History on Fire

Episode 115: Us Vs. Them

“I love people as I meet them one by one. People are just wonderful as individuals. You see the whole universe in their eyes if you look carefully. But as soon as they begin to group, as soon as they begin to clot, when there are five of them or ten or even groups of smallest two, they begin to change, they sacrifice the beauty of the individual for the sake of the group… Cause pretty soon they have little hats, ya know? And armbands. And fight songs. And a list of people they’re going ...

Mini-Episode 41: Brothers of the Gun

Mark Lee Gardner is a wonderful writer. His books about the Old West are masterpieces. He was my guest on the second mini-episode when we discussed his volume about the Little Bighorn. Today, he’s back to discuss his newest, Brothers of the Gun, an in-depth exploration of the stories of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday.

The Table: At the Intersection of Food, Family, and History

It’s late into the night—usually the time when I do my best work. I love the silence and stillness of it all. No distractions. No phone ringing. Where I live, the only sound to ever break the quiet of the night is the high-pitched yip-howls of the coyotes hunting in the hills. Other than that, it’s nearly pitch-black outside, and you could hear a pin drop 300 yards away.

I’m ...

EPISODE 82: The Other 300 (Part 2)

“Take me back to the quarries.” Philoxenus

“Pelopidas died as he’d lived, a freedom fighter who rushed fearlessly into the fray.” James Romm

“As one approaches Chaeronea, there is a tomb of the Thebans who died in the battle with Philip. No inscription adorns it, but a monument stands over it in the form of a lion, the best emblem of the spirit of those men. It seems to me the inscription is lacking because their fortunes were not equal to their courage.” Pausanias 2025-11-03 17:56:24 +0000 UTC View Post

EPISODE 81: The Other 300 (Part 1)

“There was no uproar, and no silence either, but that certain type of noise that results from anger and battle. Clashing shield on shield, they were shoving, fighting, killing, dying.” Xenophon

“Pelopidas, after receiving seven wounds in front, sank down upon a great heap of friends and enemies who lay dead together; but Epaminondas, although he thought him lifeless, stood forth to defend his body and his arms, and fought desperately, single-handed against many, determined to die ...

Stupidly Relentless: Ancient Rome’s Superpower

Anyone who fought Rome in its heyday had to deal with one major psychological hurdle. Ancient Rome didn’t play by the same rules everyone else did. All people try to win in war, but if they lose too many men in battle, or if their population suffers too greatly because of the conflict, they look to negotiate peace terms. That’s what anyone with any sense does. Romans were too hardheaded to know when it was time to call it quits. They were like those boxers who get beat up pillar to post, ...

Mini-Episode 40: Chief of War

I always love to share with you about TV shows, movies and video games focusing on history. Today, I’ll tell you about Jason Momoa’s Chief of War, a series about Native Hawaiians at the turn between the 1700s and 1800s. And while I’m at it, I’ll briefly discuss my first impressions of the video game Ghost of Yotei (set in 1603, in Japan).

George Washington’s Warning

In 1796, George Washington, the first president of the United States, decided to retire from public life at the age of 64. He’d serve out his second term until its completion the following year, and being his political life to a close. But before he did that, he chose to pen a farewell address, warning Americans about the greatest danger they faced.

In my mind, throughout American history, there are two great farewell addresses by presidents sounding the alarm about insidious threats ...

Tour of Japan!

The tour of Japan I participated in last year was one of the best travel experiences I've ever had. I had never liked organized tours, but Teras Cassidy is a master at his craft. We saw a whole bunch of places we would have never found on our own. So, I'm beyond excited that he wants me to join on a new one. Still Japan, but a different historical period and different locations. I can't wait.

2025-09-18 23:54:19 +0000 UTC View Post

Episode 114 - The Years of Lead: Piazza Fontana

EDIT: APOLOGIES. THE VERSION I UPLOADED A FEW HOURS AGO WAS PLAGUED WITH TECHNICAL ISSUES. I JUST UPLOADED A NEW ONE. I THINK (AND HOPE) THIS ONE IS GOOD. APOLOGIES FOR THE CONFUSION.

“With P2, we had Italy in our hands. The Army, the Guardia di Finanzia, the police… they were all ruled by our members.” Licio Gelli

“Every week the streets of Milan were the theater of demonstrations, and were lit up by the fires of Molotov cocktails.” Guido Passalacqua

My childhood...

Growing Up During the Years of Lead

The historical conditions in Italy during my childhood probably go a long way to explain why I’m as weird as I am. Or, at the very least, they provide an excellent justification for my weirdness.

It was a time of tear gas, terrorist attacks, false flag operations, anarchists getting thrown out of the windows of police stations, bombs on trains, assassinations, street battles against neo-f...

Mini-Episode 39: Slavery and Its Apologists

“Would you really feel any pity if one of those dots stopped moving forever? If I offered you twenty thousand pounds for every dot that stopped, would you really, old man, tell me to keep my money, or would you calculate how many dots you could afford to spare?” from the movie The Third Man

In some quarters these days, there’s a tendency to want to gloss over slavery. The reasons vary (racism, misguided nationalism, contrarianism, etc.) but the point they all make ...

Zoom Meeting Today

If you'd like to hop on for an informal zoom meeting, it will start at 10 am Pacific time (in a little over half hour). The link is below:

Join Zoom Meeting https://csulb.zoom.us/j/89133153830 Meeting ID: 891 3315 3830

Episode 113: Rome’s Forgotten Guerrilla Master

“For many of those for whom there is no light at the end of the tunnel, the story of Sertorius should be an example and an inspiration.” Philip Matyszak

Here’s the tale of one of Rome’s greatest and least known generals. A master of guerrilla warfare, he defeated many legions sent after him, and even outclassed Pompey the Great. His story is about the defiance that makes a man stand in the face of impossible odds. Nearly alone against the greatest power of the age, Serto...