The AskHistorians Podcast

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The AskHistorians Podcast showcases the knowledge and enthusiasm of the AskHistorians community, a forum of more than 400,000 history academics, professionals, amateurs, and curious onlookers. The aim is to be a resource accessible across a wide range of listeners for historical topics which so often go overlooked. Together, we have a broad array of people capable of speaking in-depth on topics that get half a page on Wikipedia, a paragraph in a high-school textbook, and not even a minute on the History channel. The podcast aims to give a voice (literally!) to those areas of history, while not neglecting the more common covered topics. Part of the drive behind the podcast is absolutely to be a counterpoint to other forms popular media on history which only seem to cover the same couple of topics in the same couple ways over and over again.

The AskHistorians Mod Team


    • May 15, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 57m AVG DURATION
    • 265 EPISODES

    4.6 from 105 ratings Listeners of The AskHistorians Podcast that love the show mention: good interviewer, esoteric, history, historical, subjects, field, interested, quality, interesting, wonderful, hope, enjoy, fan, time, talk, thanks, great, topics, like, listening.


    Ivy Insights

    The AskHistorians Podcast is a captivating and informative podcast that delves into a wide range of historical topics. As someone who avidly follows the /r/askhistorians subreddit, I greatly appreciate the fuller context provided by this podcast. Not only are the stories and discussions interesting, but it also offers a glimpse behind the scenes of subreddit moderation.

    One of the best aspects of this podcast is the passion and expertise of the historians featured as guests. Their enthusiasm for their subjects shines through in their interviews, making each episode engaging and enjoyable to listen to. The host, being an academic himself, knows exactly what questions to ask to provide a concise understanding of each topic. Additionally, each guest is an expert in their field, ensuring that listeners receive accurate and detailed information.

    The variety of topics covered in this podcast is another standout feature. From broad historical periods like the Three Kingdoms period in China to more esoteric subjects like Japanese pirates in feudal times or English breadmaking in the 18th and 19th centuries, there is something for everyone. No matter how specific or niche a topic may be, every episode delivers valuable educational content.

    While there are many positive aspects to The AskHistorians Podcast, it does have some minor downsides. The audio quality in the earlier episodes can be rough at times, which may turn off some listeners initially. However, it significantly improves as the series progresses.

    In conclusion, The AskHistorians Podcast is a must-listen for history enthusiasts and casual fans alike. With its engaging interviews with passionate historians and its educational content spanning a wide range of subjects, this podcast offers hours of quality entertainment while providing valuable insights into our shared past. Whether you're a longtime fan of history or just beginning to explore it as a subject of interest, you won't regret giving this podcast a listen



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    Latest episodes from The AskHistorians Podcast

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 239: Australia's New Guard with HaloFreak1171

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2025 54:16


    Steelcan909 and Halofreak1171 pick up their previous discussion of Australian history.  This time they focus on the sudden rise and equally rapid fall of Australia's interwar fascist movement, the New Guard. 54min.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 238: The Rum Rebellion with HaloFreak1171

    Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2025 48:31


    This time we have a flaired user, u/HaloFreak1171, talking about Australian History with u/Steelcan909.  This is part one of a two part conversation, about the start of Australian colonization, the later career of one Willliam Bligh, and the outbreak of a military coup in Sydney! 48min.   Be sure to check out their podcast, A History of Australia, here!

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 237: Judy Hart, founder of the Women's Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls, NY

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2025 40:18


    A slightly different episode this week! u/EdHistory101 talks with Judy Hart about her book, A National Park for Women's Rights: The Campaign That Made It Happen. Judy not only made history as the lead advocate for the park, she helped ensure women's history would be immortalized. The conversation covers the shift from thinking about National Parks as being about places to a way to memorialize stories, the role of women in the creation of the park and other national parks, and the role of "winsome smiles" for park rangers. You can see the maps that Judy praises here. 40 minutes.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 236: Matthew Ehrlich and The Krebiozen Hoax

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2025 46:10


    EdHistory101 talks with Matthew Ehrlich about his book The Krebiozen Hoax: How a Mysterious Cancer Drug Shook Organized Medicine. 45 minutes. Episode discussion on Reddit. 

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 235: The History of the Study of Slavery with Scott Spillman

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2025 50:48


    EdHistory101 talks with historian Scott Spillman about his book on the history of the study of slavery as an academic discipline. 50 mins

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 233: /u/warneagle on Soviet Prisoners in WW2

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2025 49:40


    Steelcan909 and warneagle discuss the unique nature of Soviet prisoners of war during the Second World War.  The differences between Soviet and Western prisoners, soviet political commissars, and the intersection of the Soviet experience of the war with the Holocaust are discussed. 49min

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 233: Jeannette Patrick and R2 Studios

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2025 44:16


    Steelcan909 discusses the roll of podcasts, alt-acadmia, and the surprising complexity behind historical podcasting shows with Jeannete Patrick of R2 Studios. 43min.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 232: Conversation with Dr. Justin Sledge on public history

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2024 56:34


    Steelcan909 talks with Dr. Justin Sledge of the YouTube channel Esoterica about his experiences in public historical outreach, YouTube, and his own methodology. 56 min.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 231: Conversation with Susan Brewer about "The Best Land"

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2024 42:58


    EdHistory101 talks with Susan Brewer about her book, The Best Land: Four Hundred Years of Love and Betrayal on Oneida Territory. 

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 230: American Women's Words and Documentary Editing with Kathryn Gehred

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2024 47:12


    EdHistory101 and Kathryn Gehred talk about her podcast about women's letters, women's history, and her work as a documentary editor. 

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 229 - Public History with Max Miller

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2024 56:37


    Steelcan909 and Max Miller of Tasting History discuss youtube, history outside of academia, research troubles, and battling historical myths.  58min.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 228 - AskHistorians Aloud with Trevor Culley

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2024 43:14


    We have a slightly different format for this podcast episode!  A little while ago we floated the idea to our flaired users of a podcast episode where various answers were read out by the answerers themselves.  This lets our flaired users highlight some of their answers that they think were particularly spectacular, and gives their answers another chance to reacha new audience!  On our first episode of this type, user trevor_culley reads off four of his answers on Persian History! 43min.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 227 – Talking Textbooks with u/LostHistoryBooks

    Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2024 45:04


    In this episode, Jenn Binis (EdHistory101) talks with with u/LostHistoryBooks about lost - and found - American history texts. They discuss the history of Black education, Black history, American history, and more! 45 mins.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 226 – The Ethiopian Revolution of 1974 with /u/thebigbosshimself

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2024 53:19


    EnclavedMicrostate (Jeremy) talks with /u/thebigbosshimself about the leadup to the 1974 Ethiopian Revolution, which saw the overthrow of the Solomonic dynasty and its replacement by the military junta known as the Derg. 53 mins.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 225 – Doing Naval History on Youtube with Drachinifel

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2024 59:35


    EnclavedMicrostate (Jeremy) and Lubyak (Chris) talk with Drachinifel about doing naval history on Youtube, covering the opportunities and challenges of Youtube as a platform for public history. Near the end is also a Q&A specifically on naval history topics. 59 mins.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 224: Conversation with Rebecca Clarren

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 8, 2024 41:24


    In this episode, Jenn Binis (EdHistory101) talks with Rebecca Clarren, Investigative Reporter, and author of THE COST OF FREE LAND: JEWS, LAKOTA AND AN AMERICAN INHERITANCE. The conversation explores her research process, the concept of intertwined histories, and the role of the author in such histories. 42 minutes.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 223: Equality: The History of an Elusive Idea with Darrin M. McMahon

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 12, 2024 52:21


    In this episode, Jenn Binis (EdHistory101) talks with with Darrin M. McMahon about his book, EQUALITY: The History of an Elusive Idea. They discuss the difference between equity and equality, scholarship around the history of an idea, and the adventures of conducting research across multiple eras and places. 52 mins.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 222: The Sudbury Devil with Atun-Shei

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 28, 2023 77:13


    Steelcan909 talks with Andrew Rakich of Atun-Shei films about his new release, the Sudbury Devil.  The episode is split into a spoiler free section and a spoiler section.  Spoilers for the movie start at 30 minutes.  75 minutes.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 221: Historically Informed Performance with The Australian Haydn Ensemble

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 3, 2023 40:05


    Tyler Alderson talks with members of the Australian Haydn Ensemble about historical performance in classical music. From instruments to techniques, the ensemble aims to play the music of the 18th century the way that composers like Haydn and Mozart would have heard it. 39m

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 220 - Crusades Historiography with James Currie

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 16, 2023 58:40


    Steelcan909 talks with James Currie about the recent proliferation of books about the crusades written by conservative Catholic writers and their sympathizers.  Two books are examined for their ideaological dimensions and what they say about the crusades and their reception almost 1000 years after their events.  Warning signs for biased history books, inter-Catholic disputes, the relationship between Catholic "historians" and the Catholic Church, and alternative reading suggestions are discussed.  58min.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 219 – The Japanese-American Experience during and after the Second World War with Mitch Maki

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 26, 2023 36:15


    Jeremy Salkeld talks with Dr. Mitch Maki of the Go For Broke National Education Center about Japanese-American internment, the 442nd Infantry Regiment, and the Japanese-American campaign for redress and recognition in the postwar decades. Also discussed are relations between Hawaiian-born and continental-born Japanese-Americans, and the efforts of the Go For Broke center's efforts to promote awareness and bring about positive social change. 36 mins.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 218 - Public History in the 21st Century with Claire Aubin

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2023 68:34


    Morgan Lewin Campos chats with Dr Claire Aubin (@ceaubin on Twitter) about the challenges of studying fascism and violence in the current global political climate, as well as the problems sensationalistic and revisionistic historical writing creates for public history. (68 mins)

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 217 - "Say Anarcha" with J. C. Hallman

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 27, 2023 48:41


    We're back! Jennifer Borgioli Binis (EdHistory101) talks with J. C. Hallman, author of "Say Anarcha: A Young Woman, a Devious Surgeon, and the Harrowing Birth of Modern Women's Health." Heads up that the episode talks about some of the experiences enslaved women had with J. Marion Sims, who had been long credited as "the father of gynocology." They discuss how Hallman approached the research as a non-historian, dynamics around identity, and the genre of speculative of non-fiction. The archive for the book is at: https://anarchaarchive.com/. 

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 216 - YouTube, Film, and History with Atun-Shei Films

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2023 81:09


    Steelcan909 talks with Andrew Rakich from Atun-Shei Films about the role of YouTube in public historical outreach, filmaking, and the comments sections that you dread to look at.  79 minutes.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 215 - Golems with HannahStoHelit

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2023 80:03


    Tyler Alderson talks to fellow moderator u/hannahstohelit about golems, their origins in Jewish mysticism and folklore, and the various depictions of them throughout the years. 81m.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 214 - YouTube and History with DW Draffin

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 9, 2023 65:48


    Steelcan909 sits down to talk about YouTube, Hollywood, and Netflix with DW Draffin, operator of the YouTube Channel "Study of Antiquty and the Middle Ages". 65 mins

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 213 - The World The Plague Made with James Belich

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2023 65:19


    Tyler Alderson talks with Professor James Belich of Balliol College, Oxford about the dramatic aftereffects of the Black Death. From the immediate shocks to the lingering ripples centuries later, Belich shows the influence that this unimaginable calamity had on shaping the world as we know it, including the rise of colonialism and the Atlantic slave trade. 65 mins.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 212 – Public Transport in North America with Jake Berman

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2023 37:51


    Jeremy Salkeld talks with Jake Berman about the development of public transport in the US and Canada, and the background to the US' modern issues with urban transport infrastructure, including the rise and fall of the streetcar and difficulties with establishing light and underground rail systems. Also discussed is the idea that there is not so much a single history of North American public transport, so much as a series of individual, city-specific histories, situated in continent-wide milieus. 38 mins.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 211 - The Beat Cop with Michael O'Malley

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 3, 2022 57:14


    Tyler Alderson talks with Michael O'Malley about his new book The Beat Cop, exploring the life of Irish music collector (and Chicago police chief) Francis O'Neill. O'Malley details O'Neill's life as well as his influence on our concepts of "Irish music." He also examines the power dynamics at play when a well-connected police chief collects music from his community, and the biases apparent in O'Neill's work. 58m.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 210: Lydia Maria Child with Lydia Moland

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2022 50:23


    Jennifer Borgioli Binis (EdHistory101) talks with Lydia Moland about her new book on suffragist, poet, author, and abolitionist Lydia Maria Child. They discuss Child's complicated life, the ways she sought and used the power accessible to her, and the choices she made as a well-educated white woman with a fierce commitment to social justice. 50 mins.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 209 - Public History and Outreach with Bret Devereaux and Roel Konijnendijk

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 3, 2022 84:25


    /u/Steelcan909 talks with Bret Devereaux and our own Roel Konijnendijk about public history, the changing role of historians both inside and outside of the academy, and of course on proper ditch digging tecninques. 82m,

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 208 - Pirates and Public History with Rebecca Simon

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 6, 2022 54:03


    Tyler Alderson talks with Rebecca Simon about the difference between fact and fiction in the Golden Age of Piracy. Simon also discusses the challenges and opportunities of public-facing history work, including social media like TikTok. 54m

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 207 -The People's Democracy Party with Darren Colbourne

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2022 54:30


    In this episode, Morgan Lewin talks to Darren Colbourne about the origins of Northern Ireland's People's Democracy Party, its early days, motivations, its connections to the United States civil rights movement, and its eventual gradual dissolution.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 206 – The Moscow Metro with /u/mikitacurve

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2022 69:28


    Jeremy Salkeld (EnclavedMicrostate) talks with /u/mikitacurve about the creation and development of the Moscow Metro under Stalin, its origins in Soviet debates over urban planning, and how the art and monumentality of the underground railroad reflected the utopian ideals of the Soviet Union, even amid the ongoing Terror on the surface. 70 mins.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 205 - Götz von Berlichingen and Robber Knights of the Holy Roman Empire with /u/PartyMoses

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2022 49:10


    Jeremy Salkeld (EnclavedMicrostate) talks with /u/PartyMoses about the life and times of robber knight Götz von Berlichingen, who fought in various conflicts in the Holy Roman Empire in the early sixteenth century, and most famously did so with a prosthetic right hand. Topics discussed include martial culture, the politics of the Holy Roman Empire in the reign of Charles V, and disability in Early Modern Europe. 49 mins.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 204 - Residential Schools in Canada with Elle Ransom

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2022 62:36


    Morgan Lewin (u/aquatermain) talks with Elle Ransom (u/anthropology_nerd) about the history and legacy of residential schools in Canada. Ransom explores why these schools were built, what went on in them, and their lasting impact on indigenous communities in Canada. 63m.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 203 - Historical Archaeology with u/the_gubna

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 30, 2022 31:20


    Jeremy Salkeld (EnclavedMicrostate) talks with /u/the_gubna about the field of historical archaeology and the latter's research on the Camino Real in the colonial Andes, discussing the history of this highway and of the people who used it. 32 mins. 

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 202 - The Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Online Three Kingdoms Discourse with /u/Dongzhou3kingdoms

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2022 45:19


    Jeremy Salkeld (EnclavedMicrostate) talks with /u/Dongzhou3kingdoms about the effect the Romance of the Three Kingdoms has had on online discourse about the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history, and how discussions of the period's history continue to be framed in relation to the literary tradition. 45 mins.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 201 - The Medieval Crossbow with Stuart Ellis-Gorman (u/Valkine)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2022 54:34


    Tyler Alderson talks with u/Valkine, otherwise known as Stuart Ellis-Gorman, about his new book The Medieval Crossbow. Ellis-Gorman discusses what we do and don't know about its origins, its history as a weapon "fit to kill a king," and the many legends and tall tales surrounding the crossbow. He also talks about continuing to do academic research outside of traditional academia. 55m.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 200 - American Higher Education with Dr. Ellen Schrecker

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2022 71:47


    For the 200th episode, guest host Jennifer Borgioli Binis (EdHistory101) spoke with one of the country's pre-eminent scholars on American higher education and McCarthism. Dr. Schrecker shares her experiences as a researcher, historian, and woman in academia. 1 hour, 11 minutes.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 199 - Mutinous Women with Joan DeJean

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2022 51:21


    Tyler Alderson talks with Joan De Jean about her new book Mutinous Women: How French Convicts Became Founding Mothers of the Gulf Coast. We discussed the complicated lives and legacies of the women who were shipped from France across the Atlantic to the Louisiana colony. 52m.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 198 - History, the Internet and Social Media with Jason Steinhauer

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2022 39:33


    Fraser Raeburn talks with Jason Steinhauer about how the internet has shaped the consumption and production of historical knowledge, as detailed in Jason's new book, History Disrupted: How Social Media and the World Wide Web Have Changed the Past. 40 minutes. A transcript of this episode will be forthcoming.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 197 - White Mythic Spaces in Historical Representation with Stefan Aguirre Quiroga

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2022 61:46


    Morgan Lewin talks with Stegan Aguirre Quiroga about his new book, White Mythic Space: Racism, the First World War, and Battlefield 1, and about the construction of idealized representations of whiteness in the histories of Argentina and Chile. 1 hour.

    AskHistorians Podcast April Fools Special 2022 – Tartaria with /u/EnclavedMicrostate

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2022 58:57


    In this special episode of the AskHistorians podcast, /u/hannahstohelit and /u/EnclavedMicrostate talk about one of the more unusual history-related conspiracy theories of recent years: Tartaria. Why are thousands of internet users convinced of the existence of a lost empire in Eurasia? Where does post-Soviet nationalism come into it? And why are they so obsessed with big buildings? All this and more will be revealed in this special. 60 mins. A transcript of this episode can be found here.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 195 - Pipe Organs with Paul Jacobs

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2022 33:53


    Tyler Alderson talks with pipe organist and Juilliard professor Paul Jacobs about the history of the instrument and his upcoming recital series of the music of César Franck. 34 mins.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 195 - Women of 1000 AD by /u/Kelpie-Cat

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2022 66:23


    In this episode, Morgan Lewin (/u/aquatermain) speaks with Meg Hyland (/u/kelpie-cat) about her Women Of 1000 AD project, a digital public history project and teaching tool that showcases the histories of women from all over the globe who lived in and around the year 1000 CE through hand-made illustrations and thoroughly researched write-ups about their lives and cultures. 65 mins.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 194 - Missionary Photography in China with Dr. Joseph W. Ho

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2022 30:35


    Jeremy Salkeld (EnclavedMicrostate) talks with Dr. Joseph W. Ho on the subject of his new book, 'Developing Mission: Photography, Filmmaking, and American Missionaries in Modern China'. While missionary photographers in China have often been approached either as missionaries or as photographers, Dr. Ho's book approaches the subject in its entirety, discussing the role photography played in the missionary enterprise, and in the creation and continuance of Chinese Christian communities in the 20th century. 30 mins.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 193 - The Norse Religion with Steelcan909

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2022 59:32


    Tyler Alderson talks to fellow moderator u/Steelcan909 about the religion of the Norse, often called "Norse mythology." They discuss what we do and don't know about religious practice, the truth behind popular conceptions of the Norse gods, and why this religion has continued to feature heavily in pop culture. 

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 192 - Early American Disability with Dan Howlett

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 14, 2022 53:23


    In this episode, Morgan Lewin (u/Aquatermain) talks with Dan Howlett (u/dhowlett1692) about disability in early America.  In this conversation, they cover how to define disability historically, how to find disability in the archives, and how disability shaped events like the Salem Witch Trials. 53 minutes.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 191 - The Cyrus Cylinder with Trevor Culley

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 10, 2021 48:12


    In this episode, /u/EnclavedMicrostate talks with Trevor Culley about the Cyrus Cylinder, an inscription dictated by the first ruler of the Persian Empire. Aside from the text of the cylinder and its historical context, also discussed is the use of the cylinder in modern Iranian nation-building. 48 mins.

    AskHistorians Podcast Episode 190 – The History of the Banjo with /u/DGBD

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 26, 2021 69:04


    In this episode, /u/EnclavedMicrostate talks with /u/DGBD, better known as Tyler Alderson, about the history of the banjo. Discussed are the instrument's origins and development, on the cultural place of the banjo on both sides of the Atlantic, and of its relationship to issues of racism and identity. 70 mins.

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