Podcasts and Radio Programs on Medieval History

The growth of podcasting in recent years shows that this kind of media can be a great tool for communicating on the Internet.  We can now find several podcasters who deal only in medieval history, and even more who talk about history in general.  Furthermore, major international broadcasters, such the BBC and NPR, have archived their radio programs related to history.  One of our future plans to develop our own podcasts that would focus on warfare in the Middle Ages.  Here is a list of some resources you can consult:

Podcasts

Medieval Podcast - a growing site that has shows on a variety of medieval topics

Historycast - the show analyzes medieval texts, with the first three episodes focusing on Dante.  The next show will deal with Henry of Huntingdon's Historia Anglorum

12 Byzantine Rulers: The History of The Byzantine Empire - by Lars Brownworth, who teaches at the Stony Brook School on Long Island, New York. He studied Byzantine history extensively and produced this lecture series giving us an overview of Byzantine history as seen through 12 of it's greatest rulers

Military History Podcast - deals with warfare from ancient to modern, and includes several episodes that deal with the Middle Ages

HistoryPodcast - a very large podcast that covers all kinds of historical events and personalities.

We are interested in expanding this list of podcasts.  If you know of a podcaster that should be included, please email us at deremilitari@hotmail.com

Public Radio Broadcasts

The Dark Origins of Britain - from the BBC, this 3 part series explores Anglo-Saxon England

The Norman Way - from the BBC, this three-part series examines how England was changed by the Norman Conquest

Battlefield Ramblings - from the BBC, this radio series discovers walking routes in the vicinity of some of the major British battlefields.  This includes Boudicca-Norwich, Hastings and Pilleth - Radnor

Alfred and the Battle of Edington - from the BBC series In Our Time, this episode covers the famous Anglo-Saxon vs. Vikings battle fought in 878 

Agincourt - from the BBC series In Our Time, this episode covers the Battle of Agincourt, fought in 1415.  De Re Militari member Anne Curry is among the contributors

Machiavelli and the Italian City States - from the BBC series In Our Time, this episode examines The Prince and the world of 15th and 16th century Italy

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire - from the BBC series In Our Time, this episode examines the various reasons given for the end of the Western Roman Empire

The Venerable Bede: The father of English history - from the BBC series In Our Time, this episode examines the life and writings of this 8th century monk

Britain's Queen of Spin - from the BBC series Document, this episode examines the 11th century English queen Emma, and her contemporary biography, the Encomium Emmae Reginae 

The Crusades - from the BBC series The Long View, this episode examines the First and Second Crusade.  De Re Militari member Jonathan Phillips is among the contributors

The First Crusade - from the BBC series What If, Professor Chris Andrew poses the quite plausible hypothesis that the First Crusade did indeed fail. What would have been the consequences of such an outcome?

The First Crusade - from the NPR series Talk of the Nation, this episode interviews Professor Thomas Asbridge

Castles and Cruelty in York - from the BBC series Voices of the Powerless, this episode examines the life and times in England's north after the Norman Conquest

The Peasants' Revolt - from the BBC series Voices of the Powerless, this episode examines the Peasant's Revolt of 1381 in England

The Search for Hereward the Wake - from the BBC series Voices of the Powerless, this episode examines the career of the English rebel Hereward in the 11th century

'The Last Duel' Between French Knights - from NPR, this 10 minute section is an interview of Eric Jager, author of The Last Duel: A True Story of Crime, Scandal and Trial by Combat in Medieval France.

The Middle East and the West: A Troubled History - from NPR, this six-part series includes sections on the Crusades and the Rise of the Ottoman Empire

Return to the De Re Militari Homepage