In this episode, our plucky and determined heroine discovers the mantle of religious warfare. Isabella and Ferdinand respond to an attack on a Castilian city from Moorish forces. This becomes the first skirmish in a “Holy War” against Muslims in Spain. It is a war that will last a decade, and inflict a terrible fate…
Read More
After a high risk secret marriage to Prince Ferdinand of Aragon, Isabella finds there is no easy path to gaining the crown of Castile. An evil uncle, a civil war, and a heroic Portuguese flag bearer appear in this episode as Isabella fights to be Queen. An astonishing solution to a domestic quarrel paves the…
Read More
Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain are figures you may have heard of in passing, as the sponsors of Christopher Columbus. The fact that Isabella’s name is remembered in the same breath with Ferdinand’s is remarkable in an age when only men could hold political power. From the Black Death to royal scandal, this episode introduces…
Read More
After the execution of Anne Boleyn, what is next for Henry VIII and for England? A terrible jousting accident changes the king, and may be a hidden factor in his increasing ruthlessness. The future of England and its religion hangs in the balance as Henry decides to assert his authority over English monasteries. This episode…
Read More
This episode covers the sordid and sickeningly fast story of Anne Boleyn’s fall from grace. It has rumor, scandal, and a completely hilarious introduction to the codpiece. This is also the moment that Henry VIII begins to resemble the ruthless monster that he has become in popular imagination. With Anne’s position hanging precariously, what will…
Read More
The woman who is blamed for turning Henry VIII from a most Catholic king into the one who separated Tudor England from the Catholic Church was a dark eyed stunner named Anne Boleyn. This is the story of how a king overturned the institutions of his country to get a divorce. It is also the…
Read More
This episode uncovers the forgotten history of some of the most badass women you’ve never heard of. The Kingdom of Dahomey in West Africa had all female army units who consistently fought better and more courageously than the men. Their deeds of bravery are recorded by their admiring enemies. These real women are the inspiration…
Read More
Stories of badass warrior women continue to fascinate us today, as they did the ancient Greeks. In Greek stories the Amazons were a tribe of all female warriors who were formidable in combat and fascinating for their bravery, athleticism, and beauty. But the Amazons are not a myth. They were real people in history, and…
Read More
Attila the Hun still looms in our memory, though less and less is remembered about the man himself and the fierce people he led. This episode introduces the Huns of history, paints the world they inhabited, and sets the stage for the emergence of Attila. From unique battle tactics to cranial deformation, this is an…
Read More
After a century of scandal, a new Pope takes over in Rome. Leo IX has sweeping plans for reform, and then gets taken prisoner by Norman warriors. Meanwhile church controversies brew over everything from beards to communion bread until an explosive collision of personalities leads to drama in the Hagia Sophia itself. The moment that…
Read More