History Nerds United
Brendan Dowd
Let's make history fun again! Come listen to interviews with award winning authors, the rantings of a history nerd, and various other things. Enjoy!
Episodes
Mentioned books
Feb 7, 2026 • 41min
American Sports Gambling With Danny Funt
Send us Fan MailLet's place a bet! Danny Funt joins me to talk Everybody Loses: The Tumultuous Rise of American Sports Gambling.Buy Everybody LosesCheck out Danny's websiteSupport the show
Feb 3, 2026 • 35min
Con Men, Call Centers, and Rogue Doctors with Elizabeth Chamblee Burch
Elizabeth Chamblee Burch, a law professor and author who studies mass torts, discusses The Pain Brokers. She explores call centers and scripts that funneled plaintiffs, data mining of medical records, and how nonlawyer actors and crooked doctors enabled surgical scams. She also covers kickbacks, asset hiding, and ideas to reform incentives in mass tort litigation.
Jan 31, 2026 • 5min
Books I Don't Want You To Miss for January 2026
Send us Fan MailAnd now for something a little different! We can't always get an author on the pod, but it doesn't mean their books aren't amazing. Here are 5 new releases I don't want you to miss plus a bonus classic that is one of my favorites.Covered in this installment:The Traitor's Circle by Jonathan FreedlandKings and Pawns by Howard BryantA Danger to the Minds of Young Girls by Adam MorganThe Rembrandt Heist by Anthony AmoreUseless Etymology by Jess ZafarrisThe White Cascade by Gary KristSupport the show
Jan 27, 2026 • 44min
The Search for a Sunken Spanish Galleon with Julian Sancton
Send us Fan MailLet's find some treasure! Julian Sancton joins me to talk Neptune's Fortune: The Billion-Dollar Shipwreck and the Ghosts of the Spanish Empire.Buy Neptune's FortuneSupport the show
Jan 20, 2026 • 29min
Thomas Paine and the American Revolution with Jack Kelly
Send us Fan MailLet's have some common sense! Jack Kelly joins me to talk Tom Paine's War: The Words That Rallied a Nation and the Founder for Our Time.Buy Tom Paine's WarCheck out Jack's websiteSupport the show
Jan 13, 2026 • 1h 13min
Charlotte Brontë's Legacy With Graham Watson
Send us Fan MailLet's do some invention! Graham Watson joins me to talk The Invention of Charlotte Brontë: A New Life.Buy The Invention of Charlotte Brontë: A New LifeSupport the show
Dec 16, 2025 • 1h 26min
St. Joan of Arc with Helen Castor
Send us Fan MailLet's lead an army! Helen Castor returns to talk Joan of Arc: A History.Buy Joan of ArcSubscribe to Helen's substackSupport the show
Dec 9, 2025 • 1h 3min
The History of Whiskey with Noah Rothbaum
Send us Fan MailLet's throw them back! Noah Rothbaum joins the entire History Nerds United team to talk The Whiskey Bible: A Complete Guide to the World's Greatest Spirit.Buy The Whiskey BibleSupport the show
Dec 2, 2025 • 42min
James VI and I with Gareth Russell
Send us Fan MailLet's ascend! Gareth Russell joins me to talk his book The Six Loves of James I.Buy The Six Loves of James ISupport the show
Nov 25, 2025 • 43min
The History and Future of the Wind with Simon Winchester
Send us Fan MailLet's ride the wind! Simon Winchester joins me to talk The Breath of the Gods: The History and Future of the Wind.Buy The Breath of the GodsCheck out Simon's WebsiteSupport the show
