Episode #224 – What’s True About Al Capone? (Part III)

Who brought down Al Capone? Was it Eliot Ness and his storied “Untouchables” or is their story the result of distorted memoire written by washed-up glory-hound? If Eliot Ness didn’t secure a conviction against Al Capone then who did? The pinnacle of Capone’s career in Chicago came after years of bloody gang wars, but his most devastating move against his enemies may have brought on more heat than he could handle. Should  Capone be blamed for his own undoing? (more…)

Episode #223- What’s True About Al Capone? (Part II)

If you get your history from watching gangster movies, then you might be under the impression that Al Capone singlehandedly started Chicago’s Beer Wars. That is certainly what is suggested by the 1932 gangster classic Scarface. The truth is considerably more complicated. Chicago’s gang wars were messy multi-factional conflicts that can remind you of Japan’s Warring States period. Al Capone was right in the middle of this wave of violence, but should he be blamed for it? (more…)

Episode #222 – What’s True About Al Capone? (Part I)

The life of the gangster Al Capone could be understood as a violent expression of the American Dream. A poor kid from Brooklyn, born to immigrant parents, used his wits, fists, and a certain ruthless determination to build an empire. The underworld figure has been the fodder for countless, books and biopics, not to mention inspiring a rogues gallery of fictional crime bosses. As you might expect his life is filled with elaborate legends and colorful myths. Capone was also a savvy manipulator of the news media, who did his best to put his own public relations spin on his life outside the law. How much should we believe about America’s best known criminal? (more…)

Episode #221 – Did India’s Thugs Really Exist? (Part II)

In the early 19th century central India was one of the most dangerous places a person could travel. Murders and robberies were incredibly common. Every year dozens, sometimes hundreds, of bodies were found in shallow graves near the highways. These unfortunate travelers were often the victims of gangs of murderous bandits. But who were these killers? The British authorities came to believe that these highway murders were the work of an India-wide network of cultists known as Thugs. But were the Thugs actually a coherent criminal sub-culture? Were they truly devoted to a religion based on human sacrifice? Or were real bandits being transformed into bloodthirsty fanatics by colonial propaganda? (more…)

Episode #220 – Did India’s Thugs Really Exist? (Part I)

In 1830 an anonymous letter was published in the Calcutta Literary Gazette warning that India was being threatened by a horrifying cult of murderers. These stranglers were known as Thugs and according to the letter they represented the single greatest threat to law and order in the country. These Thugs apparently worshipped the Hindu goddess Kali and performed their crimes in her name. This letter motivated the British authorities to take immediate action against this group. However, many scholar think that the anonymous author, a British administrator named William Sleeman, may have exaggerated the Thug threat. Some have even argued that the Thugs never truly existed. (more…)

Episode #219 – Who Was the Real Mulan?

The story of Mulan might be the best known piece of Chinese folklore. In China the story has been around for over 1500 years and has inspired dozens of poems, songs, plays, and films. Thanks to Disney, Mulan has become an international icon. The story of a young girl disguising herself as a male soldier to save her father from the military draft has proved to be surprisingly sturdy. However, many in China have complained that western adaptations of the tale misunderstand the source material. Some wonder if western creators are capable of capturing the “real” Mulan. This raises the question: is there a real Mulan? (more…)

Episode #218 – Did the Siege of Constantinople Even Happen? (Part III)

The second Arab siege of Constantinople should probably just be called the “real” Arab siege of Constantinople. In 717 the Umayyad Caliphate seriously threatened the continued existence of the Roman Empire by besieging the capital from both land and sea. The the army of the Caliphate vastly outnumbered the Roman defenders. But the Romans still had a few tricks up their sleeves. The formidable Theodosian walls, the horrifying flaming liquid known as Greek Fire, and one most slippery men to ever be called Roman Emperor all helped Constantinople weather the Umayyad storm. How did the Romans manage to survive this time? (more…)

Episode #217 – Did the Siege of Constantinople Even Happen? (Part II)

In the 670’s something was brewing in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Umayyad caliphate had built an impressive navy and was scoring victories at sea over the Roman empire. It looked like the Caliphate was ready to make a move against the Roman capital of Constantinople. But did they? Our sources tell us wildly different things. Was there a seven year siege? A four year siege? No siege at all? 
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Episode #216- Did the Siege of Constantinople Even Happen? (Part I)

When the capital of the Roman empire was moved from Rome to the city of Constantinople, the city on the Bosporus strait became one of the most important places on planet earth. One top being the heart of Roman religious, political, and cultural life for a millennium, the city had a reputation for being impregnable. From the 6th to the 13th century the city was besieged an amazing 19 times, and not once was it overcome by a foreign army. This resilience added to the city’s legendary status. Two of the most significant sieges came at the hands of the Muslim Umayyad Caliphate, in 674 and 717. These battles have been cited as historical turning points, however recent scholarship has cast doubt on the traditional sources. (more…)

Episode #215 – Edgar Allan Poe: Hoax Master?

Edgar Allan Poe has been remembered as one of America’s greatest authors and poets. However, many are less familiar with is career as a hoaxer. In the 1830’s and 1840’s Poe made a name for himself orchestrating elaborate newspaper hoaxes, and debunking hoaxes attempted by others. Poe specialized in deceptions that dealt with the frontiers of science. Some of these scientific hoaxes flopped, while others drummed up real excitement among astonished readers. What was the secret sauce that made a newspaper hoax go large? (more…)

Episode #214 – Have We Misremembered the Gunpowder Plot? (Part II)

Trying to come an “objective” understanding of the 1605 Gunpowder Plot has proved difficult for historians. From the the outset the facts of the case were distorted to help serve the political interests of powerful English ministers. The details were massaged so that a group of Jesuits could be framed as the masterminds. But, if the authorities were lying about the Jesuits, what else might they have been lying about? Was the Gunpowder Plot actually a false flag operation cooked up by members of King James’ inner-circle? Have revelers on bonfire night been celebrating a lie… or is something more complicated going on? (more…)

Episode #213 – Have We Misremembered the Gunpowder Plot? (Part I)

There is an old English rhyme that implores every patriotic Briton to “Remember, Remember, the 5th of November.” This was the date of a foiled attack on the English parliament known as the Gunpowder Plot. The man poised to light the fuse on the 36 barrels of gunpowder stockpiled under the house of lords in 1605 was the Catholic agitator Guy Fawkes. Since the date of his capture the popular understanding of Fawkes has undergone a remarkable transformation. He has gone from being a nearly forgotten triggerman, to a reviled villain burnt in effigy, to a valiant folk hero, to a symbol for internet “hacktivists.” Does “Guy Fawkes” the symbol have anything to do with Guy Fawkes the man? (more…)

Episode #212 – Was the “Man Called Intrepid” a Fraud?

In 1976 the bestselling biography A Man Called Intrepid made the Canadian spy Sir. William Stephenson something close to a household name. The book claimed that the previously obscure Stephenson had secretly been the head of one of WWII’s most important espionage agencies. Some even gave him credit for inspiring Ian Fleming’s beloved fictional spy, James Bond. But, despite it’s success, the book soon met with a wave of criticism from historians. The most vocal critics decried Stephenson as an “intrepid fraud” who “fooled the world into believing he was a master spy.” Was Stephenson truly an important part of British Intelligence, or was he just a Winnipeg con-man who duped his gullible biographers. (more…)

Episode #211 – Who Killed King Tut? (Part II)

When King Tutankhamun became King of Egypt at the tender age of eight he inherited a kingdom in chaos. His father’s religious revolution had upended the traditional social structure and enraged the old priesthood. In those early years of his reign Tutankhamun was clearly guided by his advisors to lead a restoration of the old ways. But did hose advisors get a little too comfortable with power? When Tutankhamun suddenly died at the age of 18, one of those advisors quickly slid into the role of Pharaoh. Was this a cleverly orchestrated palace coup? Or have some Egyptologists become too invested in a murder mystery of their own making? (more…)

Episode #210 – Who Killed King Tut? (Part I)

King Tutankhamun may be the best known Egyptian Pharaoh. The discovery of his tomb in 1922 created a wave of “Tut-mania” that has made him a fixture of pop-culture ever since. But even though his treasures are among the most visited museum objects in history, the details of his life remain obscure. This may be because King Tut’s successors actively tried to erase him from history. Why was this young monarch’s name omitted from the official Kings List and carved out of monuments? Is this all just the fallout of an elaborate murder plot and a coup for the Egyptian throne? Tutankhamun lived through one of the most tumultuous periods in Egyptian history, so why was he written out of the official story? (more…)