Dan Carlin's Hardcore History

Dan Carlin

In "Hardcore History" journalist and broadcaster Dan Carlin takes his "Martian", unorthodox way of thinking and applies it to the past. Was Alexander the Great as bad a person as Adolf Hitler? What would Apaches with modern weapons be like? Will our modern civilization ever fall like civilizations from past eras? This isn't academic history (and Carlin isn't a historian) but the podcast's unique blend of high drama, masterful narration and Twilight Zone-style twists has entertained millions of listeners. read less

Our Editor's Take

Dan Carlin is not a typical historian. In fact, he's not a historian at all. His background is in TV news, and he's a former radio talk show host. So he describes himself as more of a fan of history. In the Hardcore History podcast, he sets out to cover some of civilization's more significant eras. And the show does this in the most entertaining and out-of-the-box way possible.

Most Hardcore History episodes are part of a series on one event or figure. From the Atlantic slave trade to Adolf Hitler, nothing's off-limits, and Carlin pulls no punches. He uses what he calls his “Martian mind” to contemplate topics in a nonacademic manner. No one else in the podcast sphere approaches history like this.

Each installment of this history podcast requires quite a time commitment. Carlin goes deep, with most episodes topping four hours. So unlike most shows that publish weekly or even daily, new Hardcore History episodes tend to pop up less than ten times per year.

Hardcore History received many awards throughout its decade and a half of production. Organizations recognizing the show include iTunes, iHeartRadio, the Podcast Awards, and Slate magazine. Carlin also hosts two other celebrated podcasts. Common Sense highlights his skeptical approach to politics. Hardcore History: Addendum is an extras pod that allows Carlin to further expound on the most popular topics with special guests. But nothing is quite like Hardcore History. It's a remarkable podcast worth making time for.

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Show 71 - Mania for Subjugation
Jun 7 2024
Show 71 - Mania for Subjugation
What's the recipe for making a historically world-class apex predator? In the case of Alexander the Great, it might be the three Ns: Nature, Nurture, and Nepotism.

Episodes

Show 71 - Mania for Subjugation
Jun 7 2024
Show 71 - Mania for Subjugation
What's the recipe for making a historically world-class apex predator? In the case of Alexander the Great, it might be the three Ns: Nature, Nurture, and Nepotism.
Show 70 - Twilight of the Aesir II
Nov 19 2023
Show 70 - Twilight of the Aesir II
Pagan Viking Sea Kings spend the 10th and 11th centuries morphing into Christian monarchs. But with rulers like Harald Bluetooth and Svein Forkbeard it's debatable whether things will be any less horrific for Scandinavia's neighbors
Show 69 - Twilight of the Aesir
Jan 15 2023
Show 69 - Twilight of the Aesir
This show picks up where Dan's Thor's Angels show left off. In the early Middle Ages Pagan Germanic-language speakers like the Vikings are a dying breed. Many of their contemporaries wish they'd die faster.
Show 68 - BLITZ Human Resources
Mar 7 2022
Show 68 - BLITZ Human Resources
The Atlantic Slave Trade mixes centuries of human bondage with violence, economics, commerce, geo-political competition, liberty, morality, injustice, revolution, tragedy and bloody reckonings. That sounds like a lot, yet this show merely scratches the surface of this enormous subject.
Show 67 - Supernova in the East VI
Jun 8 2021
Show 67 - Supernova in the East VI
When do spirit, tenacity, resilience and bravery cross into madness? When cities are incinerated? When suicide attacks become the norm? When atomic weapons are used? Japan's leaders test the limits of national endurance in the war's last year.
Show 66 - Supernova in the East V
Nov 14 2020
Show 66 - Supernova in the East V
Can suicidal bravery and fanatical determination make up for material, industrial and numerical insufficiency? As the Asia-Pacific conflict turns against the Japanese these questions are put to the test. The results are nightmarish.
Show 65 - Supernova in the East IV
Jun 3 2020
Show 65 - Supernova in the East IV
Coral Sea, Midway and Guadalcanal are three of the most famous battles of the Second World War. Together they will shift the momentum in the Pacific theater and usher in the era of modern naval and amphibious warfare.
Show 64 - Supernova in the East III
Oct 24 2019
Show 64 - Supernova in the East III
Japan's rising sun goes supernova and engulfs a huge area of Asia and the Pacific. A war without mercy begins to develop infusing the whole conflict with a savage vibe.
Show 63 - Supernova in the East II
Jan 12 2019
Show 63 - Supernova in the East II
Deep themes run through this show, with allegations of Japanese war crimes and atrocities in China at the start leading to eerily familiar, almost modern questions over how the world should respond. And then Dec 7, 1941 arrives...
Show 62 - Supernova in the East I
Jul 14 2018
Show 62 - Supernova in the East I
The Asia-Pacific War of 1937-1945 has deep roots. It also involves a Japanese society that's been called one of the most distinctive on Earth. If there were a Japanese version of Captain America, this would be his origin story.
Show 61 - (Blitz) Painfotainment
Jan 28 2018
Show 61 - (Blitz) Painfotainment
Pain is at the root of most drama and entertainment. When does it get too real? This very disturbing and graphic show looks into some case studies and asks some deep questions. WARNING Very intense subject matter.
Show 60 - The Celtic Holocaust
Aug 9 2017
Show 60 - The Celtic Holocaust
Julius Caesar is our travel guide as he takes us through his murderous subjugation of the native Celtic tribal peoples of ancient Gaul. It sounds vaguely like other, recent European colonial conquests...until the natives nearly win.
Show 59 - (Blitz) The Destroyer of Worlds
Jan 25 2017
Show 59 - (Blitz) The Destroyer of Worlds
What happens if human beings can't handle the power of their own weaponry? This show  examines the dangerous early years of the Nuclear Age and humankind's efforts to avoid self-destruction at the hands of its own creation.
Show 58 - Kings of Kings III
Aug 7 2016
Show 58 - Kings of Kings III
If this were a movie, the events and cameos would be too numerous and star-studded to mention. It includes Xerxes, Spartans, Immortals, Alexander the Great, scythed chariots, and several of the greatest battles in history.
Show 57 - Kings of Kings II
Mar 20 2016
Show 57 - Kings of Kings II
From Biblical-era coup conspiracies to the horrific aftermath of ancient combat this second installment of the series on the Kings of Achaemenid Persia goes where only Dan can take it. For better or worse…
Show 56 - Kings of Kings
Oct 29 2015
Show 56 - Kings of Kings
Often relegated to the role of slavish cannon fodder for Sparta's spears, the Achaemenid Persian empire had a glorious heritage. Under a single king they created the greatest empire the world had ever seen.