Tired of the Treachery and Political Confusion of the 21st C?
July 10, 2016 8:15 AM Subscribe
If so, you can revel in the continual treachery and political confusion of the long history of England in its assorted forms via the History of England Podcast. The genial and enthusiastic David Crowther works his way through the tumultuous course of events, only occasionally enlisting his children to put on amateur theatricals to illustrate some dramatic moment or other.
The main website has a links to primary documents, and provides timelines, family trees, and similar aides, which are really useful when you get to the Wars of the Roses. He generally sums up each reign by referring to the critical historiographic texts 1066 and All That and The Ladybird Book of Kings and Queens of England, a bold step forward for audio historical scholarship.
His side project The Anglo Saxon England Podcast (currently on hold) reworks some of his earliest episodes to make them clearer and more detailed.
The main website has a links to primary documents, and provides timelines, family trees, and similar aides, which are really useful when you get to the Wars of the Roses. He generally sums up each reign by referring to the critical historiographic texts 1066 and All That and The Ladybird Book of Kings and Queens of England, a bold step forward for audio historical scholarship.
His side project The Anglo Saxon England Podcast (currently on hold) reworks some of his earliest episodes to make them clearer and more detailed.
So, I was a regular listener of this podcast, and it was super fun, but I had to eventually give up because goddamn does he get bogged down the the 100 Years War.
The History of Rome podcast covered 1000 years faster than this guy gets through 100, and it was like 4 years long.
posted by leotrotsky at 9:17 AM on July 10, 2016 [2 favorites]
The History of Rome podcast covered 1000 years faster than this guy gets through 100, and it was like 4 years long.
posted by leotrotsky at 9:17 AM on July 10, 2016 [2 favorites]
Yes, my wife is watching The White Queen, about the tumultuous reign of Edward IV, featuring his wife Elizabeth Woodville, and his brother Richard (she doesn't trust that guy - good instincts, my wife).
It was George, Duke of Clarence who was the shifty scheming rotter while Edward was alive, Richard doesn't turn until he passes. Although it is a hell of a turn. Apparently while Richard was hunting around for a figleaf to legitimize his takeover he floated the idea that his brother, Edward IV, had been illigitmate, therefore his sons couldn't inherit the throne. Ceciliy Neville, Richard and Edward's mom, was still alive for this, btw. Possibly why it didn't go over.
Crowther does get sucked in to the Hundred Year's war, but that's the Boy's Own in him that cant resist doing a blow-by-blow of all the famous battles. You might dig Rex Factor, leo, if Crowther is too slow for you.
posted by Diablevert at 9:36 AM on July 10, 2016 [1 favorite]
It was George, Duke of Clarence who was the shifty scheming rotter while Edward was alive, Richard doesn't turn until he passes. Although it is a hell of a turn. Apparently while Richard was hunting around for a figleaf to legitimize his takeover he floated the idea that his brother, Edward IV, had been illigitmate, therefore his sons couldn't inherit the throne. Ceciliy Neville, Richard and Edward's mom, was still alive for this, btw. Possibly why it didn't go over.
Crowther does get sucked in to the Hundred Year's war, but that's the Boy's Own in him that cant resist doing a blow-by-blow of all the famous battles. You might dig Rex Factor, leo, if Crowther is too slow for you.
posted by Diablevert at 9:36 AM on July 10, 2016 [1 favorite]
MAKE MERCIA GREAT AGAIN
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 9:37 AM on July 10, 2016 [19 favorites]
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 9:37 AM on July 10, 2016 [19 favorites]
So, I was a regular listener of this podcast, and it was super fun, but I had to eventually give up because goddamn does he get bogged down the the 100 Years War.
Ditto, I've been listening from the beginning and it really feels like the thread's getting lost and he's doing a lot more of the vamping that initially made the series so much fun. I think forty minute episodes aren't really working for the 100 Years War and Wars of the Roses; maybe it would be better if he just plowed through them using the Hardcore History 5 hour long megacast format.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:00 AM on July 10, 2016 [2 favorites]
Ditto, I've been listening from the beginning and it really feels like the thread's getting lost and he's doing a lot more of the vamping that initially made the series so much fun. I think forty minute episodes aren't really working for the 100 Years War and Wars of the Roses; maybe it would be better if he just plowed through them using the Hardcore History 5 hour long megacast format.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:00 AM on July 10, 2016 [2 favorites]
To be fair, everybody got bogged down in the Hundred Years' War.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 10:42 AM on July 10, 2016 [13 favorites]
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 10:42 AM on July 10, 2016 [13 favorites]
We're going to build a wall along the border, and make the Welsh pay for it!
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 10:51 AM on July 10, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 10:51 AM on July 10, 2016 [4 favorites]
I've listened to them all in the last year or so. I lost track of who and when about 2/3rds through but he is very pleasant company on the walk to and from work.
posted by gnuhavenpier at 12:40 PM on July 10, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by gnuhavenpier at 12:40 PM on July 10, 2016 [1 favorite]
I put this podcast in the "second tier," where I let the build up and listen to 5-6 at once when I get a chance. That helps with keeping the narrative push going. fortunately, while he takes breaks to run a series of social history episodes, he usually waits for a point where the "story" has paused, so you don't go through three weeks of economics, class, and material culture to get stuck trying to remember which set of earls were being dicks to the rest of them (hint: it's always all of them).
posted by GenjiandProust at 1:12 PM on July 10, 2016
posted by GenjiandProust at 1:12 PM on July 10, 2016
We're going to build a wall along the border, and make the Welsh pay for it!
The Picts, surely.
posted by jedicus at 2:51 PM on July 10, 2016 [1 favorite]
The Picts, surely.
posted by jedicus at 2:51 PM on July 10, 2016 [1 favorite]
The Welsh. Why don't you want Mercia to be great again?
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 3:30 PM on July 10, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 3:30 PM on July 10, 2016 [4 favorites]
Why don't you want Mercia to be great again?
Lemme hear you say
Fight the Powys
Lemme hear you say
Fight the Powys
We've got to fight the Powys that be
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 10:13 AM on July 11, 2016 [4 favorites]
Lemme hear you say
Fight the Powys
Lemme hear you say
Fight the Powys
We've got to fight the Powys that be
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 10:13 AM on July 11, 2016 [4 favorites]
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What I've learned from this show is that historically, politics and statecraft were just as high-stakes, just as ruthless as they are today. But unlike now, they were mostly conducted by adolescents in their full adolescent glory. God, no wonder so many people ended up dying horribly. Imagine a cross between House of Cards and Mean Girls. Show scares the living hell out of me!
posted by Naberius at 8:59 AM on July 10, 2016 [8 favorites]