I have been a fan of podcasts since I bought an iPod, years ago. Thanks to this iPod, I discovered first how DIFFICULT it was to use iTunes, and second... how awesome the Podcasts were! Really, without an iPod I would never have guessed I could download and listen to so many independent sources about anything you can imagine. 

But especially... HISTORY!

It turns out there are hundreds and hundreds of history buffs out there who have read tons and tons of books and have found out they are pretty talented to sort this knowledge out into a 30mins podcast form every week.

So, for anyone looking for the best history podcasts out there (don't be shy please), here you go :

THE HISTORY OF ROME by Mike Duncan

                                                                        

This is the gold standard of history podcasting. 179 episodes about the history of... well... ROME! The Eternal City, from the early days of the legendary Remus and Romulus to the last Western Emperor ! Started in July 2007 as a side project, it quickly gathered such a following and such a fame that Mike Duncan was able to quit his work as a fishmonger and devote himself to podcasting entirely. He is funny, witty, knows perfectly well how to draw his audience and to make anything Roman worthy of interest. After a few years of well deserved vacations, Mike Duncan has come back with a new project, bigger, bolder : it's called REVOLUTIONS and it's just as good!

HISTORY of the CRUSADES by Sharyn Eastaugh

                                                       

The Australian Sharyn Eastaugh stands out among the podcaster crowds by being one of the few girl to devote herself to podcasting history. Moreover, she chose quite the subject by delving into the Crusades along 170 episodes. She is a major in politics and history and a self-described armchair historian. Her passion is obvious and her delivery is impeccable. Not bad at all for such an epic and also controversial matter. She never looses of sight the big picture. 

THE HISTORY of BYZANTIUM by Robin Pierson

Robin Pierson is among a long list of podcasters who have been inspired by Mike Duncan's epic journey with The History of Rome. Since no one could quite convince Mike Duncan to keep going with the history of the Byzantine Empire, Robin Pierson just decided to do it himself. Starting in 453, his ongoing podcast about Byzantium has now 110 and we have just hit the 12th century. Meaning that there are probably (at least) a hundred more episodes to come up with until the fatidic date of 1453. Be aware that Robin makes some episodes paying, in order to fund his podcast, but these are totally voluntary and it does not impede the progression of the podcast comprehension at all. 

THE HISTORY of ENGLAND by David Crowther

                                                                           

David Crowther is a charming English gentleman who devotes his podcast to the history of his country, from a shed in his garden (during some early episodes you could even hear birds chipping in the background). He has already 190 episodes at the counter and proves to be the funniest and wittiest chap, with a great creativity to make the (mis)deeds of English rulers enjoyable to learn about. More often than not, he enlists his family in order to play the queens and kings of the realm to recreate a scene. But don't misunderstand: all of this is highly serious. And last but not least: he keeps organizing a few comment contests, where the winner can get a coin from long ago.

Bear in mind that this is just a little little list of podcasts, among the hundreds you can find online.

But they are some of my favourites and I could listen to them again and again.

So, what are your favourite podcasts out there? I'm not speaking only about History, but it can be about anything else.