Most people know Ed West for his journalism and in particular for his substack The Wrong Side of History. If you haven't found that yet then check it out - it is one of the best things of its kind out there. But Ed also writes book and in particular a series of short introductions to various periods of English history. If (like me) you sometimes find you need a good overview of something before diving into the detail these books are an absolute godsend. We talked about the period from when the Romans left Britain in the early 400's to the time of Alfred the Great. It was thoroughly entertaining to listen to Ed though it sounds as if the people living through these times had a lot less fun.
His book is called Saxons vs Vikings: Alfred the Great and England in the Dark Ages. It is a great introduction to the period. (And ideal for fans of Bernard Cornwell's The Last Kingdom!)
Anthony Kaldellis on Byzantium (Part 1)
Hampton Sides - the last voyage of Captain Cook
The Sin Eater
John McWhorter and Scott Sumner - talking movies
Dikötter on Dictators
The Lives of East Germans - Katja Hoyer
Britons never will be slaves?
Italy, a ruin - part 2 of the Adventures of Belisarius and Antonina
Constantinople show its teeth - part 1 of the Adventures of Belisarius and Antonina
Mao's China with Frank Dikötter
Shipwreck, mutiny and murder
Sharp and Sumner: 6 Japanese movies
McWhorter and Holland - On dinosaurs
Acre 1291 - the final showdown
The Salem Witch trials with Stacy Schiff
Suleiman the Magnificent with Christopher de Bellaigue
Slavery in the Mediterranean in the Middle Ages
Talking movies with Scott Sumner
The war against Antony and Cleopatra
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