History on Fire

Daniele Bolelli

4.7 (5.5K)
SOCIETY & CULTURE

Where history and epic collide--"History on Fire" is a podcast by author and university professor Daniele Bolelli.

DEC 16

EPISODE 109: The Mesoamerican Godfather

“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer” Mario Puzo “Grant me revenge!” from Conan the Barbarian, 1982 “I am immortal” Nezahualcoyotl I originally created this episode years ago, as I was researching the Spaniards’ invasion of the Mexica (aka Aztec) empire, when I run into this little nugget of a story, which predates the arrival of the Spaniards. This is the first time this episode gets to be released to the public outside of any paywalls. This is basically a real historical version of what would happen if we were to mix the plot of The Godfather with the plot of The Lion King in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. Our key characters include Tezozomoc, a ruthless, Machiavellian genius power-player who ruled over much of the Central Valley of Mexico, and his nemesis Nezahualcoyotl, the poet-king of Texcoco. This episode features political intrigue, Mafia-style hits, the surprise of seeing a beheaded enemy show up with a head on his shoulders, human sacrifice, an unyielding quest for revenge, and a glimpse at the early days of the Aztecs. With characters named Angry Stone Face and Hungry Coyote, you know this has to be a good story… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1h 56m
NOV 18

EPISODE 108: Tattooed Headhunters of the Steppes

"Barbarism is the natural state of mankind… Civilization is unnatural. It is a whim of circumstance. And barbarism must always ultimately triumph." Robert E Howard “Becoming a barbarian was often a bid to improve one’s lot.” James C Scott “We are riders; our business is with the bow and the spear, and we know nothing of women’s work. But in your country no woman has anything to do with such things—your women stay at home in their wagons occupied with feminine tasks, and never go out to hunt or for any other purpose” A speech by an Amazon quoted by Herodotus “Persian, such is my nature: I have never run away for fear of any man, nor am I fleeing now from you. I am wandering, as I always wander in time of peace. You ask why I did not fight you at once. May I remind you that we have neither cities nor cultivated land of our own; since we are not afraid of our territory being ruined and plundered, we had no reason to fight you outright… Not will we, until we see fit. Instead of earth and water, I will send you other gifts, of the kind you deserve; and you will weep bitter tears for having claimed to be my ruler.” Idanthyrsus Typically, I prefer when the episodes I create have a clearly identifiable main character. This particular one doesn’t have a lead character. But what it does have instead is people drinking from the skulls of their enemies, and tattoos, and sweat lodges, and cannabis consumption, and blood brotherhood rituals, and getting drunk on fermented mare milk. In case, that’s not enough, it also has Amazons and Wonder Woman’s golden lasso, centaurs and King Arthur, and a whole lot more. So, I hope you shall forgive the lack of a lead character. Today, we won’t focus on a particular individual but on a culture, specifically some of the steppe nomadic cultures from roughly about 2,500 years ago among people like the Scythians and the Sarmatians. If you feel generous and enjoy History on Fire, please consider joining my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historyonfire to access plenty of bonus content. All the links to History on Fire social media can be found at https://linktr.ee/danielebolelli Including the HOF YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFCiqHbWJO26nFzUP-Eu55Q Substack: https://substack.com/@danielebolelli Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyonfire/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@historyonfirepodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1h 51m
SEP 23

[RERUN] EPISODE 71: John Brown (Part 2): A Reckoning in Blood

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2h 3m
SEP 9

[RERUN] EPISODE 70: John Brown (Part 1): Heartbreak & Slavery

In this first episode of a three-part series, we’ll introduce the early part of John Brown’s life and his crusade against slavery. Among today’s topics, we’ll have the ethics of punching a Nazi, how the beating of an enslaved child set Brown on his path, how both pro and anti- slavery forces used Christianity to justify their stances, racism masquerading as philanthropy, the Nat Turner rebellion, grief & PTSD, the Underground Railroad, the murder of Elijah Lovejoy, and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1h 23m
AUG 26

EPISODE 107: The Forge of the Samurai: The Genpei War Part 2

“This is how 70,000 horsemen of the Taira died, buried in this one deep valley; the mountain creeks ran red with their blood and the mound of their corpses was like a small hill.” The Tale of the Heike “Tomoe had long black hair and a fair complexion, and her face was very lovely; but she was also a fearless rider, who could not be thrown by neither the fiercest horse nor the roughest ground; and with such skill she handled sword and bow that she was a warrior worth a thousand, ready to battle against gods and demons. Many times she had taken the field, fully armed, and won great fame in duels against the bravest captains, and so in this last fight, when all the others had been killed or had fled, among the last seven there rode Tomoe.” Tale of the Heike “Cut off my head and show it to Yoritomo!" Kiso Yoshinaka in The Tale of the Heike “The feat they were accomplishing seemed beyond mortal capacity, a fit undertaking for demons.” The Tale of the Heike “I whipped my mount over precipitous cliffs, heedless of life in the face of the enemy; I braved the perils of wind and wave on the boundless sea, ready to sink to the bottom as food for monsters of the deep. Battle dress was my pillow; arms were my profession - yet, as in the past, my sole desire was to comfort the unhappy spirits of the dead.” Minamoto Yoshitsune in The Tale of the Heike It’s the finale of this series on the Genpei War (1180-1185); the showdown between the two most powerful clans of the age. This episode is one of the most drama & action packed that I have ever covered in History on Fire. We’ll discuss Minamoto Yoritomo’s Godzilla-sized ego, the Minamoto killing each other when they are not busy warring against the Taira, the legendary female samurai Tomoe Gozen, a ritual suicide to urge your commander to stop having sex and concentrate on military maneuvers instead, the charge at Ichi No Tani, the mythical fight between Kumagai Naozane and Taira Atsumori, a victory party in Kyoto parading enemy heads, Yoshitsune’s utter fearlessness, a feat of archery so amazing that it convinced the enemies to stop battle and cheer for the archer, the child emperor’s grandmother drowning herself and her grandson, samurai crabs, Benkei being a pal and holding back an army so that Yoshitsune can kill himself, and much more. If you feel generous and enjoy History on Fire, please consider joining my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historyonfire to access plenty of bonus content. All the links to History on Fire social media can be found at https://linktr.ee/danielebolelli Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1h 39m
JUL 30

EPISODE 106: The Forge of the Samurai: The Genpei War Part 1

“The sound of the Gion Shoja bells echoes the impermanence of all things; the color of the sala flowers reveals the truth that the prosperous must decline. The proud do not endure, they are like a dream on a spring night; the mighty fall at last, they are as dust before the wind.” The Tale of the Heike “When you grow up, if you still feel raw about it, I'll be waiting.” Kill Bill "Let those in the distance hear me! Let those close at hand see me with their own eyes! I am Matataro Tadatsuna, son of Ashikaga no Taro Toshitsuna and descendant in the tenth generation of that Tawara no Toda Hidesato who won rewards by destroying the enemies of the emperor. Seventeen is my age! A mere warrior devoid of rank and office wielding bow and arrow against an Imperial Prince risks the wrath of the gods, but let’s see who is favored by the gods of the bow. If any among Lord Yorimasa' s men consider themselves my equals, let them come forward. I'll meet them!" The Tale of the Heike “When I die, do not build a temple or pagoda. Do not perform any ceremonies for me. Instead, you must send an army at once to vanquish Yoritomo. You must cut off his head and hang it before my tomb. I ask for nothing more." Taira Kiyomori in The Tale of the Heike The Genpei War (1180-1185), pitting against one another the two most powerful clans of the era, the Minamoto and the Taira, is one of the most crucial turning points in Japanese history. Movies and video games have usually overlooked this conflict in favor of the civil wars of the warring states period of the 1500s. Big mistake since the story of the Genpei War is packed with drama and larger than life characters—from the tragic hero Minamoto Yoshitsune, his brother in arms the gigantic warrior monk Benkei, the female samurai Tomoe Gozen and many others. And on top of it, this civil conflict ushered major changes in Japanese society, shifting power from a nobility made of imperial bureaucrats into the hands of landowning samurai families. In this first of two episodes dedicated to the Genpei War, we’ll tackle one of the most important works in Japanese literature, Buddhist impermanence, the 1156 Hogen Rebellion, the 1160 Heiji Rebellion, revenge, exorcisms, the rise of the Taira family, emperors struggling with loss of power, warrior monks, the battle at the Uji River, announcing your family lineage before cutting heads off, inviting the gods to witness battle, Minamoto Yorimasa’s suicide, Yoshitsune learning swordsmanship from the demons of the forest, the duel between Yoshitsune and Benkei, the Taira burning down the monasteries of Nara, Kiyomori’s death, and much more. If you feel generous and enjoy History on Fire, please consider joining my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historyonfire to access plenty of bonus content. All the links to History on Fire social media can be found at https://linktr.ee/danielebolelli Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1h 28m
JUN 17

[RERUN] EPISODE 69: Capturing Mussolini

“He must be handed over to a tribunal of the people so it can judge him quickly. We want this, even though we think an execution platoon is too much of an honor for this man. He would deserve to be killed like a mangy dog.” Future Italian President Sandro Pertini about Benito Mussolini “The world unfortunately continues to be a battlefield where different egos clash, repeating the mistakes of the past.” Federigo Giordano “Death to the Nazi-Fascists.” The closing quote of most letters written by Federigo Giordano during WWII I am not done with stories of resistance from Italy during WW II. Today, I’ll tell the story of a friend, one of the very last partisan commanders to still be alive—Federigo Giordano (battle name “Gek.”) His name is still recognized in some towns in Northern Italy since he was the one to lead his men to liberate them from Fascists and Nazis. In this episode we’ll tackle the growth of racism within Fascist ideology, becoming a partisan in the mountains of Northern Italy, rejecting the Alexander Proclamation, saving American aviators, participating in the capture of Benito Mussolini, Mussolini ‘hanging’ in Piazzale Loreto, drunk Nazis in one room while partisans hide in the attic, having to explain to a 90+ year old lady why you killed her sister over 70 years earlier, and much more. Here's the link to my daughter’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@isabellahan-bolelli If you feel generous and enjoy History on Fire, please consider joining my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historyonfire to access plenty of bonus content. All the links to History on Fire social media can be found at https://linktr.ee/danielebolelli Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2h 5m
MAY 20

[RERUN] EPISODE 68: My Grandma and Her Bombs: A Story of WWII

“Women must obey… My opinion of women’s role within the state is against any kind of feminism. In our state, women must not count.” Benito Mussolini “Yes, I participated in the actions. I usually had the task of carrying the weapons and would hand them to our shooters. As soon as they had used them, I’d get them back from them—still hot.” Liana Germani “I was mostly afraid of torture had they captured me, of the terrible suffering on the way to the concentration camps. Death seemed simple, something quick, liberating. Fear was a constant element of our daily lives.” Liana Germani This is a tale of Italian Resistance during WW II. Unlike nearly all History on Fire episodes, this is not a story I researched in books. It’s a much more personal one—these are my grandparents’ experiences. The starring role goes to my grandmother, Liana Germani, who as a teenager was a combat partisan active against the Fascist regime and the Nazi occupation. What I remember of her... there was a constant hint of sadness and pessimism hanging around her. It may have to do with the fact that during WW II, she found her boyfriend murdered--cut into pieces by fascists. She spent the rest of her teenage years smuggling guns & bombs, and doing what she could to kill them all. Honorable mention also to my paternal grandparents—in particular my grandfather Stelio Bolelli, who found his way into fighting alongside Allied troops all the way through the Gothic Line. In the course of this episode we’ll talk about a brief history of Fascism, DMX & the Matteotti murder, the collusion between fascist leaders and Sinclair Oil, the Badoglio government, the Nazi occupation, the massacre of St. Anna di Stazzema, guerrilla in the streets of Milan, gender roles in fascist Italy, my grandma’s friends being executed, PTSD, carrying bombs & smuggling weapons, my grandfather avoiding execution, the Gorla massacre, and much, much more. If you feel generous and enjoy History on Fire, please consider joining my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historyonfire to access plenty of bonus content. All the links to History on Fire social media can be found at https://linktr.ee/danielebolelli Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1h 55m

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Daniele Bolelli

Host

4.7

out of 5

5,477 Ratings

John Brown

Nov 29

DaPing 1

One of the most informative dives into a subject that i have experienced. From what I sense you are not glorifying John Brown, rather you are providing needed context. Reminds me of Gavrilo Princip. Excellent review! Thanks Scott
Capisce?

Nov 13

devil zilla

Whoa Professore! Love you and this pod but let’s please not list the Iraq war as an example of a “hit them first before they can hit you” strategy since they had NOTHING TO HIT US WITH IN THE FIRST PLACE. There were no WMDs and Dickbush knew it, (Cheney’s office planted the story in the NYT claiming evidence Saddam had them.) If you were merely referring to the lie as it was told and sold to us, that is not clear in the way you said it. Otherwise, superb work, thanks for all you do.
Grandma!

May 22

Allbeagle

This is the best episode of one of the greatest podcasts!! Thank you for sharing this personal story.
Unfollowed

Sep 10

Texn 334

The glorification of John Brown and his bloody path of killing from Kansas to Virginia was the last straw for me and this show. I’ll enjoy my history from other sources that don’t justify these actions.