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Historium

History Podcasts

Did you ever fall asleep in history class? You’re not alone. History can be boring when focusing on only dates and statistics. Historium seeks to find the narrative of history in some of the most unlikely places. Seamlessly blending history and storytelling, Jake Barton draws you into historical tales you’ve probably never heard before.

Location:

United States

Description:

Did you ever fall asleep in history class? You’re not alone. History can be boring when focusing on only dates and statistics. Historium seeks to find the narrative of history in some of the most unlikely places. Seamlessly blending history and storytelling, Jake Barton draws you into historical tales you’ve probably never heard before.

Language:

English


Episodes
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#84 The Darien Disaster

9/9/2025
The colonial ambitions of Scotland soon go sideways as they face the full brunt of Murphy's Law. The colonists face disease, mutiny, starvation, and shipwrecks before the backdrop of the golden age of piracy. The colony's ultimate fate unites a kingdom. For more episodes: patreon .com/historium Music: Hector the Hero by Geoff KnorrAll in Circles by Shida ShahabiThe British Empire by Brian TylerDenmark by the Portland Cello ProjectCock o’ the North by Geoff KnorrBonnie Dundee by Geoff KnorrEndless Falls by LoscilPieces of Eight by Bear McCrearyThe Wider Sun by Jon HopkinsScottish Snare by Geoff KnorrBaer by Hildur GudnadottirA Nation of Thieves by Bear McCrearyShimmy by Toussaint McCallMurder/Mermaid/Heavy Labor by Mark KorvenThe Spanish Empire by Brian TylerFuneral at Sea by Bear McCrearyLegions (War) by Zoe KeatingThe Sacred and The Profane by Paul Leonard-MorganElevator Song by Keaton HensenParcel o’ Rogues by Alastair McDonaldThe Final Journey by Christopher Spelmen Support the show

Duration:01:52:58

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[TEASER] Bonus Episode #32: Lost Children of the Alleghenies

3/26/2025
Two boys go missing in rural Appalachia. Search parties scour the foothills, accusations fly, and some seek supernatural help in hopes of finding the pair of lost children. For the rest of this episode and access to Historium's entire back catalog of bonus episodes: patreon.com/historium Support the show

Duration:00:02:57

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#83: GRAVEYARD OF EMPIRES: Last Man Standing

2/4/2025
Against all odds, Shuja rises again. A figurehead for the British East India Company, he watches as an invading army devastates his homeland—in his name. Meanwhile, Dost Mohammed’s son Akbar Khan leads a counterforce to be reckoned with. In time, he becomes a threat to his own father’s power. The British, chief among them Alexander Burnes, learn the hard way: The wicked will not go unpunished. For the more episodes and the rest of the series: https://www.patreon.com/historium Complete original score by (MST). For more by (MST): Substack: ://mountainstandardtime.substack.com/ SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/mountainstandard Sources: Return of a King: The Battle for Afghanistan by William Dalrymple Afghanistan in the Age of Empires: The Great Game for South and Central Asia by Farrukh Husain Siraj al-Tawarikh by Faiz Muhammad Kāteb and translated by Robert D. McChesney. Support the show

Duration:02:14:56

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#82 GRAVEYARD OF EMPIRES - Tournament of Shadows

1/21/2025
The British East India Company plots an invasion of Afghanistan. A bogus casus belli and puppet king are all they need—and the rivalry between their agent, Alexander Burnes, and a Russian spy named Ivan Vitkevitch becomes a zero sum game. This is the beginning of the Great Game, or, as the Russians knew it: The Tournament of Shadows. For the more episodes and the rest of the series: https://www.patreon.com/historium Complete original score by (MST). For more by (MST): Substack: ://mountainstandardtime.substack.com/ SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/mountainstandard Support the show

Duration:01:28:33

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#81 GRAVEYARD OF EMPIRES - THE BALLAD OF SHAH SHUJA

1/7/2025
In early 19th century Afghanistan, two warring dynasties contend for the throne. While the Sadozai brothers—grandsons of the empire’s founding king—feud amongst themselves, the Barakzai clan plots its ascendance. Shuja ul-Mulk of the Sadozais and Dost Mohammed Khan of the Barakzais grow up together in court, but as young men they become bitter enemies. Eventually, they must face each other on the battlefield. For the rest of the series: https://www.patreon.com/historium Complete original score by (MST). For more by (MST): Substack: ://mountainstandardtime.substack.com/ SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/mountainstandard Support the show

Duration:01:07:59

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#80 The Prophet of Jazz

12/13/2024
"I can say more with music than I ever could with words.” -Eric Dolphy Music: - Ceiling Gazing by Mark Kozelek & Jimmy LaValle - Nero's Nocturne by Chilly Gonzales - Warm Canto by Mal Waldron, Eric Dolphy, & Booker Ervin - Easy Opium by Ben von Wildenhaus - Rearranging Furniture by Gabriel Yared - The Homeless Wanderer by Emahoy Tsege Miriam Gebru - God Bless the Child by Eric Dolphy - Conquistadores by Chico Hamilton - Yearnin' by Eric Dolphy - When the Lights Are Low by John Coltrane & Eric Dolphy - Stolen Moments by Eric Dolphy - It Never Entered My Mind by the Miles Davis Quintet - Max sad clarinette by Michel Portal - Such Owls as You by Brambles - Meditations by Charles Mingus & Eric Dolphy Support the show

Duration:00:31:56

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#79 Eternity's Echo

7/8/2024
What if sound lives forever? Music: Imaginary Landscape No. 4 by John CageTezeta by Mulatu AskatkeElectronium Music Score by Raymond ScottLacrymae by MelodiumKapsburger by ClogsA Lake by Emily A. SpragueTiden Effert Hoffet by I.B. SundstromWhen the Northern Lights by Max RichterX-Ray by Youth LagoonLegions (War) by Zoe KeatingDisintegration Loops #3 by William Basinski92982.3 by William BasinskiPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/historium Support the show

Duration:00:29:00

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#78 The Blowout

3/17/2024
The story of one of the worst numerical beatdowns in the history of professional sports. Music: - Reckless by Brocker Way - Green Groves of Erin by Yo Yo Ma - Concerto No. 2 in G minor by Vivaldi - Classic Battle by Sam Spence - Denmark by Portland Cello Project - Independant by Brocker Way - Tilting at Windmills by Brocker Way - Ride of the Valkyries by Richard Wagner - Spanish Flea by Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass - 2 by AAEPSO - Climax Rag by James Scott - Chariots of Fire by Vangelis - En Gang Agde by 1900 - Epilogue by Brocker Way For more episodes and pictures for the episode: https://www.patreon.com/historium Support the show

Duration:00:39:40

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[UNLOCKED] Bonus Episode #30: The Day Disco Died

7/20/2023
(This is an unlocked Patreon bonus episode. For more bonus episodes, check out www.patreon.com/historium) Chicago, 1979. Disco was on top of the world. And some people didn't like that… When a failing baseball team and a peg-legged promoter hosted an anti-disco radio DJ armed with a quarter stick of dynamite… things quickly got out of hand. Welcome to Disco Demolition Night. Support the show

Duration:01:31:31

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Historium Presents: The Wind

5/11/2023
An episode from a show I love called The Wind. "Western Films as America’s origin story, and why they sound the way they do." For more episodes: https://thewind.org/ For our bonus episode with Fil: patreon.com/historium Support the show

Duration:00:51:10

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#77 ATOMIC DAWN - The Red Menace: The Cold War and the Trial of Robert Oppenheimer

3/27/2023
Neils Bohr returns with a new plan for world peace, Oppenheimer’s enemies close in from all sides as the Cold War warms up, and shadowy figures from the world of high finance work to expand the American nuclear weapons program. Original music for this series by https://mountainstandardtime.substack.com/ Additional music by Alarm Will Sound, Marisa Anderson, Kali Malone, Zoe Keating, Julie Kent, Ben Von Wildenhaus, Brocker Way, William Basinski, Nine Inch Nails, Mulatu Astatke, Richard D. James, Jon Hopkins, and Nils Frahm. Final song by King Dude. For bonus episodes and a custom series patch, become a patron at: patreon.com/historium Support the show

Duration:01:31:22

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#76 ATOMIC DAWN - Heavy Water: The Norwegian Commando Mission to Sabotage the Nazi Nuclear Program

3/20/2023
Norwegian commandos execute a daring sabotage mission to cripple the Nazi nuclear program. The fall of Werner Heisenberg. Original music for this series by https://mountainstandardtime.substack.com/ Additional music by Hildur Guðnadóttir, Max Richter, William Basinski, Moondog, Sølvguttene, Jed Kurzel, Hala Strana, Anne Hytta, Nine Inch Nails, and Nico. For bonus episodes and a special series patch: www.patreon.com/historium Support the show

Duration:00:59:10

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#75 ATOMIC DAWN - A Prime Suspect: Robert Oppenheimer, the Manhattan Project, and the Investigation of a Soviet Atomic Spy Ring

3/13/2023
Robert Oppenheimer leads the Manhattan Project at a secret research facility in Los Alamos. Meanwhile, counterintelligence seeks to unearth a secret communist spy ring within the very heart of the nuclear weapons program. A cold war starts before a world war ends. Original music for this series by https://mountainstandardtime.substack.com/ Additional music by Ludovico Einauldi, Luke Howard, Alarm Will Sound, Ben Sollee, Nick Cave & Warren Ellis, and Lulu Belle & Scotty. For more episodes and a Historium Manhattan Project patch: www.patreon.com/historium Support the show

Duration:01:00:17

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#74 ATOMIC DAWN - Complementarity and Uncertainty: Neils Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, and the Nazi Atomic Bomb

3/6/2023
On the eve of the Second World War, physicists learn of the possibility of splitting the atom. Two rival nuclear programs emerge and the race to the atomic bomb begins... Original music for this series by https://mountainstandardtime.substack.com/ Additional music by Kali Malone, Benoît Pioulard, Zoe Keating, Nine Inch Nails, Choral Arts Northwest, and The Louvin Brothers. For the rest of the series and a limited edition Historium patch made specifically for this episode: patreon.com/historium Support the show

Duration:00:48:58

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#73 Once in a Lifetime

11/24/2022
The story of Halley’s Comet—the only reoccurring comet visible to the naked eye that shows up every 75 years or so. Throughout history its appearance has marked profound change, from the conquest of the British Isles to the fall of the Qing Dynasty. For more bonus episodes: patreon.com/historium Music: Support the show

Duration:00:24:47

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#72: The Trial of Sunshine Charlie

10/24/2022
Summer 1929 was the pinnacle of a new era of banking, and Charles E. Mitchell emblematized the live-fast-die-young ethos of roaring twenties stock salesmen. As the Great Crash led into the Great Depression, Charlie’s ambition brought about his downfall and forced him to go toe-to-toe with one of most doggedly committed prosecutors of the era: Ferdinand Pecora. It’s a story that’s more timely now than ever. For more episodes: patreon.com/historium Music: Hindustan by Bob Crosby & The Bob CatsDogtown Blues by Bob Crosby & The Bob CatsAdagio in G Minor for Strings and Organ by the London Philharmonic OrchestraEasy Opium by Ben von WildenhausBattle of the Species by AntibalasMusic for the Royal Fireworks by HandelOne Bad Motherfucker in His Day by Ben von WildenhausReckless by Brocker WayThe Ox by The WhoPotato Boy by Mac DemarcoTryouts by Brocker WayHeartaches by Al BowllyThe Beast by Dick DaleLet There Be Drums by Sandy NelsonIt Was a Town by Brocker WayGlass Etudes by Etudes No. 6 by Philip GlassEtude by Joep BevingIn Love and Justice by Colin Stetson Happy Days are Here Again by Ben Selvin & The CroonersEnd of Summer Part 2 by Johann JohannssonLess Likely by Trent Reznor1929 by Merle HaggardSupport the show

Duration:01:23:33

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#71 Operation Eureka

7/25/2022
Tehran 1943. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin meet together for the first time with hopes of overcoming their ideological differences in order to win the Second World War. For bonus episodes: patreon.com/historium Music: Nightbook by Ludovico Einauldi Vanguard by Bear McCrearyHistory is Listening by Dario Marianelli & Vikingur OlafssonIncrease by David LangPrelude by Dario Marianelli & Vikingur OlafssonThe War Rooms by Dario Marianelli & Vikingur OlafssonMoscow, 1953 by Christopher WillisWelcome to the Bloody first by Wilbert Roget IIFour Winds by Adam HurstStaging a Coup by Christopher WillisDungtitled (In a Major) by Stars of the LidA Softer World by Luke HowardA Meaningful Moment Through a Meaningless Process by Stars of the LidSupport the show

Duration:00:43:32

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#70 Mendacium Ex Machina

4/18/2022
In the late 1700s, a chess-playing automaton marched across Europe, achieving checkmates against novices and masters alike–all while hiding an incredible secret… Music: - Concerto for Lute and Plucked Strings by Siefried Behrend & DZO Chamber Orchestra - Clockwork Toccata, Op. 68 by Fulvio Caldini & the Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet - Concerto no. 5 en la mineur by Bach - Mr. Moustafa by Alexandre Desplat - Denmark by Gideon Fruedmann & the Portland Cello Project - Night Train to Nebelsbad by Alexandre Desplat - Water Music Suite by Handel & the English Concert - Portrait Gallery by Luke Howard - Morning Talk/Supersymmetry by Arcade Fire & Owen Pallett Get bonus episodes: patreon.com/historium Support the show

Duration:00:34:03

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#7 The Christmas Truce (Shiny & Chrome Edition)

12/24/2021
This episode was always a feel-good fan favorite, so I decided to pluck it from the archives, rewrite it, re-record it, and remix it now that I'm a better writer with better equipment. Merry Christmas! 'During the first Christmas of the First World War, troops from opposing armies defied orders and participated in a series of impromptu ceasefires in the no man’s land between the trenches.' Music: Keetley by OK IkumiBeyond the Milk Wood by Federico AlbaneseWe Move Lightly by Dustin O’Halloran#20 (Lichen) by Aphex TwinPauvre Simon by Sylvain ChauveauSilent Night by the St. John’s College ChoirAuld Lang Syne by Dexter BritainFollow me on Wisdom here to get notified when I go live on January 2nd at 3 PM EST: https://joinwisdom.audio/historium Support the show and listen to bonus episodes: patreon.com/historium Support the show

Duration:00:16:25

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#69 The Great Race of Mercy

12/13/2021
In 1925, dog sled teams faced extreme subzero temperatures, whiteout conditions, and hurricane-force winds to deliver medicine to sick children in the remote mining town of Nome, Alaska. This feat of interspecies heroism would become one of the most harrowing rescue attempts in American history. Music: Etude by Joep BevingPrelude for Piano and Malaria by WorrytrainBorn Unto Trouble by Bill Elm & Woody JacksonSuicide by Marc StreitenfeldThe Diary by Dexter BritainWriting the Letter by Marc StreitenfeldIn Threes by LoscilLabyrinthine by Julianna BarwickA Softer world by Luke HowardThe Evil The Never Arrived by Stars of the LidOpening by Nathaniel BartlettAt the Beach by David WingoLale’s Theme by Nick Cave & Warren EllisI Will Be Back One Day (Instrumental) by Lord HuronSupport the show and listen to bonus episodes: patreon.com/historium Support the show

Duration:01:04:52