Podcast from Mike Duncan about revolutions

September 17, 2013 6:32 PM

Revolutions is a new weekly podcast by Mike Duncan, who is best known for the History of Rome podcast, though he also writes comics. There are two episodes so far of Revolutions, a short introduction to the series and one on Charles Stuart, king of England.
posted by Kattullus (34 comments total)

iTunes link.
posted by Kattullus at 6:33 PM on September 17, 2013

HOT DAMN. I've been at sea since I ploughed my way through The History of Rome. Dan Carlin's provided some erudite-shock-jock methadone, but I've really been jonesing for the sweet Duncan stuff.
posted by COBRA! at 6:36 PM on September 17, 2013

Thanks, subscribed!
posted by Confess, Fletch at 6:40 PM on September 17, 2013

COBRA!: I've been at sea since I ploughed my way through The History of Rome.

I really like The History of Byzantium. It takes Robin Pierson a few episodes to get the hang of the format, but it's now a podcast which I listen to immediately when it downloads. Heck, I even paid five dollars for a fundraising episode.
posted by Kattullus at 6:42 PM on September 17, 2013 [7 favorites]

I've been meaning to check out The History of Byzantium, although Duncan getting the machine spinning up again complicates that a little. Awesome problem to have, though.
posted by COBRA! at 6:45 PM on September 17, 2013

He's got such a soothing voice that I can't binge-listen to History of Rome lest I fall asleep - not that the content isn't phenomenal! I love it but I have to do a handful of episodes at a time at most.

I would pay cash money for a sleep aid app that was just like his History of Rome intro. *gentle guitar* "Hello... and welcome... to naptime."
posted by jason_steakums at 6:58 PM on September 17, 2013 [13 favorites]

Oh, this should be great. An interesting topic and a proven caster. Thanks for posting!
posted by Drinky Die at 7:03 PM on September 17, 2013

Yeah, I fell asleep to History of Rome sometimes. Just interesting enough that you want to stay awake, not quite enough that you don't fall asleep. The perfect sleep anxiety releaser. I listened again in the morning to catch up on what I missed. :P
posted by Drinky Die at 7:04 PM on September 17, 2013 [2 favorites]

The cartoons are really good. I was actually unclear on that pope schism incident.
posted by thelonius at 7:06 PM on September 17, 2013

...and the Emperor brutally murdered his family and ten thousand of the peoples of *gentle sigh, blackness*.
posted by Drinky Die at 7:06 PM on September 17, 2013 [10 favorites]

"Talking History: The Italian Unification" is another good new history podcast. I like the content and their voices help me fall asleep sometimes (I didn't realize this was such a common habit.)
posted by Area Man at 7:07 PM on September 17, 2013

You sleeping people are just plain incorrect. Podcasts are for walking your dog. If you don't associate the Severin Dynasty and/or the voice of Marc Maron with fumbling for poop bags in the cold darkness of a Minneapolis morning, you're doing it wrong.
posted by COBRA! at 7:11 PM on September 17, 2013 [4 favorites]

i'll add my own excitement to the mix.

FYI: mr. duncan mentioned back on one of the final episodes of the history of rome (THoR) that he had an idea for a podcast based on the american political parties, but in an "ask me anything" reddit session earlier this year he said he didn't want to alienate what had been the very international audience of THoR by doing something narrowly American, and the revolutions idea just "clicked." that said, he still thinks he will do something with the political parties idea.
posted by buffalo at 7:18 PM on September 17, 2013 [1 favorite]

Driving! Podcasts are for driving. History of Rome, specifically, is for the 12-hour drive from Seattle to the bay area. *calming guitar outro*
posted by a birds at 7:19 PM on September 17, 2013 [3 favorites]

I associate Mike Duncan's voice with the warmth of just-dried laundry and the slickness of soap on a cooking pan.

I have high hopes for this one: My brother is reading an intensely partisan old history of the English crown, and its section on the Glorious Revolution constantly refers back to the events of the Civil War and the Restoration. The revolutions to be covered next are just gravy.
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 7:20 PM on September 17, 2013

Podcasts are not for working though. I hate that feeling of noticing the podcast receded into background noise a dozen episodes (or half an episode of Hardcore History) ago and now you've gotta go back... and then it happens again.
posted by jason_steakums at 7:22 PM on September 17, 2013 [4 favorites]

Maron is no good for falling asleep. Too much anxiety. Also, his take on the tetrarchy is all wrong.
posted by Area Man at 7:22 PM on September 17, 2013 [2 favorites]

I love Mike Duncan's work; just hate his proclivity to be a spoiler. Here's to hoping he's learned the proper way to foreshadow!!
posted by Alles at 7:23 PM on September 17, 2013

Loved THoR! I'm not too keen on the first couple of episodes of this, though. He's taking longer pauses between sentences, and the audio seems a little bit lower quality than I remember.
posted by rebent at 7:38 PM on September 17, 2013 [1 favorite]

Another good history podcast is The Ancient World. I've kind of confused myself by starting with Byzantium and then going to ancient history. I have The History of Rome queued up next by now I have company on my walk to school so it takes me forever to get to listen to one.

I did get a couple episodes listened to getting ready for my wedding. Did wonders for my nerves.
posted by hydrobatidae at 7:40 PM on September 17, 2013

So ridiculously excited about this! All summer I've been using THoR as my motivator to get out and walk (and like COBRA!, I now have countless moments of Roman history inextricably linked to fishing for dog poop bags), but have been putting off listening to the last twenty or so episodes out of dread of being out of episodes ... It will be kind of weird to be listening to Mike Duncan's work as he puts it out, and actually having those apologies for delays mean something, but much better that than rationing my last few Rome episodes at five minutes per walk ...
posted by DingoMutt at 7:54 PM on September 17, 2013

The traffic jam where Justinian finally bought it was the best traffic jam ever.
posted by cacofonie at 7:58 PM on September 17, 2013 [8 favorites]

Another podcast along similar lines is David Crowther's History of England.
posted by malphigian at 8:24 PM on September 17, 2013 [2 favorites]

I will always associate The Ghosts of the Ostfront with a terrifying drive from Seattle to Vegas through a Utah blizzard. Driving over icy roads while listening to Carlin talk about how the Germans used the Russian soldiers as road material in the frozen landscape sticks with you.

Seriously, the most gripping 6-7 hours of audio I've ever heard. That and the Wrath of the Khans.
posted by lattiboy at 9:08 PM on September 17, 2013 [5 favorites]

There's a cheaper audiobook version of Ghosts of the Ostfront! If you're even remotely interested in history podcasts or WWII history, don't even hesitate to buy it. Punic Nightmare is another big favorite (also, seconding Wrath of the Khans). The bad part about Dan Carlin is that these gigantic shows take months to come out, and they're good enough that the wait is awful.
posted by jason_steakums at 9:22 PM on September 17, 2013 [2 favorites]

You guys are all wrong. History of Rome is for long runs and long bike rides. So many memories of binge listening to episodes as the trails went by at Prospect park, then West Maui and now Oahu. Never knew the Roman Empire would be so intertwined with NY and Hawaii for me. Good memories.
posted by dealing away at 10:31 PM on September 17, 2013

You FOOLS! Surely driving all the way to the bay area on a cold Minneapolis morning with your dog running beside the car while you fall asleep in your adult diaper with your bike in the back seat is the PERFECT way to listen to this series of poZzzzzzzzz
posted by the quidnunc kid at 12:20 AM on September 18, 2013 [4 favorites]

The History of Rome inspired me to travel to Italy last year, and I was actually walking through Ostia Antica when Duncan announced that the end was near. Like dealing_away, I associate certain episodes, and certain Roman emperors, with trails and bike rides I've done!

I wonder if Revolutions will inspire me to Revolt?

I've started and stopped a lot of other history podcasts since Rome ended, but most paled compared to Duncan. I have to remind myself that he started off roughly also, and that it took a few centuries for him to find his stride.

Still, in the same genre, The History of Byzantium and the History of Japan are enjoyable. Dan Carlin is a whole different breed, but I do enjoy his podcasts. And I'll listen to Lars Brownworth's Norman Centuries when it's finished ... there is too big a gap between episodes.
posted by kanewai at 2:26 AM on September 18, 2013 [1 favorite]

Sorry, guys, podcasts are for driving tractors, cutting weeds around the rice paddies, and cutting down the corners of a rice paddy in harvest season. Sheesh, Metafilter, I thought you guys were smart. ;)

This along with The History of Byzantium, and the Ancient World have now been subscribed to for this year's harvest. Good thing, too, since I'd just finished my binging on Welcome to Nightvale.
posted by snwod at 4:13 AM on September 18, 2013

I used to listen to HoR while lifting weights in my living room. It didn't work, I kept not paying attention to the content. And occasionally just standing there with weights in my hand paying attention to the podcast. Either way, bad.

Tried using it for my long bike rides, but needed something more energetic to keep me going.

I got to Augustus Caesar before falling out of it. Going to start over I think, have a lot of 14+ hour drives coming up. It's amazing when I do hear it. So excited to have new stuff, even though I'm not done the old.
posted by Lemurrhea at 8:54 AM on September 18, 2013

Sweet shit! I'm at the Year of Four Emperors in THOR and was already starting to worry about what to listen to next. In between Night Vale, that is.
posted by echo target at 9:05 AM on September 18, 2013

I'm shocked, shocked, that nobody has mentioned 12 Byzantine Rulers podcast so far.
posted by thaths at 7:39 AM on September 20, 2013 [1 favorite]

The only thing that bugs me about Mike Duncan is his habit of dropping the S sound at the end of coup de grâce, which makes a fat hit of the phrase.
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 5:13 PM on October 8, 2013

I'm shocked, shocked, that nobody has mentioned 12 Byzantine Rulers podcast so far.

Eh, I dunno. That podcast impressed me at first, but, the more I listened, the less satisfied I was. There is sort of a weird "the whole point of Byzantine history is to establish the Orthodox Church" vibe that seemed really out of place. Like the decisions of the rulers were only significant in their impact on the present.

Actually, there a re a lot of history podcasts out there with somewhat covert political axes to grind. I mean, history nerds seem to skew conservative, so I guess this is natural, but it's still kind of jarring.
posted by GenjiandProust at 8:36 AM on October 13, 2013 [1 favorite]