Study The Greats

What happens when you study Arnold Schwarzenegger for 100 hours? This video is the result. I read every book. I watched every interview. I dissected his mindset, routines, and strategies. Then I built a blueprint that you can use to upgrade your own life. Arnold transformed himself from a poor farm boy in Austria into Mr. Olympia, a Hollywood icon, and the Governor of California. How? He mastered...

📚 My list of 100 history books that will change your life: https://charif.beehiiv.com/subscribe In this conversation with Gerard Helferich, author of An Unlikely Trust, we explore the high-stakes relationship between President Theodore Roosevelt and financier J.P. Morgan. One was the most powerful man in America. The other ruled Wall Street. What happened when their worlds collided? Helferich bre...

In this conversation with Professor F.S. Naiden, author of Soldier, Priest, and God: A Life of Alexander the Great, we delve into how Alexander the Great utilized religion to consolidate and maintain control over his vast empire. Naiden presents a compelling portrait of Alexander not just as a military genius but as a figure who adeptly engaged with the religious customs of the diverse cultures wi...

🎁 Giveaway: Jimmy is giving away a few copies of The Founders to podcast listeners. To enter, just send him an email: jimmyasoni@gmail.com 📚 My list of 100 history books that will change your life - https://charif.beehiiv.com/subscribeJimmy Soni is an award-winning author and biographer known for his deep research into the stories of groundbreaking innovators. One of his books, The Founders, tel...

Armand D’Angour is a British classicist, musician, and professor at Oxford University. He specializes in ancient Greek culture, literature, and music and is known for his groundbreaking work in reconstructing ancient Greek music. He is the author of several books including Socrates in Love, which reimagines the early life of Socrates and the woman who may have inspired his philosophy. In this epis...

Pamela Toner is a historian, writer, and lecturer specialising in the overlooked figures of World War II, with a particular focus on women. In this episode, Toner uncovers the gripping true story of Sigrid Schulz, a Chicago-born correspondent who risked her life inside Nazi Germany to expose Hitler’s regime to the American public. Reporting for the Chicago Tribune, Schulz became the first U.S. wom...

What made George Washington the one man everyone followed — in war, in politics, in life? In this episode, I sit down with presidential American author David O. Stewart to extract 7 powerful, practical lessons from Washington’s life. Stuff you can apply *right now* to lead better, live better, and think long-term like a founder of nations. We dig into:- How Washington weaponized silence to command...

David Stahel is a world-renowned historian, lecturer, and author specializing in Nazi Germany and the war on the Eastern Front. Based at the University of New South Wales in Canberra. He has published ten books, six with Cambridge University Press. In this episode, Stahel takes us inside the private letters of Nazi Germany’s Panzer generals, revealing correspondence never intended for public eyes...

Scott Shane is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and acclaimed author, best known for his gripping new biography Flee North, which brings to life the astonishing story of Thomas Smallwood, an abolitionist, satirist, and unsung American hero who named the Underground Railroad. In this episode, we uncover the electrifying journey of Thomas Smallwood, a formerly enslaved man who bought his own free...

Paige Bowers is an award-winning journalist and acclaimed author, best known for her powerful biography General Niece, which uncovers the extraordinary life of Geneviève de Gaulle, niece of French leader Charles de Gaulle. In this episode, we explore the incredible story of Geneviève de Gaulle, a young woman who joined the French Resistance, was arrested by the Gestapo, and survived the horrors of...

Jack Weatherford is a renowned anthropologist and bestselling author, best known for his groundbreaking book on Genghis Khan, hailed by Elon Musk as one of his all-time favorites. In this episode, we explore the remarkable story of Kublai Khan, Genghis Khan’s grandson, and how he conquered and united China to establish the Yuan Dynasty. Weatherford unpacks the turbulent civil war between Kublai an...

Donald J. Robertson is a psychotherapist and author specializing in Stoic philosophy and cognitive-behavioral therapy. His works include How to Think Like a Roman Emperor and Stoicism and the Art of Happiness. In this episode, Robertson delves into the Stoic approach to understanding and managing anger, drawing upon the teachings of Seneca and other Stoic philosophers. We explore practical strateg...

Ambrogio A. Caiani is a historian and author specializing in Revolutionary France and Napoleonic Italy. A Senior Lecturer at the University of Kent, his works include Louis XVI and the French Revolution and To Kidnap a Pope: Napoleon and Pius VII. His latest book, Losing a Kingdom, Gaining the World, explores the Catholic Church’s struggle with modernity. In this episode, Caiani takes us inside th...

Great people don’t just learn from experience—they study those who came before them. That’s the essence of this channel: Study the greats and become greater. Charlie Munger called it "making friends with the eminent dead.” Here, I’ll introduce you to those friends—generals, emperors, entrepreneurs, artists, and more—so we can break down their mindsets and strategies. How did they solve problems? S...

Danny Fingeroth is an author, historian, and former Marvel Comics editor, known for his work on Superman on the Couch and Disguised as Clark Kent. His latest book, Jack Ruby: The Many Faces of Oswald’s Assassin, explores the man who killed Lee Harvey Oswald. Jack Ruby remains an enigma—was he a mob-connected hitman, a patriotic vigilante, or just a desperate nightclub owner seeking attention? In t...

Michael Broers is a British historian specializing in Napoleonic Europe. A professor at the University of Oxford, he has authored several acclaimed works on Napoleon, including Napoleon: The Decline and Fall of an Empire, 1811–1821. In this interview clip, we discuss what lessons future politicians can learn from Napoleon Bonaparte. Despite being one of history’s greatest leaders, his downfall off...

Saladin didn’t just defeat the Crusaders, he united a divided Muslim world to do it. Faced with internal rivalries and political chaos, he forged alliances, used diplomacy, and inspired a shared cause that turned fragmented factions into a powerful force. His ability to balance military strength with strategic negotiations allowed him to bring together rival leaders under a common goal. From Egypt...

Tsuyoshi Hasegawa is a historian specializing in Russian and Soviet history. A professor emeritus at UC Santa Barbara, he has written acclaimed works on the Russian Revolution, Stalin, and World War II. In this interview clip, we explore the fatal mistakes of Tsar Nicholas II—errors that Niccolò Machiavelli, in The Prince, warned rulers never to make. Nicholas II’s downfall was not just a result o...

Tsuyoshi Hasegawa is a historian specializing in Russian and Soviet history. A professor emeritus at UC Santa Barbara, he has written acclaimed books on the Russian Revolution, Stalin, and World War II. In this interview, we explore the dramatic fall of Tsar Nicholas II and the end of the Romanov dynasty. In 1917, amid war and social unrest, Nicholas abdicated, marking the collapse of Imperial Rus...

Michael Broers is a British historian specializing in Napoleonic Europe. A professor at the University of Oxford, he has authored several acclaimed works on Napoleon, including Napoleon: The Decline and Fall of an Empire, 1811–1821. In this interview clip, we explore a fascinating historical question: why didn't Napoleon Bonaparte escape to America after his defeat at Waterloo? Despite his amb...

Reynald de Châtillon, a notorious Crusader lord, became one of Saladin’s most hated enemies. His brutal raids, defiance of treaties, and relentless attacks on Muslim caravans pushed their rivalry to a breaking point. In this interview clip, we explore the actions that led to his downfall, the dramatic events at the Battle of Hattin, and why Saladin ultimately chose to execute him personally. Was i...

Was Hitler Part-Jewish? In this clip, author Sjoerd de Boer, an expert on Hitler, helps unpack one of history’s most debated questions. We explore the origins of this claim, its historical context, and the evidence behind it, offering a clearer view of a topic shrouded in myth and intrigue. #ww2 #historyfacts #ww2history

John Man is a British historian and travel writer specializing in China, Mongolia, and the history of written communication. He has written acclaimed books on legendary leaders like Saladin, Genghis Khan, and Attila the Hun. In this interview, we explore the remarkable leadership of Saladin, one of history’s most revered warriors and statesmen. Rising to power in the 12th century, Saladin united t...

Alois Hitler, the often-overlooked father of Adolf Hitler, played a crucial role in shaping his son’s early life. In this clip Author Sjoerd de Boer and I explore his authoritarian parenting style, the possibility that he was an alcoholic, and the turbulent family dynamics that influenced young Adolf. We also examine the circumstances surrounding Alois’ death and how it may have impacted his son’s...

In this interview, author Sjoerd de Boer delves into Adolf Hitler's early years, drawing from his extensive research and writings to explore the key events and relationships that shaped Hitler's youth. We discuss his family background, childhood aspirations, and friendships, shedding light on the struggles and formative experiences that influenced his later ideologies. From his artistic ambitions...