Let Them Fight: A Comedy History Podcast

Today we have a hell of a guy for you, dear listeners. Alvin York wasn't the smartest man, and he had a simple upbringing, but when it came time to put in the work against the Krauts, boy did he. The stuff he did in World War 1 when his moment came up is pretty damn hard to believe, but it's been corroborated and proven to a pretty high standard. So take it all in, and enjoy!

We got a wild one for you today, dear listeners, as we head off to Chicago in the 1960s and 70s. Martial arts master Count Juan Raphael Dante (not his birth name) was a crazy motherfucker, but also legit at the same time. Like, all the way out there. And yet...you'll see. Just when you think you have a handle on the guy, he throws a goddamn curve ball. But the story is a lot of fun, so enjoy!

Today we're talking about a man who had the spirit of an wild west outlaw who just happened to be trapped in North Carolina. He had the unfortunate luck of being born in the state while being of a darker persuasion. He faced a lot of persecution before, during, and after the Civil War, and he knew just how to respond, with a gun. Also he had a cool ass wife, you'll see what I mean. Enjoy!

I'm not gonna lie to you, dear listeners. This one is rough. We're heading to Scotland to talk about a real garbage dude, Dennis Nilsen. It's not just that he's gross and awful, but well, you'll see. But hey, for every moment of unsettling creepiness this dude's life put out, you get a moment of Tim raging as he learns about all of it in real time. And isn't that worth the price of admission? Enjo...

Today we're headed to the land before Portugal to talk about mountain badass Viriato. That's right, this dude is older than Portugal, but he was one hard motherfucker. He went balls out and warred with the Romans, the guys that never give up until they win. That takes some guts. Or craziness. Or both? Probably both. Anyways, he was cool as hell and did some bonkers shit. Just uh, sorry about the e...

In today's episode we'll be heading to the projects in New York's Spanish Harlem to talk about Alpo Martinez. What kind of man was he? Well, his name pops up in like 50 gangsta rap songs. So you can probably figure it out. He got started at a young age, and lived a real wild life. And people had some real strong thoughts about him, so we got quotes aplenty. Enjoy!

Today we're talking about a pair of miscreants who have shown up once before in a previous episode, but definitely deserved to have their own as well. Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow lived pretty normal lives until they met each other, at which point they mixed like the ingredients of a Molotov cocktail and boom, everything went goddamn nuts. They packed a whole lot of living into a short amount of...

Avast, ye scurvy deck rats! Today we're talking about the most piratey pirate that ever did pirate, Blackbeard Edward Teach himself! Though in all honesty he really wasn't like the mythical portrayals of him. He was pretty tame as far as pirates go, and he didn't do it for very long. Still, hell of a life packed into those few years. And he went out like a man, gave his story a pretty epic ending....

Last week we brought you a badass World War 2 general from America, and this week we're bringing you...this fucking guy. Lloyd Fredendall was also an American World War 2 general, but like, way less cool. And we have the accounts and the quotes to prove it. So join us in hating on this guy for his incompetence, and enjoy!

Today we're talking about a real hard nosed motherfucker, in the best kind of way. Terry de la Mesa Allen Sr came out of the womb destined for military service, and boy did he live up to that destiny. He only had one requirement for the men that served under him, be ready to kill the enemy at all times, and they obliged him. This dude was a lot of fun to learn about and discuss, with stories and q...

Today we've got something for you that we don't often get to talk about, a badass Polish pipe hitter. John III Sobieski started off life from very humble beginnings. Just kidding, dude was born in a goddamn castle. His family's castle. So he had a bit of a leg up, but we won't hold that against him because he did some dope shit in his life doing what he loved. Just running around in the 1600s maki...

Today we're headed to the early 1900s to talk about a guy who basically just tried to do what he thought was right. Now, Robert Erskine Childers wasn't always on the right side of history, but credit where it's due, he did learn and grow as he got life experience and changed his viewpoints to match up with his moral compass. That's pretty much all we can ask of a person. And of course with this po...

This week we're getting into some olde timey shenanigans way back in the days of the Holy Roman Empire and the Byzantines. Our man of the hour, Roger de Flor, was dope as hell. He overcame a pretty awful starting point in life and went on to make a big goddamn name for himself on the sea and the land. Then he maybe went a little too far and pissed off the wrong people. But well, you'll see. Enjoy!

Today we have a real unrepentant piece of shit for you, dear listeners. Edgar Ray Killen didn't have a single good bone in his stupid goddamn body. But he was there for an important bit of southern American history, and it was fun to just mock and insult the man care free, because nobody is defending this turd. Also it gave us an opportunity to make fun of a group of clownshoes that always deserve...

We've talked around this guy for a long time, now it's time to finally talk about Old Hickory himself. Everyone knows Andrew Jackson as America's 7th president, what they don't know is just how shitty a person he was. And also how bonkers his life was. The man never met a fight he didn't want. So of course he's perfect for us, and we had a lot of fun talking about him. Enjoy!

Today we're following up Tim's nazi from last week with one of the Jews that they failed to get. Menachem Begin may have started his life as a simple boy in what is now Belarus, but man did he not stay there. He moved way up in the world and did some wild shit along the way. Some good, some bad, you decide how much stuff goes into each category. Oh, and prepare yourself, because, holy fuck, the na...

Ugh, dear listeners. If you can't tell by the name or the picture for today's episode, Tim decided to drop a big ol' nazi bomb. Gustav Wagner was a real piece of shit, even for a nazi. He loved torture and killing and all that scumnut fuckery, but he also hated admitting culpability. Because of course, why would we hold a nazi accountable for his fucked up nazi behavior? Anyway, if you like hearin...

Well, dear listeners, better strap in after last week's episode because we went back to back scum. Joseph Edward Duncan is exactly what you think he is based on the three first names and the pictures of him. And it gets brutal. But there is a silver lining. You get to hear Tim's pure, unadulterated rage as the episode goes on, and isn't basking in his hatred worth just a little bit of awful? Enjoy...

Well, dear listeners, you knew the run of cool people wasn't gonna last forever. So today, we're bringing you some scum. Yoshio Kodaira was just your average Japanese citizen, with an awful childhood and undiagnosed mental illness. No way could those two things mix and create something horrible. Oh, wait. They created this guy, who discovered something about himself one day and decided that was hi...

On today's podcast is a wonderful story about the triumph of the human spirit. Just kidding, Brendan Hughes was born in Ireland, it's a tragedy like always. To his credit, he put in work fucking with the British trying to gain independence for his people, but how successful was he? Well just listen to the words straight out of his mouth as they're read on this episode. Enjoy!

Today we'll be taking to the skies, dear listeners! To talk about a crazy person in a plane. James "Robbie" Risner fought in multiple wars and somehow got crazier in each one. Time may temper most things, but not Risner, oh no. From baffling decisions to pure heroism, he's all over the map. So listen to us talk about this dude's incredible life, and enjoy!

We have one hell of a story for you today, dear listeners. Mountain man and trapper Jim Bridger looks like he was carved out of the side of a mountain himself. Which makes sense because the man lived rough. Spending all his time out in the wilderness, or at least next to it in a wooden fort, trapping, hunting, fighting, and surviving raids by Natives. Though that's not the word they used when refe...

Today we'll be headed back to the late 1800s to talk about a man who burned the candle at both ends, but he did it with a flamethrower or something, because damn. Crawford Goldsby never met a man he didn't want to shoot apparently, and he never once considered the consequences of his actions, which led to some pretty obvious situations. But it makes for one hell of a life story. Enjoy!

Hello again, dear listeners! Today we're talking about a kind of person that you don't really think exists, a Canadian boxer. I figured all Canadian fighting was done on skates with helmets and jerseys on, but apparently not because our boy Phillip Boudreault (the second half of that is not pronounced at all how you think) happened to be a pretty good one. Oh, he also did a bunch of other stuff to...

Hello again, dear listeners. Today we'll be going back to old timey America, when the cars looked dope, the crime was easy, and the booze flowed despite all government rules against it. Because crime was easy. As shown by our person today, Harry Pierpont. This crazy bastard ran all over the midwest criming, and even when he got caught it only stopped him for like a week. This one was a fun story,...