Storytime with the Historists
by Mr. Booren and Mrs. Dumas
We tell the weird, wonderful, and whimsical stories that make up the world's history, but we do it in our own way. We are HISTORISTS. This is a podcast geared for AP World History, AP U.S. History, and AP European History students, but is accessible for anyone else interested in history. It's the world's history, told our way.
Episodes
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S4 E9: "God's Lunatics" - The Gunpowder Plot
The Gunpowder Plot was never just a failed attempt to blow up Parliament - it was a pressure-cooker story of religious persecution, covert networks, radicalization, and state power that still shapes how November 5th is remembered today. If you want the real story behind Guy Fawkes, the people who...
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S4 E8: Desaparecidos - The Pinochet Coup in Chile, Part III
On September 11, 1973, Chile’s military overthrew President Salvador Allende, ending a democratic experiment and beginning Augusto Pinochet’s brutal dictatorship. In this episode, Jen Dumas and Matt trace how U.S. intervention, economic pressure, and local political forces helped set the stage…
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S4 E7: Ripe Bananas - The Pinochet Coup in Chile, Part II
In this episode Jen leads Matt through the complex tapestry of Latin American history and the military coups that played a significant role in shaping the political landscape for decades. Why should you care about these events? In this episode, we’ll unpack the dynamics of military coups…
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S4 E6: Free Real Estate- The Pinochet Coup in Chile, Part I
This is a bit of a special episode as we have decided to add an episode to our strategy of tension series based on events that have occurred at the start of 2026. The U.S. is engaging in military incursions and diplomatic interventions in Venezuela and Cuba respectively. These actions have been...
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S4 E5: "C-O-N, Control" - Gladio & The Italian Years of Lead, Part II
Last week we started our investigation of the strategy of tension in Italy by exploring the overt ways in which far-right groups and NATO secret military forces tried to overtly undermine the center-left governments in Italy in the post World War 2 era. This week Jen and Matt pick back up with…
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S4 E4: Who is Pepe Silvia? - Gladio & The Italian Years of Lead, Part I
This episode is for the European history heads! Matt and Jen continue their exploration of the strategy of tension, this time by analyzing the Italian Years of Lead. This event is a true implementation of the strategy of tension, a phrase coined to describe the bloody attacks during Italy's "long...
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S4 E3: "Mixin' Up the Medicine" - The Weather Underground and America's Days of Rage, Part II
In this episode, Matt and Jen delve into the Weather Underground's radicalization and violent actions during the 1970s, explore their motivations, analyze the internal dynamics of the group, and the consequences of their actions, including the tragic Greenwich Village explosion. The discussion…
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S4 E2: Despite All Our Rage, We Are Still in a Malaise - The Weather Underground and America's Days of Rage, Part I
This week we start a multi-part series on political violence across the 20th century. We are kicking things off here in the U.S. by examining a largely memory holed element of the 1960's counter culture: The Weather Underground. Join us as we dust off those old Bob Dylan records and channel our...
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S4 E1: Bored to Death - The Salem Witch Trials
Season 4! We are back, and this week we have a real witches brew going: boredom, religious zealotry, greed, and PTSD all combined to create the chaos that was The Salem Witch Trials. Join us as we conjure one of our most requested stories! Show Notes:...
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S3 E11: “All Will Depend on This…” - The Opium Wars (w/ Steve Heimler)
In this episode, Jen and Matt are joined by guest Steve Heimler from Heimler's History to dissect the unbelievable story of how greed and cultural misunderstandings led to the Opium Wars and eventually, China’s Century of Humiliation. Show Notes:...
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S3 E10: And Then There Were Unicorns - The Ming Dynasty
In this episode, Jen and Matt revisit China - this time during the Ming Dynasty and the amazing voyages of Zheng He. But first, we FINALLY close out our Mongol series before re-establishing the Middle Kingdom.
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S3 E9: Ska Sucks?! - A basic history of ska that doesn't suck
In this episode, Matt and Jen go in depth about the different waves of Ska music and why it hasn't always had the best reputation - even though it's such an awesome blend of music. Show notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TAaMU0o0MWQL0ekRMBcZDFHfJ1u3guns5Yni4pkc-ik/edit?usp=sharing Spotify...
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S3 E8: Front Row Seats - The Effects of Globalization
In this episode, your hosts Matt and Jen debate whether the positives outweigh the negatives in our (ever increasingly), interconnected world; thanks, globalization? Show notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eLEHKyc6fHTVmmmYg-5XUOHeauuAlL8D1FpW1R1MjXw/edit?usp=sharing Abington Ridge...
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S3 E7: Drain the Cup to the Dregs - The French Revolution, Part III
In the finale of our three-part series, Matt and Jen wrap up the disastrous Varennes trip that leads to the execution of King Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette after a new radical phase of the revolution begins.
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S3 E6: Runaway Train - The French Revolution, Part II
In this episode, Jen and Matt continue to the absolutely ridiculously disastrous story of King Louis XVI's attempt to escape from Varennes, where the royal family is captured by the village idiot!
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S3 E5: More of an Ideas Guy - The French Revolution, Part I
In this episode, Jen and Matt discuss the disastrous first steps of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette as they try to escape from Varennes, and halt the French Revolution.
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S3 E4: Hunting Humans - The History of Zombies
In this (ZOMBIE!) episode, Jen and Matt trace the origins of Zombies to the Atlantic Slave Trade and enlighten on the impact of zombies on pop culture. Check out the show notes here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-OdKtHR3sTKduENFhZRqMWome9JSo2sq5FBFai5Yv6s/ A huge thank you to the Abington...
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S3 E3: Hungarian Guns- The Siege of Constantinople, Part II
In this episode, Jen and Matt finish the explosive story of the siege of Constantinople. Flamethrowers, hand to hand combat, tunnel rats...it's the early modern version of COD.
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S3 E2: The Red Apple - The Siege of Constantinople, Part I
In this episode, Matt and Jen take you to Anatolia to tell the incredible story of the Ottoman siege of Constantinople Show Notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1s6PlLn31WpFRbx1ihaxBEMSNVAjk88OcptrdLsWf4ms/edit?usp=sharing Abington Ridge Collective Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/tTPBP
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S3 E1: Feast of Blood - The Fall of the Umayyad Caliphate
In this episode, Jen and Matt discuss the the grizzly ending of one of the first Islamic Empires - The Umayyad Caliphate.
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S2 E10(b): Bad Shellfish-The Assassination of Patrice Lumumba, Part II
In this episode, Matt and Jen continue their discussion on the assassination of Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba, and the probable CIA involvement in the assassination. We finish with discussion of the ethics of fighting bad, and if there is a limit to what states should do to achieve righteous...
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S2 E9:The Other, Other, Other Bloody Sunday - Russo-Japanese War Part III
In this episode, your hosts Jen and Matt, finish off the story of the Russo-Japanese War, and the devastating effects is has on Russia. Listen in!
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S2 E8: World War Zero - Russo-Japanese War, Part II
In the second part of this 3-part series, Jen and Matt take a deeper look at some of the battles during the Russo-Japanese war, and the impact they have on both Japan and Russia
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S2 E7: Tinder Box - Russo-Japanese War, Part I
In this episode, Matt and Jen visit Japan and Russia and see how these late comers to the imperialist game end up on a collision course towards war in 1904
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S2 E6: The Devil Daimyo
In this episode, Jen and Matt take on the story of the noble Samurai, which leads them to discover the man known as the Devil Daimyo.
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S2 E5: Charlie Brown was Full of Crap
In this episode, Jen and Matt unpack the story of Thanksgiving and delve into what is fact and what is fiction. We welcome back special guest Tyler Arko to the show as well! Episode notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bI6_OZKmM6HAXu2Qxhuks5s6QLQBbEOYwUC0DcPb-FA/viewer
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S2 E4: From Caffa, with Love
In this episode, Jen and Matt delve into the dark days of the Black Death as they discuss the Genoese Death Fleet and make connections to today's pandemic.
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S2 E3: Choose Your Own Adventure
In the 3rd episode of Season 2, Matt and Jen look at the Song Dynasty of China, through the lens of Choose Your Own Adventure stories.
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S2 E2: Soup's On
In this episode, Matt and Jen discuss the ingredients that were needed for the fall of the Classical Empires (Han, Rome, and Gupta), and realize that most of the world is currently cooking up disaster.
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S2 E1: Gutter Trash and State Sponsored Sorrow
In this episode, the first of Season 2, your hosts take a look all the way back to the Neolithic Revolution, and how it isn't all that its cracked up to be.
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Ep 20: Shopping Cart Ogre
Today, your hosts grapple with the shopping cart, and whether it's a good test of our ability to self govern. We welcome aboard Tyler Arko as a guest Historists for a breakdown of social media, social contract theory, and anti-social behaviors.
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Ep 19: Crimes Against Humanity
Traveling back to the beginning of the 20th century, your hosts delve into the dark days of the Armenian Genocide, asking the question, "Should we enter or neighbor's backyard?"
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Ep 18: Snake Eyes
This week, your historists tackle the tragic history of Russian leadership. From Mongol invasion, to inept Tsars, and 20th century tradegies, the Russian people have been at a cold table for far too long.
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Ep 17: It's Great...No, Wait...
This week, your historists tackle the impetus behind the Industrial Revolution. Turns out, it was....pants? Join us as we break through into modern history!
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Ep 16: Lost that Loving Feeling
In this episode, we travel back to the age of Ottoman conquests in Europe. We are all looking for a hear of gold, but did archaeologists in find an actual one in Austria? Settle in as we tell the story of a timeless love.
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Ep 15: Get to the Chopper, The Cold War, Part 2
Joined by our guest Historists, we take a stroll down memory lane and analyze what it was like to grow up during the end stages of the Cold War. From movies and music, to duck and cover, we take a look at the weird social responses to the threat of nuclear annihilation.
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Ep 14: Operation Artichoke, The Cold War, Part 1
Weird stories from the Cold War. We look into the origins of the Cold War, MKULTRA and introduce our first guest host! Settle in and witness the weird side of the the Cold War!
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Ep 13: Strange Remedies
Recorded at the beginning of global quarantine due to the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, your hosts look back at the Black Death and Spanish Flu pandemics for ways that others coped with outbreaks of unknown diseases.
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Ep 12: Shekmate (in China)
Join us as we tell the story of how China emerged from it's Hundred Years of Humiliation. Uncover the myriad people and events that help give rise to modern China and the formation of the CCP.
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Ep 11: Storm of Steel, WWI, Part 2
In this Storytime with the Historists mini-episode, we take an intense look at the battlefields of World War I. From drum fire to gas attacks, it is a riveting ride!
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Ep 10: Marching off to Doomsday, WWI, Part 1
World War I in Europe
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Ep 9: Secret Society of Murderers
King Leopold and the Belgian Congo, enough said. No humor here, just a hard look at a forgotten history. Join us as we shed some light on a lost tragedy.
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Ep 8: Europe Flexes on the World
The origins and effects of European imperialism in the 19th century
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Ep 7: King Cholera
This week Jen and Matt take a look at an unforeseen impact of the Industrial Revolution on English society. Join us as we put history and comedy back 25 years as we slog our way throught the cholera outbreaks of the 19th century in London.
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Ep 6: Flashpoint
The origins of revolutions of the 18th and 19th centuries. The intellectual movements, scientific developments, and bloody revolts that made the world what it is today.
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Ep5: Lightning Strikes
The story of Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation
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Ep 4: Tycoons
The Mughals, money, and trade. The people who gave rise to the idea of mega-business and international commerce (maybe that is a bit hyperbolic, but the English sure were impressed). Check out the Mughal empire in this episode.
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Ep 3: Passport to Heaven
In this weeks episode, we talk about some of the smaller stories that make up the Crusades. Inept leadership, cowardly men, and brave heroines. Travel with us to the 12th century as we delve into Crusades.
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Ep 2: Creative Destruction: Pax Mongolica, The Mongols, Part 2
The Pax Mongolica, the time most of us ignore when we think about the Mongols. From the first passport system, to reinvigorated trade routes, the Mongols did more then destroy. Don't worry, there is still blood and gore in this episode though, because after all, it is the Mongols.
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Ep 1: Creative Destruction, The Mongols, Part 1
The origins of Mongol rule in Eurasia
About this show
We tell the weird, wonderful, and whimsical stories that make up the world's history, but we do it in our own way. We are HISTORISTS. This is a podcast geared for AP World History, AP U.S. History, and AP European History students, but is accessible for anyone else interested in history. It's the world's history, told our way.
Hosted by
Mr. Booren and Mrs. Dumas
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