In 1835, the New York Sun ran a series of articles about amazing discoveries of sentient creatures living happy and productive lives in harmony on…the moon. And people believed it! Sources: Goodman, Matthew. The Sun and the Moon : The Remarkable True Account of Hoaxers, Showmen, Dueling Journalists, and Lunar Man-Bats in Nineteenth-Century New York. New York, Basic Books,. Matthias, Meg. “The Great Moon Hoax of 1835 Was Sci-Fi Passed off as News | Britannica.” Www.britannica.com, 2024, www.brita...
Jul 01, 2025•1 hr 37 min
W.R. built a castle, called FDR a communist, tried to ignore the “greatest film of all time”, and carried on a lifelong affair with one of the biggest Golden Age of Hollywood stars, Marion Davies - Hollywood’s worst kept secret. Join us for part 3 of William Randolph Hearst! Sources: Thomas Lennon and Michael Epstein. “The Battle over Citizen Kane.” PBS, 1996. Nasaw, David. The Chief. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 12 Aug. 2013. Randolph, William, and Jack Casserly. The Hearsts : Father and Son. Niw...
Jun 13, 2025•2 hr 17 min
W.R. goes to war! Hearst didn’t cause the Spanish American War, although he’d love you to believe it. He just made people WANT to go to war. Join us for part 2! Sources: Thomas Lennon and Michael Epstein. “The Battle over Citizen Kane.” PBS, 1996. Nasaw, David. The Chief. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 12 Aug. 2013. Randolph, William, and Jack Casserly. The Hearsts : Father and Son. Niwot, Colo., Roberts Rinehart, 1991....
May 25, 2025•1 hr 15 min
How did William Randolph Hearst become a media giant who shaped public opinion through yellow journalism? The short answer? A silver spoon; AKA silver and gold mines owned by his parents. Join us as we follow “Willy the Worst” on his way to untold riches and influence! Sources: Thomas Lennon and Michael Epstein. “The Battle over Citizen Kane.” PBS, 1996. Nasaw, David. The Chief. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 12 Aug. 2013. Randolph, William, and Jack Casserly. The Hearsts : Father and Son. Niwot, Co...
May 05, 2025•2 hr 37 min
The much venerated charge of the light brigade at the battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War was one of the biggest military blunders of all time. The poor decisions made that day had much to do with the personalities of the British high command. Sources: Aldrete, Gregory S. History’s Great Military Blunders and the Lessons They Teach. The Great Courses, 2015. Figes, Orlando. Crimea. New York, Picador, 2012.
Apr 21, 2025•2 hr 4 min
The second First Lady of the United States was the mother of a president, a remarkable woman of letters, and in many ways, a founder herself. Join us for Abigail Adams! Sources: Holton, Woody. Abigail Adams. Simon and Schuster, 2009. McCullough, David. John Adams. Simon and Schuster, 2001.
Mar 31, 2025•2 hr 35 min
Mussolini’s spectacular fall from power would become a legendary cautionary tale for any would-be (and/or contemporary) despot going forward. Join us for part 4, the brutal conclusion of our series on the Italian fascist dictator! Sources: Ben-Ghiat, Ruth. STRONGMEN : Mussolini to the Present. S.L., W W Norton, 2021. Corner, Paul. Mussolini in Myth and Memory. Oxford University Press, 22 Sept. 2022. Gooch, John. Mussolini’s War. Simon and Schuster, 1 Dec. 2020. Ridley, Jasper. Mussolini. Rowman...
Mar 11, 2025•2 hr 39 min
In this episode, Mussolini names and renames things after himself and his fascist “revolution”, appears shirtless in news reels, and decides that Italy should reacquire and acquire land enough to make a new Italian Empire. Join us this week for part 3! Sources: Ben-Ghiat, Ruth. STRONGMEN : Mussolini to the Present. S.L., W W Norton, 2021. Corner, Paul. Mussolini in Myth and Memory. Oxford University Press, 22 Sept. 2022. Gooch, John. Mussolini’s War. Simon and Schuster, 1 Dec. 2020. Ridley, Jas...
Feb 25, 2025•2 hr 30 min
In part 2, Benito goes from being the editor of the left wing paper Avanti!, to marching (well, not personally, but figuratively) on Rome with his ultranationalist right wing black shirts. Join us for part 2, the Mussolini switcharoo! Sources: Ben-Ghiat, Ruth. STRONGMEN : Mussolini to the Present. S.L., W W Norton, 2021. Corner, Paul. Mussolini in Myth and Memory. Oxford University Press, 22 Sept. 2022. Gooch, John. Mussolini’s War. Simon and Schuster, 1 Dec. 2020. Ridley, Jasper. Mussolini. Ro...
Feb 09, 2025•2 hr
How does a young delinquent that is born and raised to be a fiery socialist rabble rouser, end up being the Italian fascist leader, Il Duce? It’s a long, winding road to say the least! Join us for part 1 of Benito Mussolini! Sources: Ben-Ghiat, Ruth. STRONGMEN : Mussolini to the Present. S.L., W W Norton, 2021. Corner, Paul. Mussolini in Myth and Memory. Oxford University Press, 22 Sept. 2022. Gooch, John. Mussolini’s War. Simon and Schuster, 1 Dec. 2020. Ridley, Jasper. Mussolini. Rowman &...
Feb 01, 2025•1 hr 54 min
Happy holidays from the History Boiz! On December 23, 1927, a man walked into a bank in Cisco, Texas and robbed it - while dressed as Santa Claus. Join us for this bullet riddled comedy of errors! Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Sources: Greene, A C. The Santa Claus Bank Robbery. Denton, Tex., University Of North Texas Press, 1999. Lumpkin, John. “Sinister Santa: A Look at the 1927 Cisco Bank Robbery.” Texas Highways, 13 Dec. 2017, texashighways.com/culture/history/sinister-santa-a-look-a...
Dec 25, 2024•2 hr 11 min
In the winter of 1924-25, a diphtheria outbreak in the remote Nome, Alaska, relied upon a desperate dog sled relay mission. You may know the heroic dog, Balto, but what about Togo? Sources: Salisbury, Gay, and Laney Salisbury. The Cruelest Miles. W.W. Norton & Company, Incorporated, 2005. Mushing 101: A Primer for Someone Getting Started in Sled ..., dogscouts.org/base/tonto-site/uploads/2014/11/TRAIN_Mushing_101.pdf. Accessed 1 Nov. 2024. Salisbury, Gay, and Laney Salisbury. The Cruelest Mi...
Nov 28, 2024•2 hr 28 min
Join us for spooky season! This time we’ll talk about the rise of spiritualism, complete with seances, exclusive clubs, famous true believers, infamous fakes and frauds, and the most respected magician of all time, Harry Houdini. Sources: Dawson, Kate Winkler. The Ghost Club. Penguin, 2023. Houdini, Harry. A Magician Among the Spirits. Cambridge University Press, 2011. Jaher, David, and Simon Vance. The Witch of Lime Street: Séance, Seduction, and Houdini in the Spirit World. Random House, 2015...
Oct 31, 2024•2 hr 37 min
In 1845, Sir John Franklin led an expedition in search of the northwest passage with two boats, aptly named HMS Terror and HMS Erebus, and never returned. To this day people search for clues as to what became of them, and what they did find carried horrifying implications. Sources: Beattie, Owen, et al. Frozen in Time : The Fate of the Franklin Expedition. Vancouver ; Berkeley, Greystone Books, 2017. Brandt, Anthony. Man Who Ate His Boots: The Tragic History of the Search for the Northwest Passa...
Oct 20, 2024•3 hr 2 min
In this episode we talk about what could’ve (and what probably) happened to Pocahontas while she was in England. It’s not something you would find in a Disney movie! Sources: Custalow, Linwood “Little Bear,” and Angela L. Daniel. The True Story of Pocahontas: The Other Side of History. Tantor Audio, 2023. Editors. “John Smith’s Writings (U.S. National Park Service).” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 4 Feb. 2022, www.nps.gov/articles/000/john-smith-writings.htm. Price, Dav...
Oct 08, 2024•2 hr 9 min
Due to various life events the Boiz have decided to postpone our next official episode, instead we're giving our beloved listeners a taste of our exclusive Patreon show, Telling Jerry Something! 251.9 million years ago our planet suffered the most catastrophic event life on Earth has ever known. Join us as Chris regales the gang about the dreaded Permian-Triassic Extinction Event! Sources: GEE, HENRY. A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth: 4.6 Billion Years in 12 Chapters. PICADOR, 2022. Cover...
Sep 24, 2024•57 min
Pocahontas has been used to tell different narratives throughout history, but few know the real story of her life. Join us for part 1! Sources: Custalow, Linwood “Little Bear,” and Angela L. Daniel. The True Story of Pocahontas: The Other Side of History. Tantor Audio, 2023. Editors. “John Smith’s Writings (U.S. National Park Service).” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 4 Feb. 2022, www.nps.gov/articles/000/john-smith-writings.htm. Price, David A. Love and Hate in Jamestow...
Sep 12, 2024•2 hr 37 min
Join us for the 3rd and final part of our series on the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution! This time, high school and college students take over the country to stamp out bourgeois/counter revolutionary/reactionary/conservative elements that, according to Mao, are holding China back. Sources: Baum, Richard. The Fall and Rise of China. The Teaching Company, 2010. Chang, Jung, and Jon Halliday. Mao: The Unknown Story. Random House, 2012. Han, Dongping. The Unknown Cultural Revolution. Monthly R...
Aug 28, 2024•3 hr 1 min
Join us for part 2! This time, we talk about what Mao decides to do after a successful revolution. Ambitious projects are launched like The Great Leap Forward. The Great Chinese Famine ensues. Sources: Baum, Richard. The Fall and Rise of China. The Teaching Company, 2010. Chang, Jung, and Jon Halliday. Mao: The Unknown Story. Random House, 2012. Han, Dongping. The Unknown Cultural Revolution. Monthly Review Press, 2008. Meisner, Maurice J. Mao’s China and after: A History of the People’s Republi...
Aug 14, 2024•2 hr 3 min
One of the most divisive, misunderstood, and contradictory events in history was Mao Zedong’s Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in China. Join us for part 1 of our 3 part series! Sources: Baum, Richard. The Fall and Rise of China. The Teaching Company, 2010. Chang, Jung, and Jon Halliday. Mao: The Unknown Story. Random House, 2012. Han, Dongping. The Unknown Cultural Revolution. Monthly Review Press, 2008. Meisner, Maurice J. Mao’s China and after: A History of the People’s Republic. Free Pr...
Jul 31, 2024•1 hr 51 min
Carlos II AKA Charles II of Spain AKA Carlos the Bewitched was the last of the Spanish Habsburgs and marked the end of 200 years of Habsburg rule in Spain. Carlos was born with a litany of health problems and remained sickly throughout his ineffectual reign due to generations of inbreeding. Sources: Gaudi, Robert. The War of Jenkins’ Ear. the Forgotten War for North and South America and the World That Made It: 1665-1742. Pegasus Books, 2021. Langdon Davies, John. Carlos the Bewitched: The Last ...
Jul 16, 2024•2 hr 1 min
The War of Jenkins’ Ear wasn’t really about an ear exactly and had more to do with trade. In a time of near constant warfare and the golden age of piracy nearing its end, Britain and Spain go to war yet again. Join us as we focus on the pivotal and disastrous Battle of Cartagena de Indias! Sources: Aldrete, Gregory S. History’s Greatest Military Blunders and the Lessons They Teach. History ed., Lecture 10, Great Courses, 2015. Gaudi, Robert. The War of Jenkins’ Ear: The Forgotten Struggle for No...
Jul 02, 2024•2 hr 17 min
In the final part 3 of our series on Ludlow, we talk about the massacre itself and the Rockefeller PR campaign that came afterward. Sources: Andrews, Thomas G. Killing for Coal: America’s Deadliest Labor War. Harvard University Press, 2010. Freese, Barbara. Coal: A Human History. Basic Books, 2016. Sinclair, Upton. King Coal. BIBLIOTECH PRESS, 2022.
Jun 17, 2024•1 hr 34 min
In part 2, we will talk about the company, the union, and the personalities that come with both, when the strike broke out in 1913. Join us! Sources: Andrews, Thomas G. Killing for Coal: America’s Deadliest Labor War. Harvard University Press, 2010. Freese, Barbara. Coal: A Human History. Basic Books, 2016. Sinclair, Upton. King Coal. BIBLIOTECH PRESS, 2022.
Jun 03, 2024•2 hr 21 min
The Ludlow Massacre, a part of the wider Colorado Coalfield War, was the deadliest strike in American history. This episode we talk all about the rock that burns, how to get it out of the ground, and the dangers that come with it. Sources: Andrews, Thomas G. Killing for Coal: America’s Deadliest Labor War. Harvard University Press, 2010. Freese, Barbara. Coal: A Human History. Basic Books, 2016. Sinclair, Upton. King Coal. BIBLIOTECH PRESS, 2022.
May 21, 2024•2 hr 37 min
From James Cook to modern times, there’s a lot to get into for part 2 of our general history of Aotearoa New Zealand! Joining us this time is a very special guest, Dani! Sources: Sources: HANZ, Thomas. Historyaotearoa.Com, 20 Apr. 2024, https://historyaotearoa.com/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0BMQABptIUbOg5ylpyqEphUIh6_0CvNv_K1raqlOZnQdvCEt6ICn48kov7mL1YwQ_aem_Af8K9eJ_RnvvvC5E6WCPVEwf63sYGX6libqhAoeWzaI85fhbbxoAVK9ba8-jlMQYTWQ. Accessed 1 Apr. 2024. King, Michael. Penguin History of New Zealand. Penguin,...
May 06, 2024•2 hr 46 min
Often left off maps or stuck inside a seam, the history of Aotearoa is often indicative of the consequences of colonialism. Sources: HANZ, Thomas. Historyaotearoa.Com, 20 Apr. 2024, https://historyaotearoa.com/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0BMQABptIUbOg5ylpyqEphUIh6_0CvNv_K1raqlOZnQdvCEt6ICn48kov7mL1YwQ_aem_Af8K9eJ_RnvvvC5E6WCPVEwf63sYGX6libqhAoeWzaI85fhbbxoAVK9ba8-jlMQYTWQ. Accessed 1 Apr. 2024. King, Michael. Penguin History of New Zealand. Penguin, 2017. Thompson, Christina. Come on Shore and We Will K...
Apr 22, 2024•1 hr 37 min
Listener request! The Mad Trapper of Rat River sparked the largest manhunt in Canadian history. Special guest, Beau Binek! Sources: Editors. “Albert Johnson, ‘The Mad Trapper of Rat River.’” The Canadian Encyclopedia, 22 Jan. 2008, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/albert-johnson. Katz, Hélèna. The Mad Trapper: The Incredible Tale of a Famous Canadian Manhunt. CNIB, 2007. North, Dick. The Mad Trapper of Rat River: A True Story of Canada’s Biggest Manhunt. Lyons Press, 2018.
Apr 08, 2024•2 hr 13 min
Marie Curie was a revolutionary scientist discovering a previously unknown state of matter, as well as two elements on the periodic table. She was first woman to win the Nobel Prize and first person to win in twice (not to mention in different scientific fields). Join us for the incomparable Marie Curie! Sources: Curie, Eve, and Vincent Sheean. Madam Curie. Mass., Houghton Mifflin, 1963. Editors. “Marie Curie.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 11 Mar. 2024, www.britannica....
Mar 25, 2024•3 hr 45 min
In part 2 of The Blues, we talk about the folklorists who came to (mistakenly) define what the blues music was, and what it wasn’t. Aaron Weed joins us again! Sources: Cobb, James C. The Most Southern Place on Earth: The Mississippi Delta and the Roots of Regional Identity. 7th ed., Oxford University Press, 1994. Gioia, Ted. Delta Blues. 20th ed., W. W. Norton, 2008. King, Chris Thomas. Blues: The Authentic Narrative of My Music and Culture. Chicago Review Press, Incorporated, 2021.
Mar 11, 2024•2 hr 30 min
