EPISODE 113: Rome’s Forgotten Guerrilla Master

“For many of those for whom there is no light at the end of the tunnel, the story of Sertorius should be an example and an inspiration.” - Philip Matyszak

Here’s the tale of one of Rome’s greatest and least known generals. A master of guerrilla warfare, he defeated many legions sent after him, and even outclassed Pompey the Great. His story is about the defiance that makes a man stand in the face of impossible odds. Nearly alone against the greatest power of the age, Sertorius knew his chances of victory were nearly non-existent, but this didn’t stop him from fighting just the same. 

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Throughout history, people have used mushrooms (such as Lion’s Mane, Turkey Tail, Cordyceps, Reishi and Chaga) for their medicinal properties. My friends started Purest Mushrooms where they offer some of the best quality mushrooms you can find on the market at affordable prices. Use code historyonfire at checkout for a discount.

Bison is some of the healthiest meat you could possibly eat. Get yours at Dakota Pure Bison. History on Fire listeners get a discount by using the code HOF10 at checkout.

This episode is supported by Arizona State University. Learn more about how ASU supports all learners through all stages of life.

My friend James Pieratt is one of the world’s top functional training experts, and a record-breaking hybrid athlete. Use the code WH25 for a 25% discount on all of his training programs at Wild Hunt Conditioning.

[RERUN] EPISODE 80: The Patriotic Mobsters

“Lucky will not be pleased to hear that you have not been helpful.” - Joe Adonis

“The outcome of the war appeared extremely grave. In addition, there was the most serious concern over possible sabotage in the ports. It was necessary to use every possible means to prevent and forestall sabotage and to prevent the possible supplying of and contact with enemy submarines.” - Captain Roscoe C. MacFall

“There was peace on the waterfront. It was kept with rough methods. But that's what the Navy asked us to do and that's what the Navy go.” - Meyer Lansky

Just because Lucky Luciano was one of the most famous mobsters of the 20th century doesn’t mean he was not a patriot ready to help the Allies win the war. Well… that’s one way to look at it. Otherwise, we’d have to conclude that during WWII, the government made a deal with the biggest Mafia boss of the times, releasing him from prison in exchange for his cooperation. Back then the government was in a bind—it wanted to protect American shores from sabotage at the hands of Nazi sympathizers, but it had only limited control on the docks. American ports belonged to the Mafia. And so the logical conclusion was that, for the sake of the war effort, the government jumped in bed with organized crime. This is the tale of the marriage of convenience between the American Navy and Lucky Luciano.  

Thank you to Alexander Von Sternberg from History Impossible for his help in crafting this episode.

If you feel generous and enjoy History on Fire, please consider joining my Patreon to access plenty of bonus content.

All the links to History on Fire social media can be found at our LinkTree, including: HOF YouTube Channel, Substack, Instagram and TikTok.

Throughout history, people have used mushrooms (such as Lion’s Mane, Turkey Tail, Cordyceps, Reishi and Chaga) for their medicinal properties. My friends started Purest Mushrooms where they offer some of the best quality mushrooms you can find on the market at affordable prices. Use code historyonfire at checkout for a discount.

Bison is some of the healthiest meat you could possibly eat. Get yours at Dakota Pure Bison. History on Fire listeners get a discount by using the code HOF10 at checkout.

This episode is supported by Arizona State University. Learn more about how ASU supports all learners through all stages of life.

My friend James Pieratt is one of the world’s top functional training experts, and a record-breaking hybrid athlete. Use the code WH25 for a 25% discount on all of his training programs at Wild Hunt Conditioning.

This episode is sponsored by Mint Mobile. Get your 3-month Unlimited wireless plan for just 15 bucks a month at www.mintmobile.com/ONFIRE 

EPISODE 112: Historical Daddy Issues

“The thought of him now and always has been a sense of comfort. I could breathe, I could sleep, when he had me in his arms. My father—he got me breath, he got me lungs, strength—life… The best I ever knew. He combined strength and courage with gentleness, tenderness and great unselfishness.” Theodore Roosevelt about his father.

Since my daughter was born, I have been trying my best to be as good a father as I’m capable of. Given this priority, it’s probably not surprising that I’ve given a whole lot of thought about what it means to be a good father, what makes a bad father and everything in between. In this episode, I tackle fatherhood in history: the bad (a lot), the good (considerably less), and the possible consequences. Looking at the evidence makes me wonder if much of history is the product of child abuse coming home to roost. In the course of this exploration, I look at a quite a few case studies (from Churchill to Stalin, from Marcus Aurelius to Alexander the Great, etc.), discuss the field of psychohistory, receive an assist from Dan Carlin, analyze how culture may shape fatherhood, and ponder how much bad fathers may have contributed to the popularity of dictators and cult leaders.

If you feel generous and enjoy History on Fire, please consider joining my Patreon to access plenty of bonus content.

All the links to History on Fire social media can be found at our LinkTree, including: HOF YouTube Channel, Substack, Instagram and TikTok.

Throughout history, people have used mushrooms (such as Lion’s Mane, Turkey Tail, Cordyceps, Reishi and Chaga) for their medicinal properties. My friends started Purest Mushrooms where they offer some of the best quality mushrooms you can find on the market at affordable prices. Use code historyonfire at checkout for a discount.

Bison is some of the healthiest meat you could possibly eat. Get yours at Dakota Pure Bison. History on Fire listeners get a discount by using the code HOF10 at checkout.

This episode is supported by Arizona State University. Learn more about how ASU supports all learners through all stages of life.

My friend James Pieratt is one of the world’s top functional training experts, and a record-breaking hybrid athlete. Use the code WH25 for a 25% discount on all of his training programs at Wild Hunt Conditioning.

[RERUN] EPISODE 79: Slavery

It was only a few generations ago when large numbers of people in United States saw nothing wrong with the notion of buying, selling and owning human beings. Weirder yet, some slave owners were masters in the mental gymnastics required to feel morally justified in enslaving members of their own families, including their own children. In this episode, I am joined by Darryl Cooper from The Martyrmade Podcast for a conversation about the institution of slavery.

If you feel generous and enjoy History on Fire, please consider joining my Patreon to access plenty of bonus content.

All the links to History on Fire social media can be found at our LinkTree, including: HOF YouTube Channel, Substack, Instagram and TikTok.

Throughout history, people have used mushrooms (such as Lion’s Mane, Turkey Tail, Cordyceps, Reishi and Chaga) for their medicinal properties. My friends started Purest Mushrooms where they offer some of the best quality mushrooms you can find on the market at affordable prices. Use code historyonfire at checkout for a discount.

Bison is some of the healthiest meat you could possibly eat. Get yours at Dakota Pure Bison. History on Fire listeners get a discount by using the code HOF10 at checkout.

This episode is supported by Arizona State University. Learn more about how ASU supports all learners through all stages of life.

My friend James Pieratt is one of the world’s top functional training experts, and a record-breaking hybrid athlete. Use the code WH25 for a 25% discount on all of his training programs at Wild Hunt Conditioning.

EPISODE 111: When Monsters Choose War

“It is our belief that Saddam wishes to return Islam to blasphemy and polytheism...if America becomes victorious...and grants victory to Saddam, Islam will receive such a blow that it will not be able to raise its head for a long time...The issue is one of Islam versus blasphemy, and not of Iran versus Iraq.” Ayatollah Khomeini

"We do not repent, nor are we sorry for even a single moment for our performance during the war. Have we forgotten that we fought to fulfill our religious duty and that the result is a marginal issue?" Ayatollah Khomeini

A friend of mine recently died after a lifetime of addiction. He was forcibly recruited to be a child soldier in the Iran-Iraq war when he was 13 years old. I think he died back then and spent the following 40 years slowly trying to finish the job. His death pushed me to create this episode about the war that took place during the 1980s. Please, keep in mind this is just an introduction to the topic rather than a deep-dive. And yet, in the course of this episode we’ll explore the 1953 oil coup that led to the rule by the Shah, the 1979 coup that turned Iran into a theocracy, the rise of Saddam Hussein, a televised purge, child soldiers, chemical weapons, martyrdom in the Shia tradition, and an American warship taking down an Iranian civilian airliner.  

If you feel generous and enjoy History on Fire, please consider joining my Patreon to access plenty of bonus content.

All the links to History on Fire social media can be found at our LinkTree, including: HOF YouTube Channel, Substack, Instagram and TikTok.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/hof. 

Throughout history, people have used mushrooms (such as Lion’s Mane, Turkey Tail, Cordyceps, Reishi and Chaga) for their medicinal properties. My friends started Purest Mushrooms where they offer some of the best quality mushrooms you can find on the market at affordable prices. Use code historyonfire at checkout for a discount.

Bison is some of the healthiest meat you could possibly eat. Get yours at Dakota Pure Bison. History on Fire listeners get a discount by using the code HOF10 at checkout.

This episode is supported by Arizona State University. Learn more about how ASU supports all learners through all stages of life.

My friend James Pieratt is one of the world’s top functional training experts, and a record-breaking hybrid athlete. Use the code WH25 for a 25% discount on all of his training programs at Wild Hunt Conditioning.