Past Imperfect

In the Season 2 finale, we get into the kidnapping of Richard the Lionheart after the Third Crusade, his ransom by his mother Eleanor of Aquitaine, and the war with his frenemy Philip II Augustus, which led to his untimely death at age 41.

In this episode we cover the end of the Third Crusade, in which Richard "the Lionheart" fails to conquer Jerusalem, despite multiple attempts. We also discuss the truce between Richard and Saladin, and get into some conversation about the motivations behind the Crusade.

In this episode, Richard I "The Lionheart" embarks on Crusade...but he makes a few pit stops. During the first, in Sicily, he rescues his sister Joanna from imprisonment...only for her and his new fiancee Berengaria of Navarre to get "lost at sea," landing on Cyprus (!) so he stops there next. When he finally arrives in the Holy Land, he leads the Crusaders to victory at Acre, a major W but not exactly the main target of the Crusade.

In this episode, we give the juicy backstory on notorious medieval frenemies Richard I "The Lionheart" and Philip II Augustus, the kings of England and France who joined up with Frederick II Barbarossa to retake Jerusalem in the 1180s.

In this episode, we explore a few more background ideas that set the stage for the Third Crusade -- the Investiture Controversy, the rise of Frederick I Barbarossa, and finally, the conquest of Jerusalem by the great Muslim warlord Saladin.

In this episode, we delve into medieval culture of the 11th and 12th centuries, including ideas of chivalry, courtly love, and Gothic architecture, all the while weaving in stories of famous women from this time period, including Eleanor of Aquitaine, Heloise d'Argenteuil, and Hildegard von Bingen!

This first episode of our new season covers the political context of the First Crusade, including some background on the Vikings, the Normans, the Holy Land, and the social demographic of the Crusaders themselves!

In this last episode about the early middle ages, we learn about how Charlemagne took on the title of Roman Emperor on Christmas Day in 800 CE...surprising literally no one.

In this episode, we talk about how Charlemagne used the law as well as a new "Roman" identity to consolidate his authority over his kingdom.

This is the first of several episodes diving into the life and times of Charlemagne, king of the Franks and Holy Roman Emperor. In episode 1, we learn how Charlemagne rose to power through political machinations and military victories.

Hear about how Islam originated and spread into Spain under the rule of the Umayyads, culminating in a conflict between the Umayyads and the Franks in 732 CE.

In this episode, we delve into the fall of the Roman empire and the rise of the Germanic kingdoms!