Making of a Historian

Latest Episodes:

134: The Modernity of the Mexican Family, with Amada Beltran May 14, 2019

Show notes

In my conversation this week with my colleague Amada Beltran, we talk about some of the biggest problems in history: the state, modernity, and how on earth do historians come to understand the past? Amada talks about how her careful study of wills showed her a key moment in the relationship between the family, the church, and the modern state in 19th century Mexico. I won't spoil it for you here, but it's a great piece of detective work. Listen if you're curious about modernity, the Catholic Church, the Habsburgs, or the Emperor Maximilian, the crummy Bourbon monarch of Mexico. Check out the show notes at Historian.Live If you like the show, subscribe, tell your friends, leave a review!

133: Development and Politics in Indonesia with B. K. Williams May 07, 2019

Show notes

This week we have on PhD Candidate B.K. Williams, who talks to us about the history of Indonesia after the Second World War. If you're like me, you probably can't keep your Sukarnos and your Suhartos straight. But B.K. helps us look at the rich story of war, independence, repression, and development. With a walk-on part from Mr. Richard Nixon. Both me and B.K. had colds, so there is unfortunately some coughing this episode. If you like the show, be sure to subscribe! Rate us and review us! And check out the website at historian.live

132: The Lebanese Civil War With Emily Whalen Apr 30, 2019

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If you like the show, subscribe! Give us a rating on iTunes! Tell your in-laws! This episode we learn all about the Lebanese Civil War, which lasted a whopping FIFTEEN YEARS from 1975 to 1990. If you know anything about the Lebanese Civil War, you know that it is complicated. It’s sometimes presented as a sectarian conflict—Christians against Muslims; but it’s also a conflict between the city and the country, a regional conflict, and a stage for the Cold War. But this episode will help you understand all the ins and outs of the conflict. PhD Candidate Emily Whalen, from UT Austin (now on a pre-doc at Yale) explains the history of the Lebanese Civil War remarkably clearly. For Whalen, the civil war is a way of understanding democracy, pluralism, and the nation. Along the way we learn about the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the Mandate system, and we talk about whether the nation-state is really worth it.

131: An Introduction to the History of Right Wing Politics Apr 23, 2019

Show notes

In this episode we talk to returning guest, Craig Johnson, about the history of right wing politics. Craig tells us how the right wing developed after the French Revolution, why historians tend to ignore it, and how to understand fascism. Follow Craig on Twitter (https://twitter.com/HistOfTheRight) and Medium (https://medium.com/@HistOfTheRight/)

Episode 130: Battle Raps of the High Middle Ages Apr 17, 2019

Show notes

You HAVE to check the shownotes for this one. Go to https://www.historian.live/home/2019/4/17/episode-130-battle-raps-of-the-high-middle-ages RIGHT NOW There? Good. Our guest today Dr. Jenna Phillips has been kind enough to give us a great series of musically accompaniments to today's talk. Dr. Phillips tells us about a fascinating form of singing in the high middle ages that’s basically like medieval battle rap. Two singers debate a topic in song, and make appeals to two judges, who then declare the winner. It’s a great episode because it has everything. We discuss just what on earth the High Middle Ages are through talking about the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Then Jenna takes us into the world of popular singing: the troubadours and the crusaders. Finally we talk about one particular style of singing, the juex partis. Then, as an added bonus, Dr. Phillips talks to us about how an archival discovery let her understand how people actually sang the jeux partis back in the day.

Episode 129: The History of Literature With Ted Underwood Apr 09, 2019

Show notes

This is such a great episode. I am proud to welcome Professor Ted Underwood, author of the new book, Distant Horizons. Professor Underwood uses computers to understand long-term, large-scale changes in literature. We don't talk about the methodological stuff, though--instead Professor Underwood gives us a really rich history of how literature over the past three hundred years has changed. How have we developed new genres? How have those changed? How has the gender of writers changed? And how have those writers written about men and women? If you're curious about digital humanities, the history of literature, or you're just and English lit buff, this will be a must-listen. Apologies for my sound quality on this one. I got a new mic... and accidentally... spoke into the wrong end. Check out more show notes at historian.live

128: The Siege of Havana With Professor Elena A. Schneider Apr 03, 2019

Show notes

This episode I sit down with Berkeley Professor of Latin American and Atlantic History Elena Schneider to talk about her fantastic new book, the Occupation of Havana. It's a fantastic conversation. We talk about one of the big wars of the 18th century--the Seven Years War. And we focus in on one part of the war: the British siege on the Cuban city of Havana. We usually forget this story because when the war ended, Havana was returned to the Spanish. Professor Schneider tells this story, uncovering the forgotten histories of the black people who kept the city going during the siege and occupation. This is such a great episode. Especially worth a listen if you're into Atlantic History, Cuban history, or military history. You can find the book on Amazon, and follow Professor Schneider on Twitter @elenaschneid

127: Nitrogen History With Henry Schmidt Mar 19, 2019

Show notes

This week's episode, I talk about the history of chemistry with historian of science Henry Schmidt. We focus on one of the most important elements: nitrogen. Nitrogen is incredibly important for plant and animal growth. It also makes up over three quarters of the air. How did people figure out what nitrogen was? And once they did figure out what it was, how did they think to use it. Henry traces this wild idea of the circulation of nitrogen that points to a way of thinking about natural resources as if they are not expendable. Spoiler alert: it kinda leads to mercantilism. We had some recording problems on this one, unfortunately. My computer ate an INCREDIBLY fascinating discussion me and Henry had about the history of milk adulteration. We'll get him back on soon and re-do it so you all can learn all the crazy stuff I learned about the history of milk.

126: When Time Was Human-Sized With S. Prashant Kumar Mar 12, 2019

Show notes

This week I bring you a wild conversation with my friend S. Prashant Kumar, who's writing a dissertation in the history of time itself. To tell this story he's looking at a bunch of cosmological inquiries in India. We talk about the beginning of the story, this telling moment when a smart young man on the make, Reuben Burrow, went to India to make his fortune. He worked as a surveyor. But he also mucked around with astronomy and anthropology, and believed that he had discovered proof of the existence of paradise.... He believed that by studying Indian astronomical data, he had found evidence of a time when the earth had not spun on its axis, when there were no seasons, and when everything was perfect. It's a great conversation, and I can't wait for you to hear it. As always, check out show notes at historian.live

125: You Can Make It Work: Working Parents in Britain with Sarah Stoller Mar 05, 2019

Show notes

"Every generation of historians is really just trying to understand their parents," my colleague Sarah Stoller tells me in his week's interview. And that's what we do--we go back to the 70s, 80s and 90s to learn about the history of working parents. Check out show notes at historian.live

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