Best Daniel Mainwaring Podcasts (2025)

1
The Extraordinary Tale of "The Scottish Indian" 34:39

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9d ago34:39

34:39

In the late 18th century in Scotland, a vagabond gained attention with a story of kidnapping, slavery, war, and immersion into native American culture. Peter Williamson became a sensation in the British Isles, but how much of his story was true? In this episode, I explore the bizarre tale of Peter Williamson. I separate fact from fiction and reveal…

1
Coming to Terms with Historical Trauma: The Cambodian Genocide 35:36

1M ago35:36

35:36

Imagine one day waking up and being told to forget everything you had learned in school. Discovering that key industries in the economy had been eliminated. Learning that culture and history had been reset to year zero. And, worst of all learning that you and your friends and family were to be killed or sent to concentration camps. This is the horr…

1
Armenian Genocide: Truth and Denial 36:55

2M ago36:55

36:55

On the eve of launching a genocidal conflict in 1939, Adolf Hitler is reported to have asked "Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?" The event he was referring to was the near decade long systematic destruction of the ethnic Armenian community living in the Ottoman Empire or today's Turkiye. Hitler was alluding to the o…

1
AI: The Dangers Real and Imagined with Prof. Margaret Schwartz 34:50

3M ago34:50

34:50

Terminator, rogue chat bots, artificial intelligence replacing human workers ... over the last few years we have all seen numerous headlines about the existential threat posed to humanity by AI. But are these fears legitimate? Where do the fears come from? Are we really in danger from AI or something else? In this episode I speak with returning gue…

1
Samurai: Fact Versus Fiction with Dr. Michael Wert 32:01

4M ago32:01

32:01

We are all familiar with the Japanese Samurai: Sword wielding traditional warriors all consumed with a rigid honor code known as Bushido. But how much of this is true? In this episode I speak with an expert Dr. Michael Wert Associate Professor of East Asian History at Marquette University. Through his work which includes the book Samurai: A Concise…

1
To Run the World: The Kremlin's Cold War Bid for Global Power: Sergey S. Radchenko 34:02

4M ago34:02

34:02

At the end of ww1, the vast but ailing Russian empire collapsed. What followed was regicide, civil war and famine. But just a generation later, the world had changed. Russia, now part of the Soviet Union found itself uniquely positioned to itself on the global scene in a way it had done before. In this episode I speak with Russian born historian Se…

1
Manipulating The Weather: Folly or Science? A History with Prof. Jim Fleming 26:57

5M ago26:57

26:57

Climate change has accelerated efforts by some theorists to develop mechanisms for controlling Earth's weather patterns and even the biosphere. But human attempts to control our these elements are nothing new. In fact, our ancestors aspired to do the same in antiquity. But what attempts have been made already to alter the weather? Were they success…

1
The Bizarre Tragedy of Killer Catherine Hayes 25:32

5M ago25:32

25:32

WARNING: This episode includes eye witness accounts of a violent murder and subsequent execution. Catherine Hayes was born into an unexceptional working class family at the end of the 17th century in Birmingham, England. Like so many of that era, and most of us today, she led a life that ordinarily wouldn't warrant mention in a history book. But on…

1
Life After Hate: The Reformed Neo Nazis 35:25

6M ago35:25

35:25

In recent years El Paso, Buffalo, Charleston, and Overland Park have joined the list of cities where right wing extremists have committed mass killings. Racial hate and fascism are not new. From slavery, into the civil war, Jim Crow, the civil rights era, onto the Oklahoma City bombing, Charlottesville and so on, right wing extremists have posed a …

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Lost Tribes and the Ark of the Covenant found in Africa? Tudor Parfitt Interview 39:54

6M ago39:54

39:54

By the mid Nineteenth century Europeans had conquered or explored all of the Americas, Asia and even remote Pacific outposts that we know today as Australia, New Zealand, and Tahiti. But bizarrely one area remained largely unexplored and it was right on Europe's doorstep: Sub Saharan Africa. As you might expect, explorers, missionaries and of cours…

1
Classic Episode: Astronaut Steve Hawley 27:17

6M ago27:17

27:17

Originally aired 2022. In 1990, astronaut Steven Hawley deployed the Hubble telescope in space as part of the crew of the space shuttle Discovery. Kansas-born Hawley was among the civilians selected to be part of the space program on the basis of his expertise in a specific area: astronomy. One of his subsequent trips into space involved completing…

1
Romanian Revolution 1989: Classics Revisited 35:31

7M ago35:31

35:31

Explore the captivating story of the Romanian revolution of 1989, a pivotal moment shaped by the country's rich history of resisting and embracing external influences. This intricate tapestry of events traces back to the second century AD when the Roman Emperor Trajan conquered the region, leaving an indelible mark in the form of plundered gold. Su…

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Mata Hari: Super spy? or Victim of Circumstance. 27:13

11M ago27:13

27:13

Mata Hari -- publicly portrayed as a mysterious Javan princess who became famous for her exotic dance routines and high profile affairs -- has become the poster child for twentieth century female espionage. The bombshell sex symbol who can seduce any man. The cunning and ruthless individual who will betray anyone to enrich herself as a double agent…

1
TITANIC 29:30

11M ago29:30

29:30

In 1912, the "unsinkable" jewel in the crown of White Star Line voyages -- The Titanic -- hit an iceberg and sunk on its maiden voyage. It is difficult to imagine how passengers enjoying the amenities of this luxury liner would have reacted when suddenly they realized the vessel had become a floating coffin. Only a third of the passengers and crew …

1
Mata Hari 2:15

12M ago2:15

2:15

She has become the poster child for James Bond style cunning, honey-trap-setting, spying vixens but does reality match the myths around Mata Hari? In this upcoming episode I speak with Prof. Tammy Proctor of Utah State University, author of Female Intelligence: Women and Espionage in the First World War. We discuss the Dutch girl who became a "Java…

1
Saharan Nightmare: The Invasion the World Forgot featuring Prof. Jacob Mundy 38:47

12M ago38:47

38:47

Situated on the Mediterranean, just a short distance from Spain and the rest of Europe, Morocco attracts tens of millions of tourists every year. They flock to see the iconic mosques and bazaars. But there's another, much larger structure that you won't find in any tourist guides and is seldom talked about. It's a 2700 kilometer long barrier wall c…

1
Amelia Earhart: Mysterious End, Fascinating Beginning 23:45

1y ago23:45

23:45

In 1937, Kansas native and pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart sought to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world. It was a daring adventure but one that ended in tragedy. Almost 9 decades later, a company named Deep Sea Vision produced evidence of a plane closely resembling Amelia’s at the bottom of the Pacific. Recovery attempts ar…

1
ANGOLA 29:50

1y ago29:50

29:50

An old Angolan proverb suggests it is the voyage not the ship that is important. And for the people of Angola the voyage has been a long one, from the era of the might Kongo empire, through the slave trade, colonialism, an independence struggle, and more recently decades of civil war. Despite this, in 2015 the capital city Luanda was in was listed …

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"Witchcraft," and violence in paradise with Dr. Fiona Hukula 29:06

1y ago29:06

29:06

Imagine one day being cast out of your society, subjected to violence or killed simply because you continue to participate in the traditional rituals and activities your community have practiced for generations. It might sound extraordinary but as we’ve seen down the centuries this is what happens when age old activities are suddenly rebranded as w…

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Sonic Booms, Feathers, & Dinosaurs: Renowned Paleontologist Philip J. Currie 38:18

1y ago38:18

38:18

Imagine an alien world where a creature could create a sonic boom simply by whipping its tail. Look no further as such creatures once roamed the Earth. This is just one remarkable discovery made by the world renowned Paleontologist Philip J. Currie -- the man whose worked inspire Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park. In this episode, I speak with Phili…

1
Madagascar Discovery With Dr. Patricia Wright 35:21

1+ y ago35:21

35:21

In 1986, anthropologist Patricia Wright arrived in the tropical paradise of Madagascar. Seemingly, she was hunting a ghost: the greater bamboo lemur — then believed to be extinct. Lemurs predate humans by millions of years and have long been prevalent on Madagascar. In contrast, the first human settlers arrived on the Island within the last few tho…

1
The Bizarre Borat-like Regime of Turkmenistan with Bruce Pannier 32:54

1+ y ago32:54

32:54

The Borat movies were a fun but far fetched parody right? Think again. The Central Asian nation of Turkmenistan is currently ruled by the clownish Gurbangulyýewiç Berdimuhamedow and his son Serdar. He has styled himself as an action hero. Unfortunately he isn't very good at racing, handling horses, firing guns, singing, dancing, weight lifting, rap…

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Rwanda Genocide Survivor, Political Exile, and Inspiration: Drocella Mugorewera 31:40

1+ y ago31:40

31:40

In 1994, Drocella Mugorewera was a young mother when Ethnic tensions between Hutu's and Tutsi's rooted in colonial divisions boiled over and led to a horrific genocide in Rwanda that cost up to one million lives. Drocella fled to the comparative safety of the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo before returning home determined to mold a better so…

1
Simón Bolívar: Liberator of The Americas with Prof. Tomas Straka 28:29

1+ y ago28:29

28:29

Despite being orphaned at a young age, Simon Bolivar was far from an orphan Annie character. Born into a wealthy Criollo family in 1783, his education continued before he made an extensive trip around Europe. While there, he was introduced to ideas of the enlightenment and events such as the French Revolution. Despite his ethnically Spanish roots, …

1
How I went from Mafia Enforcer to DOJ Informer: Aiden Gabor Interview 36:13

1+ y ago36:13

36:13

The DeCavalcante Crime Family of New Jersey were the inspiration for HBO's acclaimed Sopranos drama series. In this episode, I speak with one of their members: Aidan Gabor. He is a mafia henchman, turned DOJ informant and cop. Gabor shares his origin story from his parents escape from Soviet occupied Budapest to his childhood descent into crime and…