Best Restless Samurai Podcasts (2026)

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World War I: The surprising victory of 1918 1:08:01

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19h ago1:08:01

1:08:01

Today the thing we find mysterious is why WWI lasted as long as it did. Why continue a pointless slaughter. Comparisions with the war in Ukraine suggest an answer! My guess is is Professor David Stevenson and for him the mystery is not why it lasted so long but why it ended when it did. For the German public is was particularly mysterious. Just a f…

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Ed West on 1066 and all that 54:17

29d ago54:17

54:17

Ed West is a journalist and massively popular substacker - do check out his substack The Wrong Side of History. But he has a sideline in history so I got him on the show to talk about 1066 and the battle of Hastings. Ed is on top form so please join us as he talks about: - why Harold should have listened to his Mum - Harald Hadrada's absolute last …

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Edward I - a Great and Terrible King 1:06:41

2M ago1:06:41

1:06:41

A six-foot-two prince who loved tournaments, outfoxed a revolution, and nearly died on crusade returns to build castles that still dominate the Welsh coast and to bend Scotland to his will until Robert the Bruce strikes back. We follow Edward I’s path from a devoted crusader to the architect of a more centralised, harder-edged medieval state, where…

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Empress Wu Zetian and the Age of Female Rule 1:15:26

3M ago1:15:26

1:15:26

“With the heart of a serpent and the nature of a wolf, she gathered sycophants to her cause and brought destruction to the just. She slew her sister, butchered her brothers, killed her prince, and poisoned her mother. She is hated by men and gods alike.” Jonathan Clements came back on to talk about his book on Wu Zetian (623–705), the only woman ev…

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Napoleon III Part 2: The Power of Lust 1:03:48

3M ago1:03:48

1:03:48

As promised in part 1 we started the podcast by talking about some of Napoleon III’s many mistresses. Women like Harriet Howard, the Brighton bootmaker’s daughter, Virginia de Castiglione, sent by the Italians to seduce and spy on him (and welcomed with open arms!), Marguerite Bellanger and Louise de Mercy-Argenteau. His wife hated his infidelities…

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Napoleon III Part 1: The Lust for Power 1:06:21

3M ago1:06:21

1:06:21

From exiled prince to emperor, Napoleon III's rise to power reads like a political thriller too wild to be true. Edward Shawcross tells the story of Napoleon Bonaparte's nephew, a man who attempted not one but two comically failed coups before finally succeeding in becoming Emperor of France. This episode explores Louis-Napoleon's bizarre childhood…

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From Eunuchs to Corsairs: The World of Islamic Slavery 1:04:21

4M ago1:04:21

1:04:21

Fourteen centuries of enslavement, from the Prophet Muhammad's day to modern Mauritania. Justin Marozzi's fascinating book "Captives and Companions" has as its subject the complex history of slavery across the Islamic world, challenging simplistic narratives and revealing uncomfortable truths about power, race, and religion. Our conversation touche…

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The Tokyo Tribunal: War Crimes, Justice, and Geopolitics 1:16:56

5M ago1:16:56

1:16:56

This episode looks at the courtroom drama that helped to shape Asia after World War II with Princeton University's Gary Bass. Far more than a simple account of justice served, the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal represents a fascinating intersection of international law, power politics, and competing visions of history that continues to reverberate throu…

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The Pilgrimage of Grace: When England Fought the Reformation 1:24:40

6M ago1:24:40

1:24:40

When 50,000 northerners marched under their banners in 1536, England witnessed its largest rebellion since the Peasants' Revolt. The Pilgrimage of Grace wasn't just a protest - it threatened to undo the English Reformation completely and return the kingdom to Rome. Professor Peter Marshall, the renowned Tudor historian, tells the story of this extr…

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Byzantium and the First Crusade 1:13:18

6M ago1:13:18

1:13:18

The ever excellent Professor David Parnell (of Belisarius and Antonina fame) came on to talk about the First Crusade. And given his interest in the Eastern Roman Empire we spent a lot of time talking about it from that angle. When Emperor Alexius I found his thousand-year-old empire crumbling under Turkish advances in the late 11th century, he aske…

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Shattered Jewels - Japan's Path to War (3 and final) 1:24:29

7M ago1:24:29

1:24:29

What makes a nation launch an attack it cannot hope to win? Admiral Yamamoto, who planned the Pearl Harbor attack, warned Japan's leadership they would have only six months before America would mobilize its entire continent to destroy them. He was right, but his warning was ignored. The episode starts with a discussion about the controversial Yasuk…

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Manchuria to Pearl Harbor: Japan's Path to War (2) 1:04:26

7M ago1:04:26

1:04:26

How did Japan become embroiled in one of history's deadliest conflicts? The answer lies not in December 1941, but decades earlier. Jonathan Clements returns to unravel the forces that propelled Japan down a path to war with the world's greatest industrial power. Following Japan's victory in the First Sino-Japanese War, the country emerged with new …

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An Alien Game: Japan's Path to War (1) 1:09:15

7M ago1:09:15

1:09:15

The transformation of Japan from hermit kingdom to imperial power happened with breathtaking speed. When American Commodore Perry's "black ships" steamed into Tokyo Bay in the 1850s, they shattered Japan's 250-year isolation with technology that seemed to come "from 200 years in the future." This technological gap created a constitutional crisis th…

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How England Nearly Conquered France & Why They Failed 1:00:52

8M ago1:00:52

1:00:52

The Hundred Years' War shaped medieval Europe's political landscape for over a century—but what really caused this epic conflict between England and France? In this illuminating conversation, former UK Supreme Court Justice and acclaimed medieval historian Lord Jonathan Sumption cuts through myths and misconceptions to reveal the war's true origins…

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Imperial Twilight: How Trade, Tea, and Opium Led to War 1:18:03

9M ago1:18:03

1:18:03

The story of the Opium War is one of history's most consequential yet widely misunderstood conflicts. Professor Stephen Platt joined me to unravel the fascinating web of events that led Britain and China into a collision that would reshape Asia and the global balance of power for centuries to come. Far from being a simple tale of drug dealers backe…

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The Curse of a King - with Christopher de Bellaigue 1:13:52

10M ago1:13:52

1:13:52

I spoke to Christopher before about his book the Lion House. That was part 1 of a trilogy on the life of Suleiman the Magnificent. Christopher is back to talk about part 2: The Golden Throne - the Curse of a King. From the intricate power dynamics of the Ottoman court to bloody naval battles in the Mediterranean, "The Golden Throne" recreates the w…

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Anton Howes on Salt (and on much, much more!) 1:18:38

11M ago1:18:38

1:18:38

Anton Howes writes the brilliant Age of Invention substack. We were supposed to talk about the history of salt and its powerful impact on people and states. We certainly did talk about that but also a lot more! - history's efflorescences - Henry VIII's ruthless tax grabs - The feebleness of England (until suddenly . . .) - Rebel space colonies - Th…

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Tiberius - a good emperor, a broken man 1:16:13

12M ago1:16:13

1:16:13

In this episode Professor Ed Watts and I look at the brilliant career and sad life of the Emperor Tiberius. We try to understand how this most capable and intelligent man came to be seen by history as one of the most monstrous of the Roman emperors. In researching for the podcast I came across a really stirring defence of Tiberius in the shape of a…

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Christ's Samurai with Jonathan Clements - part 2 58:21

1y ago58:21

58:21

This is part 2 of my podcast with Jonathan Clements on Japan's Christian century. In this episode we get on to the rebellion itself. Sensitive listeners may want to brace themselves!By Russell Hogg

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Christ's Samurai with Jonathan Clements - part 1 58:46

1y ago58:46

58:46

A two part podcast on Japan's Christian century. Jonathan Clements wrote a brilliant book called Christ's Samurai about the Shimabara rebellion of 1638. We cover the story in two parts - this is part 1 and tells of the early successes and later disasters of the efforts to bring christianity to Japan. Part 2 will cover the story of the rebellion its…

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In the Kingdom of Ice - with Hampton Sides 55:46

1y ago55:46

55:46

Hampton Sides loves to tell stories of people fighting against impossible odds. The story of the Jeannette's voyage is right in that vein. His book is called In the Kingdom of Ice and the subtitle sums it up - the Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette. Look forward to hearing about US naval officer George de Long's polar expedition o…

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Spring Heeled Jack - with Mike Dash 56:55

1y ago56:55

56:55

Spring Heeled Jack was an uncatchable villain from Victorian times. His speciality was attacking young women, raking their faces and clothes with metal claws and sometimes breathing fire in their faces. We have good evidence for his existence with newspaper reports and police and courts involved. But the more historian Mike Dash peels away the laye…

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Giles Milton on Nathaniel’s Nutmeg 55:09

1+ y ago55:09

55:09

The 'spice wars' between the Dutch and the English in the 1600's were quite something. Giles Milton told the story in his remarkable book Nathaniel's Nutmeg. What I hadn't realised until reading this was how feeble and disorganised the English were compared to their competitors. And the Dutch in particular were as ruthless as they were capable. Vis…

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Rebel Island - Jonathan Clements on the history of Taiwan - part 2 1:04:15

1+ y ago1:04:15

1:04:15

We are back with Jonathan Clements for part 2 of our podcast on the history of Taiwan. In this episode we start with the remarkable story of Taiwan's 50 years as a colony of Japan. And Jonathan then takes the story through the White Terror up to the current day. And to remind you: Rebel Island Jonathan's blog…

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Rebel Island - Jonathan Clements on the history of Taiwan - part 1 50:03

1+ y ago50:03

50:03

Jonathan Clements has written a number of histories of East Asia. His latest, Rebel Island, is a history of Taiwan from the earliest times up to today. If you have any interest in the history of the region this book is an absolute must read. And while it is a serious and meticulously researched history it is also genuinely gripping with 'Blimey! I …

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The 4th Crusade and the final fall of the Roman Empire - with Ed Watts 1:24:08

1+ y ago1:24:08

1:24:08

Delighted to have Professor Ed Watts back on the show. This time he is talking about the 4th Crusade which turned into one of history's great catastrophes. People give many possible dates for the fall of the Roman Empire and Ed argues persuasively for 1204 when the crusade reaches its heartbreaking climax.…

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In Sulla's shadow - Ed Watts reappraises Caesar 1:01:01

1+ y ago1:01:01

1:01:01

Professor Ed Watts is a reliably brilliant guest on the show. In this episode he looks at Sulla's career and the blight the cast on the Roman Republic. Ed argues that it is impossible to understand any the great characters - Caesar, Cicero, Cato, Pompey and so on - without understanding the scarring effect of Sulla's rule. In Ed's view Caesar emerg…

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Mother Leakey and the Bishop 56:21

1+ y ago56:21

56:21

I can't remember enjoying a story more than Peter Marshall's Mother Leakey and the Bishop. The way Peter tells the story is absolutely brilliant with walk on parts from some very famous characters. At heart though it is a ghost story and the story of how an Anglican Bishop came to be hanged for the crime of sodomy in Dublin in the winter of 1640. P…

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Kaldellis on Byzantium - part 2 38:24

1+ y ago38:24

38:24

We cover the miserable tale of the 4th crusade, the Latin Empire and Anthony gives advice on how to write a Byzantium based historical novel. We had fun with this one and I hope you enjoy it.By Russell Hogg

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Anthony Kaldellis on Byzantium (Part 1) 1:05:21

1+ y ago1:05:21

1:05:21

If you have any interest at all in Byzantium or in the Roman Empire generally I think you should really enjoy this episode. Professor Kaldellis is one of the leading scholars on Byzantium (East Rome?) and his book The New Roman Empire - A History of Byzantium takes you all the way from the founding of Constantinople to its fall to the Ottoman Turks…

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Hampton Sides - the last voyage of Captain Cook 51:53

2y ago51:53

51:53

Hampton has been on the podcast before and if you haven't yet found his books of narrative history I urge you to seek them out. Absolutely thrilling stories but told with real historical skill. Today we talked about Captain Cook's last voyage which ended in 1779. Hampton's book is called The Wide Wide Sea and he pays attention to all parts of the s…

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The Sin Eater 48:00

2y ago48:00

48:00

I am a huge fan of Mike Dash's books. We have talked about Batavia's Graveyard and Tulipomania in past episodes. But Mike also has a fascination for weird semi folkloric stories and in this episode he unearths the truth about that remarkable creature, the Sin Eater.By Russell Hogg

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Ed West - From the Romans to Alfred the Great 1:06:15

2y ago1:06:15

1:06:15

Most people know Ed West for his journalism and in particular for his substack The Wrong Side of History. If you haven't found that yet then check it out - it is one of the best things of its kind out there. But Ed also writes book and in particular a series of short introductions to various periods of English history. If (like me) you sometimes fi…

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John McWhorter and Scott Sumner - talking movies 1:03:39

2y ago1:03:39

1:03:39

I am a huge fan of John McWhorter and have come to have great respect for Scott Sumner's knowledge and judgement when it comes to movies. It was a real pleasure to get them together to chat about favourite movies, directors and genres.By Russell Hogg

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Dikötter on Dictators 50:39

2y ago50:39

50:39

Frank Dikötter returns to the show to talk about dictators and in particular how they use the cult of personality to crush friends and enemies alike. HIs book on dictators is an elightening tour of some of the worst men of the 20th century - horribly enjoyable!By Russell Hogg

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The Lives of East Germans - Katja Hoyer 1:18:27

2y ago1:18:27

1:18:27

If, like me, your idea of East Germany is dominated by spy movies and and you think that perhaps it was nothing more than a open air prison with the Stasi round every corner then Katja Hoyer's remarkable book Beyond the Wall is an ideal corrective. Katja blends personal tales (some happy and some utterly tragic) with an analysis of the wider geopol…

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Love Alarm 57:08

2y ago57:08

57:08

Love Alarm A love story about growing up and the pitfalls of social media. Thank you for listening. twitter.com/FistInAFrame https://mydramalist.com/profile/RestlessSamurai www.RestlessSamuraiPodcast.com ©2023 DannyDeLaCruz 落ち着きのない侍

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Britons never will be slaves? 1:02:29

2y ago1:02:29

1:02:29

Giles Milton is one of my favourite authors producing narrative history today. The stories he tells are just jaw dropping. We talked about his book White Gold which tells the stories of Thomas Pellow who was seized and taken off into slavery in 1714. Looming large in the story is the remarkable Moulay Ismail, ruler of Morroco at the time. He makes …

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King the Land 43:47

2y ago43:47

43:47

King the Land Let's talk a little about how sometimes you just need a nice little rom-com to sit back with your coffee and churros to mindlessly enjoy. Thank you for listening. The Restless Samurai Podcast twitter.com/FistInAFrame https://mydramalist.com/profile/RestlessSamurai www.RestlessSamuraiPodcast.com ©2023 DannyDeLaCruz 落ち着きのない侍…

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Italy, a ruin - part 2 of the Adventures of Belisarius and Antonina 1:05:40

2+ y ago1:05:40

1:05:40

David Parnell and I wrap up the story of Belisarius and Antonina. We are now on to the liberation of Italy and by the end I felt the Romans there might have preferred to have been left alone. It is a huge subject and we couldn't do more than give an overview. If you want more David's book is terrific. We are very lucky with our sources for this per…

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Constantinople shows its teeth - part 1 of the Adventures of Belisarius and Antonina 58:39

2+ y ago58:39

58:39

David Parnell has a wonderful new book out called Belisarius and Antonina. This is the story of a real husband and wife partnership. Belisarius was perhaps the greatest Roman general of the 6th century and his wife Antonina accompanied him and was intimately involved in his campaigns. I really enjoyed speaking to David about the twists and turns of…

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Mao's China with Frank Dikötter 1:07:50

2+ y ago1:07:50

1:07:50

Frank Dikötter is the author of a series of brilliant and harrowing books about communist China. He is not only a prize winning historian of post war China but a highly engaging speaker. He talked about China from the time of the communist takeover after WWII all the way up to and beyond the death of Mao. The regime was responsible for the deaths o…

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See You in My 19th Life 23:21

2+ y ago23:21

23:21

See You in My 19th Life Let's talk a little about reincarnation and the family that you are stuck with. Thank you for listening. twitter.com/FistInAFrame https://mydramalist.com/profile/RestlessSamurai www.RestlessSamuraiPodcast.com ©2023 DannyDeLaCruz 落ち着きのない侍By Danny De La Cruz

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It's Okay to Not Be Okay 52:36

2+ y ago52:36

52:36

The Restless Samurai Podcast It's Okay to Not Be Okay This is the first episode of the podcast. Thank you for listening. Today we get acquainted and talk a little bit about It's Okay to Not Be Okay. twitter.com/FistInAFrame https://mydramalist.com/profile/RestlessSamurai www.RestlessSamuraiPodcast.com ©2023 DannyDeLaCruz 落ち着きのない侍…

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HMS Wager: shipwreck, mutiny and murder 1:01:20

2+ y ago1:01:20

1:01:20

This is the story of Anson's voyage around the world in the 1740's. In particular it is about the ship the Wager and the crew's incredible bravery, endurance and ingenuity in appalling conditions. And it is about shipwreck, murder and mutiny. David Grann's book tells the story brilliantly. You will never want to get on a boat again!…

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Sharp and Sumner: 6 Japanese movies 1:22:03

2+ y ago1:22:03

1:22:03

Jasper Sharp is probably the UK's leading expert on Japanese film and he joined me on the show today with Scott Sumner. Scott has a famous economics blog that has a side line in movie reviews. The pair of them were on really good form discussing a list of six movies that Jasper came up with. I think that even people unfamiliar with Japanese film sh…

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McWhorter and Holland - On dinosaurs 53:05

2+ y ago53:05

53:05

John McWhorter and Tom Holland are a perfect pairing. They are absolutely delightful company both with a dry sense of humour. I was keen to bring them together because I learned they share a love a dinosaurs. Absolute fanatics it turns out. I got the sense they really enjoyed chatting to each other and I hope you will enjoy listening. An interest i…

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Acre 1291 - the final showdown 1:17:33

3y ago1:17:33

1:17:33

Roger Crowley is one on the best (if not the best) narrative historians of the Middle Ages. Here is on great form talking about the Siege of Acre in 1291. The Crusaders have been pushed back and back with Acre the last meaningful holdout. They are up against the formidable Mamluks led by Sultan Khalil. Can they hold out? Roger's book The Accursed T…

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The Salem Witch trials with Stacy Schiff 56:55

3y ago56:55

56:55

Stacy Schiff is one of America's most acclaimed historians and biographers. Her book The Witches is a detailed, almost forensic, history of the Salem witch trials on 1692. She very kindly came on the podcast to talk about it and she is every bit as good a storyteller in person as you would imagine from reading the book. I found her book and our con…

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Suleiman the Magnificent with Christopher de Bellaigue 57:30

3y ago57:30

57:30

Christopher de Bellaigue's book The Lion House is a brilliant history of the first part of Suleiman the Magnificent's reign. I love history and I can't remember loving a history book more that this one. As I say in the podcast, I think it is an unabashed masterpiece and such a pleasure to read. Christopher tells the story in particular of two men a…