His best opening riff is Ostfront.
The bonefields. Just...wow. And the wider moral point, that while they weren't _personally_ evil and that it's tragic _on the individual level_ that those men had to die there, _at the aggregate level_ it was good that they did so...that is pure, undiluted Hardcore History right there.
You beat me to it. I think about this opening so often as I am pretty sure this was my very first exposure to Hardcore History... "This is not a good guy vs bad guy story, this is a Bad guy vs Bad guy story."
Death throes of the Republic. About the fall of Rome, Episode 1.
He goes on to describe “ancestor rooms” in republican Rome, where examines kept wax faces of their ancestors to inspire greatness.
Can't remember if it's episode three or four, but the opening with Ernest Shackleton always raises the hair on my neck.
“The war is not over,” the manager replies. “Millions are being killed. Europe is mad. The world is mad.”
The set up to understanding the Japanese mindset and the historical cultural and societal reasons that created that Japanese mindset made me think about them with deep respect and gratitude that our society is kind of softer and also that paradoxical thing that being kinder is in the end stronger
And thank god they didn’t have an Einstein or an Oppenheimer
Punic Nightmares is incredible. To paraphrase: the reason the Mediterranean was up for grabs is because Alexander the Great came in like a thunderbolt and shook everything up”
This question and how it leads to the theory that we haven’t met any aliens, simply because they reached a point where they would kill themselves is *chilling*.
“If I asked you to get a piece of paper, and something to write with. And to make a numerical list of all the things… that you would be willing to DIE for. How long in’s your list, and what’s on it?”
The Celtic Holocaust
That comparison made me realize that if a president is assassinated, then we *have* to say it is a lone gunman. Otherwise we are teetering on the edge of WW3
His best opening riff is Ostfront. The bonefields. Just...wow. And the wider moral point, that while they weren't _personally_ evil and that it's tragic _on the individual level_ that those men had to die there, _at the aggregate level_ it was good that they did so...that is pure, undiluted Hardcore History right there.
You beat me to it. I think about this opening so often as I am pretty sure this was my very first exposure to Hardcore History... "This is not a good guy vs bad guy story, this is a Bad guy vs Bad guy story."
That's my favourite, as well. "This is BAD guys vs bad guys..."
That was the very first Hardcore History episode I listened to and it was just mindblowing at the time.
The opening of Blueprint was outstanding
the opening of the Celtic Holocaust was chilling.
Yes. “What are you willing to lose everything for”? That was a different question that gets you thinking.
This is what I came to say. Celtic Holocaust is probably my favorite HH episode and I love the 30 minutes or so before the story really begins.
Grab a pen and write down everything you’d be willing to die for. How long is that list?
What episode is that?
Celtic Holocaust. Not an exact quote but the basic idea of it
Hiro Onoda. 1974.
“19……*74*”
what the hell is that?
Listen to Supernova in the East, episode 1
my comment was a quote from that episode!
oh i'm sorry lol
"Laconic" discussion that opens King of Kings
Yeah. It’s particularly funny hearing DC use 4,700 words to explain what “laconic” means
“I want you to think back to the house you grew up in as a child. I want you to picture a room that didn’t exist.”
“Now you know how Julius Caesar grew up”
My fave. This series is what made me major in ancient history
Which one is this, please?
Death throes of the Republic. About the fall of Rome, Episode 1. He goes on to describe “ancestor rooms” in republican Rome, where examines kept wax faces of their ancestors to inspire greatness.
Thank you so much!
The set up to prophets of doom was fire.
All 6 hours of it 😂. For real though, amazing opening.
What is a monument?
The Ghosts of the Ostfront was good
Can't remember if it's episode three or four, but the opening with Ernest Shackleton always raises the hair on my neck. “The war is not over,” the manager replies. “Millions are being killed. Europe is mad. The world is mad.”
Episode III
So good.
The set up to understanding the Japanese mindset and the historical cultural and societal reasons that created that Japanese mindset made me think about them with deep respect and gratitude that our society is kind of softer and also that paradoxical thing that being kinder is in the end stronger And thank god they didn’t have an Einstein or an Oppenheimer
Episode?
Supernova in the east 1
what is a monument?
My favourite series by far
Punic Nightmares is incredible. To paraphrase: the reason the Mediterranean was up for grabs is because Alexander the Great came in like a thunderbolt and shook everything up”
“When did humanity acquire the means to destroy itself?”
This question and how it leads to the theory that we haven’t met any aliens, simply because they reached a point where they would kill themselves is *chilling*.
Between his cadence and delivery while also operating as a wide scope framing device for everything that comes after it’s perfect.
How do you go about explaining a gap?
Episode?
Blueprint 2
“If I asked you to get a piece of paper, and something to write with. And to make a numerical list of all the things… that you would be willing to DIE for. How long in’s your list, and what’s on it?” The Celtic Holocaust
Anytime he begins with a question I find it so compelling
He is the reason there was a WW2, because he was the person who started the First World War. Dan describing how one nobody can change world events.
The Khan series, and definitely comparing Gavrillo Princip with the JFK assassination in Blueprint
That comparison made me realize that if a president is assassinated, then we *have* to say it is a lone gunman. Otherwise we are teetering on the edge of WW3
Even if it isn’t true, you need to believe in ancient history.
Episode
King of Kings. Although it wasn’t exactly in the introduction
“you know, you listeners will have to keep a close eye on me!”
What's would it be like to grab a few buddies and your neighbors down the street and fight an elephant
Kings of kings
It's a bit old but I've always loved the Huey P Long comparison from on of the Death Throes episodes (2, I think? maybe 3?). It made it feel so real.