Shows
From Here to HistoryDolly Parton: Her Early Life and CareerIt's time for Jason to make his case! In part 1 of 2 biographical sketches of Dolly Parton, we discuss Dolly's background, her early music career, her challenges and opportunities, and try our hands as music critics with a handful of her songs. Along the way, we light-heartedly discuss covered songs, opine on whether Whitney or Dolly did I will Always Love You better, trot out a few other famous personalities who worked with Dolly, and at one point Jason shares a shocking take on whether Carl Perkins or Elvis did Blue Suede Shoes better. Further ReadingThere i...2025-06-121h 40From Here to HistoryThe Comanches, Pt 4: Until Day BreaksThe Comanche peaked and then fell in the decades between 1840 and 1880. In this episode, we discuss that story arc. From the Comanche retaliation against Texas for the Council House Massacre, through a brief peace with the Texans, drought and declining bison herds, collapsing population, and finally to the back-and-forth relations with the US that culminated in the reservation period. In the middle of this story, Quanah Parker emerges as a great Comanche warrior who would then, in an unexpected pivot, urge assimilation as the last, best hope for his people. Follow us on our Facebook page or o...2025-03-183h 02From Here to HistoryThe Comanches, Pt 3: Confluence and CollisionIn the third episode of our series on the Comanche, Comancheria slowly divorces itself from New Spain to seek better fortunes in the bustling American markets. The Mexican government inherits a troubled border in Texas and disastrously mismanages the Comanche challenge. Texas breaks away from Mexico and her frontier explodes with settlements that pressure the Comanche homeland. Listen in as Chris and Jason discuss two restless worlds that are ready to collide. Follow us on our Facebook page or on X (formerly Twitter)You can reach out to us by email: fromheretohistory@gmail.com2024-11-261h 46From Here to HistoryHalloween Special: Ghosts of Tragedies PastJust in time for Halloween! Join Chris and Jason as they discuss two historic sites that are reputed to be haunted: Poveglia Island in the Venetian Lagoon and Greyfriars Kirkyard in Old Town Edinburgh. Are the tortured souls in their tragic pasts still with us today? Follow us on our Facebook page or on X (formerly Twitter)You can reach out to us by email: fromheretohistory@gmail.comReading material on Poveglia Island is extremely scarce. But if you're interested in Greyfriars, and larger Scottish history in general, you could do worse t...2024-10-312h 25From Here to HistoryThe Comanches, Pt 2: War and PeaceThe Comanche entered the southern great plains slowly and imperceptibly, ultimately to find themselves one part of a very restless world. There were imperial tensions between European powers, as well as ancient rivalries and territorial ambitions of powerful native nations. It wasn't exactly a game of thrones, but it was a contest nonetheless. Listen in as Chris and Jason discuss the Comanche's war of annihilation against the Apache, their tumultuous relationship with the Spanish, shrewd alliances with other native nations, and the peace that was engineered in the twilight of Spanish power in North America. Follow us on...2024-10-041h 10From Here to HistoryThe Comanches, Pt 1: Coming of the Numunu"They came to the plains from the west, slipping through the canyon passes of the Sangre de Cristo Range in small, roving bands...They were few in number, possessed little wealth...New Mexico's Spanish officials noted their arrival to the southern grasslands in 1706 and wrote it off as a minor event. Yet by midcentury, the Numunu, then bearing the name Comanches, had unhinged the world they had almost unnoticeably entered"So begins historian Pekka Hamalainen's epic history, The Comanche Empire. They were the continent's greatest horsemen and possibly the most ferocious warriors in history. In the first...2024-09-041h 20From Here to HistoryThe Zulu Nation, Pt 4: Fall of the House of ShakaLord Chelmsford, looking to redeem himself from his failed first invasion, crosses into Zululand in force for a second attempt. Pressure on Chelmsford mounts as Field Marshal Garnet Wolseley races to South Africa to assume full command. Cetshwayo sues for peace but assembles his army for one last showdown at the capital city of UlundiJoin Chris and Jason as they conclude their look at the rise and fall of the Zulu nation.Follow us on our Facebook page or on X (formerly Twitter)You can reach out to us by email: fromheretohistory@gm...2024-05-051h 04From Here to HistoryThe Zulu Nation, Pt 3: InvasionIn this episode on the Zulu nation, we discuss Cetshwayo's violent march to the Zulu throne, his cozying up to the British as a bulwark against the Boers, and then the inexplicable events that thrust his people into a war with England. As the English columns invade Zululand, a story of victory and defeat unfolds, with heroism and tragedy on both sides of the conflict. Follow us on our Facebook page or on X (formerly Twitter) You can reach out to us by email: fromheretohistory@gmail.comThese are great places to start rea...2024-03-292h 09From Here to HistoryThe Zulu Nation, Pt 2: We Three KingsThe Zulu nation as we remember it was forged in a world of upheaval under the leadership of the intelligent, dynamic, and ruthless king Shaka Kasenzangakhona. Shaped by the tumultuous events known as the Mfecane, Shaka imposed and maintained a new order on his world by the force of his will, his innovative military tactics, and his brutal efficiency. After he was brought down by the assassin's spears, he was followed on the Zulu throne by two half brothers. And their reigns would collide in what many Zulus today remember as the moment the nation's soul began to break.2024-02-091h 41From Here to HistoryThe Zulu Nation, Pt 1We took a holiday hiatus but we're back with the first in a 3-part series on the most dominant tribal nation in 18th-century South Africa: The Zulus. In this episode, we range from their Bantu origins to the emergence of Shaka and his military innovations. We will briefly meet The Boers as they race across the frontier from Cape Town on a collision course with the Zulus, then settle down to a tour of Zulu war rituals and tactics.Give our page a like on Facebook If you're interested in further reading on the topic...2024-01-181h 31From Here to HistoryHalloween Special: Adventures in ExorcismIn From Here to History's first ever Halloween episode, spirits, demons, and the bodies they try to possess are the topic. Join Chris and Jason as they discuss an anthology of stories and beliefs about possession and exorcism from across time and cultures. Follow us on Facebook and XThere are a lot of sources on the subject out there, here were some of ours:The Penguin Book of Exorcisms A great anthology of exorcism stories from across time and from different culturesA History of Exorcism in Catholic Christianity by Fr...2023-10-283h 29From Here to HistoryThe Rise and Fall of the Neo-AssyriansThe Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III inaugurated the golden age of his empire's power between 745 and 727 BC. Just over a century later, Sin-Summu-Ishkin watched as that empire took its dying breaths. It was a meteoric rise and cataclysmic fall for the now largely forgotten Assyrian Empire. In this episode, Chris and Jason discuss the story arc of the Neo-Assyrians: their kings and armies, their conspiracies and palace coups, and then, ultimately, the enemies who brought them down. Follow us on X @HeretoHistoryNotes on sourcesOne big caveat when it comes to reading...2023-10-171h 39From Here to HistoryThe Ancient AssyriansMassive statues of winged bulls with human heads, stone reliefs depicting gruesome lion hunts and mass executions of captured soldiers, ancient history's most impressive library, kings with complex names, the famous Lost Tribes of Israel. All of these elements and more come together in Ancient Assyria. Some historians credit them as being the world's first true empire. But today, outside of specialists in the field or anyone with a deep familiarity with the Hebrew Bible, the Ancient Assyrians are largely forgotten.In the first of 2 episodes devoted to this incredible society, Chris and Jason discuss how a...2023-10-051h 10From Here to HistoryThis is Sparta, Part 2One episode just wasn't enough to capture the Spartans, so we settled on two episodes. Now, looking back, two episodes probably weren't enough, either. They were a major force in the ancient Greek world for nearly half a millennium, but eventually the regime of Lycurgus failed and Sparta faded into history.In this episode we take a quick tour of some of Sparta's most colorful personalities, a few of their battlefield clashes, and their ultimate downfall. Follow us on X @HeretoHistoryMusic credit: Ancient Mystery Waltz by Kevin MacleodSend us a...2023-09-081h 28From Here to HistoryThis is SpartaThey were controversial in their own time as well as ours. A society capable of impressive discipline and moments of jaw-dropping heroism. They were also a rigidly hierarchical culture who could use brutal suppression to maintain their preferred social order. With this episode, we're beginning a series on some of history's famous warrior civilizations and we chose one of the most notorious of those as our jumping off point: the Ancient Spartans. Music credit: Kevin Macleod Ancient Mystery WaltzFollow us on Twitter @HeretoHistorySend us a text...2023-08-251h 02From Here to HistoryThe March Madness of History: And the Winner is...Back in March we hosted our second annual tournament of history on our campus. Styled after the NCAA March Madness tournament, our students considered 16 names and voted their way to a champion. Last year the tournament was about the greatest US president. This year, in honor of Women's History Month, our competitors were significant and influential women in history. If you'd like to know how it all turned out, tune in as Chris, Jason and Elizabeth review the tournament and reveal the winner.Send us a textFollow us on our Facebook page o...2023-06-2831 minFrom Here to HistoryBig War, Small TownThe Vietnam War era is often remembered as the most divisive conflict in US history. In classes across the US students will learn about the draft, the internal divisions in the US over civil rights, imperialism, and the Cold War. Those are all important. Far less often, if at all, will students learn about the individual soldiers who went off to fight in the war.In this episode, Chris and Jason interview their long time friend Steve Quesinberry. Steve just wrote a book that traces the lives of 23 boys from our local county who went to Vietnam...2023-05-241h 09From Here to HistoryThe Seven Wonders, addendumThe Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still interest and inspire us today. In this episode we reflect on our tour of the Wonders with a few footnotes to wrap up the trip. Then we take a look at a few modern structures and natural features that are awesome wonders in their own right. Thanks as always to our sound producer, Nate DavidsonSend us a textFollow us on our Facebook page or on X (formerly Twitter)You can reach out to us by email: fromheretohistory@gmail.co...2023-03-3042 minFrom Here to HistoryThe March Madness of History: Women's History Month EditionIt's that time of year when much of the US goes a little crazy with bracket fever: the NCAA tournament. In 2022 we tried our hand at a March Madness of US presidents and this year we're trying a tournament again. But the 2023 edition will honor Women's History Month by pitting 16 women in a contest for the title most significant, interesting, or influential woman in history (at least according to our unofficial and largely unscientific poll)!In this episode, Chris, Jason, and their friend Elizabeth introduce the 16 contenders, weigh the matches, and try to predict the outcome.2023-03-081h 16From Here to HistoryThe Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, Pt 4DISCLAIMER! If you're listening to this episode, first, thank you! But second, this is an early episode. It was recorded and edited when we really didn't know what we were doing. We've gotten a lot better since then so, please, bear with us! We're so glad to have you along.Hello again everyone! We're so sorry for the long hiatus since our last episode. A few production glitches slowed us down but we're happy to be back.In this episode, Chris and Jason finish their tour of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. In B...2023-02-221h 16From Here to HistoryThe Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, Pt 3DISCLAIMER! If you're listening to this episode, first, thank you! But second, this is an early episode. It was recorded and edited when we really didn't know what we were doing and our sound quality was very lacking. We've gotten a lot better at both since then so, please, bear with us! We're so glad to have you along.In the third of our series on the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, we visit Greece and travel west to see the Statue of Zeus at Olympia. From there we go back to Asia Minor and the...2022-10-281h 16From Here to HistoryThe Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, Pt 2DISCLAIMER! If you're listening to this episode, first, thank you! But second, this is an early episode. It was recorded and edited when we really didn't know what we were doing and our sound quality was very lacking. We've gotten a lot better at both since then so, please, bear with us! We're so glad to have you along.In the second of our series on the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, we leave the Pyramid at Giza and journey to Anatolia to see one of history's most elaborate vanity projects: the Tomb of Mausolus at...2022-10-281h 07From Here to HistoryThe Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, Pt 1DISCLAIMER! If you're listening to this episode, first, thank you! But second, this is an early episode. It was recorded and edited when we really didn't know what we were doing and our sound quality was very lacking. We've gotten a lot better at both since then so, please, bear with us! We're so glad to have you along.The Seven wonders of the Ancient World. These were the artistic and architectural achievements of the ancient Mediterranean world that travelers found most impressive and alluring. Some stood for decades, others for centuries, and a few for millennia...2022-09-2052 minFrom Here to HistoryThe Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, Pt 1The Seven wonders of the Ancient World. These were the artistic and architectural achievements of the ancient Mediterranean world that travelers found most impressive and alluring. Some stood for decades, others for centuries, and a few for millennia. Today, only one of the seven still stands. For the other six, we have to piece lace together imagination, descriptions from ancient writers, and the finds of modern archaeologists to get a picture of what once existed. In this series we are taking a field trip around that world to discuss and imagine the monuments on this storied list. I...2022-09-2051 minFrom Here to HistoryThe Battle of Kursk, Pt 4DISCLAIMER! If you're listening to this episode, first, thank you! But second, this is an early episode. It was recorded and edited when we really didn't know what we were doing and our sound quality was very lacking. We've gotten a lot better at both since then so, please, bear with us! We're so glad to have you along.The largest set-piece battle in world history began on July 5, 1943. Chris and Jason wind up their series on the Battle of Kursk by discussing the battle's high points, considering its statistics, and assessing its place in the Second...2022-07-2543 minFrom Here to HistoryThe Battle of Kursk, Pt 3DISCLAIMER! If you're listening to this episode, first, thank you! But second, this is an early episode. It was recorded and edited when we really didn't know what we were doing and our sound quality was very lacking. We've gotten a lot better at both since then so, please, bear with us! We're so glad to have you along.With their wartime fortunes beginning to crumble, Germany needed a resolution on the Eastern Front. They pinned their hopes on Operation Citadel, a pincer and encirclement attack aimed at the Russian town of Kursk. In part 3 of this...2022-07-0655 minFrom Here to HistoryThe Battle of Kursk, Pt 2DISCLAIMER! If you're listening to this episode, first, thank you! But second, this is an early episode. It was recorded and edited when we really didn't know what we were doing and our sound quality was very lacking. We've gotten a lot better at both since then so, please, bear with us! We're so glad to have you along.Germany invaded the USSR in June, 1941. In part 2 of our chat about the battle of Kursk, we sprint through the first 2 years on the Eastern Front. We chat about Stalin's blunder in ignoring all the signs of imminent...2022-06-2040 minFrom Here to HistoryThe Battle of Kursk, Pt 1DISCLAIMER! If you're listening to this episode, first, thank you! But second, this is an early episode. It was recorded and edited when we really didn't know what we were doing and our sound quality was very lacking. We've gotten a lot better at both since then so, please, bear with us! We're so glad to have you along.When Germany and the USSR fought for Kursk in July 1943, they were facing off in the largest battle of the Second World War. The largest battle in human history, in fact. Chris and Jason team up to tell...2022-06-0829 minFrom Here to HistoryThe March Madness of US Presidents, Pt 4DISCLAIMER! If you're listening to this episode, first, thank you! But second, this is an early episode. It was recorded and edited when we really didn't know what we were doing and our sound quality was very lacking. We've gotten a lot better at both since then so, please, bear with us! We're so glad to have you along.Our tournament of US Presidents concluded with Lincoln capturing the title by the narrowest of margins. In this episode, Chris, Jason and Rachael discuss the showdown between Washington and Lincoln.Thanks as always for our sound and...2022-05-3154 minFrom Here to HistoryThe March Madness of US Presidents, Pt 3DISCLAIMER! If you're listening to this episode, first, thank you! But second, this is an early episode. It was recorded and edited when we really didn't know what we were doing and our sound quality was very lacking. We've gotten a lot better at both since then so, please, bear with us! We're so glad to have you along.The tournament is winding down. Jason and Chris team up to discuss the presidents who lost out of the Elite 8 and the Final 4. They then offer a few thoughts on the upcoming championship between heavy hitters George Washington...2022-04-1355 minFrom Here to HistoryThe March Madness of US Presidents, Pt 2DISCLAIMER! If you're listening to this episode, first, thank you! But second, this is an early episode. It was recorded and edited when we really didn't know what we were doing and our sound quality was very lacking. We've gotten a lot better at both since then so, please, bear with us! We're so glad to have you along.Sixteen presidents set out to be named the greatest in history. After two weeks of competition, eight advance and eight go home. In this episode, Chris, Katie, and Rachael send those eight home in true presidential style.2022-03-2251 minFrom Here to HistoryThe March Madness of US Presidents, Pt 1DISCLAIMER! If you're listening to this episode, first, thank you! But second, this is an early episode. It was recorded and edited when we really didn't know what we were doing and our sound quality was very lacking. We've gotten a lot better at both since then so, please, bear with us! We're so glad to have you along.The Big Dance of History is here. Sixteen US Presidents are seeded, matched up, and set to battle it out for the title of "Greatest President in History." Chris, Jason, and Katie introduce the contenders and offer analysis...2022-03-0456 minFrom Here to HistoryMarcus AgrippaDISCLAIMER! If you're listening to this episode, first, thank you! But second, this is an early episode. It was recorded and edited when we really didn't know what we were doing and our sound quality was very lacking. We've gotten a lot better at both since then so, please, bear with us! We're so glad to have you along.In our first effort (bear with us while we climb the learning curve!), Jason and Chris take a deep dive into the life of Marcus Agrippa. Largely unknown today, Agrippa was a crucial figure in the end of...2022-02-261h 08