Storytime with the Historists

Mr. Booren and Mrs. Dumas

We tell the weird, wonderful, and whimsical stories that make up the world's history, but we do it in our own way. We are HISTORISTS. This is a podcast geared for AP World History, AP U.S. History, and AP European History students, but is accessible for anyone else interested in history. It's the world's history, told our way.

  1. S4 E4: Who is Pepe Silvia? - Gladio & The Italian Years of Lead, Part I

    FEB 8

    S4 E4: Who is Pepe Silvia? - Gladio & The Italian Years of Lead, Part I

    This episode is for the European history heads! Matt and Jen continue their exploration of the strategy of tension, this time by analyzing the Italian Years of Lead. This event is a true implementation of the strategy of tension, a phrase coined to describe the bloody attacks during Italy's "long 1970s".  Join us as we delve into the complex history of the Italian Years of Lead, exploring the intertwining of conspiracy theories, political violence, and the role of NATO and Gladio in shaping Italy's tumultuous past, the Peteano bombing as a pivotal event that exemplifies the manipulation of political narratives, and the use of violence to suppress leftist movements. This episode highlights the historical context of these events, emphasizing the need for thorough research and fact-checking in understanding the past. If you thought the Weathermen were forgotten, wait until you see what we have dug up for you! Show Notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ydU3IyeBhOIhLPtg-t-aT1Hk96SlPeDiCKmATbvfRPs/edit?usp=sharing Works Cited: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wWBlJYbXXbuqbUq6CXZAjXoaYxi7jGT2w3gPrBHsAxk/edit?usp=sharing Years of Lead Timeline: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wrDp5g5NJnDN-aoCFjV3A6Xx8cll9vKcJsa8_8wrptg/edit?usp=sharing

    42 min
  2. S4 E3: "Mixin' Up the Medicine" - The Weather Underground and America's Days of Rage, Part II

    12/01/2025

    S4 E3: "Mixin' Up the Medicine" - The Weather Underground and America's Days of Rage, Part II

    In this episode, Matt and Jen delve into the Weather Underground's radicalization and violent actions during the 1970s, explore their motivations, analyze the internal dynamics of the group, and the consequences of their actions, including the tragic Greenwich Village explosion. The discussion also touches on the role of COINTELPRO in monitoring and infiltrating radical groups, and the broader implications of political violence in social movements. Show Notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/12jBXBHhFaBswSmfXU7pSN398xvNtNY9mO0jrYEfS8xI/edit?usp=sharing Works Cited: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UjqOv6_ht-XBrh1vaVncmUjvCwhE0FskMUrFm5ApxbQ/edit?usp=sharing Abington Ridge Collective: https://soundcloud.com/abingtonridge

    51 min
  3. S4 E2: Despite All Our Rage, We Are Still in a Malaise - The Weather Underground and America's Days of Rage, Part I

    10/16/2025

    S4 E2: Despite All Our Rage, We Are Still in a Malaise - The Weather Underground and America's Days of Rage, Part I

    This week we start a multi-part series on political violence across the 20th century. We are kicking things off here in the U.S. by examining a largely memory holed element of the 1960's counter culture: The Weather Underground. Join us as we dust off those old Bob Dylan records and channel our inner Boomer to tell the story of how "great" things used to be during America’s Days of Rage. Show Notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pfls3G-N_uU0tmpoAZsY1sior4JVaaaPxzHNqhtM3xE/edit?usp=sharing Works Cited: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UjqOv6_ht-XBrh1vaVncmUjvCwhE0FskMUrFm5ApxbQ/edit?usp=sharing Abington Ridge Collective Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/abingtonridge

    43 min
  4. S4 E1: Bored to Death - The Salem Witch Trials

    08/26/2025

    S4 E1: Bored to Death - The Salem Witch Trials

    Season 4! We are back, and this week we have a real witches brew going: boredom, religious zealotry, greed, and PTSD all combined to create the chaos that was The Salem Witch Trials. Join us as we conjure one of our most requested stories! Show Notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WVERhu9y7zXEbyVbKVBT6B122OT5TUiYPwyec3kgkos/edit?usp=sharing Abington Ridge Collective Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/abingtonridge

    47 min

  5. 07/19/2024

    S3 E11: “All Will Depend on This…” - The Opium Wars (w/ Steve Heimler)

    In this episode, Jen and Matt are joined by guest Steve Heimler from Heimler's History to dissect the unbelievable story of how greed and cultural misunderstandings led to the Opium Wars and eventually, China’s Century of Humiliation. Show Notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KjKXgudvIKo7nXOQYgSv5VUfSe4A4E5v6mWtwwNRSNM/edit?usp=sharing Heimler's History: https://www.youtube.com/@heimlershistory Abington Ridge Collective Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/tTPBP

    54 min

  6. 04/27/2024

    S3 E10: And Then There Were Unicorns - The Ming Dynasty

    In this episode, Jen and Matt revisit China - this time during the Ming Dynasty and the amazing voyages of Zheng He. But first, we FINALLY close out our Mongol series before re-establishing the Middle Kingdom.

    33 min

  7. 07/30/2023

    S3 E9: Ska Sucks?! - A basic history of ska that doesn't suck

    In this episode, Matt and Jen go in depth about the different waves of Ska music and why it hasn't always had the best reputation - even though it's such an awesome blend of music. Show notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TAaMU0o0MWQL0ekRMBcZDFHfJ1u3guns5Yni4pkc-ik/edit?usp=sharing Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ux8AhIwAdxnID8GMdfZrW?si=7a638450a6304fcb Every Noise at Once (ska scatter plot): https://everynoise.com/engenremap-ska.html Abington Ridge Collective Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/tTPBP

    54 min

  8. 06/24/2023

    S3 E8: Front Row Seats - The Effects of Globalization

    In this episode, your hosts Matt and Jen debate whether the positives outweigh the negatives in our (ever increasingly), interconnected world; thanks, globalization? Show notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eLEHKyc6fHTVmmmYg-5XUOHeauuAlL8D1FpW1R1MjXw/edit?usp=sharing Abington Ridge Collective Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/tTPBP

    48 min
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4.7
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

We tell the weird, wonderful, and whimsical stories that make up the world's history, but we do it in our own way. We are HISTORISTS. This is a podcast geared for AP World History, AP U.S. History, and AP European History students, but is accessible for anyone else interested in history. It's the world's history, told our way.

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