Badass of the Week

History remembers Catherine de’ Medici as the black-clad poison queen of Renaissance France—an Italian schemer who kept a vial in one hand and a dagger in the other. The truth is messier, bloodier, and way more interesting. Orphaned as a baby, married off at fourteen, and dropped into a French royal court that treated her like a foreign spare part, Catherine survived humiliation, dynastic disaster, and one spectacularly fatal jousting accident. Then she did what every sidelined queen mother dreams of doing: she took control. With three of her sons wearing the crown in succession, France exploding into religious war, nobles plotting coups, and assassins lurking around every palace corner, Catherine fought to keep her family on the throne and the kingdom from tearing itself apart. Ben and Pat wade into the legends of poison, prophecy, political murder, and the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre to ask the real question: Was Catherine de’ Medici a murderous monster, a master political survivor—or simply the only person in the royal family who knew what the hell she was doing? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On March 11, 2011, an earthquake and tsunami turned the Japanese city of Ishinomaki into a freezing, debris-choked nightmare. Most people would take one look at that and head for the hills. Hideaki Akaiwa grabbed a wetsuit and diving gear and went straight in. He fought his way through flooded streets to rescue his trapped wife, went back out to find his missing mother, and then kept searching for neighbors and survivors. This week, Ben and Andrew tell the incredible true story of a regular guy who responded to an apocalyptic natural disaster with courage, stubbornness, and the kind of action-movie heroics that would make Hollywood say, “Okay, maybe dial it back a little.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Ben is joined by special guest Paul Jacobs to tell the story of Karl von Müller and the SMS Emden, the German warship that unleashed absolute chaos across the Indian Ocean during World War I. Outnumbered, outgunned, and thousands of miles from home, Müller used speed, deception, and sheer audacity to capture or destroy dozens of Allied ships, cripple vital shipping routes, and send warships from five nations scrambling to hunt him down. From sneaking into enemy harbors in disguise to the Emden’s explosive final showdown with HMAS Sydney, this is the story of one captain, one cruiser, and one of the most legendary rampages in naval history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, First Lieutenant Brian Chontosh and his Marines were caught in a coordinated ambush on Route 1. With the road blocked and fire closing in around them, Chontosh ordered his Humvee toward the attack, broke through the enemy’s defenses, and led a fight through the trench line -- an extraordinary action that earned him the Navy Cross. But an award citation can’t tell the whole story. In a candid conversation with Ben Thompson, Chontosh discusses the training and Marines who carried him through that day, the danger of believing his own “badass” mythology, and the battles that followed him home. He also shares how learning to accept help led him to create the Big Fish Foundation, which works to support veterans before they reach a crisis. It’s a powerful conversation about courage, leadership, vulnerability, and the long road home from war. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Semiramis did not come to the ancient world to sit quietly on a throne and wave at peasants. She came to rule. With an army at her back, a crown on her head, and the kind of ambition that makes neighboring kingdoms extremely nervous, this legendary queen became a towering symbol of military power, conquest, and royal authority. In today's episode Ben and Pat are joined by Dr. Amy Pistone to charge headfirst into the larger-than-life legend of Semiramis: warrior queen, empire-sized personality, and an all-around nightmare for anyone hoping to remain unconquered. Grab your crown, tighten your armor, and prepare for armies, ambition, ancient-world intrigue, and one spectacularly intimidating monarch—the queen who looked out at the horizon and decided it needed to be under new management. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

in part two of our crossover with Ridiculous History, Ben and Pat join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown to follow Louis-Antoine de Bougainville—a mathematician, soldier, explorer, and the first Frenchman to sail around the world—into the biggest naval battle of the American Revolution. Commanding the 80-gun Auguste at the front of the French fleet, Bougainville charges out of Chesapeake Bay to face the Royal Navy in a cannon-smoked brawl for control of the coast. When the British finally turn away, Cornwallis loses his supplies, reinforcements, and only escape route from Yorktown. The explorer who circled the globe has just helped put an entire British army in a box—and helped turn a colonial rebellion into an independent nation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In part one of our crossover with Ridiculous History, Ben and Pat join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown for one of the most insane military road trips of the American Revolution. With roughly 170 exhausted frontiersmen, no reliable supply line, and miles of freezing floodwater between him and British-held Fort Sackville, George Rogers Clark decides to attack immediately. What follows is an 18-day death march through the drowned Illinois wilderness, an enormous bluff, and a surprise siege that helps decide who will control the entire Northwest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Winning the Trojan War was the easy part. Odysseus helped destroy the most powerful city in the ancient world with a giant wooden horse—and then spent the next ten years getting absolutely wrecked on the commute home. This week, Ben and Pat are joined by Jon Bucher to dive into the legend of the king of Ithaca: warrior, con man, professional liar, and perhaps the most dangerously clever hero in Greek mythology. Along the way, Odysseus blinds a Cyclops, sails past the Sirens, tangles with witches and sea monsters, loses every ship and every man under his command, and personally pisses off the god of the ocean. It’s a story of brains, brutality, ego, endurance, and one man’s heroic refusal to ever take the easy way home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Getting ready to watch The Odyssey? Well here's the prequel... When Paris steals Helen and brings the armies of Greece crashing down on Troy, it falls to his older brother Hector to clean up the mess. Hector is Troy’s greatest warrior, its future king, and its last line of defense—a devoted husband and father who knows the gods have already written his ending. This week, Ben is joined by Dr. Pat Larash to enter the Iliad and follow Hector through his duels with Ajax, his devastating assault on the Greek camp, the death of Patroclus, and his final confrontation with Achilles. It’s the story of a man who fought not for glory or bloodlust, but because his family, his people, and his doomed city needed him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This Fourth of July, we’re telling the story of one of the greatest American heroes almost nobody remembers. Before he became George Washington’s trusted general and America’s first Secretary of War, Henry Knox was an overweight Boston bookseller with no formal military training—and a completely insane idea. In the dead of winter, Knox volunteered to haul 60 tons of captured cannons more than 300 miles through snow-covered mountains, across frozen rivers, and over roads that barely existed. Most people thought it was impossible. Instead, Knox pulled off one of the greatest logistical feats in military history, delivering the artillery that forced the British to abandon Boston and gave the American Revolution its first major victory. This week, Ben is joined by Badass of the Week producer Andrew Jacobs to celebrate Independence Day with the incredible true story of the forgotten founder whose impossible mission helped create the United States. It’s an adventure packed with frozen rivers, exploding cannons, impossible odds, and one spectacular gamble that changed history forever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A soccer game so legendary it inspired a Hollywood blockbuster… but did it really happen the way we’ve all heard? During the Nazi occupation of Ukraine, a ragtag team of former professional footballers took the field against a series of German military teams, culminating in a match that would become known as “The Death Match.” According to legend, they were ordered to lose. They refused. And they paid with their lives. But how much of that story is true? This week, Ben is joined by Badass of the Week producer Andrew Jacobs to unravel one of World War II’s most enduring legends. Together, they separate fact from propaganda, explore life under Nazi occupation, and uncover the remarkable true story behind the match that inspired the film Victory. It’s a tale of courage, resistance, and the complicated ways history becomes myth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

History is full of master thieves, daring outlaws, and legendary escape artists... but few ever combined all three quite like Vassili Paleokostas. A small-town Greek electrician turned folk hero, Paleokostas spent decades robbing banks, kidnapping wealthy industrialists, humiliating police, and giving away portions of his loot to struggling families. To some, he was a dangerous criminal. To others, he was a modern-day Robin Hood sticking it to the rich and powerful. But what truly made Paleokostas a legend were his prison escapes. Not once, but twice, he pulled off one of the most audacious jailbreaks in history... This week, Ben is joined by Todd Weiser, co-host of the Heist Club podcast, to tell the unbelievable story of the outlaw who made a nation look foolish, became a folk hero to thousands, and remains one of the most elusive fugitives on Earth. Because some criminals run from the law. Vassili Paleokostas flew. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When most people hear the name William Bligh, they think of a tyrant. Thanks to generations of books and movies, the captain of the HMS Bounty has gone down in history as the cruel, power-mad villain whose crew finally rose up and mutinied. The real story is far more complicated—and far more impressive. Long before the mutiny, Bligh had established himself as one of the finest navigators in the British Navy. And after being cast adrift by Fletcher Christian and his fellow mutineers in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, he accomplished one of the greatest survival voyages in maritime history, guiding eighteen men more than 3,600 miles to safety in a tiny open boat. This week, Ben is joined by Dr. Patricia Larash to separate fact from fiction and explore the remarkable life of William Bligh: explorer, naval officer, survivor, colonial governor, and perhaps the most unfairly maligned captain in history. Because getting mutinied against once is memorable. Getting mutinied against twice is a lifestyle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Few athletes have ever transcended their sport the way Muhammad Ali did. This week, Ben Thompson is joined by Dr. Patricia Larash and Mike Primavera to dive into the life of the heavyweight champion who didn’t just dominate boxing—he changed history. From winning Olympic gold and shocking the world by defeating Sonny Liston to refusing the draft at the height of the Vietnam War, Ali turned every fight into something bigger than sports. He was brilliant, controversial, hilarious, fearless, and impossible to ignore. Along the way, he battled legends, sacrificed years of his career for his principles, and became one of the most recognizable human beings on Earth. This is the story of Muhammad Ali—the boxer who conquered the ring, challenged a nation, and earned the title of The Greatest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most people know Canute the Great from the famous story of him ordering the tide to stop. The problem? That’s not what actually happened. This week, Ben Thompson and Dr. Patricia Larash dive into the life of the Viking warrior who conquered England, forged a vast North Sea empire stretching from England to Denmark and Norway, and became one of the most powerful rulers in medieval Europe. Through battlefield victories, political maneuvering, and a surprising talent for statecraft, Canute transformed himself from a foreign invader into one of England’s most successful kings. It’s a story of longships, conquest, diplomacy, and the Viking who proved that sometimes the most badass thing a conqueror can do is learn how to govern. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most repo men tow away Hondas in the middle of the night. Max Hardberger stole back multi-million dollar cargo ships from dictators, corrupt governments, and the Russian mafia. This week, Ben Thompson and producer Andrew Jacobs dive into the unbelievable true story of the maritime lawyer, poet, and sea captain who turned international ship repossession into an art form—using fake sinkings, voodoo priests, tropical storms, and sheer nerve to pull off some of the wildest heists in modern history. From Haiti to Vladivostok, this is the story of the world’s only cargo ship repo man… and the insane missions that made him a legend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Ben Thompson and special guest Shana Steinberg dive into the unbelievable true story of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team — the Japanese American soldiers who became the most decorated unit in U.S. military history while their own families sat behind barbed wire in internment camps back home. From brutal mountain warfare in Italy to the legendary rescue of the “Lost Battalion” in France, these men charged machine gun nests, scaled cliffs in the dead of night, and fought with a level of courage that stunned even their fellow soldiers. They battled Nazis overseas while confronting racism and suspicion from the very country they were risking everything to defend. It’s one of the most heroic, complicated, and emotionally devastating stories of World War II — and a reminder that patriotism is sometimes proven by the people a nation treats the worst. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before baseball had billion-dollar contracts, concussion protocols, or even outfield walls… it had Hughie Jennings. This week, Ben Thompson is joined by baseball historian and comedian Jon Franklin to tell the unbelievable story of the coal miner-turned-Hall-of-Famer who survived skull fractures, car crashes, empty swimming pools, and 287 hit-by-pitches—all while becoming one of the greatest shortstops of the Dead Ball Era.  From the lawless chaos of 1890s baseball to managing the only team crazy enough to tolerate Ty Cobb, Hughie Jennings lived like a cartoon character with a death wish. He helped change the game forever, invented new ways to get on base, and somehow kept getting back up no matter how hard life knocked him down. This is the story of baseball’s toughest lunatic—and one of the strangest legends the sport has ever produced.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Ben Thompson and Dr. Patricia Larash tell the story of Babur — the warrior poet who went from homeless teenage fugitive sleeping in the mountains under a shared cloak… to the founder of one of the greatest empires in history. Descended from both Genghis Khan and Tamerlane, Babur spent decades losing kingdoms, rebuilding armies, writing poetry, and searching for a place to belong before gambling everything on an invasion of India with just 12,000 men, a handful of cannons, and absolutely insane confidence. What followed was one of the most important military revolutions in history: cannon fire against war elephants, mounted archers against armies ten times his size, and the birth of the Mughal Empire. It’s a story of survival, innovation, stubbornness, melons, and one of the greatest comeback stories ever told. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before anyone had ever stood at the bottom of the world, one man decided he wasn’t going to discover the South Pole - he was going to win it. This week, Ben Thompson and guest Erik Slader of Epic Fails of History, dive into the ruthless, ice-cold brilliance of Roald Amundsen —the explorer who turned preparation into a weapon and left better-funded rivals frozen in his wake. From secretly pivoting his expedition plans to racing across Antarctica with dogs, skis, and terrifying efficiency, Amundsen didn’t just survive the harshest environment on Earth—he dominated it. This is a story of precision, deception, and the kind of calculated risk that either makes you a legend… or leaves you buried under a mile of ice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

High above Nazi-occupied Europe, hundreds of Avro Lancasters tear through the darkness. No lights, no margin for error, and no guarantee of coming home. In this episode, Ben Thompson is joined by filmmaker David Fairhead to break down the brutal reality of flying Britain’s most feared bomber in World War II. From its origins as a flawed aircraft to becoming the backbone of the RAF’s bombing campaign, the Lancaster wasn’t built for comfort, it was built to carry destruction. Seven-man crews packed into a freezing metal tube faced flak, night fighters, and a nearly 50% casualty rate, all while navigating pitch-black skies in tight formation.  But this isn’t just a story about a machine - it’s about the men inside it. The young crews who flew mission after mission knowing each one could be their last. The daring raids - from the Dam Busters to the destruction of the Tirpitz - that pushed the limits of what was possible. And the haunting reality of a war fought from 20,000 feet, where survival often came down to luck. It’s a story of fear, firepower, and endurance - of the aircraft that became the RAF’s sledgehammer, and the crews who swung it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

They called her the “She-Wolf” - and not as a compliment. This week, Ben Thompson and Dr. Pat tell the story of Isabella of France, a queen who got sidelined, shut out, and underestimated… and responded by invading her own kingdom. Married to the deeply unpopular Edward II of England, Isabella watched her influence disappear, until she decided to take it back with an army. What follows is betrayal, alliance, and one of the cleanest coups in medieval history. With Roger Mortimer at her side, Isabella didn’t just challenge the crown of England, she ripped it off and handed it to her son. Power grab, revenge tour, regime change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Ben Thompson sits down with Special Missions Aviator Anthony Dyer to go inside the most feared aircraft in modern warfare—and the man pulling the trigger. From unleashing devastation in Afghanistan to pulling wounded soldiers out of the fire, this is what happens during the mission… and what it costs when you come home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1628, Vasa warship set sail as the most powerful warship Sweden had ever built—a floating symbol of ambition, wealth, and absolute confidence. It had more cannons, more firepower, and more swagger than anything else in the Baltic. It also had a fatal flaw. On its maiden voyage, in front of a cheering crowd and the entire city of Stockholm, the Vasa made it about three-quarters of a mile… before a light gust of wind tipped it over and sent it straight to the bottom of the harbor. In today's episode, Ben and Dr. Pat break down how a king’s ego, a rushed timeline, and some truly catastrophic engineering decisions combined to create one of the most spectacular failures in history—and why, somehow, that disaster is exactly what makes the Vasa so badass. Because sometimes being legendary doesn’t mean you won. Sometimes it means you failed so hard they’re still talking about it 400 years later. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

History is full of revenge stories - but almost none of them spiral into full-blown, years-long war against an entire nation. This week, host Ben Thompson is joined by producer Andrew Jacobs to dive into the blood-soaked legend of Jeremiah “Liver-Eating” Johnson -a mountain man who survived brutal winters, outlaws, and ambushes… and then allegedly spent years hunting down members of the Crow Nation after the murder of his family. It’s a story of myth vs. reality, frontier violence, and one man’s transformation into something closer to folklore than human. Because when your nickname is Liver-Eating, you’re already way past the point of reasonable behavior. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

History’s earliest civilizations didn’t just invent writing, cities, and law, they also gave us one of the most unpredictable, volatile, and straight-up terrifying deities ever worshipped. Meet Ishtar: the Mesopotamian goddess of love, war, sex, power, and absolutely zero chill. Hosted by Ben Thompson with guest Dr. Patricia Larash, this episode dives into the legend of a goddess who could seduce kings, destroy armies, and then descend into the underworld on what might be the most ill-advised power move in mythological history. She’s been worshipped, feared, blamed for plagues, and credited with victory in battle -- all depending on what kind of mood she woke up in. From divine romances that ended in disaster to her infamous showdown with the Queen of the Dead, Ishtar’s story is a wild ride through ancient Mesopotamia’s greatest myths and a reminder that when you’re the most powerful being in the universe, consequences are more of a suggestion than a rule. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Medieval Spain was a chaotic battlefield of rival Christian kingdoms, powerful Muslim emirs, shifting alliances, and nonstop war - and in the middle of it all rode Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, the legendary warrior history remembers as El Cid. Exiled by his own king, El Cid didn’t disappear quietly into the margins of history. Instead, he built an unstoppable reputation as a battlefield genius and mercenary commander, fighting for whoever would hire him and defeating just about everyone who stood in his way. His campaigns reshaped the balance of power in Iberia, culminating in the stunning conquest of the great city of Valencia, where he ruled as a warlord-king. In this episode Ben Thompson and Dr. Patricia Larash explore the life of one of the most legendary knights of the Middle Ages—a warrior whose story includes exile, epic sieges, brutal battlefield victories, and one final act so wild that even death couldn’t stop him from leading his army to victory. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The samurai weren’t supposed to go quietly. This week, host Ben Thompson is joined by guest Mike Primavera to tell the story of Kondo Isami the peasant-born swordsman who rose to command the most feared killers in Kyoto: the Shinsengumi. As Japan cracked open under pressure from Western powers and internal rebellion, Kondo and his men became the iron fist of the collapsing shogunate — hunting assassins, cutting down rebels, and enforcing order with cold steel in the streets. But when civil war erupted and the emperor’s modern army marched forward with rifles and artillery, Kondo faced an impossible choice: adapt… or die defending a dying world. He chose the sword. This is loyalty pushed to its breaking point. An era ending in blood. And a man who stood firm while history moved past him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the 1920s, she scandalized Europe in a banana skirt and became the most famous entertainer in the world. But when war came, Josephine Baker traded applause for espionage—smuggling secrets for the French Resistance, hiding messages in sheet music, and risking execution by the Nazis In today's episode, Host Ben Thompson is joined by historian Taylor Cassidy to break down the astonishing life of a woman who refused to be boxed in - by racism, by borders, or by history itself. From the stages of Paris to the front lines of World War II and the steps of the March on Washington, this is the story of a performer who turned celebrity into a weapon. Feathers. Freedom. Fire. This is Josephine Baker at full volume. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wooden teeth? No. Cherry tree? Probably not. Absolute unit of a leader? Undeniably. Ben Thompson welcomes EpicLLOYD from Epic Rap Battles of History for a Presidents’ Day breakdown George Washington — the six-foot-two surveyor who became the most dangerous man in the British Empire. Outnumbered. Undersupplied. Outgunned. Washington lost more battles than he won, but he never lost the war. From the frozen gamble at Trenton to resigning his commission when he didn’t have to, he pulled off something rarer than victory: he gave power back. If monarchy was the expectation, Washington was the plot twist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ice. Starvation. Total darkness. And somewhere out there — a polar bear that would very much like to eat you. On this episode, Ben Thompson is joined by producer Andrew Jacobs to break down the life of Fridtjof Nansen — Arctic explorer, record-setting skier, neuroscientist, diplomat, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and the only man in history to drift across the polar ice cap on purpose. Nansen didn’t just explore the Arctic — he weaponized it. He froze his own ship into the pack ice to prove a scientific theory. He skied farther north than any human had ever gone. And when he was done conquering the planet’s most hostile environment, he turned around and saved hundreds of thousands of refugees. This one has frostbite, philosophy, and a man who genuinely believed the only way out… was further in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Empires don’t begin with heroes — they begin with mothers who refuse to lose. Olympias ruled from the shadows using fear, religion, and assassination, making sure history remembered her son as a god and forgot anyone who stood in his way. If Alexander conquered the world with a sword, Olympias conquered history with snakes, curses, and a body count. Hosted by Ben Thompson, with co-host Dr. Patricia Larash, this episode unpacks how power really worked in ancient Macedonia — and why Olympias may have been the most dangerous person in the room. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1542, a teenage French noblewoman is marooned on a frozen island off the coast of Newfoundland - deliberately abandoned by her own family, left with a failing matchlock gun, a handful of supplies, and no hope of rescue. Over the next two years, Marguerite de la Rocque watches everyone she loves die, survives brutal winters, hunts seals, and kills polar bears with a weapon that takes minutes to reload - knowing one mistake means death. This week on Badass of the Week, Ben Thompson is joined by New York Times bestselling author Allegra Goodman, whose novel Isola resurrects one of the most insane survival stories in history: a woman written off as dead who endured the Island of Demons - and came back changed forever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Five thousand years before Batman brooded, before Achilles sulked, before Hercules punched a god in the mouth, there was Epic of Gilgamesh - the original badass origin story. Gilgamesh starts as a tyrant king with godlike strength, a legendary temper, and absolutely zero chill, until the gods drop another unstoppable force into his life: Enkidu. What follows is a saga of monster-slaying, divine beef, catastrophic hubris, and one of the earliest -and most brutal - lessons ever recorded about friendship, loss, and mortality. Host Ben Thompson is joined by mythologist and storyteller Dr. John Bucher, Executive Director of the Joseph Campbell Foundation, to break down how Gilgamesh isn’t just the first epic hero - but the blueprint for every action movie, superhero arc, and hero’s journey that followed. It’s a story about conquering everything… except death - and why that realization still hits just as hard 5,000 years later. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Outlaws don’t usually get remembered for being smart—but Butch Cassidy was something different. He robbed banks and trains with minimal bloodshed, outwitted the Pinkertons for years, and built a criminal crew that operated more like a well-run business than a gang of desperados. This week on Badass of the Week, we’re joined by Todd Weiser, co-host of the Heist Club podcast, to break down what made Cassidy’s robberies so effective, why charm was his most dangerous weapon, and how one outlaw managed to turn crime into legend. And then there’s the ending—because depending on who you believe, Butch Cassidy either died in Bolivia… or pulled off the cleanest escape of his life.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Powdered wigs didn’t win the American Revolution... scarred knuckles did. Host Ben Thompson is joined by David Schmidt, director of The American Revolution with Ken Burns, to tell the story of Daniel Morgan - a frontier brawler who survived 500 lashes, took a musket ball through the face, and learned to fight the British in ways they couldn’t understand or stop. Morgan didn’t look like a Founding Father and he didn’t fight like a gentleman. He hunted officers from the treeline, turned militia panic into strategy, and delivered one of the most decisive victories of the war at Cowpens. This episode strips the American Revolution down to its rawest form:  mud, blood, rifle smoke, and a man with 499 reasons to never surrender. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During a brutal Vietnam firefight that spiraled into a forty-five-minute running battle, Robert J. Thomas was shot, shredded by shrapnel, and left barely able to stand. Instead of evacuating, he crawled forward, emptied his pistol into enemy positions, then climbed onto the door gun of a helicopter that had already been hit more than a hundred times. On this episode, host Ben Thompson is joined by Matt Fratus of Late Night History to break down Thomas’s stand - a fight that saved multiple wounded teammates, kept the helicopter in the air, and only ended when the aircraft physically had to leave. Thomas later woke up in a medevac hospital with his face wired back together. Despite being nominated twice for the Medal of Honor, Thomas received the Navy Cross, returned to Vietnam to finish his tour, and went on to help create the Navy SEAL sniper program that shaped modern special operations. This is a story about refusing extraction, precision under fire, and a man who never stopped fighting when everyone else was already out.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

History doesn’t usually leave room for men like St. Moses the Black - a violent outlaw, gang leader, and feared killer who somehow became one of the most respected monks of the early Christian world. His life wasn’t a gentle conversion story. It was brutal, uncomfortable, and earned the hard way through discipline, humility, and blood-soaked consequences. Joining the show is Matti Leshem, co-creator of Fox Nation's The Saints, to break down why Moses’s transformation still matters and why this might be the most intense Christmas story you’ve never heard. This is a holiday episode about redemption that doesn’t come wrapped in a bow — it comes with scars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

History doesn’t usually begin with two sisters on war elephants — but this one does. In 40 AD, the Trưng Sisters ignited a violent break from Han Dynasty rule, led armies commanded by women, seized more than sixty citadels, and ruled Vietnam as queens for three hard-fought years. In today's episode Ben is joined by Dr. Pat Larish to chart the rise, rule, and last stand of the women who turned occupation into identity — and became the blueprint for two thousand years of Vietnamese resistance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A failed civil-service exam. A month-long fever dream. And a man who woke up convinced he was Jesus Christ’s Chinese younger brother... This week, Ben teams up with historian and History on Fire host Daniele Bolelli to tell one of the wildest, bloodiest, most unbelievable stories in human history: the Taiping Rebellion, the second-deadliest war the world has ever seen. What begins as one man’s psychotic break spirals into a doomsday-level holy war that engulfs 17 provinces, kills tens of millions, topples cities, shatters dynasties, draws in Western empires, and sets China on a collision course with its modern future. Strap in — this one goes way off the rails. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor was hit with fire, chaos, and a surprise attack that should have shattered the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Instead, it produced some of the wildest, most unlikely heroes in American history. In this episode, Ben Thompson is joined by Navy veteran and comedian Rob Mayfield to break down the stories of the men who refused to fold - from mess attendant Doris “Dorie” Miller dropping enemy planes with a .50-cal he’d never been trained to fire, to two hungover fighter pilots who rolled out of bed, ignored every order, and took on the entire Japanese strike force, to the boatswain who literally dove into the harbor to keep a battleship from going down.  It’s Pearl Harbor like you’ve never heard it - intense, unbelievable, and absolutely badass. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

America’s first astronaut wasn’t just a spaceman — he was a fighter pilot, a rule-breaker, and a straight-up menace to anyone who underestimated him. This week, Ben is joined by space historian Brandon Fibbs to dig into the wild life of Alan Shepard, the hotshot naval aviator who went from strafing enemy ships in WWII to strapping himself into a tin can perched on top of a barely-tested rocket. Together they unpack how Shepard muscled his way into the Mercury 7, stared down NASA bureaucracy, battled an inner-ear condition that nearly ended his career, and still came back swinging — all the way to hitting a damn golf ball on the surface of the Moon. It’s the story of a man who never stopped pushing higher, harder, and further than anyone thought possible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

History remembers the fall of Rome as inevitable... but buried in the chaos is one man who almost flipped the script. In today's episode, Ben is joined by Matthew and Matteo of the Lost Roman Heroes Podcast to talk about Majorian. He wasn’t a pampered emperor; he was a frontline warrior who carved his way through enemies and politics alike, determined to rebuild an empire everyone else had already written off. He reformed corrupt systems, rallied shattered armies, and launched one of the boldest comeback attempts in Roman history. And just when it looked like he might actually pull it off… well, that’s where things get wild. This is the story of the last emperor who truly tried to save Rome - and the brutal twist that changed everything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In honor of Veterans Day, Ben Thompson and Producer Andrew Jacobs tell the story of Drew Dennis Dix. History is full of stories about impossible odds—but few come close to what Dix pulled off in Vietnam. In the middle of the massive Viet Cong Tet offensive, Dix—an enlisted Green Beret—went in alone to rescue civilians trapped in a city under siege. Over two harrowing days, he led a one-man mission through enemy territory, dodging sniper fire, clearing buildings, saving dozens of hostages, and turning the tide of the battle. This is the story of calm under fire, raw guts, and the first enlisted Special Forces soldier ever awarded the Medal of Honor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

History remembers Guy Fawkes as the man who tried—and failed—to blow up Parliament. But the real story is bigger, bloodier, and far more explosive. In this Bonfire Night episode, Ben Thompson is joined by Samuel Datta to tell the tale of a soldier turned saboteur, a plot fueled by faith and fury, and how one man’s failure became one of the most famous nights in British history.  Remember, remember the 5th of November...  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's World Series time! So let's talk some badass baseball. In today's episode, Ben is joined by TimeGhost historian and baseball enthusiast Indy Neidell to tell the story of Ted Williams. Williams wasn’t just one of the greatest hitters in baseball history — he was a fighter pilot, a war hero, and a man who could stare down both a fastball and enemy fire without blinking. He lost five prime years of his career to two wars, came back swinging like he never missed a pitch, and still finished with one of the highest batting averages of all time. This is the story of a man who refused to do anything halfway — whether it was baseball, battle, or telling the world exactly where it could stick a curveball. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's episode Ben Thompson is joined by Shaina Steinberg to tell the story of Martha Gellhorn, the trailblazing war correspondent who smuggled herself into war zones, broke every rule that needed breaking, and filed some of the most powerful eyewitness accounts of the 20th century. From the Spanish Civil War to D-Day to the jungles of Vietnam, Gellhorn refused to stay home, refused to stay silent, and refused to be known for anything other than her own words. This is the story of the woman who saw history being made—and made damn sure the world saw it too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Ben and Pat are heading to Ireland for a double dose of destruction, divinity, and a surprisingly violent debate over a book. First up: Turgesius the Devil, a Viking warlord who didn’t just raid Ireland—he built cities, crowned himself king, and let his witch queen turn cathedrals into goat-sacrificing prophecy hubs. Then it’s Saint Colum Cille, the one-man holy army who got so mad about copyright law and a dead hurling player that he started an actual war and maybe (definitely) punched the Loch Ness Monster in the face. It’s the saint and the devil, two chaotic legends, and a whole lot of very Irish badassery. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To follow up our episode with The Smashing Machine, Mark Kerr - we're diving into the archive to replay our deeper dive into the story of Milo of Croton. -- --  Step into the arena with Milo of Croton, the ancient Greek strongman whose feats of strength turned him into a living legend. In this episode, Ben and Pat explore how Milo went from an Olympic champion to a battlefield hero, carrying entire armies on his back—literally. From wrestling lions to tearing trees apart with his bare hands, Milo’s life was a nonstop display of raw power and unmatched swagger. Join us as we uncover the epic tale of history’s ultimate flex and the man who redefined what it meant to be strong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the savage early days of MMA, before the bright lights and billion-dollar paydays, there was one man who fought like a force of nature. Mark Kerr wasn’t just a wrestler — he was a six-foot-one, 250-pound experiment in human willpower. A world champion who walked into underground Brazilian cage fights, broke his hand mid-match, and kept fighting with his head. They called him The Smashing Machine. In today's episode, Ben and Mark go blow-by-blow through the glory, the pain, and the redemption of one of combat sports’ most feared and fascinating pioneers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices