About
“Discipline is choosing between what you want now and what you want most”
We probably all have a preferred way of learning - by reading a book, listening to a podcast, watching a video, etc. Someone might like to start with a visual historical overview, i.e. a map and a summary, before plunging into to the details. This site is an attempt to convey such an overview.
Like many others I discovered history through Mike Duncan's History of Rome podcast series. By the time of the Punic wars I was hooked. It was a triplet of events - the consultation of the sacred chickens*, the rise of Hannibal and the description of Scipio Africanus as "an incredibly magnetic cross between Jim Morrison, Alexander the Great and Jesus" **.
From Rome I took the obvious step - Dan Carlin's Hardcore History. The outcome was never in doubt. "Wrath of the Khans", "Blueprint for Armageddon","King of Kings",... I even thought I saw Erich Ludendorff at the grocery store at one point.
I listen to a ton of great podcasts. But History of Rome and Hardcore history will always have a special place in my heart.
If you choose to wander outside of history I liked episodes 108 - 114 (The Frankfurt School) of Philosophize this!. Another good starting point is perhaps episode 137 - 139 (Rawls, Nozick, Von Hayek).
I'd also like to recommend Ask a spaceman!. Sometimes it seems, you can ask a person about almost any historical event and get an accurate description back. But when asked e.g. which is the most abundant element in the Universe, a rather fundamental question, he cannot answer. Episodes 115 - 122 are investigating string theory. I'm not even qualified to have an opinion on string theory itself but the episodes touches on several important and interesting concepts.
- * 13:37 in episode "20b - The First Punic War"
- ** 13:19 in episode "23d - The War With Hannibal"