Vulgar History: Tudors

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Author Interview: Emran Iqbal El-Badawi (Queens and Prophets How Arabian Noblewomen and Holy Men Shaped Paganism, Christianity and Islam) Feb 01, 2023

Show notes

This week, I'm sharing my chat with Emran Iqbal El-Badawi, Program Director and Associate Professor of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Houston, where he is also Chair of Modern and Classical Languages. He's here to talk about his new book: "Queens and Prophets: How Arabian Noblewomen and Holy Men Shaped Paganism, Christianity and Islam."

He's here to talk all about ancient Arabia, why other scholars in the field challenged him about writing this book, the role of women in this culture, and to explain how he's able to research people who lived so long ago there is very little written historical record (it helps he's able to read in a multitude of languages!)

"Queens and Prophets" is available everywhere, including through bookshop.org. Click here to buy a copy using the Vulgar History affiliate link.

Follow Imran on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/emrane

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Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History.

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Author Interview: Flora Fraser (Pretty Young Rebel: The Life of Flora MacDonald) Jan 25, 2023

Show notes

This week, I'm sharing my chat with author Flora Fraser about her newest historical biography: Pretty Young Rebel: The Life of Flora Macdonald.

Flora Macdonald was a Scottish woman who lived in the 18th century, and kind of accidentally became a heroine of the Jacobite rebellion. As Flora Fraser discovered in her research, Macdonald's life also included involvement in the American Revolution, and she and her family passed through parts of Atlantic Canada before she wound back up in Scotland.

Learn more about Flora Fraser and her work at florafraser.com

"Pretty Young Rebel" is available everywhere, including through bookshop.org. Click here to buy a copy using the Vulgar History affiliate link.

Support Vulgar History on Patreon

Get merch at http://vulgarhistory.store - use code TITSOUT for free U.S. shipping or TITSOUT10 for 10% off your order

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Author Interview: Joanna Hickson (The Queen's Lady) Jan 18, 2023

Show notes

This week I got to talk with Joanna Hickson, author of seven books (so far!) about 15th-century English women, mostly from the Tudor era.

The occasion for our chat is the paperback release of her latest book, The Queen's Lady, which is about a very interesting Tudor-era woman I'd never heard of before named Joan Vaux.

Keep up with Joanna and her books at twitter.com/joannahickson and facebook.com/joannahickson

You can buy a copy of The Queen's Lady (or any of Joanna's other books) at any bookseller near you, and/or by using the Vulgar History link at bookshop.org bookshop.org/a/1419/9780008305659

Support Vulgar History on Patreon

Get merch at http://vulgarhistory.store - use code TITSOUT for free U.S. shipping or TITSOUT10 for 10% off your order

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So This A**hole: Charles Dickens Was A Terrible Husband Jan 11, 2023

Show notes

A special treat for you! This episode of used to only live behind the paywall on Patreon, but Charles Dickens was simply too much of a dirtbag to keep the story from you all.

** Note that this was originally recorded in December 2021, for Patreon, so some of the chit-chat is that of a younger me, so long ago, so bear that in mind. **

If you'd like to hear me talk about more terrible men from history, you can subscribe to my Patreon at the $5/month level! You can join up here: patreon.com/annfosterwriter

And you can learn more about Catherine Hogarth Dickens in the book The Other Dickens by Lillian Nayder

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Gracia Mendes Nasi: The 16th-Century Jewish Woman Who Ran A Pepper Empire Dec 21, 2022

Show notes

Doña Gracia Nasi was born in Portugal to Spanish parents, then because of the whole Reconquista and Inquisition scenarios, wound up in Antwerp, Venice, and then Istanbul. She ran a wildly impressive banking company, inherited a pepper empire, and used her connections to help save other Jewish people from persecution. Along the way, she crossed paths with a truly impressive number of previous Vulgar History heroines.

Discussion of antisemitism 5:27 - 18:03

Podcasts to learn more about Gracia and about Jewish history:

A Deeper Conversation: The Podcast for Jewish Women

The Jewish Story

Support Vulgar History on Patreon

Get merch at http://vulgarhistory.store - use code TITSOUT for free U.S. shipping or TITSOUT10 for 10% off your order

References:

https://jewishmuseum.org.uk/2019/01/31/jews-money-myth/

https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/nasi-dona-gracia

https://mjhnyc.org/blog/a-righteous-woman-dona-gracia-mendes-nasi/

https://headstuff.org/culture/history/terrible-people-from-history/gracia-mendes-nasi-renaissance-businesswoman/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gracia_Mendes_Nasi

https://www.etzion.org.il/en/halakha/pogroms-1391-spain

https://aish.com/dona-gracia-nasi-the-spanish-inquisitions-underground-railroad/

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International, part 39: Chinese Pirate Queen, Zheng Yi Sao Dec 14, 2022

Show notes

It's the internationale season finale and we're going out with a PIRATE STORY!!! Zheng Yi Sao aka Shi Yang aka Ching Shih was the most successful pirate of all time. Not just the most successful lady pirate: The Most Successful Pirate Of All Time (All Gender). Hers is a story of success after success and honestly that's refreshing after all that some of the other women this season had to put up with.

Recommended podcasts to learn more about Asian history:

With Chinese Characteristics podcast hosted by Natalie and Cherrie

Asian American History 101 podcast hosted by Gen and Ted

References:

You’re Dead To Me podcast featuring Professor Ronald C. Po

Pirate Women: the princesses, prostitutes, and privateers who ruled the seven seas by Laura Sook Duncombe

Pirates and Privateers article by Tanner Price

Atlas obscure article by Urvida Banerji

Article on Sixth Tone by Xueting Christine Ni

Support Vulgar History on Patreon

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International, part 38: Empress Cixi: Final Years (pt 2/2) Dec 07, 2022

Show notes

After part one laid a lot of track, part two is just all engines go as we look at the subsequent forty-seven years. There were two cult-based rebellions! Three emperors, all chosen by her! A marble boat! A person named Wild Fox Kang! Poisonings! Illnesses! Fleeing in a mule cart! She kept trying to retire but they kept sucking her back in! Also please note: PANTS.

Recommended podcasts to learn more about Asian history:

Asian American History 101

With Chinese Characteristics

Support Vulgar History on Patreon

Get merch at http://vulgarhistory.store - use code TITSOUT for free U.S. shipping or TITSOUT10 for 10% off your order

References:

Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China by Jung Chang

Women In World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia

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International, part 37: China's Empress Cixi (pt 1/2) Nov 30, 2022

Show notes

OK this is a major episode, so get ready for the twists and turns of a truly unforgettable saga. Cixi was born to a Manchu family in China in the 19th century and, as a teen, was selected to join the emperor's harem of concubines. The emperor mostly doesn't matter (spoiler: none of the emperors in this saga do), because what's most important is that in the harem she met her ride or die best friend forever, Ci'an. And what they accomplished together is truly breathtaking, changed history, and is also the cliffhanger of this week's episode.

Recommended podcasts to learn more about Asian history:

Asian American History 101

With Chinese Characteristics

Support Vulgar History on Patreon

Get merch at http://vulgarhistory.store - use code TITSOUT for free U.S. shipping or TITSOUT10 for 10% off your order

References:

Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China by Jung Chang

Women In World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia

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International, part 36: Ancient Iranian Warrior Queen Artemisia I of Caria Nov 23, 2022

Show notes

Artemisia I of Caria is one of the earliest recorded tits out women of history. She was the Queen of Halicarnassus hundreds of years before Cleopatra, and midway through the events of the Old Testament. She helped out Persian Emperor Xerxes I battle against the Greeks, and was so impressive Herodotus wrote about her (even though she was a woman).

Help for Iran. Some organizations to consider donating to in support of the women of Iran:

Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI)

Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran

Amnesty International

United for Iran

———

Support Vulgar History on Patreon

Get merch at http://vulgarhistory.store - use code TITSOUT for free U.S. shipping or TITSOUT10 for 10% off your order

References:

Wikipedia

Britannica.com

https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1492/women-in-ancient-persia

https://www.worldhistory.org/article/927/women-in-ancient-greece/

https://www.persianesquemagazine.com/4717/

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Author Interview: Daphne Palmer Geanacopoulos (The Pirate's Wife: The Remarkable True Story of Sarah Kidd) Nov 16, 2022

Show notes

You may not have heard of Sarah Kidd, but you likely have heard of her third husband: Captain Kidd, the famous pirate. I'm joined by Daphne Palmer Geanacopoulos, author of the first-ever full length biography of Sarah, THE PIRATE'S WIFE: THE REMARKABLE TRUE STORY OF SARAH KIDD to learn all about this lesser-known figure from history. Arrrr!

Learn more about Daphne and her books at daphnepalmergeanacopoulos.com/

Buy a copy of THE PIRATE'S WIFE from bookshop.org to help support Vulgar History

Support Vulgar History on Patreon

Get merch at http://vulgarhistory.store - use code TITSOUT for free U.S. shipping or TITSOUT10 for 10% off your order

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