With the massive protests taking place in Hong Kong I decided to make a video on the region's history for context. As these things do tend to go with me, my context starts in the Neolithic period. Haha! This has been a fascinating study so far and I can't wait to share it with you all on Friday.
2019-07-10 17:10:09 +0000 UTC View Post
I've attached the fabulous set of art put together by Beverly Johnson. Love the style and how Ching Shih ended up looking like a historical Azula! Enjoy
2019-07-10 17:09:18 +0000 UTC View Post
I continue down the rabbit hole of ancient cartography to explore the first true battle maps. In this episode we talk about Kriegsspiel and the birth of wargaming. This has been absolutely fascinating!
2019-06-29 00:46:37 +0000 UTC View Post
I've attached the digital art download for the latest set of art used in our videos on ancient battle maps. The artwork was created by Gabriel Cassata who has proved capable of making fantastic pieces. Hope you love them as much as I do!
2019-06-29 00:44:32 +0000 UTC View Post
In our last episode we talked a lot about ancient battle maps. While we concluded that the maps as depicted in Hollywood did not really exist, many of you were quick to point out that rudimentary sand table maps were likely used. I am doing my own research on this topic now and am considering doing a follow up on this point. Do you know of any resources I can look in to?
2019-06-18 18:15:48 +0000 UTC View Post
Its very common to see battlefield commanders huddled around a map in modern media. However in this video we question this Hollywood trope to find out if its more fact or fiction.
2019-06-14 16:33:23 +0000 UTC View Post
I've uploaded an example of an army's march route for context on how people in antiquity described navigation. This was much more like a metro map than a modern bird's eye view map as people were more used to describing travel as series of intervals between landmarks. We will be discussing this and more in an upcoming episode!
Here is the actual description from Xenophon's Anabasis:
Cyrus was now setting forth from Sardis… and he marched through Lydia three stages, a distanc...
2019-06-13 18:25:32 +0000 UTC View Post
As some of you may know, I currently work full time as an engineer working on utility scale solar power plants. I just got back from a trip to Vietnam where we have finally completed a project I've been working on for over a year!!!
2019-06-12 22:37:53 +0000 UTC View Post
You may have noticed that in the last couple weeks I've allowed myself to make some videos about Game of Thrones where I apply history to critique the events of the shot. A lot of the time is spent talking about battle plans. I have an upcoming video in the works which will discuss whether ancient generals even used maps as we see them depicted at all. I'm also happy to announce that the illustrations were done by a new artist. What do you think?
2019-05-19 23:36:34 +0000 UTC View Post
I've attached the HD art download for the latest video on Cao Cao! Please enjoy as these were all possible thanks to Creative Assembly's sponsorship without having to draw on any Patreon charges.
2019-05-19 23:29:02 +0000 UTC View Post
I've attached the artwork for the latest Cao Cao documentary we put out. Robbie McSweeney is once again the master behind the art but as you can see he has been changing the style up. I actually like this a bit better than the previous one and am thinking of adding some parallax effects and atmospherics in the future.
2019-05-12 19:01:34 +0000 UTC View Post
Just released the next video on the warlords of the Three Kingdoms. This time we cover my favorite character, the Machiavellian Cao Cao! John Zhu once again takes on the narration and gives us the invaluable authentic perspective of someone from Chinese culture. I typically like to do all the narration myself but what do you think of finding more opportunities for having others with more relevant cultural background do it?
Also please note that this is NOT a Patreon charge as the video ...
2019-05-11 15:41:15 +0000 UTC View Post
Artwork for the latest episode on the tyrant warlord Dong Zhuo from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Artwork by Robbie McSweeney but in a slightly different style than usual.
2019-05-05 16:46:26 +0000 UTC View Post
My first episode ever covering ancient chinese history! I'm pleased to have been able to partner with John Zhu of the Three Kingdoms Podcast for both research and narration as he is extremely knowledgeable. I've loved learning about this period and hope this episode helps hook you as well.
Also our sponsor was the Total War series who are making a game based in this setting. Thanks to them this video will not be a Patron charge. You can actually download the game here if you are interes...
2019-05-05 16:46:13 +0000 UTC View Post
Attached you will find the artwork from our latest episode on Roman time telling. Again a huge thanks to Beverly Johnson for the truly engaging illustrations.
2019-04-28 21:27:26 +0000 UTC View Post
I was inspired to make this documentary while trying to estimate the time using the sun while out on a hike. This got me thinking about what tools someone in the past would have had at their disposal. I'm pleased to be able to share with you some of their clever techniques that I discovered.
[Note: This is NOT a Patron charge as I was able to get Audible to sponsor the video]
2019-04-28 20:44:27 +0000 UTC View Post
Just this week the a fire broke out at the Notre Dame in Paris. In response I created a video to highlight the history which is at stake. I've received some comments asking for more documentaries on how cities were founded. I think that would be quite a cool series actually.
[Note: No Patron Charge]
2019-04-18 22:06:39 +0000 UTC View Post
Attached you will find the artwork for our latest episode on Mithridates. Once again we can thank Robbie McSweeney for his amazing illustrations. For those of you interested in following him, he actually has a YouTube channel now with some documentaries and historical reenactment videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBjrMJLtdTBOPiqvf84fZwQ
2019-03-18 17:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
Mithridates is one of the most fascinating kings of antiquity. In this video we explore his legacy in the field of toxicology which culminated in his supposed creation of a universal antidote called Mithridatium. It became so popular that pharmacies were even selling it in the last century. For more details on his life I highly recommend the book "The Poison King" by Adrienne Mayor.
2019-03-17 16:52:49 +0000 UTC View Post
A new Italian film was just released which covers the legendary founding of Rome. In this quick episode I discuss the myth, its origins, and the history behind it.
2019-03-02 17:30:14 +0000 UTC View Post
Attached you will find all the custom art that was created by Beverly Johnson for our latest episode on "Growing Up Aztec". I love her art style and think its a perfect fit for conveying the everyday nature of the subject. Thanks again for all your support which makes this channel possible!
2019-02-09 17:12:33 +0000 UTC View Post
Kids almost never show up in traditional history and so it's with great joy that I bring you this video on what it was like to grow up in the Aztec world. The charming artwork was done by Beverly Johnson.
There will be NO PATRON charge on this video as we were actually sponsored by The Great Courses Plus. I can vouch for their service and use it all the time to binge on history lectures. If you're interested you can try it out for free using this link they sent me: 2019-02-09 00:28:08 +0000 UTC View Post
I am just wrapping up editing the last few minutes of the "Growing Up Aztec" video. Next I'll do a quick quality check, overlay the audio, add music, create a thumbnail, and we are off to the races! I plan on releasing the video this upcoming Friday.
2019-02-04 22:32:27 +0000 UTC View Post
Happy to report that we have a new documentary coming out to cover what it was like to grow up Aztec. This will include birth rituals, child rearing, education, and more! Also I'm very excited to have Beverly Johnson illustrating once more. I love her work!
Up next will be some content on the 3 Kingdoms period of Chinese history, the Islamic Golden Age, and a return to Roman videos : )
2019-02-01 00:31:49 +0000 UTC View Post
Mesoamerican armies are often portrayed as disorganized bands of raiders. In this video we attempt to correct this misconception by focusing on their highly organized system of ranks. Now you will get to understand what it meant to be an Eagle or Jaguar warrior and be acquainted with other elite troops such as the Otomi and the Shorn Ones.
Note: This video is a patron charge as I did have a researcher involved with pulling this all together from a lot of different sources.
2019-01-18 21:51:22 +0000 UTC View Post
I've decided to dwell on the Aztecs a bit longer and actually have several more videos on them in production. The next one will cover what it was like to grow up as an Aztec! We will discuss many aspects of daily life that I hope will be both interesting and humanizing. Other videos will be looking at their religion and military. More on that later.
2018-12-28 17:38:14 +0000 UTC View Post
I've been quite fascinated by the Aztecs lately and decided to make another quick video. I was curious about the glyph associated with the Emperor Ahuizotl and it turns out he was named after a quite fearsome mythological creature. In this video we take a look at the legend.
NOTE: THIS IS NOT A PATRON CHARGE
2018-12-22 18:10:49 +0000 UTC View Post
Tomorrow I will be sitting down for a discussion with our Aztec history researcher. I have some of my own topics for discussions but wanted to open up the floor to you all. What sorts of questions do you want me to ask about?
2018-12-15 19:41:20 +0000 UTC View Post
Just wanted to let everyone know why things have been a little slow lately. In my full time job I actually design solar power plants and was over in Vietnam kicking of the construction of a 50 MW project. Was a great trip and I got to eat with the locals who shared some of their amazing fish sauce with me. Just like Roman Garum!
I am back now back home and will be getting things going again. Thanks for your patience and understanding : )
2018-12-14 05:17:02 +0000 UTC View Post
I love the movie "The Road to El Dorado" and decided to make a quick video discussing the history behind the ball game depicted in one of my favorite scenes. Hope you enjoy this follow up to our introduction video on the Aztecs.
Note: This is NOT A PATRON CHARGE
2018-11-17 19:56:18 +0000 UTC View Post