(Discussions) Dan Carlin's Hardcore History Podcast

[Ranger Taffles]

In Hardcore History the very unconventional Dan Carlin takes his "Martian", outside-the-box way of thinking and applies it to the past. Was Alexander the Great as bad a person as Adolf Hitler? What would Apaches with modern weapons be like? Will our modern civilization ever fall like civilizations from past eras? This is a difficult-to-classify show that has a rather sharp edge. It's not for everyone. But the innovative style and approach has made "Dan Carlin's Hardcore History" a New Media hit.

Here's how I'll explain Dan Carlin. If you're looking to be interested in the subject of history then this is one of the finest ways of doing so. He's not an actual historian in the simplest of terms, but rather a history tour guide who has a knack for quality storytelling. The sources he mentions are qualified and personally for me there's nothing preachy or biased in his discussion. His narrative hook does have tendencies of sensationalism but at the same time it's distinctly very interesting too. Logically as good as it gets to summarize it.

Few things to note.

- These podcasts can be seriously long in length, almost like audiobooks in a sense. Nothing to be worried about though so don't shy away from history done in immersive detail.
- Dan releases stuff very slowly, few times in a year.
- He's been doing this since 2006.
- His old podcasts differ from the new podcasts in terms of length and production (sound effects in older ones).

Where to start?

Dan Carlin - Hardcore History Library

Highly recommended to check out the latest (free) podcasts in the HH library. They don't stay free always!

Personal recommendation: If you really want to understand the appeal of Hardcore History then go for - Hardcore History 48 - Prophets of Doom - Dan Carlin

Murderous millennial preachers and prophets take over the German city of Munster after Martin Luther unleashes a Pandora's Box of religious anarchy with the Protestant Reformation.

The Prophets of Doom podcast is a one-off take on an insanely amazing story. It's chaotically mindblowing and will keep you hooked. If you do decide to listen to it then I recommend you also don't read anything about it. It's also free for now.

Further recommendations (including series):

- Ghosts of Ostfront (4 part series covering WW2's Eastern Front conflict between Germans and Soviets)

Possibly his most acclaimed series to date, and has a wonderful balance of his old and new style of production.

- Wrath of the Khans (5 part series on the Mongols legacy. It's free too for now!)

The Mongols. Enough said.

- Apache Tears

Dan's look back on one of the last Native American tribes to surrender to the US govt.

- Logical Insanity (BLITZ - a more discussion-based take)

Dan examines the issue of the morality of dropping the Atomic Bombs in the Second World War. Intriguing outlook on some of the specific nuances of WW2.

These are my personal picks, so other HH listeners should definitely share their recommendations too. I still have to go through many of the other series, especially Khans, Punics, etc. The extensive library covers a lot of different times and subjects in history, so check out what you're into: Dan Carlin's Hardcore History Archives - Dan Carlin

PS: Before this gets moved to some other section, I have permission of [MENTION=4177]NaNoW[/MENTION] to make the thread here.

 

[abcd]

I remember listening to Wrath of the Khans and World War 1 posdcasts a couple of years ago. It is really nice to get some background info if you are interested in the topic. Having said that history in the form of an audiobook/podcast is a bit of an acquired taste. I recommended it to a friend and he literally went to sleep after half an hour. A long history book is fine because you are actively engaged in the act of reading but stopping your mind from wandering off is a little more difficult with a long podcast because listening is completely passive. I remember very little from the parts I listened to in one go. I would recommend listening in 20 minute chunks! And I need to get started on the World war 2 podcasts now that you have reminded me of it

 

[Ranger Taffles]

I remember listening to Wrath of the Khans and World War 1 posdcasts a couple of years ago. It is really nice to get some background info if you are interested in the topic. Having said that history in the form of an audiobook/podcast is a bit of an acquired taste. I recommended it to a friend and he literally went to sleep after half an hour. A long history book is fine because you are actively engaged in the act of reading but stopping your mind from wandering off is a little more difficult with a long podcast because listening is completely passive. I remember very little from the parts I listened to in one go. I would recommend listening in 20 minute chunks! And I need to get started on the World war 2 podcasts now that you have reminded me of it

I listened to Prophets of Doom for its entire 4.5 hours duration non-stop. It was that good for me. And I can't listen to any podcast passively but that's maybe because I've been generally listening to podcasts over the years.

 

[NaNoW]

loved the Wrath of the Khans

and hardcore history episodes...

I think trying to listen to these while doing something else isnt the way to go it..I would recommand that you lay back relax and just chill with these...perfect for loadshedding time aswell

 

[Jester]

Had some time to kill before class so I checked out Wrath of the Khans.

The intro was a little more long winded than I would've liked, it felt slightly padded for a preface. It did get good when it starting going, though. Liked the presentation style. Very engaging and intriguing. Will definitely be listening to more of this.

 

[Gizmo]

Listening to Ghosts of the Ostfront now. it's awesome. Dan's podcasts can get a bit long but I usually just listen to them during load shedding on my phone when I have nothing else to do so it doesn't really matter. Also, I listened to prophet's of doom in a single sitting as well, it was just too good to stop

 

[Ranger Taffles]

NEW EPISODE OUT!



Duration:03:32:40 minutes – 205 mb

Often relegated to the role of slavish cannon fodder for Sparta’s spears, the Achaemenid Persian empire had a glorious heritage. Under a single king they created the greatest empire the world had ever seen.

Spoiler: show

Weekend and hardcore history is too good.

[MENTION=11846]Gizmo[/MENTION]​

 

[Gizmo]

^^No time for it this weekend tho, I'll barely get through giantbomb's podcasts this week