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Friday Fun Thread for December 29, 2023

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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What’s your favorite history podcast/YouTube channel? I’ve tried Dan Carlin but honestly just don’t like him for some reason.

Obviously looking for well sourced high quality content, as well as someone who isn’t super left biased.

I really like Robin Pierson's The History of Byzantium podcast. It's very well researched and he interviews academics who study Byzantium and even has a few episodes where he goes through a recent academic paper to cover current developments in the field. It's not dry at all though, Robin is a good story teller. Like many podcasts I think he's gotten stronger as he's gone a long, so if you want a taste of it to decide if it's for you I recommend starting with the episodes on the Fourth Crusade (numbers 259 & 260). If you enjoy those then you can go back and start from the beginning.

The Age of Napoleon is another good one. It covers the French Revolution at a high level but the focus is on what Napoleon personally saw and did so it would be helpful (but not necessary) to read a few wiki articles if you aren't already familiar with the time period. If you want a preview his episode on the life of Admiral Nelson is self contained and very good. When talking about the different factions he usually just describes their views without endorsing or condemning them, on either the left or the right.