Unless something changes, I'd love to set up a zoom open to all of you sweet people at 10 am Pacific time on Sept 16. Please, keep in mind that I've never hosted a large meeting before so odds are ...
2024-09-06 23:16:43 +0000 UTC View Post
We live at a time when cynicism toward institutions reigns supreme. Conspiracy theories abound. Trust in government is the punchline of a joke. And there is no agreement on which, if any, media out...
2024-09-02 17:56:44 +0000 UTC View PostSince I just published a new full episode of History on Fire, I figure it's better to wait a little to publish the mini-episode to avoid overwhelming you with too much content all at once. I'll pro...
2024-08-26 22:15:33 +0000 UTC View Post
“This is how 70,000 horsemen of the Taira died, buried in this one deep valley; the mountain creeks ran red with their blood and the mound of their corpses was like a small hill” ...
2024-08-26 17:50:57 +0000 UTC View Post
A few people have asked me where they can find the version of Bella Ciao that my daughter sang on a recent episode of History on Fire. Here you go:
2024-08-16 01:02:32 +0000 UTC
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Many things were on my mind tonight. One thought that keeps coming back is that I'd love to connect more with you sweet folks supporting my work. Some of you may enjoy it, and I definitely will ben...
2024-08-12 04:20:55 +0000 UTC View Post
“The sound of the Gion Shoja bells echoes the impermanence of all things; the color of the sala flowers reveals the truth that the prosperous must decline. The proud do not endure, they are l...
2024-07-30 16:44:43 +0000 UTC View Post
At the end of the 1870s, a Ponca leader by the name of Standing Bear managed to successfully make his case to defend his people’s rights during one of the most important trials affecting Native A...
2024-07-29 02:44:12 +0000 UTC View PostThe next episode coming up is a good one! It's part of a two part, brand new series (no re-run). Just to give you a taste, here are some quotes from this upcoming project:
“The soun...
2024-07-21 09:30:06 +0000 UTC View PostThe next series coming up will be two parts. The setting Japan. Any guesses on the topic? :)
2024-07-11 09:04:24 +0000 UTC View Post
I'll start by discussing one of my favorite tv series, "Warrior", and use that as a springboard to address the historical context in which the series is set, which is the 1870s in CA, specifically ...
2024-06-25 09:03:55 +0000 UTC View PostI am not done with stories of resistance from Italy during WW II. Today, I’ll tell the story of a friend, Federigo Giordano (battle name “Gek.”) His name is still recognized in some towns in ...
2024-06-18 09:14:06 +0000 UTC View PostHi!!
Just a quick note to let you know about what I'm currently working on for the next Patreon mini-episode. I'm a huge fan of the TV series "Warrior" produced by my friend Shannon Lee. It'...
2024-05-27 20:42:14 +0000 UTC View Post
“Women must obey… My opinion of women’s role within the state is against any kind of feminism. In our state, women must not count.” — Benito Mussolini
“Yes...
2024-05-20 17:29:49 +0000 UTC View Post
I just published a mini-episode (see the post under this one) but just a few hours later I'm back on Patreon :) If you are in the mood, here's a link about something I wrote on my recent visit to ...
2024-05-15 06:32:33 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's a new mini-episode for you :)
2024-05-14 22:02:27 +0000 UTC View Post
I recently sat down with the great Ben Thompson from Badass of the Week for his podcast, since he wanted to chat about Cellini. Here's the episode
2024-05-08 21:51:08 +0000 UTC View Post
A few days ago, I found myself walking through Hiroshima, at the very spot where the US dropped the atomic bomb on the city. I was on my way to Miyajima Island, one of the most beautiful places in ...
2024-05-07 15:49:42 +0000 UTC View Post
Osaka Castle was the site of one of the key moments concluding the Japanese civil wars of the Sengoku Jidai. If you have watched FX's Shogun, Osaka Castle should be very familiar to you. Thanks to ...
2024-05-06 06:15:54 +0000 UTC View Post
“From an author’s perspective, writing about sex is risky, because if you write well enough, evocatively enough, vividly enough, you make the reader want to put the book aside and go get la...
2024-04-28 14:03:18 +0000 UTC View Post
This video is a week old but I realize I forgot to publish it here.
2024-04-22 07:56:17 +0000 UTC View Post
In light of the success of the TV show Shogun, I present to you another video trying to shine some light on some of the historical customs you see depicted on the screen. Today, we tackle the less ...
2024-04-22 07:52:08 +0000 UTC View Post
Many listeners have written asking my thoughts about the TV historical series Shogun. As they say in The Princess Bride, ‘As you wish’, so I’ll deliver for you a whole bunch...
2024-04-14 20:16:39 +0000 UTC View Post
The ancient Greek philosopher Diogenes was the original punk rocker, long before punk rock was a thing. I dedicated an episode of History on Fire to his life. But for people who don’t have two ho...
2024-04-08 17:56:31 +0000 UTC View Post
In this episode I have the pleasure of chatting with the excellent Patrick Wyman, host of 'Tides of History'. An essay that Patrick recently wrote on his substack inspired our conversation, so here...
2024-03-28 18:01:50 +0000 UTC View Post
I am sorry to be taking you on this dark journey, but I strongly feel this is an important story that everyone should know. Over the years, I’ve tackled some heavy topics. This is definitely one ...
2024-03-20 19:54:48 +0000 UTC View PostAt the very beginning of the 1800s, a Chinese woman went from being employed as a prostitute in the floating brothels close to Canton to becoming the leader of the biggest pirate confederacy in mod...
2024-03-11 00:20:36 +0000 UTC View Post
Between 1923 and 1940, the Cotton Club was one of the most famous nightclubs in New York. Its importance and impact on American music and culture can’t be overstated. Many of the people who passe...
2024-03-02 06:06:17 +0000 UTC View Post