free Trial)Western Civ 2.0This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5553835/advertisement