POLL: Pick the Next Extra History Series! The Theme is "Open Topic" (Patreon)

What series would you like us to air on Extra History? Cast your vote(s) below and let us know! 

Friendly reminder: You can vote for as many choices as you want! This style of voting helps us see what people are most interested in without having to make tough decisions between a couple of close favorites. The poll will end at 11:59 PM PT on Monday, October 28.

Current Schedule:  Angkor --> Policing London --> The Haitian Revolution --> Your vote!

 

Ibn Battuta: History's Greatest Traveler

In 1325, a 21-year-old scholar named Ibn Battuta left Morocco on a pilgrimage to Mecca. He would not return for 24 years. Instead, he would visit much of the Muslim world, from the Arabian Peninsula, to eastern Africa, from India, to the waters of Southeast Asia and China—then record it in a dictated memoir before his death. Not only is his the best record of the Medieval Muslim world in all its variations, it's also a bizarre and often hilarious tale as the brilliant (but frequently obnoxious) traveler makes is way across the world. From being kidnapped by rebels, to surviving shipwreck, to being imprisoned by a mad sultan and his execution elephants, Ibn Battuta's quests for money, adventure, position, and love often leave him extracting himself from harm's way.

The Taiping Rebellion: Lord of the Kingly Way

It's 1837, and Hong Xiuquan has just gone to bed sick. In the flush of fever hallucinations, he dreams of fighting demons and hears messages from god. And it might have ended there, if the Opium Wars had not let missionaries into China. After reading a Christian pamphlet, Hong had another revelation: his Christian god was the one who had spoken to him. More than that, he—Hong Xiuquan—was the younger brother of Jesus. Within ten years he was a force to be reckoned with, and in 1851, he had an army that would soon conquer and occupy Nanjing for 11 years. Thus began one of the deadliest conflicts in human history, with conservative estimates putting the death toll at 20 million people. It's a story that's filled with broken governments and utopian visions—and one so bizarre, it has to be true.

The Dreyfus Affair: J'Accuse...!

In December of 1894, French Army Captain Alfred Dreyfus was convicted of passing military secrets to Germany. Stripped of his rank, his sword broken in front of him, and sentenced to life in the penal colony of Devil's Island, it seemed justice had been carried out. The only problem was, Dreyfus was innocent, a victim of antisemitism and a closed military court. Over several years, crusading journalists and intelligence officers peeled back the layers of the mystery, identifying a new suspect and rallying public support—but can they convince the Army to admit that they were wrong? Join us for the scandal that rocked the Third Republic, gave us the word "intellectual," and convinced many French Jews that to get justice, they would need their own state.

The Halifax Explosion: This Will Be My Last Message

The SS Mont-Blanc is carrying 3,000 tons of explosives—and it’s on fire. Ordinarily munitions delivery ships aren’t allowed inside Halifax harbor, but WWI has changed all that. The explosion briefly exposes the bottom of the harbor. A pressure wave rips out, destroying or damaging 12,000 buildings. Then the tsunami comes. In the wake of the disaster, fire crews, the Royal Navy, and the US Coast Guard will come to Halifax’s aid, Canadian doctors will develop new techniques for eye injuries—and the city will recover, gradually, from the largest accidental explosion in history.