History with Dad

Can one decision make an already difficult situation even worse? In this Dad Tangent from History with Dad, we explore some of history's biggest political miscalculations. From Athens' disastrous invasion of Sicily to Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare in World War I and Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, history is full of leaders whose solutions created even bigger problems. W...

The Viking Age enters a new era as raiding gives way to conquest. In this episode of History with Dad, we explore Iceland's peaceful conversion to Christianity, Leif Erikson's voyage to Vinland and the earliest confirmed European settlement in North America, England's growing crisis under King Æthelred, the controversial St. Brice's Day Massacre, the rise of professional Viking arm...

How does an entire country change its religion? In this Dad Tangent from History with Dad, we explore why new religions sometimes spread with surprising speed. From the rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire and Kievan Rus to the rapid expansion of Islam, history shows that belief alone rarely explains these transformations. Politics, trade, rulers, culture, and genuine faith all played a part....

Why would a government pay the very people attacking it? In this Dad Tangent from History with Dad, we look beyond King Æthelred’s infamous Danegeld payments to explore why rulers throughout history have sometimes chosen gold over war. From the Roman and Byzantine Empires to cities facing the Mongols, paying an enemy could buy peace, save lives, or simply delay disaster. But as Moctezuma’s gifts t...

England had survived political turmoil without collapsing, but in 991 the Viking Age entered a new phase. In this episode of History with Dad, we explore the Battle of Maldon, the heroic last stand of Byrhtnoth, and why King Æthelred the Unready made the controversial decision to pay Danegeld. Then we follow the extraordinary rise of Olaf Tryggvason—from exile and slavery to the throne of Norway—a...

Some of history's biggest discoveries happened because someone was looking for one thing and found something completely different. In this Dad Tangent from History with Dad, we explore how accidents helped change the world. From Bjarni Herjólfsson accidentally sighting North America to the discovery of penicillin, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the microwave oven, history reminds us that luck often...

Why did Iceland produce explorers like Erik the Red, Bjarni Herjólfsson, and Leif Erikson in rapid succession? In this Dad Tangent from History with Dad, we explore why frontier societies so often become launchpads for exploration. From Viking Iceland to Portugal's Age of Discovery, the American frontier, and the remarkable voyages of the Polynesians, history shows that living on the edge of t...

After the death of Edgar the Peaceful, England faced a new succession crisis as Edward the Martyr and the young Æthelred II became the center of a struggle for the English crown. Across the North Sea, a new generation of Viking leaders—including Haakon Jarl, Sweyn Forkbeard, and the legendary Jomsvikings—began reshaping Scandinavia through rebellion, warfare, and political ambition. Meanwhile, the...

Can you trust what an ancient monument says? In this Dad Tangent from History with Dad , we explore how rulers have used monuments to shape their own legacy, from Harald Bluetooth's Jelling Stone to Ramesses II, Augustus, and Napoleon. We'll also look at one powerful counterexample that wasn't built to glorify anyone at all. If you'd like to help keep History with Dad independent a...

Why do some peaceful and prosperous periods last for centuries while others collapse almost as soon as the ruler who created them is gone? In this Dad Tangent from History with Dad, we explore why golden ages often depend on more than just great leaders. From Augustus and the Pax Romana to Genghis Khan, Queen Victoria, and Tokugawa Japan, history shows that lasting peace usually comes down to some...

Between 955 and 975, England and Scandinavia entered a new phase of the Viking Age. In England, the troubled reign of Eadwig gave way to Edgar the Peaceful, whose government, religious reforms, standardized coinage, and extraordinary ceremonies at Bath and Chester helped turn England into one of Europe’s strongest kingdoms. In Norway, Håkon the Good struggled to balance his Christian faith with th...

When one kingdom conquers another, does that mean the people suddenly become part of the new nation? In this Dad Tangent from History with Dad , we explore why culture often survives long after armies have won their battles. From Roman Britain and the Ottoman Balkans to the Spanish Americas, history shows that changing a flag is usually much easier than changing people's identity. We'll al...

Why do some places seem to be fought over century after century while others remain relatively peaceful? In this Dad Tangent from History with Dad , we explore why borderlands like York, Alsace-Lorraine, Jerusalem, and Kashmir have repeatedly become the center of conflict, and why geography can sometimes matter more than politics. Along the way, we'll also look at Switzerland as a fascinating...

After the death of Æthelstan in 939, the young Kingdom of England was thrown back into war as Viking rulers reclaimed York and pushed into the old Danelaw. Edmund I fought back, recovered the Five Boroughs, and brought Northumbria under English rule—but York refused to stay conquered. In this episode of History with Dad, we follow Olaf Guthfrithson, Olaf Cuaran, Eadred, and Erik Bloodaxe through f...

History is full of remarkable leaders who built kingdoms that seemed unstoppable. But what happened after they were gone? In this Dad Tangent from History with Dad, we explore why succession has challenged everyone from Alexander the Great to Cyrus the Great, Genghis Khan, and Augustus—and why building a kingdom is often easier than keeping it together. If you'd like to support the show, you c...

Losing a kingdom sounds like the end of the story—but history is full of rulers who found surprising second acts. In this Dad Tangent from History with Dad, we look at Julius Caesar, Mithridates VI, Charles II, and Darius III to see what happened after the crown was gone. If you'd like to support the show, you can do so at https://b1uymeacoffee.com/historywithdad .

Around 930, Norway entered a dangerous succession crisis as Harald Fairhair’s age came to an end. Eric Bloodaxe fought to hold power, Håkon the Good returned from England, and across the North Sea, King Æthelstan faced the greatest challenge of his reign at Brunanburh. In this episode of History with Dad, we follow a Viking world where kingdoms could be built, lost, reclaimed, and nearly shattered...

Capturing a city makes for a great history book chapter. Keeping it is usually where the real work begins. In this Dad Tangent from History with Dad, we look at four famous cities that changed hands throughout history and ask why winning the battle was often the easiest part. If you'd like to support the show, you can do so at https://buymeacoffee.com/historywithdad

History loves telling us who married whom. It spends a lot less time explaining why. In this Dad Tangent from History with Dad, we look at four famous marriages that were really about power, diplomacy, and survival—and one spectacular counterexample where marriage solved almost nothing. If you'd like to support the show, you can do so at https://buymeacoffee.com/historywithdad

One year ago, I hit publish on the very first episodes of History with Dad. Today, we're taking a break from the Viking Age to look back on why this podcast exists, how my family inspired it, what I've learned during the first year, and where we're headed next. Most of all, this is simply my chance to say thank you.

After the Norse are driven out of Dublin, the Viking story does not shrink. It spreads. From Ireland to Chester, from Normandy to York, and from Æthelflæd’s Mercia to Athelstan’s rising kingdom, this episode follows the messy years when Viking power changed shape instead of disappearing. By 930, England is stronger than ever, Dublin is back, York is the prize, and Britain is starting to look like...

Some places become important. And then history never leaves them alone again. Cities. Ports. Trade routes. Tiny dots on maps that somehow keep collecting armies. In this Dad Tangent from History with Dad, we look at places that became valuable enough that everyone wanted them—and ask whether becoming important might actually be one of history’s worst outcomes. From empires to blockades to one city...

History loves statues. History loves battles. History loves putting one person in a painting and pretending they dideverything. But sometimes the biggest changes come from things nobody puts on a T-shirt. Roads. Rail. Ports. Boring systems that quietly change everything. In this Dad Tangent from History with Dad, we look at moments where infrastructure quietly beat drama and ask a simple question:...

By the late 800s, the Viking Age was changing. Not because the fighting stopped. It didn’t. Paris survived a massive siege. Alfred rebuilt and reorganized. London recovered. Dublin became powerful—and worth fighting over. And parts of England started changing in ways that would last for centuries. In this episode of History with Dad, we follow Europe between 878 and 902 and explore what happened a...

Sometimes buying time works. And sometimes buying time just means meeting the same problem later. In this Dad Tangent from History with Dad, we take one of the biggest ideas from the Great Heathen Army and explore how often history tries to solve immediate problems with temporary fixes. From kings paying tribute to preserve peace, to empires negotiating with threats they hoped would go away, we lo...