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Audio stuff to learn history(free) Audio stuff to learn history(free)

03-28-2011 , 01:54 AM
Wanted to post this in the lounge, but just saw a brand new history forum. I will definitely become a reg here.
Figured i would go and help everyone by listing all the audio ressouces that helped me learn history.

1)Podcast - all of these are available on itunes for free, just search them on the itunes store.

Dan Carlin's Hardcore History
- This is the best. However it's completely unique, as it feels more like a story teller then a ''history show''. Some people may not like it, that's fine, most of my links are more traditional history. But this podcast is truly fascinating. As Dan likes to say...
What if Alexander the great had a podcast!?!?

History of Rome by Mike Duncan - Amazing for rome from its birth all the way to the end(he's at diocletian as we speak). Once a week, very solid. One of the best.

In our times with Melvyn Bragg - A lot more serious then the 2 latter, but very informative. You will learn a lot about an extremely vast amount of subjects.

12 Byzantine Rulers by Lars Brownworth - One of the very first podcast, very good to learn the byzantine empire. However dosen't go in details as much the above podcasts. Still,a must listen.

Norman Centuries by Lars Brownworth - Read above, but to learn about the normans.

BBC history magazine - Once a month, very informative but i find it hard to follow. It is very british centric(obviously bbc), and you need to know your english history VERY well before being able to listen to this podcast. It is informative nevertheless, but you need deep english history knowledge to understand.

The History Network - Very dry but extremely well detail history of warfare throughout the ages. Its not the most entertaining, but you will learn a lot. A must for military enthusiast. Oh yea, one last thing - the guy who reads the text probably has one of the nicest voice out there in podcast land!

History Network: Ancient warfare - Im not a big fan of this one, the roundtable discussion format kind of annoys me, but the guys know what they talk about. I would only listen if you absolutely want to know about Ancient warfare. Otherwise, i would skip this one.

Napoleon Bonaparte Podcast - Nothing beats this to learn about napoleon's life; however get ready because the bias of the podcasters is HEAVY. VERY biased towards bonaparte, still they do a good job to entertain and make you understand the napoleonic era.

Binge Thinking History
- I would strongly suggest this one for anybody who's interested in learning british history. I find it a bit boring by some periods, but without a doubtthe best to learn english history. Also, he has undoubtedly the best coverage of the battle of britain. He really blows all the stereotypical assumptions made about the battle of britain, my mind was really blown. Almost 10 hours of podcast dedicated to the battle, i really enjoyed it.

Historyzine - Although now a dead podcast, i enjoyed it. A must have to learn about the war of spanish succession and the early 18th century. It is in particular informative about the duke of Marlborough and Eugene of Savoy.

History according to bob : One of the first history podcasts and has 5 to 15 minutes episode everyday of the week, on various topics. Its hard to follow at beginning because they come everyday and you might start in the middle of a series, but once you get along its great. Detailed, funny, and bob is passionate.

Russian Rulers History Podcast : Im glad i found this one, as ressources about russia were somewhat scarce. This guy is passionate and precise. He goes from the early days all the way up in chronological order. Its a bit awkward at times, but it's still pretty solid, especially from Peter the great and upwards.

China History Podcast : Listening to this podcast, i think i found another reason for euro-centrism in history. Its a great podcast, he goes over a lot of chinese history with 20-30min episodes. The speaker is good and its fun.

However at the risk of sounding like chris tucker in rush hour, chinese names and provinces sound VERY similar. It takes a lot of attention and re-listening to clearly get the who's who and what's what. Add to that the fact he sometime goes ''qui shi huang, aka bla bla bla or bla bla bla'' and now you have to remember 3 names for 1 guy. Add to that the different spelling for chinese names(qui shi huang would be spelled CHI huang) and you got yourself a confused mess sometimes.

Topics in Korean history by Alex hawkings
: This one is fairly early in it's development, but i liked it. Make absolutely sure you get the maps on his site or at least check them, as without them it's just damn confusing. On a side note, of all the history audio listened, this guy has to be the youngest. He's definitely passionate, but sometimes it's gonna make you laugh. To quote him - ''once the southern korean tribes got access to iron technology, they made awesome and cool swords''. Oh man did i laugh when i heard that, especially when your used to all those serious podcasts.

A short history of Japan by Cameron Foster : This is really good. The first few episodes REALLY clear things up in terms of japan, as he really goes over shinto, buddhism and the emperor status. However, later it tends to get complicated as he gets over involved in characters. Get ready for re-listening and taking notes because this one gets very tough. Still, it's well done.

A history of Oil : Oh this is good. This is GREAT. Truly one of the best podcasts. From texas to rockafeller passing by the steppes of russia. Goes in detail just enough, but dosen't over do with characters. Top 5 podcasts out there. Go Listen to it now.

Italian Unification class with Mr podesta : As the name suggest, this is aimed at a more beginning audience, which is perfect as my knowledge about post Napoleonic Italy sucks. Its fun and simple. It won't keep you on the edge of your seat(see the above), but it's well done.



ITunesU - This is very different from podcasts. Because its university lectures, it can be confusing at times because we are not seeing the speaker, as well as not having all the materials the student have. Quite often they refer to the books the student have read(which we haven't). Still, i find it a valuable source of information. Again, just search in ItunesU on Itunes.



Hannibal by Stanford - Woa. This is without a doubt the audio to learn THOROUGHLY the life of hannibal. They put a lot of attention of anything that is not Cannae,Trebia and trasimene. The battles are covered fairly shortly, but that is fine. I especially like the report from the speaker who crossed the alps with an elephant!

Introduction to Ancient Greek history by Yale University - I haven't found much podcasts on the greeks, but on the other hand this was very good. The teacher is very good with his speech focusing mainly on politics. You will not hear about Plato, Aristotle and co. Its about politics. Pericles, Cimon and all the other political figures are the main characters. However, i found that its less about the characters and more about the politics and social aspects of ancient greece. His coverage of the Peloponnesian war is especially good. One of the best series of lectures on ItunesU.

European Civilization 1648-1945 by Yale University
- I enjoyed it, although it can be bit confusing at times. It is also fairly Franco-centric. If you really need info, its a solid series of lectures, but not the most entertaining.

Colonial and Revolutionary America by Stanford - I found this one to be way too politics centered, and it can get fairly confusing. Still its a must to understand the origins of the constitution and early US story. Like the above, not the most fun, but very precise in its information.

The Civil war and the reconstruction era by yale : This is awesome. The speaker is really fun to listen to, especially with the thin southern accent. He goes over every single thing about the south and north. His ''reasons and causes for war'' episodes are truly remarkable, but the ''reconstruction era episodes'' are truly epic. One of the best. Of all the audio resources i listed, this one is probably the closest to dan carlin out there.

Benjamin Franklin and the Age of Enlightenment by Stanford : umm Umm. You know why i say this? Cause thats what the professor says at least once every ten second. Its about 4-5 hours long, so thats a whooping 1440 times where ''uuummm'' said. Guy needs to learn his text better or something. Dosen't speak very fast either. But i also got something good to say. It's damn good to learn about franklin. If you can get over the above, its pretty good.

American Presidents by Gilder Lehrman : Of all the ItunesU lectures, these are the simplest one. They are aimed more about beginner's, so i enjoyed that. Theo&Frank roosevelt, Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson are covered... oh wait im forgetting one more.... Martin van Buren! The Van Buren episode is by far the best. Anyway, good podcast but more aimed at beginners. Only for beginners in american history.

I will update this frequently, i got a couple more im listening too.
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03-28-2011 , 02:15 AM
Very cool, thanks for sharing! I will pass it on to my students!
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03-28-2011 , 11:07 AM
Yeah, that's awesome. Been touting audiobooks for a few years now. I've really been able to catch up on a lot I slept through in college. Thanks.
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03-28-2011 , 11:33 AM
Cool, I'm gonna check out some of these, thanks.
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03-29-2011 , 02:49 PM
Superb, man. Thanks for putting those out.
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03-29-2011 , 02:53 PM
Great post, thanks.
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03-30-2011 , 12:16 PM
From How Stuff Works: Stuff You Missed in History Class is a podcast available on iTunes. Just look under History and it should be there.
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05-17-2011 , 01:55 AM
I will bump this cause i listened a good chunk of Itunes U lectures.

Classics in Discussion By Warwick University
- This is a round table format,it's quite an interesting format. 10 episodes on topics of the antiquity, from Medicine to sex passing by economy. Best episode - Drinking parties in Ancient Greece. Cheers!

Drinking Matters by Warwick University
- 6 episodes on public houses(the common name given to bars/taverns in the 17-19thcentury.) I suggest putting these lectures on the x2 speed, as the speaker speaks damn slow and you can still follow it very well at x2. It's not a really interesting lecture, but it does give you a good insight on european drinking culture of the enlightnement.

Economic Thought before Adam Smith by Mises Institute - If your a fan of economy, you will absolutely love this. This would qualify as an ''e-book'', as the speaker seems to just be reading his text. Again, i think you can x2 this lecture. One thing is that you need to be familiar with the ''Austrian school of economics''. In case your not familiar, the austrian school of thought is mainly a ultra-liberalist and capitalist point of view on economy. It's a gross generalisation, but it should give you an idea. It talks of all of the economic ideas from greece up to Adam Smith, compared to the austrian economy point of view. It's somewhat very advanced as well, but if you are into economy - you will love this.

Classical Economics by Mises Institute
- Again, i really loved this. If you are interested on the money aspect of the early modern era and modern era, this is key. However, you have to listen to Economic thought before Adam Smith before, as this series is the follow up.

Early Modern England by Yale - This is really good. It really covers completely and clearly, the entire Tudor-Stuart monarchy, from the top all the way to the bottom. From peasants life, economy, law and the monarchy, it is a must for English studies. Very solid listen.

British Parliamentary and Electoral Politics 1688-1832 by Warwick - Definitely not as good as the Yale lectures, but it is a good follow up to Early Modern England by Yale. Not that interesting, but has nice info here and there.
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05-19-2011 , 08:21 PM
An excellent and well varied list sir. Thank you for posting. I look forward to listening.
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05-20-2011 , 03:01 AM
Agreed, appreciate the continued effort
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07-23-2011 , 09:18 AM
Nice share, Can you recommend anything on ancient Egypt?

Thanks
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09-01-2011 , 05:39 PM
@pooter Sorry, nothing specific to egypt so far. There's audiobooks, but i find them tedious sometimes as they were not meant for the ear. I will keep looking though

Bump for more!


Podcast

Medieval Archives: I have only listened a bit to this, but it's well done. It covers the pre-tudor era very well, mainly in England but western Europe as well. Best podcast for the 8th-15th century era.

British History Podcast
: This is quite relaxed and well explained. A must for British history, beginner or advanced student.

A History of World War II podcast: The sound quality and production is garbage, but the information is A+. Even for the most hardcore ww2 buff like me, i still learn tons of new things every show. Very addictive despite the quality.

Itunes U

Economics of the Civil War by Mises Institute: For American Civil war buffs, this is a must. His explanation of the Confederate economy is mind blowing and war economy in general is mind blowing. A must.

Great Myths of the great depression
: Oh boy, controversy. It's well done and very interesting, but get ready for some hardcore libertarianism. There's some good arguments, some not so good but nonetheless its a fresh point of view on the 30-40 era.

Last edited by Adaptation; 09-01-2011 at 05:46 PM.
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09-01-2011 , 10:44 PM
Thanks again for the continuing additions. As an adjunct history prof, it's great to listen to these on the way to work, share a fun new fact in class, and then recommend the podcasts to students. Extra credit for Adaptation!

I don't share the opinions on Economic History of the Mises gang, but it's great to get alternative perspectives.
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09-02-2011 , 02:47 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Turn Prophet
Thanks again for the continuing additions. As an adjunct history prof, it's great to listen to these on the way to work, share a fun new fact in class, and then recommend the podcasts to students. Extra credit for Adaptation!

I don't share the opinions on Economic History of the Mises gang, but it's great to get alternative perspectives.
The mises institute audio lectures definitely have their bias, but they cover sides of history i have yet seen covered. I completely agree with you there.

The economics of civil war is published by mises institute but is not really an ''Austrian economics'' thing. It's just a non military approach to the civil war.

Rothbard's ''economic thought before adam smith'' is amazing to get a feel of medieval economy. His sections on spain and france are quite good - and he made me love '' Richard Cantillon, the only assassinated economist in history, killed probably by his cook''

I had never heard of austrian economics or mises before Rothbard's audiobook, but i had read parts of adam smith's ''wealth of nation'' which i thought were pretty good. Then i listened to the Adam Smith part in Rothbard's book, which proceeds to destroy Adam Smith for a good 2 hours. I started laughing by how biased it was. Nonetheless it's always good to have other perspective. I have yet to listen to Mises ''history of banking and finance in the US'' and ''history of the US vol 1,2,3,4'' which seem very extensive.

On a side note, i do leave some history podcast's out - mostly because i think their quality is so poor that i don't consider them being worth listened too.

My only exception is the previously mentionned ''stuff you missed in history class'' which has good audio quality, interesting content and is updated frequently BUT it is hosted by 2 Girls who sound like Paris and Nicole, which gets on my nerve. I guess if you can stand their voice, they are worth listening too.
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11-06-2011 , 04:00 AM
Wanted to bump this thread by saying that I've completed (he's not done yet, he's at Theodosius atm): History of Rome by Mike Duncan and can't overstate how awesome this has been. I must have ran/biked like 1000 extra miles this summer/fall because I had this to listen to.
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11-06-2011 , 04:13 AM
I don't know if this was already listed here but I've checked out the first 3-4 shows of The History of England and will probably continue with it (starts around 500 AD I think). Solid B+.
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11-11-2011 , 12:24 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Adaptation
A History of World War II podcast: The sound quality and production is garbage, but the information is A+. Even for the most hardcore ww2 buff like me, i still learn tons of new things every show. Very addictive despite the quality.
I think the quality has improved. He has a very dry delivery but I agree a very good podcast
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11-15-2011 , 05:04 AM
Librivox.org. Only has books that are in the public domain tho so the author has to have been dead for 70-100 years i forget the exact number.
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11-28-2011 , 08:08 PM
Does anyone know of any good non bias documentaries about communism? Could be a recorded lecture as well or something? Thanks.
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11-29-2011 , 02:08 PM
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Originally Posted by CocteauTwin
Does anyone know of any good non bias documentaries about communism? Could be a recorded lecture as well or something? Thanks.
Russian Rulers podcast is entering the bolshevik phase. I strongly suggest it - you don't have to start from the beginning, just start with Nicholas II and upwards.
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11-29-2011 , 06:45 PM
Thanks Adapt, checking it out now.
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02-23-2012 , 11:20 PM
I am thick in the middle of The Napolean Bonapatre Podcast. Cameron Reilly and J. David Markham do an excellent job of providing a mostly linear progression of Napolean's rise and fall. Most podcasts run over an hour, and the episodes detailing the Russian campaign of 1812 and onward (6th coalition, Battle of Nations, Elba, Waterloo) are running around 90 minutes.

Yes, both Reilly and Markham are in the tank for the Emperor. Markham has written several books on Bonaparte, including Napolean for Dummies and is the current President of the International Napolean Society. The podcast will also feature commentary on what were present day American politics as the podcasts start in the the midst of the Iraq/Afghanastan conflicts.

Despite the obvious slant, the hosts do offer a fair share of criticism of Napolean when due. However I deem thier views a refreshing take considering the majority of opinions on Bonaparte to trend to the negative. I am on episode 32 and that is continuing "The Hundred Days" with Waterloo in ensuing podcasts. They have 58 total podacsts I believe and backtrack to other notable events such as Hati, as well as discussions with Napoleonic authors.

A solid in depth podcast.
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02-25-2012 , 09:59 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pooter
Nice share, Can you recommend anything on ancient Egypt?

Thanks
Temples, Tombs and Hieroglyphs by Barbara Mertz is on audio at my local library. It was pretty decent as she isn't a scholar per se, but a layperson obsessed with the findings and theories of the more academic studies.
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03-02-2012 , 03:04 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gibby_73
I am thick in the middle of The Napolean Bonapatre Podcast. Cameron Reilly and J. David Markham do an excellent job of providing a mostly linear progression of Napolean's rise and fall.
Really been enjoying this one. As a long-time Anglophile, this is a very refreshing perspective on Napoleon for me, who is usually the antagonist of the histories I read.
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03-02-2012 , 03:46 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gibby_73
I am thick in the middle of The Napolean Bonapatre Podcast. Cameron Reilly and J. David Markham do an excellent job of providing a mostly linear progression of Napolean's rise and fall. Most podcasts run over an hour, and the episodes detailing the Russian campaign of 1812 and onward (6th coalition, Battle of Nations, Elba, Waterloo) are running around 90 minutes.

Yes, both Reilly and Markham are in the tank for the Emperor. Markham has written several books on Bonaparte, including Napolean for Dummies and is the current President of the International Napolean Society. The podcast will also feature commentary on what were present day American politics as the podcasts start in the the midst of the Iraq/Afghanastan conflicts.

Despite the obvious slant, the hosts do offer a fair share of criticism of Napolean when due. However I deem thier views a refreshing take considering the majority of opinions on Bonaparte to trend to the negative. I am on episode 32 and that is continuing "The Hundred Days" with Waterloo in ensuing podcasts. They have 58 total podacsts I believe and backtrack to other notable events such as Hati, as well as discussions with Napoleonic authors.

A solid in depth podcast.
Indeed a very solid podcast and the very first history podcast i listened to. They keep it very light, but give enough details so you get the full picture. Putting aside the fact that they are full blown Bonapartists, it is a fun listen.
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