Christopher de Bellaigue's book The Lion House is a brilliant history of the first part of Suleiman the Magnificent's reign. I love history and I can't remember loving a history book more that this one. As I say in the podcast, I think it is an unabashed masterpiece and such a pleasure to read. Christopher tells the story in particular of two men at the court of Suleiman and their struggle to rise and prosper in extraordinarily difficult times. And it is the story also of Suleiman's love for his concubine (and later wife) Hurrem. Christopher is not only a great writer, he is also a superb conversationalist and I think this is an episode that everyone will enjoy.
Talking movies with Scott Sumner
The war against Antony and Cleopatra
Anna Keay on the Restless Republic (Britain after the death of Charles I)
The Death of Alexander pt 2 (Perdicass and the crocodiles)
The Death of Alexander Pt 1 - Chaos unfolds
Gladiator - the movie, the history!
A nuclear exchange
The Last Emperor of Mexico - part 2
The Last Emperor of Mexico with Edward Shawcross
Tulip mania - 1630's Holland goes wild
A new world order - the Arab invasions of the 7th century
Firepower with Paul Lockhart
Mortal Republic with Edward Watts
The Korean War - the battle of the Chosin Reservoir
The Silver Way
The Last Great Siege - Constantinople 1453
Rome against Persia - their final battle
Poggio Bracciolini - an Indiana Jones from the 15th century
Pearl Hart - the Wild West's most notorious woman bandit
The declines of the Roman Empire with Edward Watts
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Irish Songs with Ken Murray
History Obscura
Historycal: Words that Shaped the World
Rachel Maddow Presents: Ultra
The Rest Is History