Let Them Fight: A Comedy History Podcast

Welcome dear listeners, to an episode that is going to create some emotions in you when you hear it, because, well, some bullshit of the highest order goes down and our boy Michael Morton deserved none of it. He was just a simple family man when tragedy struck, and in life, well, people are sometimes extremely shitty. Enjoy!

It's not often we get to say this, but this English dude was dope as hell! William Slim, Bill Slim if you're nasty, was a rare breed, an officer whose men absolutely loved him. He fought in multiple wars, on multiple continents, and kicked some major ass along the way. And when he saw other officers doing the wrong shit, he called them out on it. Hell of a guy. It wasn't just England that loved him either, but several former/current colonies. A man of the people. Enjoy!

Today we're getting into some piratey nonsense for you, dear listeners. Laurens de Graaf may have been a kooky kind of Dutchman, but once he got on board a ship and realized how good he was at stealing shit from the Spanish, he went all in. Stories of triumph, exploration, hilarious pettiness, the whole package. Enjoy!

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? Enjoy!

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 ending. Anyway, enjoy!

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 time. Enjoy!

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. So dig the real story on this bearded badass, and enjoy!

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 quotes for days. Enjoy!

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 making things hard on the Ottomans. Enjoy!

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 podcast you just know he got a happy ending. Right? Well, either way, enjoy!

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 to be mocked. So it was still fun. Enjoy!

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 names...Anyway, enjoy!

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 hearing rage then you're gonna love today's episode. Enjoy!

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 his thing forever. And it was awful. But we get our jokes in and keep it lighthearted, so enjoy!

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 refer to them, it was the 1800s after all. Anyways, enjoy!

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 too, don't worry, we get into it. Enjoy!

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, y'all, so kick back, listen in, and enjoy!

Today we have a lesser known badass from the Civil War for you, dear listeners. Thomas Plunkett fought with the Massachusetts Volunteers and made his rounds at some significant battles and did some dope shit. Then he fought at one of the worst battles of the war, and that's where he earned himself a spot on the show. This dude was tough as nails, and his story is great. So enjoy!

Well dear listeners, you asked for scum and today you're gonna get on it. Here's hoping you don't choke as we head off to the middle of nowhere to talk about Wayne Nance, and boy is he a sick little weirdo. That stays pretty consistent throughout the story. Join us in mocking his whole stupid edgelord ass life. And yes, he does have a nickname, and yes it does suck, but I'm not gonna spoil how. Enjoy!

Today we have a real rags to riches story as we talk about someone who went from a nobody, to king of a place nobody cares about. Muammar Gaddafi is kind of a confusing dude as a dictator, because he did some stuff that'll make you go, "Oh, that's really cool. More places should have that policy." Then immediately follows it up with some heinous shit. He just never really picks a lane. Plenty of crazy though, he plants himself firmly in that lane for sure. So there's plenty of fun in this episode. Enjoy!

The badass we'll be talking about this week comes to us in the form of a relatively unknown man from the US Navy. James E. Williams served his country well in a real shit part of Vietnam and boy did he go hard. Citation after citation and commendation after commendation, this dude put in the work and was recognized for what a bad motherfucker he was in the face of danger. Just a good, wholesome, fun episode for you this holiday season. Enjoy!

Today we'll be taking a trip to old timey England, since it's been a while, to talk about Jonathan Wild. When he was young he surely got his hands dirty as he was a bit of a bruiser for some say, less than reputable people. But it's when he rose in position that he really came into his own and blossomed like a flower, a piece of shit flower, but a flower none the less. This dude killed a lot of people and hurt an amount of people I'm not even gonna try to fathom. Both directly and through his orders. The only thing worse than a scumbag, is a scumbag with power. Enjoy!

We were recently reminded that we haven't done a conquistador type dude in a while, so here's one who's famous for the dumbest reason instead of for all the shit he actually did in his life! Juan Ponce de Leon got off to a rough start as a conquering Spaniard. But he righted that ship pretty fast and soon became a scourge to the natives. Yea, they leave a lot of that part out of his story when they tell you about him in school. Anyway, this guy sucked as a person, but his story is dope, outside the crimes against humanity. Enjoy!

Today we'll be taking a trip to the often overlooked country of Bolivia, so overlooked that we completely forgot where it was on a map. But anyway, we'll be talking about Roberto Suarez Gomez, a dude who turned a fortune into an even bigger fortune, by pretty sketchy means. As a result he interacted with a lot of familiar names. Now he didn't necessarily dole out a lot of violence personally, though it certainly happened, but he definitely got into some stuff that killed a lot of people, so he earned his spot here. Enjoy!

Today we're going way, way back to ye olde days of Japan to talk about Minamoto no Yoritomo, the ultimate king of petty. You will definitely see what I mean as you listen to the episode. But he did some shit kicking too. Thank fuck Tim can keep track of all the names though, so he makes it easy to follow so you can all just kick back and enjoy!

Welcome back, dear listeners! We're sticking to a more recent time to talk about modern day hero, Michael P. Murphy. After a suspiciously wholesome and uneventful upbringing, you'd think something horrible was coming down the pipeline, instead he serves his country and keeps going what he thinks is right. Just an all around solid dude. Don't worry though, we still make our jokes. Enjoy!

Welcome back, dear listeners, and allow us to take you on a trip to the American Civil War to talk about George B. McClellan. Boy did he fucking suck. He wasn't some horrific nightmare person, or a real sociopathic scumbag or anything, but just man, he was a douche. So of course we make fun of him extensively and without mercy. This was a fun one, and gave a lot of insight into just how bad the North was fighting the war pre-Grant (that episode available everywhere expect Spotify, still, sorry). Anyway, enjoy!

"I bet they're gonna have a total monster since it's Halloween time." Well, kinda! Abu Musab al-Zarwawi isn't your traditional serial killer slasher type monster, but boy was he a huge piece of shit with a much more impressive kill count. He had ties to some of the worst people on the planet, and was responsible for a hell of a lot of carnage, death, and sadness from his own actions and the orders he gave to his followers. Some bits of his story may sound familiar, now you get to tie a face and name to the events. Enjoy!

Today we're going back a few years to talk about the most British man in the world. If you asked AI to design you an English noble, Arthur Wellesley is exactly who you would get back. Which makes you want to hate him. Then he does some stuff that makes you want to hate him more. Then he does some really dope shit and you don't know what to think anymore. So join us in the confusion, and enjoy!

Just some good clean fun for y'all today, dear listeners! We're talking about one of the OG pipe hitting motherfuckers, Richard "Demo Dick" Marcinko. This dude put in some serious goddamn work in Vietnam. However, the truly fascinating stuff about him happened after his time in the jungle. He was a controversial figure, but we love him. Enjoy!

Good news, dear listeners! Today's episode is fun as hell. Peter J Ortiz was a dope ass dude with a crazy life story, and it's all just good fun. No other shoe dropping or surprise bullshittery ahead. Don't worry, still plenty of bonkersness and jokes aplenty as we tell his story though. So kick back on this fine Tuesday, and enjoy!

Today we have a fun one for you, dear listeners. We're talking about a dude who was raised Mormon, and then decided "hey, fuck the Mormons," and decided to make all his money off fucking with them. And Mark Hofmann was pretty damn good at it. Then some stuff happened that was kinda not cool. You'll see what I mean, I don't wanna spoil it. Enjoy!

Today we're bringing you a fun episode, dear listeners. No horrific acts against mankind, or people of, at best, questionable morals. Just a man and his rifle taking on nature. The way Artemis intended. I assume, I didn't study her stuff much since she was always one of the less interesting gods. But I digress, our dude today Jim Corbett is great and you can safely kick back and just take in the fun story of his life. Enjoy!

Welcome back dear listeners, to another trip down olde (modern) Mexico way to talk about one of the heavy hitters for the Los Zetas. Our guy today, Heriberto Lazcano did not fuck about when he was running things. Not only was he incredibly violent, he was a pioneer of brutality, and boy did a lot of people suffer when this dude had power. Enjoy!

Adam Lanza, oh boy, what can I say about this garbage monster except, fuck him and everything about him. Dude was a coward and targeted the weakest and most vulnerable of people to commit his atrocities against. My only regret is he didn't live to go to prison and get treated appropriately. But try to find some enjoyment in the jokes we make throughout the episode, and enjoy!

Today we're talking about Pakistan in the 80s. Specifically about their "president" (military dictator) at the time. Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq did some real dirt on his way up the totem pole to seize power and once he was up there he did some more, but he also managed to do a few good things, I can't deny him that. He just happened to do more bad than good. Makes for an interesting story though. I mean, just look at a picture of him. He's the perfect Bond villain. Enjoy!

Today we're visiting well trod ground to cover an unknown story. The story of Lew Wallace, a man who was in the Mexican American War and the Civil War, both very familiar to this podcast. But I'll be damned if his story doesn't deserve to be told. He did some dope shit, got unfairly punished, then went on to do even more dope shit, some of which I would never in a million years have seen coming. So listen to the episode, give this man his flowers, and enjoy!

Today we're joined by a familiar face, and voice, in the shape of Matt Cole, to talk about a real nice dude out of Sweden. Just an all around great guy. Just kidding, he's a piece of shit! But he had good taste, you'll see what I mean. Rickard Andersson is guilty of a pretty familiar crime, but with some notable differences. But still just as unforgivable, so he can fuck right off. But we still had fun making jokes about this scumbag's life. So enjoy!

Today we're gonna talk about our first Vietnamese person, and boy was he a solid choice to go first. Dude had a pretty tragic childhood with some notable trauma, but grew up to become a heavy hitter for his country. He was there for all the significant action his country saw against a whole slew of opposing countries, and beat them all. Sure, he was on the wrong side of a war with us and all, but credit where it's due, dude was good at what he did. Enjoy!