High Tales of History

It's the season finale! Your favorite Midwestern history sisters get baked and tuck into the deliciously weird history of the foods that shaped human civilization. From the birth of bread in the Fertile Crescent to the global spread of rice. From the mythology and tooth-breaking beginnings of corn to the weird history of their personal favorite--potatoes--this episode serves up the surprising...

What if the original Jaws story was real? In 1916, shark attacks along the New Jersey coast turned a summer beach season into a nationwide panic. In our penultimate episode for the season, Laurel and KT *dive* (ha!) into the terrifying true story of the 1916 Jersey Shore shark attacks — a twelve day reign of terror that shocked the public, inspired Jaws , and forever changed the way people think a...

It's 1937 in China. Japan has invaded China some years prior and the Chinese people are under a ruthless Japaneses occupation. This story is about when people get fed the fuck up and rise against their oppressors. While most historians agree that WWII started with the invasion of Poland, some historians will say this is an even earlier catalyst for the war--and it all took place at the Lugou B...

Come, dear Listener! The game is afoot! The sisters are relocating the Smoke Circle to the cozy sitting room of 221B Baker Street! In this episode, Laurel takes you through the history of Sherlock Holmes' from literary creation to global phenomenon, exploring the life of Sherlock's creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the birth of his great detective Sherlock Holmes, and his influence on modern...

Think Merlin was a happy, magical wizard? Think again. Join us in the Smoke Circle as KT takes us through the dark history of Merlin's origins and his evolution through time. From demon spawn to bard, from "madman" to the wise sage of Camelot, Merlin has a fascinating history. Join us as we contrast the myth with historical realities, and examine how folklore reflects cultural and hi...

One night in June 1497, Giovanni Borgia--the second and most favorite son of Pope Alexander VI--was in the company of his valet and possibly a masked man. Both the valet and Giovanni were soon found dead with no leads in solving the case. Who might have murdered Giovanni Borgia and what was the motive? Turns out, a handful of people would want him dead and for a variety of reasons. The Borgias are...

There's something in the trees and it ain't no man... It's Kt, actually. She's bringing a change up for episode 116 with the history and social commentary around the 1987 classic, Predator, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers and the massive Kevin Peter Hall as the titular Predator. Together, Kt takes us through the jungles of toxic masculinity tropes, patriarchy and 80s...

Climb aboard the SS Smoke Circle as we head out to the High Seas to learn about the lives of a couple of pirate baddies--Anne Bonny and Mary Read, a couple of the most famous pirates during the Golden Age of Piracy. We love seeing women in male dominated fields. During this episode we cover the lives of these two pirates as well as the democratic nature of pirate ships, and why pirates have captur...

It's KT's first episode of the new season and she's kicking it off with the history of Earth Day, which came out of the aftermath of the devastating Santa Monica oil spill in 1969. A blowout on Platform A offshore oil well resulted in the cracking of the ocean floor in five places and three million gallons of crude oil erupting into the ocean. Public outrage led to the start of Earth D...

Welcome back! It's season 7, episode 113 and to kick things off, we are taking an expedition from south to north across the vast (and HOT!) interior of Australia for the ill-fated Burke and Wills Expedition. Grab your horses and camels, your oak table and chairs, 50 gallons of rum (for the camels of course!) and don't forget your Chinese gong. ~~~~~* The Socials and Patreon! Patreon-- ⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Put on your science pants Smoke Circle! KT is bringing us across the season six finish line with the brief history of language--from the first sounds of hominids to the formations of grammar to how culture shapes language around the world and how it is ever-evolving and changing year by year. We love a topic in which science and history shake hands and take us all on a hazy trip leaving us going &...

It's our penultimate episode of season 6 and we've got an amazing guest to share it with! Author, podcaster and all around kick ass dude, Michael Trapani, joins the Smoke Circle to talk about his gripping book "How to Start a War: The Rise of Extremism, the Fall of Democracy and the Lead Up to World War II" Like many major world events, World War II has many smaller events that lead to the flash b...

It's episode 110 and KT is bringing her deep love of dragons to the Smoke Circle! While you might think dragons are more likely to be found in fantasy novels and mythology books than in the pages of history, KT explores the cultural significance of dragons across various civilizations, touching on creation myths and the role of dragons in both chaos and order. We'll be talking about the ri...

They were told not to speak their language. Those respective languages helped win wars and save countless lives. In episode 109, Laurel takes the Smoke Circle through the incredible story of the Indigenous code talkers of World War I and II--the Navajo, Comanche, and other Native American men whose voices became unbreakable codes in the Pacific and European fronts. Their history is a story of cour...

Welcome to a bonus episode in which Kt and Laurel have award winning author, screenwriter and essayist, Barret Baumgart, in the Smoke Circle. Together we discuss his newest book Yuck: The Birth and Death of the Weird and Wondrous Joshua Tree, Yucca Brevifolia. You might not believe it, but the Joshua Tree has a strange little part to play when recounting the history of the American West and Westwa...

Welcome to episode 108 in which Kt takes us way back to the year 1066 and completes her own Viking Age saga that she has been unraveling over the course of the show. In this episode, Kt delves into the stories of legendary figures like King of Norway Harold Hardrada and the last Anglo-Saxon King, Harold Godwinson; the cultural significance of berserkers; and the end of Viking Age and the start of...

Welcome to 107! In this episode, we take flight into the history and legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen, America's first Black military aviators. We will explore the challenges these brave individuals faced, both in combat and at home, and highlight their significant contributions to World War II and beyond. Our discussion also touches on broader themes of racial equality and the ongoing fight for...

Welcome Smoke Circle! Kt's back and she's bringing us a whimsical journey into history with the tale of Unsinkable Sam, the legendary feline who survived three shipwrecks during World War II. Discover how this black and white cat became a symbol of hope and resilience for sailors amidst the chaos of war. We'll also explore the fascinating role of cats in naval history, providing compan...

Laurel is back for episode three of season six! Join Kt and Laurel as they jump into the tumultuous era of McCarthyism, exploring the rise and fall of Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy and the widespread fear of communism in America. Grab some snacks, libation of choice and join your favorite stoner history sisters in the Smoke Circle as we discover the impact of the Red Scare on American society,...

It's time for Kt to take the wheel and talk about one of her lifelong favorite actors and pop culture icons--Norma Jeane Baker, better known to the world as Marilyn Monroe! While frequently thought of as a bombshell and sex symbol, Marilyn was more than that--she was a cultural icon, a savvy self-creator, and a woman navigating fame in a world that frequently wanted to define her. In this epis...

Welcome to season six! We're a bit late on kicking it all off so thank you for your patience! In season six, we decided to change up our format and each of us will take an episode, instead of doing two stories per episode. We are also stretching our total number of episodes per season to 10 instead of 8 (5 episodes per sister.) Laurel is starting things off for the season. She's fired up a...

Welcome to the finale of season five! In episode 102, we invite a long time friend of the Smoke Circle--Derek from History's Greatest Idiots! History is full of idiotic moments, ranging from little whoopsies to full blown, planet-altering fuck-ups. In today's episode, we talk an escaped Galapagos Tortoise, a dead pope put on trial and a pig who started a war. YUP. ~ ~ ~ ~~~~* Check Out Wha...

Welcome back! We saved you your favorite spot in the Smoke Circle! Spark up and get curious as the sisters are back together for another themed episode. Kt requested French history for this episode and we have a lot of stories for you! First up, Laurel has a top 5 list of "Most Oui-diculous (get it?!) Moments in French History. Ranging from history's shortest monarchy to hallucinogenic br...

It's time to celebrate episode 100! To do so, we are tackling one of Hollywood's most famous (maybe infamous?) historical blockbusters--Braveheart. The film turns 30 this month (May 2025) and the sisters spark up and sit down in the Smoke Circle with Dr. Darren R. Reid, associate professor of history at Coventry University. Dr. Reid is himself Scottish so the subject matter is near and dear to his...

Welcome to episode 99 of High Tales of History! (Can you believe that we are at 99?!) For this history sesh, we travel back into the sands of time with two stories on raiders of Ancient Egypt. First up, Kt covers Napoleon's invasion of Egypt and the subsequent finding and deciphering of the Rosetta Stone. Next, Laurel covers the discovery of the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, Egypt's forgott...