Explaining History

Host: Nick Episode Overview In this somber and reflective episode, Nick steps away from traditional historical narratives to analyze what he believes is a pivotal, "apocalyptic" turning point in the 21st century. Drawing on the concept of "Westlessness," Nick argues that current tensions in the Persian Gulf and the shifting political landscape in the United States signal the definitive end of West...

In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we continue our examination of the unfolding crisis in the Persian Gulf—a crisis that has now reached a point where the world may already be past the threshold of avoiding a major economic recession, perhaps even a depression. The situation is grim. Trump, through a combination of staggering incompetence and hubris, has launched America into a con...

Description: In this episode, Nick explores a question currently weighing on the minds of historians and observers alike: are we witnessing the opening stages of a third global conflict? Drawing on the work of Richard Overy and examining the "quasi-peace" of the 20th century, Nick argues that our definitions of "World War" may be too narrow, often ignoring the unrelenting conflict experienced by t...

It's been a few days since we last looked at the Persian Gulf crisis, and events are racing forward at such a pace that the only sensible approach is to take a step back and examine the deeper patterns. Behind the headlines about Trump's impulsive decision-making lies a far more consequential story: the moment when a medium-sized power with cheap drones and missiles can hold the world's energy sup...

In this special episode of the Explaining History Podcast, recorded just days before the 2026 Academy Awards, we're joined by film and media historian Monica Sandler of Ball State University to explore what the Oscars tell us about American culture, power, and the film industry itself. Monica brings her deep expertise to bear on these questions, tracing the Oscars back to their founding in 1929 as...

In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we return to Eugene Rogan's superb  The Fall of the Ottomans  to explore how military defeat and political crisis in the Balkan Wars transformed the Ottoman Empire from within—and set the stage for the birth of modern Turkey. It's remarkable how topical the story of a declining empire, seemingly in endless crisis, yet still capable of su...

In this solo episode of the Explaining History Podcast, I step back from the daily news cycle to offer a comprehensive analysis of where we stand in the unfolding crisis with Iran—and what it tells us about the state of American power in the twenty-first century. What began as what Donald Trump apparently imagined would be a 48-hour spectacular—a Venezuela-style "regime change" moment complete wit...

In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we're joined once again by writer and cultural critic Dennis Broe to discuss his new novel, *Pornocopia*, and what it reveals about the intertwined histories of the gambling and pornography industries in post-war America. Set in 1952, *Pornocopia* follows detective Harry Palmer through Los Angeles and Las Vegas at a crucial moment when two nascent...

In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we step away from the battlefields and examine how the February Revolution of 1917 was received and interpreted in two key Western cities: London and New York. When the Tsar fell in March 1917, governments around the world struggled to make sense of what was happening. Russia under revolutionary conditions was—and remains—notoriously difficult to...

In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we turn our attention away from the Western Front and towards a often-neglected combatant of the First World War: the Austro-Hungarian Empire. When we think of military incompetence in the Great War, our minds typically turn to the Western Front—to Haig, to Passchendaele, to the "lions led by donkeys" thesis. But the Habsburg army, which fought th...

In this special episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we step back from the hourly news cycle to examine the deeper historical context of the unfolding crisis between the United States and Iran. As the situation in the Middle East escalates hour by hour, with consequences nobody can yet predict, it's tempting to get drawn into "hyperpunditry"—the kind of instant analysis that offers certainty...

In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we're joined by writer Susan Barrett to discuss her new novel, *All Cats Are Grey*—a dark and compelling work of historical fiction set against the backdrop of the London Blitz. The book tells the story of four very different people, each of whom has committed what might be called a "necessary murder" in their past. They come together during the c...

Episode Summary: In this episode of Explaining History , Nick explores the agonizing political and strategic choices faced by Great Britain in the 1930s. Why did the British government delay rearmament for so long? Drawing on Daniel Todman's Britain's War: Into Battle , we examine how the shadow of the First World War and the Great Depression shaped the policy of appeasement. Nick argues that the...

In this special episode, we are honoured to be joined by Karen Jennings, a former Booker Prize longlist nominee, to discuss her powerful new novel,  The First of December . Set in South Africa during the final days of November 1838, the book explores the fraught moment of full emancipation for the enslaved. We delve into the brutal reality of the "apprenticeship" system that followed the 1833...

In this episode of Explaining History , Nick dives into the technical and strategic realities of the Battle of Britain. Moving beyond the "few" narrative of heroic fighter pilots, we explore the structural advantages that allowed the RAF to survive the onslaught of the Luftwaffe in the summer of 1940. Drawing on Richard Overy's The Bombing War , we examine the genius of Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowd...

Here is the complete package for this episode, which includes the podcast description, a detailed blog post, and the tidied transcript. Part 1: Podcast Episode Description Title: The Last Aztec Empress: Survival, Conquest, and the Life of Isabel Moctezuma Episode Summary: In this episode of Explaining History , Nick talks to author Sofía Robleda about her new historical novel, The Other Moctezuma...

Episode Summary: In this episode of Explaining History , Nick explores the historical processes of anti-colonial struggle in the 20th century and how they illuminate the geopolitical crises of 2026. We examine the "imperial boomerang"—how the techniques of colonial violence return to the metropole—and the shift from the age of imperial civil war (1914-1945) to the age of imperial decline. Nick dis...

Episode Summary: In this episode of Explaining History , Nick returns to the grim realities of the Vietnam War through the eyes of one of the 20th century's most formidable journalists: Martha Gellhorn. Drawing on Philip Knightley's The First Casualty , we explore how Gellhorn—a veteran of the Spanish Civil War and D-Day—exposed the "hearts and minds" strategy as a hollow lie. While American gener...

Episode Summary: In this episode of  Explaining History , Nick delves into the cataclysmic events of 1912-1913 that shattered the Ottoman Empire and set the stage for the First World War. Following the humiliating loss of Libya to Italy, the Balkan states—Serbia, Greece, Montenegro, and Bulgaria—sensed weakness and struck. We explore how this coalition of former subjects mobilized a massive a...

Episode Summary: In this episode of Explaining History , Nick continues his exploration of Eric Hobsbawm’s seminal work, The Age of Extremes . We focus on the first part of Hobsbawm's "historical triptych"—the Age of Catastrophe (1914–1945). Nick argues that this period was essentially a European Civil War, where the violent techniques of imperialism—gas, machine guns, and racial extermination—boo...

In this episode of  Explaining History , Nick continues his exploration of the Chinese Cultural Revolution through the lens of Tania Branigan's  Red Memory . We examine Mao Zedong's complex relationship with the youth of China—how he mobilized them as revolutionary shock troops, only to discard them when they became a threat to order. We delve into the "Down to the Countryside" movement,...

While the history of the Civil Rights movement is often told through the lens of the Deep South—Selma, Birmingham, and the marches of Dr. King—a different kind of struggle was brewing in the West. In this episode, we dive into the origins and systemic causes of the 1965 Watts Riots in Los Angeles. Drawing from Mike Davis and Jon Wiener’s  Set the Night on Fire , we explore the "economic flytr...

Episode Summary: In this episode of  Explaining History , Nick talks to cultural historian Alwyn Turner about his latest book,  Shellshock Nation: Britain Between the Wars . We often remember the 1930s as W.H. Auden's "low, dishonest decade"—a time of mass unemployment, hunger marches, and the looming shadow of fascism. But was it really all doom and gloom? Alwyn argues that for many in...

Episode Summary: In this episode of Explaining History , Nick explores the social and historical roots of the fascist foot soldier. Who are the young men who join paramilitary organizations, and what drives them? Following the shocking execution of Renée Good by ICE agents in Minnesota, we draw parallels between the modern American far-right and the Nazi Brownshirts (SA) of the 1920s and 30s. We e...

Episode Summary: In this episode of Explaining History , Nick continues his exploration of the twilight of the Ottoman Empire. We shift our focus to North Africa, where a newly unified Italy sought to satisfy its imperial ambitions by seizing Libya—the Ottomans' last foothold on the continent. Drawing on Eugene Rogan's The Fall of the Ottomans , we examine the invasion of 1911 and the fierce guerr...