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I love Carlin, especially his series about the Persian empire, but for my taste he gets too caught up in military history. You can tell he’s a tabletop wargamer

I love Carlin, especially his series about the Persian empire, but for my taste he gets too caught up in military history. You can tell he’s a tabletop wargamer. Mike Duncan isn’t nearly as gripping a storyteller (practically no one is), but he covers events from a more holistic point of view. If you started Revolutions from the beginning and gave up, maybe give it another try with a later episode. IMO the first series, on the English civil war, is the weakest one I’ve listened to.

pmoriarty 7y ago
Yeah, I agree that Carlin is primarily a fan of the military side of things, and that's really what he focuses on. I do enjoy a wider view than one merely focusing on the military side, and for that I've found a pretty good podcast called Literature and History, hosted by Doug Metzger. It's no Hardcore History, but, as you point out, nothing is. By the way, my favorite Hardcore History series was Wrath of the Khans, and I can heartily recommend it to anyone who hasn't tasted Hardcore History before. Last time I looked it was still free on his site, so get it while you still can.