The Biographers

In part two of our series on the legendary French soldier Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, we witness the rise of a humble soldier as he climbs the ranks of the newly established national military during the early days of the French Revolution. After famine ravaged the population, France was in turmoil and hungry for change, leading the people to overthrow their king and establish the first democratic nation in modern Europe. Soon, Austria threatened to crush the French uprising, and Alexandre's battalion was stationed in a small town in the French countryside. It was there that he would fall in love—and despite being a person of color in a time when racism was still rampant—he was granted the hand of his beloved. But the French Revolution was only in its infancy, and Alexandre would soon be called upon to help command France’s first all-Black legion of soldiers. Tune in for part two of Alexandre Dumas to learn more! (Ep. 056)

We're back, and it's officially time to start up Series 11! For this series, we're getting back to our roots by discussing a person most people have never heard of. While many do know the name "Alexandre Dumas" — author of classic stories like The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers — most probably don't know that his father was actually the real-life inspiration for those classic adventure stories. That's right: we're not talking about Alexandre Dumas (Jr.), but rather his father. Born into slavery in Haiti, Alexandre Dumas (Sr.) would be no stranger to hardship throughout his early life, witnessing the sale of his entire family whom he would never see again. As a teenager, he found himself living the life of an aristocrat in Paris, rapidly receiving an education and learning the art of fencing, all before denouncing his deplorable father's family name and enlisting in the French military. Tune in for part one of our series on Alexandre Dumas Sr. to learn more — this is a story you really have to hear to believe! (Ep. 056)

It's time for another episode of Office Hours, but this one will be slightly different, in that Akiva is out of town! Don't worry -- he'll be back next time, but this means today's episode of Office Hours will be short and sweet.

In the conclusion episode of our series on the Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa, we take a look at the darker days of his life and the deeds that earned him the oft-overlooked reputation of a villain. Despite many of the initial goals of the Mexican Revolution being achieved, Pancho continued to fight, even as most of his army dwindled away. In the final years of his life, he committed some of his most heinous acts, making vengeful enemies who would ultimately become his assassins. Tune in for part five of Pancho Villa to decide for yourself whether this legendary figure of the Mexican Revolution was a hero or a villain. (Ep. 055)

In part four of our series on Pancho Villa, we witness Pancho rise to become the single most powerful person in the country of Mexico, after the notorious Victoriano Huerta is finally overthrown. The revolutionaries were victorious in their task, but the various leaders of the revolution couldn't seem to find a compromise on how to move the nation forward, which then led to a civil war breaking out between them. The third phase of the Mexican Revolution was about to kick off, and Pancho was about to discover that he wasn't quite as invincible as he had previously thought. Join us for part four of our series as we continue to unpack the fascinating character of Pancho Villa. (Ep. 054)

In part three of our series on Pancho Villa, we explore an often-forgotten tragedy in world history known as La Decena Trágica (The Ten Tragic Days), during which the first phase of the Mexican Revolution comes to a swift and violent end. From the chaos, a new dictator emerges — Victoriano Huerta — who is so despised by the people that a song is composed to immortalize his loathsome character. The people of Mexico do not accept this new dictator lying down, however, as a new revolutionary leader, Venustiano Carranza, steps up to the plate and soon recruits Pancho Villa to serve as his main General. Tune in to part three of Pancho Villa to learn more about this exciting and little-known chapter of history! (Ep. 053)

In part two of our series on Pancho Villa, the Mexican Revolution officially begins! Though an unlikely candidate, Pancho quickly becomes a high-ranking officer in the revolutionary army and displays his uncanny abilities in guerrilla warfare. But even after the revolution gains steam and wins some key victories, all is not well in Mexico, and the political climate continues to complicate things. Soon, Pancho finds himself in the position of an outlaw once again, and the fighting in Mexico continues. Tune in to Pancho Villa part 2 to learn more! (Ep. 052)

For our next series, we're headed to Mexico to cover our first revolutionary in a man named Pancho Villa. Born the son of a humble farmer, Pancho's life would take a sudden and harsh turn at the age of 16, transforming him from farmer to bandit. For nearly ten years, Pancho lived the violent life of a bandit and outlaw, but cries for revolution would become louder and louder under the tyrannical rule of dictator Porfirio Díaz. Eventually, Pancho would be tapped on the shoulder to join the cause of revolution, leading him to become one of the most recognized (and infamous) names in Mexican history. Join us for our tenth series as we cover our most controversial biography yet! (Ep. 051)

Announcement! If you hadn't heard in our last episode, we are back to a bi-weekly release schedule. Have no fear, we aren't going anywhere -- we just need some additional time to research, read, and write up our episodes. That being said,  it's time for another laid-back episode of Office Hours! This week we talk about boring stuff that's actually exciting, our undying love of bread and pastries, and Daniel being totally clueless on the Kendrick/Drake feud. We also take some time to address corrections and questions we had throughout the Nikola Tesla series.

In our final episode on the genius inventor Nikola Tesla, we bid the old wizard a fond farewell. The latter portion of his life had its fair share of inventions and recognition, but it was also riddled with struggle, hardship, and rejection. Despite holding patents for a multitude of his electrical inventions, people just couldn't seem to stop themselves from stealing his work, and giving him zero credit or royalties. His senior years weren't easy; with a lack of funding and an increasingly smaller number of real friends, Nikola would soon turn to the humble pigeons of New York City for companionship. However, his mind never stopped thinking up new ideas, and not long before his death, he would theorize a "death ray" that would ultimately attract the attention of J. Edgar Hoover and his cronies at the FBI. Tune in for part five of Nikola Tesla as we say goodbye to one of the most brilliant minds in history. (Ep. 050)