Tides of History - Podcast Rankings and reviews

I love history and history podcasts when they are done well. Like, Dan Carlin good.

Patrick Wyman NAILS IT.

Example:
Interviews can be iffy or weird. Lot’s of interviewers can’t prop up a researcher who isn’t great on their feet, and when things go flat, struggle to save the moment; not Patrick. He’s right there to spot them and help the specialist get back on track. Done better than a standard journalist. Kuddos, as well, to an excellent audio editing team.

In addition to being a pro interviewer, he is not detached. Despite not necessarily having expertise in a topic, he cultivates a subject, and prepares to be an enthusiastic and interested contributor to the conversation. The interviewed people love talking to him. It’s like he has a relationship with them, and they’re having a beer on the patio and chatting deeply and meaningfully about a research topic.

He has significant academic credit, but that’s a jump point, not a lane. If he tackles a subject, buckle up. It’s going to be good. The only episodes I’m not crazy about are the occasional book minipods. There. That’s my only meh critique (and that’s just my preference. He does those well too).

Not Feckless. Totally OG. If I had to pay beyond my Amazon sub I would. HE’S THAT GOOD.

The narrative history episodes are great: interesting, well researched and written, and well produced with a solid narrator. The guests are good too (though the discussion episodes do leave a lot to be desired from the host’s interviewing skills.)

If it weren’t for Wondery constantly pushing inane ads for their other shows in to the feed, this would be a five star review.

I’ve been listening to Tides for a couple years, and listened to Patrick’s Rome pod before. I don’t know how I’ve never left a review before!
I love his presentation and casual manner, and the depth of research done into the periods and topics.

Accessible history - presented in understandable narrative form that tells the story, or several versions of the event with color commentary on the odds of the several versions.
The stories are woven together so that connections become evident. Amazing use of visuals. And tells the stories using characters to illustrate the story. And brings in recent fact sets such as climate change with associated pandemics, famines, population declines, and deterioration of economic, civic, religious, educational, and cultural roles of the cities, without which the cities of the west sputtered and returned to its unconnected state.