Normally, I focus my reviews on books, but I wanted to share
one of my favorite podcasts. I get most of my ideas from reading or listening
to real historical information – as “real” as anything can be considering even
first-hand eyewitness accounts are always subjective – so I really appreciate a
podcast that is an entertaining as it is informative.
Podcast:
Revolutions http://www.revolutionspodcast.com/
Producer:
@mikeduncan
Disclaimer: I’ve
finished the English Civil War (something I have wanted to know more about for
a long time, considering the connection to the American Revolution) and the
American Revolution. I am just about to start the French Revolution, which
means I’m still working on finishing the podcasts completed in 2014.
There are still plenty of revolutions to come and the Mike’s
style may very well evolve. Nevertheless, I’ve enjoyed what I’ve heard so far.
As usual, for many of my longer reviews, I will give you a quick rundown of
what I like and don’t like. There is far more in the first category than the
second!
What I like
Accuracy - I am
the first to admit that I don’t know a whole lot of history outside of the period
starting with the French and Indian War (7 Years War in Europe) and ending with
the end of the French Revolution. So, I won’t be as good a judge for later
episodes, but I did not hear a single error during his coverage of the American
Revolution. A few of his listeners did, like the fact that Admiral Arbuthnot
was 68, not 86, but none of these details were major. It’s clear that Mike
Duncan is either well-schooled in the American Revolution or he did his
research. Probably both.
Style – Mike’s
style is highly entertaining. He has just enough of the cynic in him to be
funny, but not so much that he comes across as an ass. I really am listening to
his podcasts as much for entertainment value as to learn something new. Of
course, I fully expect to do the latter, especially as he gets into revolutions
I don’t know so much about.
Breadth – Speaking
of revolutions I am not familiar with, Mike’s breadth of topic is something I
really enjoy. History books revolve around the big ones: American, French,
Russian…But Mike covers other revolutions as well. I am especially looking
forward to learning more about the Haitian Revolution, a revolution that takes
up maybe a paragraph in the text books, but I have to believe it more important
than that.
Focus – Last, but
definitely not least, I like that Mike is able to focus on the topic at hand. I
have had to stop listening to so many could-be-good podcasts, because the
producer can’t keep from going off on tangents about his personal beliefs. (I would
love to hear more about Voltaire’s view of Christianity, but I don’t much care
about yours at the moment, thank you very much.)
Fairness – I thought
Mike was very fair to the Founding Fathers. No, they weren’t saints, but
despite their foibles, they brought some amazing talents, courage and resilience
to the table. The revolution could have gone very differently, as could the
even more perilous period after independence was won. It’s important to
remember that. Too many modern podcasts and books try to be controversial,
taking liberties with what they focus on and what they omit.
What I don’t like
As I said earlier, there isn’t much not to like. There was
only one podcasts that kind of irked me. When Mike got into the ratification of
the Constitution, he took a could side swipes at things in a way that struck me
as very 21st century thinking. It was hard to tell for sure, because
he was rather vague.
Now, it’s on to France and the French Revolution, where I am
hoping to meet up again with a few of my favorite characters from the American
Revolution. Not the least of which is the Marquis de Lafayette, although as
Mike has already pointed out, he’s not quite as beloved by the French. Things
are sure to get a bit messy, but even so, I shall always be grateful for their
timely assistance against the British.
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