Engaging History

In this podcast I discuss the elements that unfortunately made Hitler a master orator. Listen in and see if you can detect the ways that Hitler manipulated his audiences. 

Tune in to find out why Hitler ended up in jail and what he learned as a result.

In this first of many podcasts on the Second World War, we take a preliminary look at the early life of one of the deadliest dictators of that war, Adolph Hitler.

Does American president, Franklin Roosevelt really end the Great Depression, or horribly, might it have been something else? Press play to find out.

What exactly did President Franklin Roosevelt do to help bring America out of the Great Depression? Press “play” to find out.

Listen in as we find out what happened to America’s decade of prosperity and why the years of financial fortune was ultimately destined to fail.

In the decade that has more nicknames for it than any other decade in US history, we discuss what actually “roared” in America and why. We then explore what went wrong.

In this podcast, we conclude the First World War by discussing why America never signed the Paris Peace Treaties. And we end the podcast with a humbling review of what the United States did in order to honor the unidentifiable remains of our heroic war veterans.

Find out how America became involved in the war and meet the person who is only one of two generals in US history to be awarded six stars.

Listen here for an introduction to the hows and whys of history.

In this episode we discuss the beginning stages of World War One and what led to the conflict dropping an astonishing 5,000 lives a day for four years.

In this podcast, we discuss the reasons why the very element that was supposed to prevent any type of European conflict, actually caused it! What went wrong? Tune in to find out.

In this podcast we discuss why world leaders behave the way they do by discussing the theory of complex interdependence vs. the theory of realism. Which theory makes the most sense to you? Listen in to find out.

Tune in to learn what the four major reasons were for European, Asian and American imperialism and how that brought the United States to the brink of war with Spain.

Explore the government organizations born in the Progressive Era that are still with us today. And find out how industrialism led to the erroneous assumption that humankind was becoming indestructible as evidenced by the claim that “The Titanic is unsinkable.”

Find out who the Muckrakers were and why we still need them today. And why did Teddy Roosevelt, initially, have such a hard time trying to be president? Hint: Ask his wife - because she called him on it!

 In this final podcast in the second half of world history, I provide a brief review of world events as they are unfolding. Sadly, this means discussing the Russian-Ukrainian War.

In this podcast, we discuss the reasons for the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union and by extension, the end of the Cold War. We also discuss the 9-11 attacks and why “invisible terrorists” are not so invisible at all.

Find out what the real goal is of the Secret Service’s job of protecting the president really is. How can Congress help to make a president be ranked in the top, or the bottom, presidents of all time?

What was different about American President Regan and Soviet Premier Gorbachev that would lay the foundation for the end of the Cold War?

Is it true that Air Force One actually doesn’t exist?  And when the American president is in “the beast,” where exactly is he? Tune in to find out.

What is the difference between the American president and the Office of the Presidency?  That’s what we discuss in our first podcast on the American political system.

Why did the United States and its allies involve themselves in a small country on the other side of the world? What did Vietnam have that caused six American presidents to send over 500,000 American soldiers of which over 58,000 never died, as well as to spend trillions of dollars?

In this podcast, we look at life on an American plantation out west as well as what life was like for America’s lighthouse keepers.  Find out why lighthouses have so many peculiar patterns and why all of them have different signal patterns.

This podcast focuses on the foreign policy failures of the Kennedy Administration that ultimately led to the Cuban Missile Crisis.  Find out just how close the United States and the Soviet Union came to creating World War III which would have meant that World War IV would have been fought with sticks and stones.

 In this podcast, we discuss the creation of the country of Israel and how the conflict that became known as the Korean War played out in the era of the Cold War.

Tune in to find out just what life was like in the lawlessness of the West as either a mine worker looking to strike it rich or as a Cowhand as they tried to get herd of cattle to the Transcontinental Railroad.

Learn about the plight of Native Americans who once roamed free in the western half of the United States.  Did America ever try to right the wrong of stealing land from the Natives?  Listen in to find out. You might be surprised by the answer.

  What was the Cold War and how did it get its name?  If World War II just came to an end, what was left to go to war over?  Listen in to find out.

Find out about one of the most famous steel applications in the United States.  And then learn how President Lincoln paid for the Transcontinental Railroad when the federal budget was out of money.

 We bring WWII to a conclusion with a discussion of the American use of the world’s first atomic weapons and then face the grim reality of Hitler’s genocide.

Fighting the Japanese turned out to be nothing like the Germans or Italians.  Meanwhile, over in the United States, a team of scientists were getting closer to the reality that splitting the atom could actually produce the most destructive weapon in the world.  On that happy note, tune in.

What was life like in late-1800’s American cities?  Find out what two inventions were required to make some of America’s cities the largest in the world.

What does the “D” in D-Day mean; and why do we call it that?  And if the invasion of France was so successful why did Hitler carry out yet another offensive operation against the Allies some six months later?  Tune in to find out.

Listen in to find out about what is arguably the greatest invention since the 1300s and how it affected common Americans then, as well as today.

In this podcast, we learn about Hitler’s Operation Barbarossa -  what is arguably the largest pincer attack in human history.  This was an invasion that involved no less than three continents!

 Learn why industry and investment lagged in the South in light of deteriorating race relations.

In this podcast, we learn the brutal destructive reality of Hitler’s use of blitzkrieg.

Find out what impact the railroads had on American life in the late 1800’s.  And find out if you live “on the wrong side of the tracks.”

If you thought Charlemagne was genius in his successful attempt to manipulate the Roman Catholic Church to do his bidding, wait until you hear how the Church attempts to undo the damage. 

In this episode, find out why George Washington smiled at the end of his most humiliating defeat at the Battle of New York City. 

 In this episode, we discuss the reasons why the federal program of Reconstruction officially came to an end at 12:00 noon on March 4th, 1877.

Tune in to find out how and why Hitler was able to secure two European regions of prime real estate as well as two independent countries before the “war” even began.

In this podcast, learn about some of the initial actions taken by Hitler to persecute the Jews, improve the economy, and, of course, prepare for a war that would become the most violent and deadly in history.

The American Civil War may have ended, the institution of slavery may have ended, but for newly freed African-Americans, new forms of terror and the atrocities they would encounter were just beginning...

How did Hitler go from being a jailed rebel to leader of the entire German state?  Listen in to find out.  But let me warn you, that you might be surprised at how he did it.

In this final podcast on the first half of American History, I hint at the grim future of the United States, a country that was successful in forcing the South to lay down its weapons, but failed at changing the mindset of almost all Americans at the time.

In this podcast, I discuss the five central techniques that sadly made Adolf Hitler such an effective speaker.

We discuss the not-so-commonly known facts around the assassination of America’s16th president.  Specifically, how could John Wilkes Booth get within arm’s reach of Lincoln, especially with the president’s security detail?

In this podcast, we review just how bad the German economy was and at the same time just how different Hitler’s childhood really was.

In this podcast, we discuss how financially and politically the major World War One powers found themselves after the Great War ended.  So while America “roared” during the 1920s, Europeans, and Asians - cried.

So, how did General Grant, the man who only looked at Confederate soldiers as the enemy treat them when they surrendered?  Listen in to find out as well as to hear a not commonly heard story about a different side of President Lincoln. 

Continuing our discussion on the American Civil War, we find out why President Lincoln appoints General Ulysses S. Grant to top commander of the entire Union Army.  So, how did Grant, who graduated in the middle of his class at West Point, defeat Confederate General Robert E. Lee who graduated at the top of his class?

We continue and wrap up our discussion on World War One as we explore the sad advancement of more deadly military weaponry and the ill-fated peace efforts of a broken American president.

 In this podcast, we explore all of the powder kegs that were ready to blow up with the first available political spark that would bring the world to its first truly, worldwide conflict.

We continue our discussion of the American Civil War by exploring the conflict on the high seas as well as finding out what foreign countries supported America.  We also look at the bloodiest day in American history as well as the most violent and deadly battle of the war.

After President Lincoln officially declares war on the Confederate States of America, society is immediately shocked at not only the devastating loss of human life but also how fast soldiers are dropping to their deaths.  The war has to stop, so why does it continue for over three more years?

Jump on board to this podcast as we explore the explosive impact of the theories of Charles Darwin and Sigmund Freud.  Are you a science-fiction fan?  Listen in as we explore the father of science fiction and the key to what makes for great fiction overall.

Let’s review the advantages and disadvantages of both sides before the first Civil War battle even takes place.  Based on the analysis, which side would you bet would easily and quickly win the war?  Then why did it take four years?

 Learn how and why Europe was able to continue to colonize around the world and how Russia was developing as a result.

The political tension finally passes the boiling point as the several southern states pull away from the Union in defense of the idea of states’ rights.  In this podcast, I put the listeners behind the desks of US presidents James Buchanan and Abraham Lincoln to see how they would have handled the unraveling of our country.

Find out how the current countries of Germany and Italy were formed. Hear about the legendary Otto von Bismarck who played the game of chess with real people and the European continent was his chessboard.

 In this episode, we take another look at how Europe was faring in the industrial age.  Specifically, we explore the impact of the Great Potato Famine and the impact of Karl Marx.

Why did the issue of slavery continue to boil in America?  Listen in to see how various political ideas and even a Supreme Court Chief Justice tried to diffuse the tension….to no avail.

We discuss the first overture to reducing alcohol consumption in America as well as the establishment of the standardized school system in America.

In this podcast, I discuss the new “ism’s” of the day: nationalism, conservatism and liberalism and we see how they play out on the Eurasian continent.

 Tune in to learn about Napoleon's campaigns as well as the new age in human thought called Romanticism.

 What could the South possibly argue for retaining the inhumane institution of slavery?  Listen in to find out the historical, Biblical and racial arguments the Southerners used to defend slavery.

In this podcast, I explore the differences between the Upper and Lower South as well as the lifestyle of American slaves in terms of their diet, housing, and religion.

 The French Revolution ends in this podcast and by its very end, begins one of the most violent periods in World History.

 Let’s explore the origins of the French Revolution that was started and completed in less than a year...if only…...the enemies within France had allowed it to stay that way.

What was this very short war all about? And is it true that the United States offered $30 million dollars to avoid the war?  Then what happened?  Tune in to find out!

In this podcast, we discuss the hard history of America’s involvement in the plight of the Native Americans.  Listen in to find out why the fight is still going on in the courts as well as on (and under) the land in the Dakotas.

 What were some of the great ideas produced during the Enlightenment?  Tune in to find out and at the same time, you’ll realize how so many of these ideas still affect the human race today.

 After listening to this podcast, you will never go to the grocery store or eat out at a restaurant with the same mindset again.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you…

In this podcast, we discuss the launch of the first major intellectual movement in the age of the printing press.  Listen in to learn about so many of the fascinating products of the Enlightenment that are still with us today.

Tune in to this podcast to learn why the results of the American Revolution and the subsequent Constitutional Convention had such an explosive ripple effect throughout European society.

Time for a pop-quiz! Class levels in America: how would you place the percentages of American society in each of the six class levels?  Try your hand to see how well you think you know about the class system in America.

Follow along as we discuss the onset of the Industrial Revolution in America. When the revolution began,  China and India together dominated 40% of world trade.  But by 1900, those two countries shrunk to just 3.4% of world trade while America became the dominant industrial powerhouse.  What happened?

Discover the impact of the railroad industry in early America as well as how it impacts us today.  When you are driving your car and you see a green light at an upcoming intersection, you know that the color means you can proceed through the intersection.  Can you imagine if your understanding was wrong….and you were driving a several thousand-ton train?  Listen in to find out what would - and did - happen in October 2003.

Who started the slave trade and, just as importantly, what three areas of the world benefited from the slave trade?

In this podcast, we discuss the major conflicts of the 1700s leading up to the ultimate conflict - the American Revolution.

 In this podcast, I begin to discuss the impact of the steamboat and the railroad in American life.  Find out how the Erie Canal was created and the massive price America is paying for that canal well into the 21st century.

After the overview to the Revolution that was discussed in the first podcast of World History II, we now zero in to see how the Revolution was affecting the commoners of society, the John and Jane Doe’s in Europe.  Will you be surprised to find that what the public struggled with is still going on in the 21st century?

In this podcast, the first in the series, "World History II”, let’s explore the impact of the initial stages of the Industrial Revolution.  And if you think this doesn’t affect your world to this day, then let me ask you, “Why did you choose the item on the right, the last time you were comparing products at the grocery store?”  Tune in to find out.

In this episode, America will lose its first sitting president.  How did we respond?  What do we call the former vice president, now president, of the United States?  Well, the new president had an answer - and paid for it dearly, for the rest of his life.

Tune in to find out how Copernicus, Galileo, and Newton impacted the world we live in today.  And while most Americans (I hope) can name many of the Founding Fathers, can you name the two “Founding Grandfathers” of America?  Meet them in this podcast.

Join the party to welcome America’s first commoner president of the United States….and bring your wallet because, to date, it is still the most destructively expensive inaugural ball in our history.

Listen in to find out how the first potential political clash over slavery was “resolved,” giving the map of the United States the “evil smile” that still exists to this day!  And by 1824, with no Founding Fathers to run for office, who will become the sixth president?

 In this podcast, we discuss the emerging economic system known as mercantilism.  We also see how the newly developed political system called absolutism plays out on a European continent that is chomping at the bit to try and obtain as much land in the America’s as they can.

In this podcast we explore, no pun intended, what Columbus found on his voyages to the Americas.  And more importantly, why didn’t the European colonial wars immediately break out based on the new discoveries.

Why did President Madison go to war on Great Britain?  And seeing that America didn’t gain anything as a result of the war, why is Madison so highly ranked?

So Columbus discovered………...what, exactly?  He left Europe with three ships and ninety men in order to answer one question, “Is there an all-water route to Asia?”  He returned months later with one ship and less than forty men left.  And no, he didn’t discover that all-water route to Asia.  Then why did the king and queen of Spain financially support him for another three trips?

If the Lewis & Clark Expedition is such an excellent and important part of American history, why was it considered a colossal failure after it ended?  The outcome was so bad for three reasons that President Jefferson thought he would go down in history as America’s first impeached president.

Tune into this podcast to learn about the most important, nerve-wracking presidential election is US history.  And meet our third president who, let’s say, has some quirky habits for which, Americans would pay dearly.

Listen in to find out why Christopher Columbus had so much trouble trying to get the financial backing to see if there was a faster all-water route to Asia.

Find out about the first crisis to hit the Washington Administration.  And see what President Washington does to resolve it - something that no American president has dared to do since!

In this podcast we see the forces of Roman Catholicism fight Protestant forces ultimately erupting into the deadliest war in history until the 20th century.

What did Martin Luther actually do to cause the second major break within the Roman Catholic Church?  And was anyone around to help the Church fight off Protestant thinking?  Sure there were.  And their names are still recognizable today.  In fact, you might be a member of their organizations!

The question is, why was the Adams Administration doomed before he even took the oath of office? Hint: Because of the man standing right behind him.

Find out what exactly was causing such an upheaval in the Church that would ultimately lead to another faction of the faithful permanently leaving the faith.  And was it really a little machine that caused all these problems?  Listen in to find out.

How does George Washington fare in his two terms as president?  Also in this podcast episode, we will learn about the first political smear campaign and what happened to the politicians who attempted to air the dirty laundry of a political enemy.

As we discuss the presidency, let’s clear the air on the difference between the president vs. the presidency.  And let’s find out just what kind of mark, George Washington made on the office - many of which have never been changed or modified.

Listen in two to find out what the two greatest inventions were of the Renaissance period.  And if you don’t think they were that important, I dare you to try to go just 24 hours (hint-hint) without them!

Why would the Supreme Court of the United States take the case of a known drug peddler and refuse to hear the case of a former Illinois governor?  Tune in but be careful; this is a wild podcast!

he Middle Ages is finally behind us!  So why, then, are Europeans in a lot of “psychological and emotional” pain now?

Listen to this podcast to learn about the three major catastrophes that will bring the 1,000 year period of the Middle Ages to a truly violent and deadly end.

In this podcast, we discuss the reasons for the development of cities, universities, and the great cathedrals, many of which still grace the lands of Europe and the Middle East.

In this podcast, we conclude the Constitutional Convention.  Learn the reasons why so many representatives left the Convention and those that remained but refused to sign the document.  And why were we the laughing stock of the European monarchies when they read a copy of our Constitution?

In this podcast, we find out who the MVP of the Convention was and the bitter pills that threatened to blow the Convention apart week after week.

 How and why did the nation-state begin?  What was wrong with the feudal system that Europeans were using for centuries?  Was the demise of the feudal system really based on one product introduced from Asia?  Tune in to find out.

 We just defeated Great Britain and can now govern ourselves!  Fantastic!  So what could go wrong with our newly won independence?  In short, everything.  Tune in to find out.

Find out how the commoners in feudal society lived. What were their lives like?  We also discuss the military elite and the origins of many societal practices that we still engage in in our every-day lives.  We finish with a brief discussion of the lives of the religious elite.

We finish off the American Revolution by discussing some ideas that make the founding of our new country very fragile and why this brand new country was born on life-support.

Now we will visit the academic works of Dr. Crane Brinton and Dr. Joseph Ellis to find out just how extraordinary the American Revolution was even before it started!

 In this podcast, we discuss some of Charlemagne’s most significant contributions to civilization.   I’d be willing to bet that most of my listeners are using one of his inventions on a daily basis.  And why wouldn't you?  It quickly became the bedrock of human education for millennia.

 Find out how one small family manipulated the Roman Catholic Church to become the most powerful family in the one thousand year time span of the Middle Ages.  The question though, is did the Church know that it was being manipulated?  Tune in to find out……...

Why does this document become the cornerstone of American democracy?  Is it true that there is nothing legally enforceable in the document?  And who was the audience of that document written for?  Tune in to find out.

Let’s go back to the summer of 1776 to find out what the Founding Fathers were thinking when they planned to go to war with Great Britain.  And if you were there, would you join them?  Or would you walk away?

In this podcast, the violence, and the body count, hits a new high.  What really happened at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts?  Were those two battles actually planned?  And if not, what happened?  Tune in to find out.

 After the discussion of Islam concludes, get an overview of what life was like in the early Middle Ages.  Why did scores of people give up their personal rights to their land and hand it over to a lord?  What did they hope to gain from “giving up?”

In this podcast we discuss the first major split within the Roman Catholic Church as well as the rise of Islam.  Find out how I put my foot in my mouth but also learned so much while sitting on the tarmac at Cleveland-Hopkins Airport.

No surprise that Great Britain won EVERY war in what became known as the “century of warfare.”  In this podcast, we learn the massive and terrible price that the Crown will pay for actually winning all of those wars.  You never heard of a downside of winning, you might say?  Well, finish this phrase for me; “Be careful (Great Britain) for what you wish for, because you…………”  Exactly.

Now that we started the Middle Ages, in this podcast, we learn why this time period is also called the “Dark Ages.”  Why “dark?”  Who turned off “the lights?”  Tune in to find out. Psst….if you listen to this podcast then it couldn’t have been you!

Let’s explore the idea of how original sin entered the world.  And if you could eradicate all evil in the world, would you do it?  Be careful; think before you answer this question.  Or better yet, listen to this podcast before you make your decision.  Because if you take away evil from the human race, you will also have to take away something else.

In this podcast, we witness the increasing tension between the colonists and Great Britain finally escalate to out and out violence with unnecessary deaths and over a million dollars in damages being the result.  Tune in to see what led to these moments and more importantly, was the British government really in the wrong?

As it begins to dawn on Great Britain,that her people might be in British North America for the long haul (i.e. forever), the Crown does her colonists a few favors.  Little did she know that those favors would come back to bite her.  But first, for over the next 100 years, Britain has to fight off the French, Spanish, Dutch, Portugese and even Native American tribes.  So who won all of those wars?  Why do I get the feeling you won’t be surprised when you find out.

In this final podcast on the Roman Empire, find out why historians cannot agree on when the Roman Empire “fell.”  Did it fall in 476AD, or simply move to modern day Istanbul and reign for just shy of another 1000 years?  Or is the Empire still alive and over 3 billion people strong because it retained its same power structure, same geographical seat of power, same holiday calendar, and simply modified its name?

Find out why this nobody, son of a common carpenter is largely believed to be the reason why the Roman Empire fell.  What could this 30 year old man have done, or said, that would lay the foundation for the disintegration of the largest empire in the world.

Welcome to the Middle Ages!  In this first installment enjoy a brief but detailed overview about how this next time period in history that gripped the Western world for the next 1000 years was so drastically different than the ancient world.

In this podcast, find out if you could vote as a British colonist here in the new world in the 1620’s.  See how much you really know about America’s first “Thanksgiving.”

How did the institution of slavery evolve in the Americas?  What were the three continents that financially benefited from the slave trade?  Of course you guessed Europe and you might have guessed the Americas, but what is the third continent?  Tune in to find out.  But be careful, you might not like what you hear…….

In order to explore the truly unknown areas of the world, human motivation is not enough.  Learn about the four major new inventions that allowed Columbus to launch the Age of Exploration.  With these inventions available to him, Columbus approached the king and queen of Spain to raise the funding necessary.  And if you thought the king and queen initially said ‘yes’, you need to listen to this podcast. Psst….because they really said ‘no’.

In this podcast, learn why Columbus could not have chosen a worse time to try and find a new all-water route to Asia.  Columbus left with three ships?  Why did he only come back with one?

As you listen to this podcast, be prepared to look around your house or apartment.  You will find that some of the most basic components of a typical residential dwelling was made possible by the ancient Romans as they transitioned from republic to empire.

While the average person may know which European countries colonized the new world, do we really know what “type” of person was courageous enough to actually travel to the new world and risk the six week long “terror of the age”; the transatlantic crossing?  Tune in to find out who these people were.  As you listen, ask yourself; would you have the guts to do it?

So what was King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella’s reactions when Columbus returned to Europe empty-handed and with no answer as to whether there is an all-water route to Asia?  Why is Columbus credited with ‘discovering’ America when humans were already in the Americas?  And why don’t the Vikings share any of the credit?  Tune in to find out.

The launching of the Age of Discovery in the early 1490's was no accident.  Think about what Columbus and his 89 other men were doing in 1492.  By traveling directly west to get to Asia in the east, Columbus was taking the age-old "facts" that the Earth was flat and throwing it out the window!  What would motivate someone like Columbus to risk his life to challenge that accepted idea?  It would take, not one, nor two, but three major catastrophes to rock the human mind-set to dare to ask if the world was indeed round.  And all three of those catastrophes happened within one person's lifetime.  So tune in to find out what those catastrophes were and ask yourself if you might have been pole-vaulted into a whole new way of thinking as a result.

Why is a country that is only 240 years old (yes, that’s young.  Consider that China has had one dynasty of leaders twice as long as the US has been around) the most sought after in terms of what we represent to ourselves and the world.  Why does the bald eagle on our national seal look to its right and not its left?  The answers to these questions can be found in this first podcast on American history.

Now what does Rome do after they defeated Hannibal and wiped out the entire Carthaginian Empire?  They go from republic to empire?  Yes,and no.  Yes, the Romans want to expand into the age of empire, but first they have to take care of an internal problem that is threatening to destroy the republic from within…..and that problem is really a person; a person who said, “I came, I saw, I conquered.”

At this point you must be convinced that Hannibal and Alexander the Great were related; somehow, some way.  And I don’t blame you.   But in this episode, we’re going to find out that Hannibal “forgot to do something” that Alexander remembered. This will cost Hannibal, dearly.

In this podcast, learn how different the Romans were compared to their neighbors to the east, the Greeks.  And find out who, specifically, sought to conquer and wipe out Rome early in its infancy.  (And no, Alexander the Great did not come back to life!)

All good things must come to an end.  And this is no less true for Alexander.  In this podcast, Alexander will suffer what some argue was his only actual ‘defeat.’ And you will never guess who the “enemy” is that defeats Alexander!  So what does Alexander do with the largest area of the world that was ever conquered by a single human being?  Tune in to find out.  And after listening, you might understand why Greece still puts the face of Alexander on its currency some 2,300 years later!

As discussed in the last podcast, we learned that Alexander refused the offer from King Darius of Persia to split his entire empire and treasury if Alexander agrees to a truce.  And when Alexander refused the offer, King Darius made the same offer to any of his own soldiers who brought him the severed head of Alexander III of Macedon.  The stakes could not be higher!  Tune in to see if Alexander is able to defeat the largest army on earth where he will be outflanked by a mile on each side and outnumbered by 5-1!

This podcast continues to follow in the footsteps of Alexander III as he faces the Persian army two more times.  See if he can solve the riddle of the “Gordian Knot.”  And see what your reaction is when he stops to see the largest place of “nothingness” on earth.

After a very brief review of the impact of the three great philosophers, this episode will discuss how Greece drew up plans to attack Persia in revenge for attempting to invade Greece twice.  But can a 20 year man really believe that he can invade a foreign country and successfully defeat an army when he will be outnumbered?  Listen to find out.

In this episode, learn about the various forms of government that the ancient Greeks experimented with; all of which are still practiced around the world today.  Pay particular attention to the last form of government that I discuss and see if you sleep well tonight....because that's what we are living in.

Remember the Founding Fathers?  Most of their ideas were adapted from what we will cover in this episode.  When we talk about Athenian democracy, wouldn't it be great to represent ourselves instead of our elected politicians representing our ideas in Washington, DC and in our state capitols?  That's what the ancient Athenians did....why can't we?  Be careful what you wish for...............

If you only listen to this podcast, by drawing a simple diagram with me, you will understand more than most people about the rise and importance of the three of the world's largest religions; and where the largest two essentially came from.  Should this be a cause for peace or war?  It depends o your perspective.  

Also, watch your local police department or even the FBI do a raid on a house and you will swear that the Assyrians are back!

In this episode, learn about an ancient king and tell me that he was NO DIFFERENT than today's politicians.  Learn about the ancient Egyptian pyramids and you will learn about the solar system at the same time.  Why?  Because that's what the Egyptians were doing!  And finally, take the "alphabet letter challenge" and see if you can figure out the puzzle faster than a kindergartner!  (Psst, my money is on the kindergartner.)

Listen to find out how and why the human race stopped "hunting and gathering"  and eventually settled down.  And once humans started settling down, what was it that kept them up at night full of anxiety?  What were our ancestors really trying to accomplish by painting animals on cave walls? 

Not all history is taught the same way!  Listen to this podcast to learn why I focus on the "human" aspect of the study of history.  If you don't like history, I encourage you to at least listen to this first podcast.  After listening, you will at least understand why the human being is truly unique.  But you will also learn about a deadly human quirk that makes us one of the most destructive and violent life forms on the planet!  Thanks for listening; enjoy!