Relative Disasters

Latest Episodes:

The Roosevelt-Ronden Expedition of 1913-1914 (Episode 146) Sep 23, 2024

Show notes

In 1913, Teddy Roosevelt and Candido Ronden, national heroes of the United States and Brazil, set out to map a previously-uncartographed river. By the time they saw civilization again, two men were dead, one was lost to the jungle (and good riddance), and Roosevelt was nearly dead.

This is what happened.

Queen Jane, Approximately - The Story of Lady Jane Grey (Episode 145) Sep 09, 2024

Show notes

The Lady Jane Grey was many things in her short life - a polyglot, a religious scholar, a young woman who approached the world with curiosity. She was also a pawn in the schemes of her much-less-intelligent father, and it resulted in her becoming Queen of England... for a moment.

The Mystery of Richard III (Episode 144) Aug 26, 2024

Show notes

Richard the Third of England has been regarded as a monstrous ruler, a murderer of his nephews, and a raving, hunchbacked lunatic.

As with all disasters - especially those of rulers - the truth is far more interesting.

The Nimiipuu Fighting Retreat of 1877 (Episode 143) Jul 22, 2024

Show notes

In 1877, a series of cultural misunderstandings and distrust led to a completely avoidable war, the execution of which saw the United States Army consistently out-maneuvered and tactically embarrassed by a tactical genius... or at least that was the story. In actuality, the desperate Nimiipuu people were running for their lives, helped out by the fact that their pursuing enemy just couldn't get out of their own way.

Apologies for my (wretched) pronunciations of the Nimiipuu language during this episode.

The Collapse of the Bronze Age (Episode 142) Jul 01, 2024

Show notes

It was one of the largest collapses of human civilization, arguably bigger and more important to history than the fall of Rome... so why do we know so little about it? Well, it's only recently that theories about how the major empires of the Bronze Age fell have found corroborating evidence in the archaeological record - so join us as we talk about the empires of the day, how they fell, and what we can learn from the whole mess!

Ancient Sparta Was A Dumpster Fire (Episode 141) Jun 10, 2024

Show notes

The mythology of ancient Sparta is that of peerless warriors, un-defeatable soldiers who defended democracy and resisted those who would conquer Greece.

The reality is... a lot different.

We're going to take a look at what ancient Sparta was actually like, why it was like that, and whether or not their Spartiates were actually that good at war.

The Altamont Free Concert (Relative Disasters Episode 140) May 13, 2024

Show notes

It was intended to be "Woodstock West", a celebration of music in a free concert in California. It was intended to have a fun lineup of some of the biggest rock bands on 1969, headlined by The Rolling Stones.

It ended with four people dead, hundreds injured, and is often pointed to as the death of the 1960s peace & love / counter-culture movements.

The 1968-1969 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race (Episode 139) May 06, 2024

Show notes

In 1968, a race launched from the British Isles, a race to be the first person to circumnavigate the globe by themself. Nine people entered the race.

When it ended, one person had won, seven people had given up, and one person was never found again.

We're going to talk about the open ocean, the dangers of the route, and the toll that isolation and danger takes on the human psyche.

The Radium Girls (Episode 138) Apr 29, 2024

Show notes

In 1914, a scientist made a new kind of paint, a paint that glowed. A company was founded, and they needed girls with small hands to work there, applying that paint to the hands and numbers of watches and to the dials of gauges in aircraft.

One problem - the paint was deadly. And nobody told the girls.

The Reign of King John, 1199-1216 (Episode 137) Apr 22, 2024

Show notes

Auntie Lynn joins us to discuss the disastrous reign of King John - and the numerous sidebars with which we become distracted. This episode is a free-wheeling discussion of John and a lot of random - but interesting - nonsense surrounding his reign!

Note: As happens often, the dogs wanted to co-host, so you will hear some puppers in the background.

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