Patreon Newsletter #11

Dear Patrons,

It's been a few weeks since our last newsletter - only because we've been releasing so many new videos! It was a busy July, and there's still lots going on, so here's our round-up of the latest production news...

Poll Result

The big news is the result of our latest poll, which closed just a few hours ago.

From our All-American shortlist, we have a clear winner - with 36% of 505 votes cast - The American Revolution!

I'm particularly pleased that this was the winner for various reasons - it was a close runner-up in previous polls, it's such a brilliant, world-shaking topic, it was the focus of my Senior Honours course at university, so I've got lots of opinions! And lastly, I think our Anglo-American production team will do a really brilliant job - as long as we don't come to blows over it...

The Spanish-American Wars of Independence was a very respectable second place, and will definitely return as an option in a future poll.

Napoleon Announcement

As trailed in our poll post... big news for Napoleonic Wars fans - after the American Revolution, we will begin our long-requested remake of Waterloo and the Hundred Days (the channel's very first video from 2015.) The new version will be at least 3 episodes, with more detail, more bangs, more map, more everything.

Production updates

No big news or reveals on our other productions yet, but rest assured, we are hard at work on...

• The Battle of Marengo

• The Battle of Trafalgar

• Voices of the Peninsular War

• World War Two

• More than a dozen new Shorts, featuring everything from the Silk Roads to an attempt to summarise Marshal Murat's career in 60 seconds.

One Cool History Thing

Has anyone noticed a certain sporting event called the Olympic Games taking place in Paris at the moment? Did you also notice just how many cool historic locations are being used as venues?

Here's a quick rundown of some of the best, and their place in French history:

Château de Versailles (Equestrian, Modern Pentathlon, Para Equestrian)

The huge grounds of the Palace of Versailles seem a fitting venue for the equestrian events. The cross-country course takes competitors around the Grand Canal, along the same paths ridden by kings and queens over the centuries. Napoleon used the Grand Trianon within the grounds as a spring residence from 1810-1814. And of course, in 1919 the Palace hosted the negotiations that ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in the Hall of Mirrors, formally ending World War One.

Eiffel Tower Stadium (Beach Volleyball, Blind Football)

The most famous landmark in Paris dwarfs the temporary stadium on the Champs de Mars. The tower was originally designed as a centrepiece for the 1889 World's Fair, though many at the time doubted it was achievable and hundreds of artists protested against its construction. Supposedly, the Eiffel Tower would have been blown up after Hitler's order not to let Paris fall into Allied hands except as "a field of ruins". Fortunately, German General Dietrich von Choltitz ignored the order to demolish many of the city's bridges and monuments.

Grand Palais (Fencing, Taekwondo, Wheelchair Fencing, Para Taekwondo)

Another imposing monument on the Parisian skyline provides a great arena for combat sports, including French favourite, fencing. Like the Eiffel Tower, this building was also constructed for an exhibition - the Universal Exposition of 1900. It has been a flexible exhibition and event space ever since, but in World War 1 it became a huge military hospital.

Hôtel des Invalides (Archery, Para Archery)

Archery events are taking place on the Esplanade des Invalides, against the stunning backdrop of the golden Dôme. The building was commissioned by Louis XIV as a home for disabled and retired soldiers, and part of its grounds still serve that purpose today. The Governor of Les Invalides thus became a role of symbolic importance, and was bestowed by Napoleon upon Marshal Sérurier from 1804-1815. Les Invalides is the final resting place of many of French military figures, including Napoleon himself, whose tomb now sits in a crypt under the famous Dôme.

La Concorde (Skateboarding, BMX Freestyle, Breaking, 3x3 Basketball)

The largest square in the capital is currently a stage for jumps, tricks and backflips, but quite a different spectacle faced the crowds who gathered in the Place de la Concorde during the French Revolution. Then, the square was known as the Place de la Révolution, and it was the guillotine that took centre stage. More than 1,000 people were executed here during the Revolution, including Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette in 1793. Six years later, on the eve of the Brumaire Coup, Napoleon rode through the square and remarked to his secretary, Bourienne: "Tomorrow, either we will sleep at the Luxembourg, or we'll end up here."

That's it for this newsletter. Thanks as always for your amazing support - we'll be back with more updates soon.

Toby