The Dangerous History Podcast

4.6 (632)
History

Learn the Past/Understand the Present/Prepare for the Future

May 31

Ep. 0287: ‘The Mad Dream of Conquest,’ Pt I

CJ decided he needed a break from modern US history as he continues to recover & reset his life, so this is the first episode of a new DHP miniseries set during the Peloponnesian War in 5th century BC Greece. The series will primarily focus on a famous Athenian military expedition to Sicily that occurred right in the middle of that conflict, an expedition that, to CJ, is eerily similar in some ways to the current war with Iran. This first episode, though, is backstory & world-building, setting the stage for the massive, complex & costly Peloponnesian War of 431-404 BC during which the Sicilian expedition occurred. Join CJ as he discusses: A brief overview of ancient Greek history, from the Bronze Age through the Persian invasions of 490 & 480 BC. The growing rivalries & tensions between the Peloponnesian League (led by Sparta) & the Delian League (led by Athens) in the aftermath of the Persian Wars, including Athens’ increasingly aggressive & destabilizing imperialism, & Sparta’s fears about it The rise of Pericles & the construction of the Athenian Long Walls The ‘first’ Peloponnesian War of ~460 BC-445 BC, which ended with a treaty known as “The Thirty Years’ Peace” The rising tensions & conflicts that caused the Thirty Years’ Peace to only last about half as long as it was intended to The ancient Greek historian Thucydides The escalating conflicts that led, in 431 BC, to the outbreak of the Second Peloponnesian War (sometimes just referred to as “The Peloponnesian War”), a conflict that would end up dwarfing the previous war in duration, cost, death & destruction Like this episode? You can throw CJ a $ tip via Paypal here: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=D6VUYSYQ4EU6L Throw CJ a $ tip via Venmo here: https://www.venmo.com/u/dangerousmedia Or throw CJ a BTC tip here: bc1qfrz9erz7dqazh9rhz3j7nv696nl52ux8unw79z Amazon Affiliate Links (buy ANYTHING from Amazon using any of these links & CJ gets a small commission at no cost to you!) The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War A War Like No Other: How the Athenians and Spartans Fought the Peloponnesian War by Victor Davis Hanson The Peloponnesian War by Donald Kagan The Life of Greece: The Story of Civilization, Vol. II by Will Durant Links Support the Dangerous History Podcast via Patreon Subscribe to the Dangerous History Podcast Youtube Channel Follow CJ on Twitter/X Follow the DHP on Facebook Hire CJ to speak to your group or at your event Other ways to support the show The post Ep. 0287: ‘The Mad Dream of Conquest,’ Pt I first appeared on The Dangerous History Podcast.

3h 2m
May 16

Ep. 0286: Braving This Dystopian Timeline (w/Matt Carano)

Good news — things have finally stabilized for CJ & his family, & he has finally fully recovered from the illnesses that caused him to be hospitalized in March! He’s now back at the podcasting game full-force, hard at work on upcoming Dangerous History material, & this week he also returned Brave the New World, the weekly current events & media analysis show that he cohosts with Matt Carano. This DHP episode features the audio of CJ’s triumphant return to BTNW after a few months’ absence. Join CJ & Matt as they discuss the low- & even-lower-lights of current events in recent months, & try to come to grips with the insanity that the 2nd Trump administration is inflicting on the world. Like this episode? You can throw CJ a $ tip via Paypal here: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=D6VUYSYQ4EU6L Throw CJ a $ tip via Venmo here: https://www.venmo.com/u/dangerousmedia Or throw CJ a BTC tip here: bc1qfrz9erz7dqazh9rhz3j7nv696nl52ux8unw79z Links Support the Dangerous History Podcast via Patreon Other ways to support the show (including CJ’s PO Box address) BTNW on Youtube BTNW on Spotify BTNW on Apple Podcasts Subscribe to the Dangerous History Podcast Youtube Channel Follow CJ on Twitter/X Follow the DHP on Instagram Follow the DHP on Facebook Hire CJ to speak to your group or at your event The post Ep. 0286: Braving This Dystopian Timeline (w/Matt Carano) first appeared on The Dangerous History Podcast.
Apr 28

“Rise, and Fight Again”

The hits have just kept on coming! (And not in a good way.) For anyone who cares and/or is curious why CJ has been mostly incommunicado the past 2 months (other than angrily ranting against the insanity of current events on Twitter): In this special DHP episode he gives an update on the most recent trials & tribulations he & his family have been through, including (but not limited to) his wife being hospitalized twice, another major death in the family, & finally, CJ himself being hospitalized for almost a full week while being the sickest & in the worst pain he’s ever had in his entire life. (Fun times!) On the brighter side, the redemption in the third act is that CJ is still alive, still sober, & is (once again) getting back up to keep on fighting the good fight, so look for more Dangerous History coming your way as long as (knock on wood!) he can get a little bit of a respite from the near-constant dumpster-fires! Like this episode? You can throw CJ a $ tip via Paypal here: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=D6VUYSYQ4EU6L Throw CJ a $ tip via Venmo here: https://www.venmo.com/u/dangerousmedia Or throw CJ a BTC tip here: bc1qfrz9erz7dqazh9rhz3j7nv696nl52ux8unw79z Links Support the Dangerous History Podcast via Patreon Subscribe to the Dangerous History Podcast Youtube Channel Follow CJ on Twitter/X Follow the DHP on Facebook Other ways to support the show The post “Rise, and Fight Again” first appeared on The Dangerous History Podcast.

45 min
Apr 16

DHP Ep. 74 Reissue: The Western Way of War vs The Eastern Way of War

(*This is a reissue of a Dangerous History Episode first published in Aug. 2015) In this episode, CJ discusses two different paradigms of what war is supposed to be and how it is supposed to be fought. One is the Western (or European) Way, which originated in Greece and from there filtered through the Romans to become the dominant paradigm among Westerners to this day. The other is the Eastern (or Asian) Way, which originated in China and from there filtered to other parts of the Asian world and beyond, and which forms the intellectual basis of much of modern unconventional tactics and strategy. Join CJ as he discusses: The origins of the Western Way and how it has evolved over the centuries The origins of the Eastern Way and how it has evolved over the centuries Why this matters to understanding the modern world in general, and the history of modern unconventional warfare in particular Like this episode? You can throw CJ a $ tip via Paypal here: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=D6VUYSYQ4EU6L Throw CJ a $ tip via Venmo here: https://www.venmo.com/u/dangerousmedia Or throw CJ a BTC tip here: bc1qfrz9erz7dqazh9rhz3j7nv696nl52ux8unw79z Support the Dangerous History Podcast via Patreon Other ways to support the show (including CJ’s PO Box mailing address) The post DHP Ep. 74 Reissue: The Western Way of War vs The Eastern Way of War first appeared on The Dangerous History Podcast.

1h 6m
Feb 17

Ep. 0285: Braving the New World

This DHP episode features the audio of the third episode of Brave the New World, a new weekly current events & media analysis show that CJ is cohosting with his friend Matt Carano. Join CJ & Matt as they discuss some of the recent Epstein-related revelations & their implications for the past, present, & future of the US (& the world.) Like this episode? Support the Dangerous History Podcast via Patreon You can also throw CJ a $ tip via Paypal here: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=D6VUYSYQ4EU6L Throw CJ a $ tip via Venmo here: https://www.venmo.com/u/dangerousmedia Or throw CJ a BTC tip here: bc1qfrz9erz7dqazh9rhz3j7nv696nl52ux8unw79z Links Brave the New World on Youtube Brave the New World on Apple Podcasts Brave the New World on Spotify The Dangerous History Podcast Youtube Channel Follow CJ on Twitter/X Follow the DHP on Facebook Hire CJ to speak to your group or at your event Other ways to support the show The post Ep. 0285: Braving the New World first appeared on The Dangerous History Podcast.

1h 12m
Feb 12

Ep. 0284: We Are Ruled By Psychopaths, Part 2

As CJ continues to struggle to navigate his family’s ongoing difficulties, he FINALLY managed to record a new DHP episode. This is a follow-up to the previous DHP episode (#283 “We Are Ruled by Psychopaths”), in which he delves into some topics not covered much, if at all, in that episode, including but not limited to: the difficulty of defining ‘psychopath vs. sociopath,’ reasons that non-psychopathic people might in some situations behave very similarly to a psychopath, the ‘Lucifer effect,’ how institutions tend toward psychopathic behavior, and more. Like this episode? You can throw CJ a $ tip via Paypal here: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=D6VUYSYQ4EU6L Throw CJ a $ tip via Venmo here: https://www.venmo.com/u/dangerousmedia Or throw CJ a BTC tip here: bc1qfrz9erz7dqazh9rhz3j7nv696nl52ux8unw79z CJ’s Picks (Amazon Affiliate links to books referenced in this episode) Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us by Robert Hare Links Support the Dangerous History Podcast via Patreon Subscribe to the Dangerous History Podcast Youtube Channel Follow CJ on Twitter/X Follow the DHP on Instagram Follow the DHP on Facebook Hire CJ to speak to your group or at your event Other ways to support the show The post Ep. 0284: We Are Ruled By Psychopaths, Part 2 first appeared on The Dangerous History Podcast.

56 min
12/27/2025

Ep. 0283: We Are Ruled By Psychopaths

“We are ruled by psychopaths.” CJ did not coin that phrase, but he repeats it often, and he means it both literally & emphatically. This may sound crazy to many, but that perception is often based on a very mistaken understanding of what the term ‘psychopath’ really means. Join CJ on a deep dive into the true nature of psychopaths, how to spot them, how they operate, & why it’s a very reasonable hypothesis to suspect that psychopaths are very disproportionately represented among corporate oligarchs, politicians, & government officials. Reminder: Now through the end of 2025, you can save 25% off an annual membership to CJ’s Patreon, or 25% off the first month of a monthly membership, with the offer code 1225 ! Like this episode? You can throw CJ a $ tip via Paypal here: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=D6VUYSYQ4EU6L Throw CJ a $ tip via Venmo here: https://www.venmo.com/u/dangerousmedia Or throw CJ a BTC tip here: bc1qfrz9erz7dqazh9rhz3j7nv696nl52ux8unw79z Other ways to support the show (including CJ’s PO Box address) CJ’s Picks (Amazon Affiliate links to books referenced in this episode) Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us by Robert Hare Snakes in Suits: When Psychopaths Go to Work by Paul Babiak & Robert Hare The post Ep. 0283: We Are Ruled By Psychopaths first appeared on The Dangerous History Podcast.

3h 39m
11/12/2025

Ep. 282: 25 More of CJ’s Favorite Antiwar Songs (Part 1)

Happy Armistice Day! In this episode, CJ covers the first 13 songs on his list of 25 More Favorite Antiwar Songs. (The remaining dozen will be covered in a supporters-only bonus episode exclusively for those excellent individuals who support CJ’s work on Patreon at the Journeyman Scholar Warrior Level & Higher.) Like this episode? You can throw CJ a $ tip via Paypal here: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=D6VUYSYQ4EU6L Throw CJ a $ tip via Venmo here: https://www.venmo.com/u/dangerousmedia Or throw CJ a BTC tip here: bc1qy9ywk9vdlran8nc0t4urwfzfhcakwa5y5lwwf4 Links Support the Dangerous History Podcast via Patreon Get CJ’s Dangerous American History Bibliography FREE Subscribe to the Dangerous History Podcast Youtube Channel Follow CJ on Twitter/X Follow the DHP on Instagram Follow the DHP on Facebook Hire CJ to speak to your group or at your event Other ways to support the show The post Ep. 282: 25 More of CJ’s Favorite Antiwar Songs (Part 1) first appeared on The Dangerous History Podcast.

See All (43)

4.6

out of 5

632 Ratings

Great Podcast

11/11/2024

run happy

I heard CJ first on Tom Woods’ show. I’m making my way through the Wilson history. I already had read he was a horrible president but I am Learning so much more about him and the political climate at the time. I also like it when CJ goes into different political thought and gives real examples of who held the belief and how it impacted history. I am telling my grown kids and my friends. I look forward to hearing more. CJ is a great researcher and conveys his learning as only a well honed teacher can.
All I Heard

11/01/2024

Lalitune

Woodrow Wilson part 4 all I heard him saying is that he was an ignoramus.
Excellent content

10/06/2024

PenName69

Came from the Tom Woods show. This is a great podcast. Half way through the Woodrow Wilson series and am learning a lot. Great work CJ.
Glad he is back

09/18/2024

Deutschmark nie

Host is very smart, very well read and generally tells good stories. He is a bit too libertarian at times but very rarely does that get in the way of his work.