Episode #48 – What Does Mark Adams Think About Atlantis?
The podcast is celebrating it’s second birthday! For our season finale we have something a little special. This week Sebastian is joined by New York Times Bestselling author Mark Adams. Mark is the author of the excellent book Meet Me in Atlantis, an incredibly readable exploration of the weird world of Atlantis research. Sebastian and Mark get deep into Atlantis theories and commiserate about the professional hazards of dealing with historical mysteries. (more…)
Episode #47 – Who Was the Queen of the Pirates?
Piracy on the high seas has existed for as long as human beings have had boats. For most of history these maritime marauders were almost exclusively men. However, there have also been a handful of notable women who lived the pirate life. Their stories can often blur the line between myth and history. (more…)
Episode #46 – What Went Down at the Siege of Vienna? (Part III)
The 1683 Siege of Vienna often gets described in apocalyptic terms. It has been characterized as the ultimate showdown between Christianity and Islam. There is no doubt that it was a dramatic and significant moment in European history, but should it be mythologized as the ultimate battle for the fate of European civilization? (more…)
Episode #45 – What Went Down at the Siege of Vienna? (Part II)
In July of 1683 the Ottoman Turks were closing in on the city of Vienna. The outnumbered Austrians frantically prepared their defenses and did their best to manage the panic that was gripping the city. The battle that was about to begin would be so dramatic that it would give birth to countless myths and legends. (more…)
Episode #44 – What Went Down at the Siege of Vienna? (Part I)
The 1683 Siege of Vienna has been remembered as one of the most dramatic moments in European history. The Ottoman Turks threw the might of their empire against the walls Vienna in an attempt to capture a prize they called the “Golden Apple”. This event would give birth to countless myths, both big and small. (more…)
Episode #43 – What is Phantom Time?
In the world of pseudo-historical theories there are few more radical than the Phantom Time Hypothesis and the New Chronology. These theories propose that hundreds of years of human history never actually occurred. Our current chronology has been inflated with fake events and “phantom time”. (more…)
Episode #42 – What Ever Became of Billy the Kid? (Part II)
The Lincoln County War was once called “a war without heroes”. However, it did manage to produce an American legend. Billy the Kid would eventually be celebrated as a righteous avenger who fought for the little guy. But how accurate is this depiction? (more…)
Episode #41 – What Ever Became of Billy the Kid? (Part I)
There are few times and places as romanticized as America’s “Old West”. It has a robust mythology peppered with gunslingers, outlaws, and rugged pioneers. One of the most recognizable of these legendary rogues has to be Billy the Kid. The young outlaw barely lived to see twenty-one, but his legend would prove to be immortal. (more…)
Episode #40 – Was There a Real Atlantis? (Part III)
In the world of Atlantis research there are many who believe that ruins of the lost city can, and will, be found. By carefully considering the details in Plato’s dialogues some researchers believe that fabled sunken city can be accurately located. Is there anything to the many theories about Atlantis’ real location? (more…)
Episode #39 – Was There a Real Atlantis? (Part II)
The world of Atlantis research can be a very strange place. Some researchers believe that Atlantis was a real Bronze Age city whose ruins might one day be found near the rock of Gibraltar. Others believe that the true “lost civilization” is actually far more ancient. Perhaps the real Atlantis was a sophisticated maritime society that existed during the last ice age. (more…)
Episode #38 – Was There a Real Atlantis? (Part I)
In 360 BCE the Greek philosopher Plato wrote of a powerful island nation that had been sunk to the bottom of the ocean by wrathful gods. Plato called this lost city Atlantis. Little did he know that this story would go on to launch an entire genre of pseudo-historical speculation. (more…)
Episode #37- Did Robert Johnson Sell His Soul to the Devil?
In the history of the Blues there are few musicians as revered as the great Robert Johnson. Although he saw little success in his own lifetime, his music would go on to influence generations of singers, songwriters, and guitar players. Legend has it that Johnson gained his great talent after he sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads. (more…)
Episode #36 – Did Pocahontas Really Save John Smith? (Part II)
In the early 1600’s most English people assumed that Captain John Smith was a liar. His memoirs were peppered with romantic stories of shipwrecks, duels to the death, and exotic lovers. His contemporaries were pretty sure he had made it all up. This included his most famous exploit— when he was saved from execution by Pocahontas. (more…)
Episode #35 – Did Pocahontas Really Save John Smith? (Part I)
The story of Pocahontas is one of the most enduring legends of America’s early colonial period. Her relationship with the Englishman John Smith would become the inspiration for everything from cheesy romance novels to Disney films. However, the reality behind this beloved story is far more grim. (more…)
Episode #34 – Did Archimedes Build a Death Ray?
Archimedes was one of the ancient world’s most important mathematicians. His discoveries would form the foundation upon which all future western science was built. However, he’s probably best remembered for his amazing inventions that saved his city from attackers during the siege of Syracuse. The most discussed of all of these amazing devices has to be Archimedes’ “Death Ray”. (more…)
Episode #33 – Who Was The Prince of Humbugs? (Part II)
P.T Barnum did everything he could to curate his own historical legacy. He was deeply concerned with how people would remember him after he was gone. Would he go down as a greasy hustler, or would he be celebrated as a great entertainer? (more…)
Episode #32- Who Was the Prince of Humbugs? (Part I)
In the 19th century there were few Americans more famous than P.T Barnum. Long before he founded the circus that would bear his name, Barnum made a name for himself by pulling off elaborate hoaxes. Barnum’s so-called “humbugs” walked the line between charming practical jokes and cynical frauds. (more…)
Episode #31 – What Was the Charge of the Light Brigade?
The Crimean War cavalry action known as “the charge of light brigade” was immortalized by the poet Alfred Lord Tennyson . The poet described a glorious charge into the mouth of hell carried out by men who would sooner die than disobey their orders. But is any of this actually true? (more…)
Episode #30 – Will the Real Anastasia Please Stand Up?
When Tsar Nicholas II was executed in 1918 the Bolsheviks pumped the Russian media full of misinformation. The official story was that the Tsarina and the Prince had been spared and moved to a safe location. Absolutely nothing was said about the four imperial princesses. This would give rise to one of the most robust historical myths of the twentieth century— that the Princess Anastasia had escaped the execution and made her way to freedom. (more…)
Episode #29 – Who Killed Rasputin? (Part II)
If there is anything stranger than the life of Grigori Rasputin, then it has be his unbelievable death. As Rasputin’s influence at court increased the rumours about his debauched personal life became even more intense. Could it be that he had actually seduced the Tsarina? (more…)
Episode #28 – Who Killed Rasputin? (Part I)
There are few twentieth century figures as mysterious as Grigori Rasputin. The Siberian mystic has been portrayed as a scheming dark magician who seduced the Russian Queen and made a cuckold of Tsar Nicholas II. He’s been blamed for everything from the First World War to the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. (more…)
Episode #27 – Did the Chinese Beat Columbus to the New World? (Part II)
The deeper you dig into the claims made in 1421: The Year China Discovered America the weirder the story becomes. The author Gavin Menzies boldly asserts that the fleets of the Chinese Admiral Zheng He managed to circumnavigate the globe some 100 years before Europeans. But he is not content to stop there! (more…)
Episode #26 – Did The Chinese Beat Columbus to the New World? (Part I)
One of the most controversial historical theories to emerge in the last 15 years is the so-called “1421 thesis”. The theory was originally formulated by the former British submarine commander Gavin Menzies. He contends that during the Ming Dynasty the Admiral Zheng He led an impressive fleet of Chinese junks on an unprecedented journey of discovery. (more…)