Michael Rank's Blog, page 18
November 18, 2013
HFM 043 | How Jamaica Conquered the World – with Roifield Brown from the ‘How Jamaica Conquered the World’ Podcast
How did a Caribbean island of 3 million people manage to conquer the world with its popular culture? Author and podcaster Roifield Brown answers these questions in our latest podcast.
Check out Royfield’s podcast here.
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November 11, 2013
HFM 042 | Why Medieval Peasants Worked a Lot Less Than You Think
[image error]We all know that working conditions were far more terrible in the past than today. There were no rights for laborers, and people routinely dropped dead from their jobs. But is that truth or a myth? If we take a look at the average day of a medieval peasant, it is enough to make us jealous — minus the bubonic plague, of course.
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November 4, 2013
HFM 041 | Leonardo da Vinci’s Sleep Schedule: Did He Really Only Rest 2 Hours a Day?
[image error]Did everyone’s favorite Renaissance inventor really only sleep 2 hours a day? If so, did anyone else in history do so? How is it possible without dying? We explore all this and more in today’s episode.
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October 31, 2013
HFM 040 | Where Did the Sea Monsters on the Edge of Medieval Maps Come From?
Why do old maps have enormous serpents, giant squids, Krakken, and other terrifying creatures drawn on its edges? Were the oceans infested with mythological creatures in the past, or is there another reason for their appearance? We find out in today’s podcast.
Click here to read more about this topic via an article from the Smithsonian, which inspired me to record this episode.
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October 28, 2013
HFM 039 | Going on Strike in Ancient Egypt with Dominic Perry from Egyptian History Podcast
[image error]Government departments went on strike in similar ways during the reign of Ramses III (1186-1155 BC) as they do in the 21st century. But how do temple priests strike in similar ways as BART employees in San Francisco? We are joined by Dominic Perry from the Egyptian History Podcast to explain all this for us.
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October 21, 2013
HFM 038 | Love in Ancient Egypt – How to Win the Heart of a Pharoah or Priestess of Isis in a Few Stanzas, with Dominic Perry from Egyptian History Podcast
What was love like in Ancient Egypt? Did a society that worshipped the sun and cats approach amor in the same way that we do today? We will find out all that and more with our special guest Dominic Perry from the Egyptian History Podcast.
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October 14, 2013
HFM 037 | Akhenaten: The Heretic King of Egypt and Father of Tutankhamun (r. 1353-1334 B.C.) with Dominic Perry from Egyptian History Podcast
What does it take to be considered the “heretic king” in a society that worshipped cats and literally everything under the sun? We find out by exploring the life of Akhenaten: the father of the famed Tutankhamun. He reigned from 1353-1334 B.C. and has quite an interesting life.
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October 7, 2013
HFM 036 | Why Russian Revolutions of the 17th and 18th Century Were the Cause of the USSR – With Mark Schauss of the Russian Rulers History Podcast
[image error]What caused the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917? Was it the result of a few days of rioting getting out of control? Or is there a much deeper reason? Today we have Mark Schauss of the Russian Rulers History Podcast to discuss this question.
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September 30, 2013
HFM 035 | Hannibal of Carthage and the Pincher Move: The Hardest Military Maneuver in History
Hannibal almost destroyed the Roman Empire by deploying an incredibly effective maneuver — the double pincher. How did he do it, and why is it so hard to pull off?
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September 23, 2013
HFM 034 | Alexander the Great, Part 2: How He Conquered Everything Between Macedonia and India
How did Alexander the Great practically conquer the entire known world? By six easy steps. If you can do them, then maybe the sobriquet “Great” is yours for the taking!
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