History Nerds United

Send us Fan MailLet's Greek it up! Adrian Goldsworthy joins me to talk Athens and Sparta: The Rivalry That Shaped Ancient Greece.Buy Athens and SpartaCheck out Adrian's websiteSupport the show

Anand Gopal, journalist and author of Days of Love and Rage, reports from conflict zones and probes how ordinary people shape revolutions. He recounts choosing Syria and Manbij, opens with a love story to humanize politics, examines life under Assad, traces how small protests escalated, explores women's leadership, local governance after liberation, and how groups like ISIS gained support.

Peter Stark, award-winning narrative historian of exploration and the American West, discusses Coronado's ill-fated 1540 trek. He traces how rumors, guides, and resupply failures propelled a massive, ill-prepared expedition. Stark also explores encounters with Pueblo peoples, the limits of Spanish plans, and why these dramatic primary sources make for compelling history.

Send us Fan MailCan't interview them all! Don't miss these books:These Divided Isles by Stephen Phillips –Phillips tells the story of the relationship between Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Britain from independence to now. (Pegasus Books)The Oracle’s Daughter by Harrison Hill – it’s the story of the Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps cult. It’s a wild story about a woman who truly goes off the deep end and the daughter who tries to break away. (Scribner Books)This Dark Night by Deborah Lutz – it’s the life of the author of Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë. (W. W. Norton)Madman by M.F. Gross – Florida true crime story in 1949. Enough said.A Terrible Intimacy by Melvin Patrick Ely – a look at six different court cases in antebellum Virginia where people from each side of the racial divide are involved. (Henry Holt and Co.)For my classic pick of the month, I am going with Ballad of the Whiskey Robber by Julian Rubenstein – I don’t believe in trying to improve on perfection. So here is the official synopsis of this book: “A true story of bank heists, ice hockey, Transylvanian pelt smuggling, moonlighting detectives, and broken hearts.” All of that is in there and all of that is true. I laughed, I cried. This is a book I can hand to absolutely anyone and know they will like it. Get it yesterday.Support the show

Send us Fan MailLet's bring back the fun! Breeze Barrington joins me to talk The Graces: The Extraordinary Untold Lives of Women at the Restoration Court.Buy The GracesCheck out Breeze's websiteSupport the show

Send us Fan MailObjection! Sarah Isgur joins me to talk Last Branch Standing: A Potentially Surprising, Occasionally Witty Journey Inside Today's Supreme Court.Buy Last Branch StandingSupport the show

Send us Fan MailLet's get weird! Antony Beevor joins me to talk Rasputin: The Downfall of the Romanovs.Buy RasputinCheck out Antony's websiteSupport the show

Send us Fan MailLet's talk about the neighbors. Patrick Radden Keefe joins me to talk London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth.Buy London FallingCheck out Patrick's websiteSupport the show

Send us Fan MailLet's call them out! Brooke Newman joins me to talk The Crown's Silence: The Hidden History of the British Monarchy and Slavery in the Americas.Buy The Crown's SilenceCheck out Brooke's websiteSupport the show

Send us Fan MailAnother month, another list of books I don’t want you to miss!The Next One is For You by Ali Watkins the story of the gun runners from the U.S. who were trying to supply the IRA during the Troubles of Northern Ireland. Kennedy’s Coup by Jack Cheevers –a look at JFK and his decision makers as the U.S. descends into the Vietnam War. Arsenio by Arsenio Hall – a lot of great behinds the scenes stuff and overall a positive book which will put you in a good mood.Charles Sumner by Zaakir Tameez – a dig into the life of the guy you probably only remember as the one who got whooped with a cane in Congress right before the Civil War. Yes, there is more!  Running Deep by Tom Clavin – the submarine USS Tang was deadliest submarine in World War II. Need I say more?.My Classic Pick: Diamonds, Gold, and War by Martin Meredith – the story of South Africa but more specifically the British occupation of it, the discovery of diamonds, and the Boer wars. Support the show