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Ancient to Recent

Joseph Parkinson | Ancient to Recent

Ancient to Recent is a history podcast that explores how the past continues to shape our world today. From forgotten empires and overlooked revolutions to the hidden lives of historical figures, each episode takes a deep dive into the moments that mattered and the ones that should have.

🎙️ New episodes every week
📚 Based on real historical research and books
🌍 Covering everything from ancient civilisations to modern events

Whether you're a casual history fan or a dedicated learner, Ancient to Recent brings you the stories that shaped the world

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  • 24 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 44 min
  • English

Episodes 24

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  • S1 · E47
    April 19 · 37 min

    Stalin’s Shadow | Part 1 | The Final Days | Ancient to Recent | Episode 46

    In this episode of Ancient to Recent, Joseph Parkinson begins a new series on the final days of Joseph Stalin. At the height of his power, the Soviet dictator who had ruled through fear, purges, and war suddenly lies stricken after a stroke in his dacha. As his inner circle, men like Lavrentyi Beria and Nikita Khrushchev, hesitate, delay, and quietly calculate their next moves, the fate of the Soviet Union hangs in the balance. Across the USSR and the wider world, confusion spreads. Allies and enemies alike wait for news, while millions, from Kremlin insiders to Gulag prisoners, react in vastly different ways to the impending death of one of history’s most feared rulers. As Stalin fades, the system he built begins to tremble, and the race for power is already underway. Join Joseph Parkinson as Ancient to Recent begins its series on the death of a dictator and the struggle that follows. 🎧 New episodes every Saturday 📲 Follow on YouTube, Spotify & Instagram @AncientToRecent #Stalin #SovietUnion #ColdWar

    • Transcript
  • S1 · E46
    April 11 · 38 min

    The Siege of Constantinople | Part 5 | The Fall of an Empire | Ancient to Recent | Episode 45

    In this episode of Ancient to Recent, Joseph Parkinson concludes the dramatic siege of Constantinople. After weeks of relentless bombardment and failed assaults, Mehmed II launches his final, all-out attack. Wave after wave crashes against the shattered walls, as the exhausted defenders under Constantine XI Palaiologos fight to hold the line. But a series of crucial moments, a forgotten gate, the wounding of key commanders, and the unstoppable advance of the Janissaries, bring the city to the brink. As the defenses collapse, the last emperor of Rome makes his final stand. What follows is the fall of a city that had stood for over a thousand years, and the birth of a new era under the Ottoman Empire. Join Joseph Parkinson as Ancient to Recent concludes its series on one of the most decisive sieges in history. 🎧 New episodes every Saturday 📲 Follow on YouTube, Spotify & Instagram @AncientToRecent #Constantinople #ByzantineEmpire #OttomanEmpire #MehmedII #FallOfConstantinople #MedievalHistory #HistoryPodcast

    • Transcript
  • S1 · E45
    April 4 · 31 min

    The Siege of Constantinople | Part 4 | The Noose Tightens | Ancient to Recent | Episode 44

    In this episode of Ancient to Recent, Joseph Parkinson continues the dramatic siege of Constantinople as the struggle enters a final and brutal new phase. With his navy strengthened, Mehmed II seeks to break the city from both land and sea. After a failed assault on the Golden Horn, he executes one of the most audacious maneuvers in military history, hauling ships over land to bypass the chain and threaten the city from within. Inside the walls, Constantine XI Palaiologos and his exhausted defenders face dwindling supplies, growing division, and the devastating realization that no relief is coming from the West. As bombardment, betrayal, and relentless assaults grind on, the siege tightens, and the fate of the Byzantine Empire hangs by a thread. Join Joseph Parkinson as Ancient to Recent builds toward the final, decisive chapter in the fall of one of history’s greatest cities. 🎧 New episodes every Saturday 📲 Follow on YouTube, Spotify & Instagram @AncientToRecent #Constantinople #ByzantineEmpire #OttomanEmpire

    • Transcript
  • S1 · E44
    March 28 · 35 min

    The Siege of Constantinople | Part 3 | The Gunpowder Age Begins | Ancient to Recent | Episode 43

    In this episode of Ancient to Recent, Joseph Parkinson continues the story of the 1453 siege of Constantinople. As Mehmed II brings one of the largest armies of the medieval world to the city’s gates, the legendary Theodosian Walls face their greatest test. For centuries they had held firm but now a new weapon threatens to change everything: gunpowder. With massive cannons designed by Orban, the Ottomans unleash an unprecedented bombardment, shaking the walls and opening deadly breaches. Wave after wave of attacks crash against the defenses, where Emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos and his outnumbered forces fight desperately to hold the line. As artillery, engineering, and relentless assaults reshape the battlefield, it becomes clear, the age of invincible walls is coming to an end. Join Joseph Parkinson as Ancient to Recent continues the dramatic siege that will decide the fate of an empire. 🎧 New episodes every Saturday 📲 Follow on YouTube, Spotify & Instagram @AncientToRecent #Constantinople #ByzantineEmpire #OttomanEmpire #MehmedII #SiegeOfConstantinople #MedievalHistory #Gunpowder #HistoryPodcast

    • Transcript
Showing 21–24 of 24 episodes