History Impossible

Latest Episodes:

The Firebombing of Tokyo: Our Imperative Atrocity Sep 22, 2026

Show notes

We often hear about how the Second World War was more morally nuanced and complex than we have been led to believe. This is, to a certain extent, very true. The Axis powers meted out a level of genocidal destruction and suffering upon tens of millions of people across the world, decimating generations in places as far flung as Poland and the Philippines, and Croatia and China. To call their actions existential by their very nature is to arguably undersell the threat they posed. The Allies realized these were the stakes and were eventually faced with a very real question: what would it take to stop such a threat? It required what many have come to believe was the unthinkable: meeting destruction with destruction. And in meeting the Axis violence with more violence did indeed bring the war to its ultimate end.
But was it the right thing to do?
This episode of History Impossible aims to address that question, one that has vexed generations of historians and commentators, and inflamed debates that last until this very day. The immense fury with which Allied air forces pummeled German cities, particularly Dresden and Hamburg, has been well-covered, including on this very program. But perhaps the most shocking devastation came on the night of March 9-10, 1945, when the United States Army Air Force conducted a daring raid over Tokyo, resulting in a death toll that dwarfed even that created by the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki several months later. The fires of war became more literal than they had ever been, and it had all been part of a deliberate campaign to crush the spirit of the Japanese. The bombers, and eventually the United States, accomplished their mission to bring the Empire of Japan to its knees. The suffering of the millions under Hirohito’s boot would be brought to an end. But at what cost?
Many will go into this story with an answer to that question in the affirmative or negative at the ready. I thought I did. I came out the other side less certain, and I hope all of you who listen do as well. Because uncertainty should is something with which we should all be more comfortable, especially when it comes to the subject of war, even when we make defensible decisions.
....
History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:
David Adamcik
Monica Almirall
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
approso1999
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Carol Chappelle
Charles C
Chomo the Clown
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Click
Cliffydeuce
CR
Craig Crawford
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Snow Farmer
Howie Feltersnatch
Matt Gassner
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Elena Gomel
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
S.M. McAvoy
Judy McCoid
Mike
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
John Muller
Cameron Needham
Sean P
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Philip Pomerantz
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Cheryl Robertson
Terry Rosen
Run Tough Mindset
Andrew S
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Scryptar
Andrew Seeber
Shiran
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ann Tout
Mike US
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Nate Wade
weaverap
Jonny Wilkie
Christian Wilson
Janora Winsor
M. Yao
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

Power, Presidents, and Refusing the Crown (w/ Richard Lim) Sep 07, 2026

Show notes

In this newest episode of History Impossible we’re joined a second time by Richard Lim, host of the This American President podcast, who last appeared on this program a couple years ago to discuss the insane, contentious election of 1876. He is also the author of a new book, Refusing a Crown: How George Washington Changed the World, which releases on October 13, 2026, and covers the most significant aspect of America’s first president: his restraint from seizing power that almost certainly would have remained his.
In this episode, Richard and I spoke about his new book, about Washington’s enduring character, the best and most important of the Founders, the role of deism, the constitutional foundations of the American experiment, and why figures like Washington prove that this experiment endures for a reason, even as it has faced many trials and challenges until this very day (among other topics). The polarization that plagues United States politics in the 21st century is, after all, nothing new, and Washington was among those who recognized this potential, and yet created an example that is easily forgotten. Richard aims to—and I believe succeeds—remind us that there was more to Washington than his supposed inability to tell lies about cherry trees and crossing a river during the Revolution, revealing that he was far more than some “presidential messiah.”
...
History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:
David Adamcik
Monica Almirall
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
approso1999
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Carol Chappelle
Charles C
Chomo the Clown
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Click
Cliffydeuce
CR
Craig Crawford
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Snow Farmer
Howie Feltersnatch
Matt Gassner
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Elena Gomel
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
S.M. McAvoy
Judy McCoid
Mike
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
John Muller
Cameron Needham
Sean P
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Philip Pomerantz
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Cheryl Robertson
Terry Rosen
Run Tough Mindset
Andrew S
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Scryptar
Andrew Seeber
Shiran
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ann Tout
Mike US
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Nate Wade
weaverap
Jonny Wilkie
Christian Wilson
Janora Winsor
M. Yao
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

Orthodox ISIS: The Russian Religious Experience (w/ Kristaps Andrejsons of The Eastern Border) Aug 18, 2026

Show notes

“Because remember: Russia is a religious experience.” Those are the oft-repeated and well-said words by the host of The Eastern Border podcast, my good friend Kristaps Andrejsons. They are well-said because there are very few alternatives for explaining Russian actions, rhetoric, and political culture over the past near half-decade in its World War I-style conflict with Ukraine. The Russian religious experience, made emblematic by Kristaps’ and my favorite shared punching bag Aleksandr Dugin, is a phenomenon best understood as a more formalized and colossal version of what ISIS was ten years ago, and it helps explain why Kristaps believes the spiral of the Russian state as we currently know it is beginning in 2026.
In this episode, we discuss the potential for collapse and its consequences (including the potential proliferation of nuclear weapons), as well as the barriers of understanding between the West and East, the state of media coverage and perils of sponsorship, the use (and potentially misguided fear) of AI, and Kristaps’ new book that he is releasing serially on his Substack and Patreon. As is always the case with Kristaps, it was a wide-ranging, enlightening, and fun conversation, and I think it sheds a light on the history being made in his part of the world, as well as the motivations that lay behind it. Russia’s dark autumn (another Kristaps coinage) is almost here and having Kristaps as our Gonzo guide for that coming darkness is a blessing more of us should appreciate.
As mentioned in the episode, if you would like to donate to the Car4Ukraine Eastern Border Summer Campaign, please go here and make your donation.
...
History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:
David Adamcik
Monica Almirall
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
approso1999
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Carol Chappelle
Charles C
Chomo the Clown
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Click
Cliffydeuce
CR
Craig Crawford
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Snow Farmer
Howie Feltersnatch
Matt Gassner
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Elena Gomel
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
S.M. McAvoy
Judy McCoid
Mike
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
John Muller
Cameron Needham
Sean P
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Philip Pomerantz
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Cheryl Robertson
Terry Rosen
Run Tough Mindset
Andrew S
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Scryptar
Andrew Seeber
Shiran
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ann Tout
Mike US
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Nate Wade
weaverap
Jonny Wilkie
Christian Wilson
Janora Winsor
F. You
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

The Ideological Pathology of Antizionism (w/ Kile Jones) Aug 11, 2026

Show notes

Antizionism, as it has become, has been having a bit of a moment for going on three years. It is a tough nut to crack, given its various claims of varying legitimacy and, as we have covered more than once on History Impossible, its increasing tendency to veer into outright antisemitism, especially by those looking for a supposedly intellectual and moral veneer for their racial and geopolitical fixations. Part of the reason for this confusion is the complex intellectual history of the position, which, after 1948, became more complicated than the relatively straightforward debate over Jewish statehood before, during, and after the Holocaust.
To help make sense of this complicated intellectual history, I was thrilled to be joined by Kile Jones of The Inverted World Substack, which, along with his work for the Times of Israel, has helped map out this historical trajectory and challenge many of the preconceived notions held by many who take their anti-Israel positions for granted. We discussed this trajectory, as well as a number of other subjects, including the time Kile met with Noam Chomsky, his transition from card-carrying Marxist to an old-fashioned liberal, and many other things. It was a great conversation, hopefully the first of many, and I hope you all enjoy the journey we go on together.
...
History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:
David Adamcik
Monica Almirall
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
approso1999
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Carol Chappelle
Charles C
Chomo the Clown
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Click
Cliffydeuce
CR
Craig Crawford
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Snow Farmer
Howie Feltersnatch
Matt Gassner
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Elena Gomel
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
S.M. McAvoy
Judy McCoid
Mike
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
John Muller
Cameron Needham
Sean P
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Philip Pomerantz
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Cheryl Robertson
Terry Rosen
Run Tough Mindset
Andrew S
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Scryptar
Andrew Seeber
Shiran
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ann Tout
Mike US
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Nate Wade
weaverap
Jonny Wilkie
Christian Wilson
Janora Winsor
F. You
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

Enduring the Misfortunes of Others Jul 20, 2026

Show notes

After a bit of a hiatus, History Impossible is back with another special episode, this time looking at the phenomenon of outsourcing responsibility for bigotry and injustice at home to foreign powers. Whether it is the current blame for rising antisemitism in the United States being attributed to Israel’s actions in its ongoing wars with various Islamic states, or, as we’ll see, the tolerance and even approval of interning American citizens for the actions of warmongering empires during the Second World War, the picture is the same: no one taking responsibility for their feelings and beliefs that would otherwise be considered socially unacceptable.
This is a bit of a heavy one, and part polemic-part history, but it was just something I needed to get off my chest, so thank you again for all of your support and patience.
...
History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:
David Adamcik
Monica Almirall
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
approso1999
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Carol Chappelle
Charles C
Chomo the Clown
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Click
Cliffydeuce
CR
Craig Crawford
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Snow Farmer
Howie Feltersnatch
Matt Gassner
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Elena Gomel
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
S.M. McAvoy
Judy McCoid
Mike
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
John Muller
Cameron Needham
Sean P
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Philip Pomerantz
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Cheryl Robertson
Terry Rosen
Run Tough Mindset
Andrew S
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Scryptar
Andrew Seeber
Shiran
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ann Tout
Mike US
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Nate Wade
weaverap
Jonny Wilkie
Christian Wilson
Janora Winsor
F. You
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

The Riddle of American Identity (w/ David Josef Volodzko) Jul 15, 2026

Show notes

I recently wrote a piece exploring the concept of American identity, primarily through the prism of the immigrant experience, and it got me thinking more about the complexities of American identity, so I wanted to chat with someone who I know has discussed these matters at length. This resulted in a great conversation with the awesome David Josef Volodzko of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and The Radicalist Substack, where we tackled all sorts of angles, including ethnic enclaves, assimilation, patriotism, the collision of values, and the nuances of free speech and freedom of association, all in the context of understanding American identity and the importance of what David calls the constellation of our values. There were some moments of (very mild) disagreement, but I felt like I learned a lot and it helped me defend my own position while considering alternatives that had not previously. Because it is America’s 250th Anniversary Month, I felt like this would serve as an excellent addendum to my Fourth of July reflections, and wanted to share it with all of you amazing subscribers and supporters, completely free. Please check out and support David’s work, and, if you can, support what FIRE does. And please stay tuned very soon for a new episode of History Impossible!
Also I will be in Philadelphia at FIRE’s Student Network Conference July 17-19, so if you’re in the area, drop me line here; I may be able to venture out for a meet up.
Thanks again, as always, for listening.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

Understanding the Abyss: Holocaust Scholarship into the 21st Century May 21, 2026

Show notes

Hey again everybody. I know I just dropped a big essay on all of you adapted from my final research paper in grad school, and many of you might still be working through it, but I wanted to give everyone another little bonus for all of your patience waiting for the proper big historical episodes of History Impossible. It’s been a while since I’ve done an episode based purely on historiographical analysis, but the paper/essay I wrote a couple of years ago that covers the trajectory of Holocaust scholarship in the late 20th and early 21st centuries seemed thematically appropriate with what I’ve been doing lately.
I will spare you the TL;DR on this one since it’s not a very long episode, but I think it’s important to map this out so no one is mistaken in thinking that Holocaust scholarship is purely one-dimensional, moralistic, and remaining static since 1945. It’s a constantly-changing field, with historians still trying to puzzle out certain aspects of one of modern history’s most unthinkable crimes. It only scratches the surface of the literature that exists out there, but it broadly reflects the thematic shifts that have occurred over the last thirty five years of study. We seem to be entering a new phase of that scholarship, so consider this a (hopefully) handy primer.
...
History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:
David Adamcik
Monica Almirall
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
approso1999
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Carol Chappelle
Charles C
Chomo the Clown
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Click
Cliffydeuce
CR
Craig Crawford
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Snow Farmer
Howie Feltersnatch
Matt Gassner
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Baronness Gunnora
Matt Gassner
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Tomás Jonsson
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Robbie Kaplan
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
S.M. McAvoy
Judy McCoid
Mike
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
John Muller
Cameron Needham
Sean P
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Philip Pomerantz
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Cheryl Robertson
Terry Rosen
Andrew S.
Dan S.
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Scryptar
Andrew Seeber
Shiran
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ann Tout
Mike US
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Nate Wade
weaverap
Jonny Wilkie
Christian Wilson
Janora Winsor
F. You
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

The Flight from Hitler's Shadow: Making Martyrs of Evil Apr 16, 2026

Show notes

Hey everyone, it’s good to be back with all of you. I’ve just finished a lengthy writing session for grad school—my final semester of classes!—as well as some family issues that needed my immediate attention during most of March. But I’m back with a new special, historiography-focused episode of History Impossible. It was actually not one I was planning to do, but after my lengthy and productive conversation with the host of the Crackpot History podcast, and after the incredibly positive reception I received from that interview, I decided it was probably a good idea to get deep into the historiographic weeds with the recent tumult that continues regarding Darryl Cooper’s Martyr Made podcast and its own attempt at revising World War II and Third Reich history.
When it comes down to it, trying to be a revisionist about World War II is probably like trying to be a revisionist about something like Star Wars. You can certainly try and do it, and you might even be good at it, but you’re always going to encounter people who know more (or at least truly believe they know more) than you ever will. That honestly has always interested me less when it comes to Darryl’s work on this subject; I have always been much more interested in specifically where he gets his information since, frankly, that is what he has always been the most cagey about. While his admission of using David Irving is well-enough known, there is much more to this story of where the premise of “Enemy: The Germans’ War” actually seems to be coming from (at least, as of its current releases).
Because I cannot leave well enough alone, this is an exploration through the archives of where such ideas as those we’ve been hearing about from Darryl Cooper and many of those in his historiographic wheelhouse have their origin.
...
History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:
David Adamcik
Monica Almirall
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
approso1999
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Carol Chappelle
Charles C
Chomo the Clown
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Click
Cliffydeuce
CR
Craig Crawford
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Snow Farmer
Howie Feltersnatch
Matt Gassner
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
S.M. McAvoy
Judy McCoid
Mike
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
John Muller
Cameron Needham
Sean P
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Philip Pomerantz
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Cheryl Robertson
Terry Rosen
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Scryptar
Andrew Seeber
Shiran
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ann Tout
Mike US
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
Nate Wade
weaverap
Jonny Wilkie
Christian Wilson
Janora Winsor
F. You
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

Martyrs, Militants, Monetizers, and Madmen (w/ Crackpot History) Feb 25, 2026

Show notes

In this newest installment of History Impossible, we’re privileged to be joined by the host of the Crackpot History Podcast, which began life just over a year ago by doing a detailed, long-running critique of the Martyr Made Podcast’s inaugural series, “Fear and Loathing in the New Jerusalem.” As many of you know, I have frequently recommended that series, and to some extent I still do, but now with many more reservations and qualifications that have been clarified thanks to the work of Crackpot History’s psuedonymous host.
The conversation does indeed focus on the shortcomings of “Fear and Loathing” in terms of its research and some of the questionable claims made in that series, but it widens to include Crackpot History’s next project, which is a critique of Scott Horton’s book Provoked. In addition to that, we discuss the importance of accurate and effective sourcing, including the perils of over-sourcing and selective sourcing, both of which seem to be problems in the history creation space. We also discussed the potential motivation behind such practices and ultimately, the potential for peer review in historical podcasting and content creation.
It was a very productive conversation, so I hope you enjoy this interview with the host of the Crackpot History Podcast.
...
History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:
David Adamcik
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
approso1999
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Chomo the Clown
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Click
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
J Dub
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
S.M. McAvoy
Judy McCoid
Mike
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Shiran
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
weaverap
Jonny Wilkie
Christian Wilson
Janora Winsor
F. You
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.

Color Coded Alliances and Islamism's Useful Suckers (w/ Eli Lake) Feb 13, 2026

Show notes

In this very special episode of History Impossible, we are joined by the esteemed journalist, political commentator, and fellow historical podcaster Eli Lake, host of the incredible Breaking History podcast and writer of many incredible articles over the past few decades. Eli’s own series runs the gamut of many historical topics, particularly with resonance and direct connections to the headlines of the day (hence the name of the show), and there have been a number of cross-overs of our shared interests, particularly when it comes to the history of the Holy Land in particular and Middle East in general.
Most recently, Eli re-released his two-part series on the birth of modern Iran, which I very much enjoyed at the time of its original release, but even more so after the cataclysmic events in Iran began to kick off in early 2026. What particularly caught my eye was his investigation into the “Red-Green alliance” via the Iranian Revolution, which stood in harmony with the same alliance that formed vis-à-vis the Palestinian nationalist cause. As readers and listeners of History Impossible no doubt know, we have examined the contours of this alliance in the past, but have taken a much closer look at the “Green-Brown alliance” that we have seem form between the far right and Islamism in the past, and, it appears, now in the present.
Therefore, Eli seemed like the best person to talk to about this development. We discussed it and much more, including stuff more in his wheelhouse (that is, contemporary politics, from his Burkean right-of-center perspective), as well the nature of conspiracy theories, and what the hell seems to have happened to Tucker Carlson. It was a great conversation, so please enjoy!
...
History Impossible has been made possible by the following generous supporters on Patreon, Substack, and PayPal. Please consider donating today if you want to show some love for what I do and make and what to help keep the show and all my written content going:
David Adamcik
David Alsbach
Gregg Anderson
approso1999
Rajan Athul
Robert Babeon
Michael Beach
Benjamin
Greg Bosai
Johannes Breitsameter
Carol ABC
Charles C
Chomo the Clown
Curtis Christiansen
Jason Coleman
Clayton Connell
Click
Cliffydeuce
CR
B.Cyr
daddygorgon
Danny
Lynda Davis
Paul DeCoster
Regina Dick-Endrizzi
Neil Dickens
Nathan Diehl
Bob Downing
Dramicas
J Dub
Martin E.
Eastone
Gavin Edwards
Howie Feltersnatch
Pierre Ghazarian
Josh Goedert
Sam Graham
Jayson Griesmeyer
Nathan Grote
Benjamin Hamilton
Peter Hauck
Jack Henneman
Eric Hodges
Mike Jarulic
Joe6245
Lionel Joseph
Thomas Justesen
Mike Kalnins
Bryn Kaufman
Leah Kodner
Benjamin Lee
Constance Loucks
Maddy
Mounty of Madness
Jose Martinez
Mike Mayleben
S.M. McAvoy
Judy McCoid
Mike
Kyle Mohney
Kostas Moros
Ryan Mortenson
Cameron Needham
Shiran
Skip Pacheco
David Page
Molly Pan
Sr. Powell
Brian Pritzl
AnaR737
PJ Rader
Gleb Radutsky
Aleksandr Rakitin
Reptilycus
Matthew M. Rice
Phillip Rice
Terry Rosen
Dan S
Jon Andre Saether
Jake Scalia
Emily Schmidt
Julian Schmidt
Andrew Seeber
Joshua Simpson
Cameron Smith
Jerry Spangler
timetosuccedd1995
Thomas Squeo
Athal Krishna Sundarrajan
Jared Cole Temple
Ward Van Roy
Pierre Vorupuni
Robert VS
weaverap
Jonny Wilkie
Christian Wilson
Janora Winsor
F. You
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/history-impossible--5634566/support.
This episode includes AI-generated content.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected