McBirdo's Expedition

LD Towers

Welcome to McBirdo’s expedition into the unknown and terrible. We have been stuck here in the ice for an eternity. Come into the Captain’s Cabin and warm yourself before you head back out to the decks. Listen to stories from "The Past Said It Better" to "Storytime with McBirdo" to "Shipwrecks We Didn't Do" (Coming soon!). Also check out our Youtube channel if you want to see this all in video! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV_RQK7xbK0rxrwYi3mVaaw

Episodes

  1. Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee Two Ways -PSIB- From the eyes of a boy and the eyes of Victoria

    07/20/2022

    Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee Two Ways -PSIB- From the eyes of a boy and the eyes of Victoria

    Apologies on this one if the sound in the title sequence is funky. Queen Victoria was an iconic figure whose reign represents an entire epoch. She ruled over one of the greatest eras of scientific, industrial, and social change in both British and international history. Under her gaze, England became the superpower of the 1800s. Her Diamond Jubilee, marking 60 years on the throne, was a glittering affair. In today's video, we see the Jubilee through the eyes of a choir boy at St. Paul's, who just happened to be famous author Russell Thorndike, and from the perspective of the great queen herself. Hello and welcome to The Past Said It Better! A table read of primary sources from history! Need more hot Diamond Jubilee action? Check out "Twilight of Splendor: The Court of Queen Victoria During Her Diamond Jubilee Year" by Greg King: https://amzn.to/3PPuJ0f 00:00 I love it when the poor people can keep their crap together! 00:18 Skip the title sequence here! 01:31 From a choir boy! 06:02 From a queen and empress!

    13 min
  2. The Real Dodge City -PSIB- Bat Masterson and some Rowdy Cowpokes!

    07/09/2022

    The Real Dodge City -PSIB- Bat Masterson and some Rowdy Cowpokes!

    Who grew up thinking that the Wild West took place over 100 years? All the movies and TV shows made it seem like this period lasted a really long time. Instead, the golden age of the Wild West was over in about 30 years, as the Gold Rushes ended and the towns along the railroads became increasingly civilized. Andy Adams' "Log of the Cowboy," tells us what it was really like to enter the infamous Dodge City, Kansas on a cattle drive in the 1880s. Dodge City was famous for its peace keeping force led by Bat Masterson, but Andy and his friends got a little rowdy! Hello and welcome to The Past Said It Better! A table read of primary sources from history! Want to learn more about what it was really like in Dodge? Check out "Dodge City: Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, and the Wickedest Town in the American West" by Tom Clavin: https://amzn.to/3uwdWab 00:00 Introduction 01:21 Certified Lynching Free! 01:39 Log of a Cowboy 01:54 We Are Going to Dodge! 07:30 Don't Be An Idiot In Town! 12:29 Only Half a Month's Wages 13:23 Bat Masterson 18:22 Dudebros in Dodge City! 20:18 We Sauntered Around, Drinking Moderately 22:11 Dinner With the Cattle Men 25:58 It Took Money To See The Elephant 26:31 It Started At The Lone Star Dance Hall 28:13 Let's Do Something Really Stupid 30:00 Ride or Die 31:08 Quince Stays To Cover Our Rear 31:44 Quince's Story 33:02 What's in His Pocket?!

    34 min
  3. The Battle of Blenheim -PSIB- The Greater of Two Churchills?

    07/06/2022

    The Battle of Blenheim -PSIB- The Greater of Two Churchills?

    John Churchill, the Duke of Marlborough, absolutely crushed the forces of the French at the Battle of Blenheim. His account is one of negligent smugness. It is a true veni, vidi, vici moment in history. A soldier of good family but little status, Churchill would rise to become one of the most famous soldiers in British history, spawning a dynasty that would lead to Winston Churchill's greatness two hundred years later. Hello and welcome to The Past Said It Better! A table read of primary sources from history! Want to learn more about just how unrelentingly awesome John Churchill was? Check out "Marlborough: Britain’s Greatest General: England's Fragile Genius" by Richard Holmes: https://amzn.to/3bN4oRv 00:00 BTW, We Won! 00:11 The Past Said It Better 01:27 John Churchill 01:59 Prince Eugene needed my help! 02:38 For the Greater Expedition 03:08 Get Off My Lawn! 03:33 Making War Before Coffee 04:22 A Complete Victory 04:38 We Have a Few Prisoners 05:38 He Made a Great Slaughter of Them 06:36 So About All These Hostages 07:22 Who is Awesome? John Churchill!

    8 min
  4. Richard Frethorne Letters - The Past Said It Better - 1623 Colonial Virginia

    07/04/2022

    Richard Frethorne Letters - The Past Said It Better - 1623 Colonial Virginia

    Imagine... Richard Frethorne, a 12-year-old boy is sent as an indentured servant to the Virginia Colony near Jamestown because his family back in England was poor. He has an awesome time. Really! REAAAAAALLLY! Ok. Totally lying. This is McBirdo's expedition! It is a disaster! Hello and welcome to The Past Said It Better! A table read of primary sources from history! Interested in seeing more about the Jamestown Colony? Check out a great show they did- it's a little made for TV, but the costumes are not terrible!! https://amzn.to/3IkmnJv

    23 min
  5. The Charge of the Light Brigade -PSIB- Two Perspectives... All Sadness...

    07/02/2022

    The Charge of the Light Brigade -PSIB- Two Perspectives... All Sadness...

    The Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War is one of those epic moments in Anglo-Saxon history. A group of tremendously brave men was slaughtered through a series of unfortunate events and foolhardiness. Those who witnessed the event found it heartbreaking. As French General Brite said, "I am old, I have seen battles but this is too much." In this episode, we have two accounts. One is from an anonymous officer, and the other is from Sir Henry Clifford V.C. Both will leave you wondering how such a thing could have happened. Hear about Lords Cardigan and Lucan, as well as Captain Nolan who may have been responsible for the charge. Hello and welcome to The Past Said It Better! A table read of primary sources from history! Want to know more about the Charge of the Light Brigade? Sneak a peak at "Into the Valley of Death: The Light Cavalry at Balaclava" by Nick Thomas! https://amzn.to/3Rf6f1U 00:00 Who will survive... the introduction 01:22 The Battle of Balaclava 01:42 The Words of Anonymous 02:11 Hrothgar Interlude 04:48 Um Niblet?! 05:21 The Words of Henry Clifford V.C. 07:59 Cats and Bad French

    10 min
  6. Battle of the Popes -PSIB- Life before the Crusade by Fulcher of Chartres

    06/29/2022

    Battle of the Popes -PSIB- Life before the Crusade by Fulcher of Chartres

    The "Gesta Francorum Iherusalem peregrinantium" by Fulcher of Chartres is the definitive chronicle of the First Crusade. In this first chapter, Fulcher tells us the real reason the princes of Europe went off to fight in the Holy Land. Was it piety? Or was it two popes, duking it out to be number one? If you guessed "power struggle between popes" you get a cookie, dear listener! Hello and welcome to The Past Said It Better! A table read of primary sources from history! Want to know more about the First Crusade? Check out Jay Rubinstein's "The First Crusade: A Brief History with Documents" from the Bedford Series in History and Culture https://amzn.to/3u7s5KP

    24 min
  7. Who doesn't love a public hanging? -PSIB- Charles Dickens not a fan.

    06/25/2022

    Who doesn't love a public hanging? -PSIB- Charles Dickens not a fan.

    Public execution was a staple of British life until 1867! In 1849, the Bermondsey Horror case was one where Marie Manning and her husband murdered her rich lover and buried him under the kitchen floorboards. They tried to escape justice but were caught, tried, and sentenced to death. Charles Dickens went to the execution and was so horrified by what he saw, he wrote this letter to the "Times of London". It's considered one of the most important documents to end the spectacle of public execution in England. Hello and welcome to The Past Said It Better! A table read of primary sources from history! Want to know more about the Bermondsey Horror case? Check out "Cold Case Detective's episode which includes an overview here: https://youtu.be/fX13mEcZYc8?t=63 "Murder Maps" Season 1, Episode One also has an hour-long recreation and explanation of the case: https://amzn.to/3HOIzgt Still jonesing for more public hangings in England, and the full story of what finally ended them? https://amzn.to/39PgER5 Chapters... We got creative with the titles. 00:00 A snarky intro 00:13 McBirdo's Expedition and The Past Said It Better 01:27 Into the tropics at last! 01:40 Let us all be amused by the spectacle. 02:25 November 14, 1849 03:31 Hang 'em high! 04:27 How dare they not comport themselves better? 06:00 Was that an ankle?! 06:59 Is death not entertainment today? 07:51 McBirdo doesn't feel sorry for the Mannings! 08:31 Dickens rants on... 08:49 Was public execution a deterrent? 09:20 Dickens wants to save your soul! 09:55 Opinion time! 10:56 *The* Eyeroll

    12 min

  8. 06/22/2022

    They did WHAT With Becket's Blood!? -PSIB- Thomas Becket Part II

    Oops! I did it again, Baby! Becket is back- or rather- he's still dead, but the story continues. What happened to his corpse? Did the knights take it? Did the monks leave it? Tune in for Becket, Part II. I wish I could say it's Becket's Revenge, but that's probably part III or IV. Hello and welcome to The Past Said It Better! A table read of primary sources from history! Need to know more about Thomas Becket? Check out today's source material! https://amzn.to/3NxZllU Michael Staunton's "The Lives of Thomas Becket". It's a really interesting read with way more detail than I can get into!

    11 min

  9. 06/18/2022

    The Bombing of Guernica - PSIB - George Steer

    On April 26, 1937, Nazi Germany's Condor Legion let loose a wave of bombs on the Basque city of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. Hitler's Luftwaffe, supporting the Nationalist forces of General Franco, used Guernica and other bombing raids as an opportunity to test out their new planes and develop aerial strategy. Hello and welcome to The Past Said It Better! A table read of primary sources from history! The absolute horror wrought in those three hours would bring the world to its knees. The city was devastated; civilians killed and farms destroyed. George Steer, an enterprising journalist from the Times of London went to the city the night after the bombing and made his way through the still burning city to make this report. If you would like to read it, you can find that report here: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/bombing-of-guernica-original-times-report-from-1937-5j7x3z2k5bv Want to watch a movie about Guernica? https://amzn.to/3xzvXVD Want to learn more about the military history of the Spanish Civil War? Check out "Spain in Arms: A Military History of the Spanish Civil War 1936-1939" https://amzn.to/3xzwgjf

    19 min

  10. 06/15/2022

    The 1793 Yellow Fever Outbreak in Philadelphia - PSIB - Samuel Breck

    The 1793 Yellow Fever Outbreak in Philadelphia killed 10% of the population. This is the time when Philadelphia was still the capital of the USA. George Washington was the President. As usual, the deaths occurred amongst the poor who had not the money to flee. Samuel Breck was a merchant from a prosperous family who had to return to the city for business. This is his account. Hello and welcome to The Past Said It Better! A table read of primary sources from history! There will be a Part 2 to this because I found a truly wow account while editing from the African-American end of things. Their story is really something. Primary sources from pandemics really light my fire. There are some interesting ones in "Pandemics and Global Health" by Barry Youngerman https://amzn.to/3tDfT4e

    13 min

  11. 06/11/2022

    An Account of the Bonus Army - PSIB - Evalyn Walsh McLean

    The Bonus Army Demonstrations and the destruction of the Anacostia Flats camp are some of the darker moments of the Great Depression in America. It is hard to fault men whose families were starving from trying to get Congress to pay them the promised war bonus early. Evalyn Walsh McLean's account of the situation is certainly one from the perspective of privilege, but she certainly did more for the Bonus Army people than most of the Washington Elite. Hello and welcome to The Past Said It Better! A table read of primary sources from history! Interested in learning more about the Bonus Army? Check out "The Bonus Army: An American Epic" https://amzn.to/3aIHURb

    19 min

  12. 06/08/2022

    The Murder of Thomas Becket - PSIB -The account of Edward Grim

    The murder of Thomas Becket by four of Henry II's knights is an immortal moment in English history. While "Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?" is an 18th-century affectation, it is clear that Henry II said something to send his knights off to Canterbury to deal with the archbishop! What is interesting about Grim's account is that Becket seems more than willing to embrace his martyrdom. Hello and welcome to The Past Said It Better! A table read of primary sources from history! Need to know more about Thomas Becket? Check out today's source material! https://amzn.to/3NxZllU Michael Staunton's "The Lives of Thomas Becket". It's a really interesting read with way more detail than I can get into!

    33 min
  • 12 Episodes

About

Welcome to McBirdo’s expedition into the unknown and terrible. We have been stuck here in the ice for an eternity. Come into the Captain’s Cabin and warm yourself before you head back out to the decks. Listen to stories from "The Past Said It Better" to "Storytime with McBirdo" to "Shipwrecks We Didn't Do" (Coming soon!). Also check out our Youtube channel if you want to see this all in video! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV_RQK7xbK0rxrwYi3mVaaw

Information

  • Creator
    LD Towers
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    12
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2023 LD Towers
  • Show Website
    McBirdo's Expedition