5 ms·

Anyone interested in this topic should definitely check out Darryl Cooper's "MartyrMade" podcast, which had a Dan-Carlin-style series of episodes about early mo

Anyone interested in this topic should definitely check out Darryl Cooper's "MartyrMade" podcast, which had a Dan-Carlin-style series of episodes about early modern Zionism and the origins of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict: http://www.martyrmade.com/fear-loathing-in-the-new-jerusalem/ http://www.martyrmade.com/fear-loathing-in-the-new-jerusalem... It does a great job of being even-handed and emotionally connecting the listener with the motivations of the people in history. The history of the Jews (and the Jewish diaspora in particular) is fascinating. Between the typical opposing endpoints of assimilation/integration and separation there is this curious in-between state that seems both chaotic and stable over time -- the state of being "in a place" but not always being "of that place." The aforementioned podcast describes well the urge to assimilate or to remain distinct, positions held by both those in the Jewish community and those outside of it. The modern revival of the Hebrew language into a living tongue, both as a method of crystallizing identity and distinctiveness, is one example. Also interesting to consider how even small differences in "rules" between societies (like allowing usury or not, and to whom) leads to complex social consequences over time -- sort of a cellular automata analogy. Historical patterns of Jewish expulsion from various societies also make for interesting microcosms to understand tribe-based interactions: when the Jewish people were invited or allowed into a region, who was behind that change in policy and why? When pogroms or expulsions happened afterward, what were the causes and which segments of the population were the catalyst and why? It's an endlessly dynamic system that resists our efforts to create a simple static narrative -- and I suppose if anything it helps reveal that all of history is like that.

linkmotif 9y ago
Better post than the original link :)
Pigo 9y ago
On a side note ...and I know I'll be sacrificing some points for this comment... I can't seem to get what everyone likes about Dan Carlin. I really enjoy history, and appreciate color commentary, but I've found the couple that I've heard didn't hold my interest very long. I started the Khans and one on the Romans, after hearing the non-stop praise on JRE. I really wanted to like it, which is why I was shocked that it seemed slow and light on the history despite being hours-long. This is just, like, my opinion, man. I'm not trying to talk bad about it, I've just been curious if anyone else was disappointed or knows a better episode I should check out. I'm fascinated by Genghis Khan though, so I'm not sure how another topic could be more intriguing.
- DanAndersen 9y ago
  The World War 1 episodes might be slightly more enjoyable, because I think those deal a bit more with "history" in the sense of events and blow-by-blow of what happened. But it may be that Dan Carlin's stuff just isn't your style. Carlin's approach tends to be more of a discussion where he uses the backdrop of a historical event to ponder some aspect of the human condition. There is also a lot of repetition and redundancy and rambling when he talks, so some of the appeal is people who just plain like the sound of Carlin's voice and enjoy hearing someone talk about something interesting. I tend to divide up my podcasts into mental categories of "those I listen to at normal speed" and "those I listen to at 1.5x or 2x speed." Carlin's stuff fits into the first category for me. Are there other history podcasts you've enjoyed? I think something like The History of Rome might be more of your style.

linkmotif 9y ago

Better post than the original link :)

Pigo 9y ago

On a side note ...and I know I'll be sacrificing some points for this comment... I can't seem to get what everyone likes about Dan Carlin. I really enjoy history, and appreciate color commentary, but I've found the couple that I've heard didn't hold my interest very long. I started the Khans and one on the Romans, after hearing the non-stop praise on JRE. I really wanted to like it, which is why I was shocked that it seemed slow and light on the history despite being hours-long. This is just, like, my opinion, man. I'm not trying to talk bad about it, I've just been curious if anyone else was disappointed or knows a better episode I should check out. I'm fascinated by Genghis Khan though, so I'm not sure how another topic could be more intriguing.

DanAndersen 9y ago
The World War 1 episodes might be slightly more enjoyable, because I think those deal a bit more with "history" in the sense of events and blow-by-blow of what happened. But it may be that Dan Carlin's stuff just isn't your style. Carlin's approach tends to be more of a discussion where he uses the backdrop of a historical event to ponder some aspect of the human condition. There is also a lot of repetition and redundancy and rambling when he talks, so some of the appeal is people who just plain like the sound of Carlin's voice and enjoy hearing someone talk about something interesting. I tend to divide up my podcasts into mental categories of "those I listen to at normal speed" and "those I listen to at 1.5x or 2x speed." Carlin's stuff fits into the first category for me. Are there other history podcasts you've enjoyed? I think something like The History of Rome might be more of your style.