Guess what, Dan. You've done a ton of these shows now but the Tudor stuff always lands different because the sources are so rich. Letters, portraits, court records, even surviving clothes. You can almost smell the paranoia coming off the page.
What I'm curious about is whether you and Suzannah ever disagree hard on a figure. Like does she lean one way on Anne Boleyn and you push back, or do you mostly land in the same place after looking at the evidence
Also please tell me there's a whole episode on Thomas Cromwell. Dude gets reduced to a schemer in most retellings but his actual rise and fall is way more interesting than that
Hi, Dan. What are your take on the Richard III society and their claims regarding the princes in the tower? Heard a entertaining interview with Philippa L. on History extra a while ago.
Hi Dan, I'm curious if you've read onto the topic in detail, but I've heard the Tudors were actually quite brutal to the common classes of Britain in their land reformation policies, particularly in the pursuit of the wool trade - with peasants being evicted and former farmland turned to sheep pastures. How much did this impact the population's food security, if at all?
As someone who went to school in the UK, we spend so much time learning about Henry VIII, but whats the juiciest gossip from that time that isn't focused on him?
If you could do an in-depth biography on any figure whose effect on human history (good or bad) has been not well appreciated or covered, who would you pick and why?
Would you say Queen Elizabeth was selfish in not marrying/producing a heir? There was trickery afoot for sure, and she chose not to marry in order to keep the court in balance, but at some point it feels almost like an attempt to stay in power rather than working to secure the stability of the throne.
Offtopic - but would you choose to hang out with Richard the Lionheart?
Of the Tudor executions you re-examined for the series, which one changed your mind the most once you went back to the primary evidence, and what had the popular version of the story gotten wrong?
Hi Dan, really love your podcast! I was just reading in JL Gaddis' On Grand Strategy about the implications for the course of world history (e.g. what the USA would have turned out like) had the Spanish succeeded with the Armada. (Gaddis also mentions the novel Pavane that explores what modern times would be like). In the research for your series did you come across any less obvious "what if" moments that you think could easily have changed the course of history in a big way that people don't really appreciate?
I hope you'll indulge in a behind-the-scenes query that might also make you laugh at how bad I am with names. It took me about 2 minutes of thinking "he doesnt look like he does on the TV" for it to gradually percolate into my brain that you're not Dan Jones. How dare you both have the same name and do similar-ish subjects! :D
The reason he came to mind first was a TV series he did, and some of the more dubious guests he had onboard. Who were proudly displaying a pile of objects from collectors. The little problem? They were almost entirely forgeries. (I am being deliberately a little vague here, I admit. I could name and be specific, but its not actually about them.)
And this brings me to your work, and the actual question. For TV series, how do you go about performing due diligence into guests, source material, objects which are going to be featured, etc? I expect that there's invariably a crowd of characters who are willing to do anything for a sniff of 15 minutes of fame, who range from the entirely respectable to utterly untrustworthy, and I'd love to know what precautions production companies - or yourself - have to take to deal with the potential for problematic content from some of them?
(this is in no small part influenced by my own field of work, which regularly has to deal with archaeological fakes and forgeries, and made me an awful cynic - so I wonder how others deal with the issue.)
Aside from that I'd just like to say that when I'm not mixing up people's names, (sorry!) I've greatly enjoyed the "History Hit" episodes on youtube I've watched.
About a year and a half ago there was a series on prehistoric Scots sites, that has stuck in my mind as its local stuff for me. Have you heard about the Caithness Broch Project? despite the name, not a Scottish prog rock band, but an initiative to build a broch with similar methods and goals to Guédelon Castle in France. I am not affiliated with it in any way, just a supporter of the initiative, but I'm sure they would appreciate any media interest in the future, if its not something you've already heard about.
Hi Dan! I'm a big fan of your work, especially the food-related videos for some reason (I don't have a big interest in the topic otherwise, except for liking to cook). Therefore, my question to you is this:
What is the most surprisingly good, or surprisingly bad historical meal you have had?
Also, if I may be so bold as to ask a second question:
Would you ever consider appearing on the EXP - (experts react) channel on youtube to share your opinions on "historical" video games and movies? I feel you could offer more general expertise, adding to the very pointed knowledge of Toby Capwell and Robert Ferguson.
Anyway, I look forward to learn more about the Tudors - as a Swedish person, it feels like I don't know much about them even though the records of them is so rich!
With the Tudors originating in Wales when did they Anglicise? Was Henry VII still able to speak Welsh or did they Anglicise under Edmund Tudor or his father Owain Tudur?
What was Elizabeth I's personal role in the process through which England became part of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade? As sovereign, was she not more to blame than any other single figure in British history?
Hi Dan. I enjoy your YouTube vids. In one, you were asked if Alexander the Great was a good man. You answered with a definite NO. Why is that? I tend to agree that wars of conquest are inherently selfish and immoral and I wonder if that is the basis of your response.
When's the next calendar coming out?? (your then tweet about your aunt's reaction was lol).
Seriously though, as an Irish guy I really enjoyed How the Celts saved Britain.. never paid much attention to history in school and this helped fill in a *lot*, and made it very enjoyable. Empire of the seas was great. Hope your dad is well.. your CG-aided battles series with him incl. the Falklands was cool
Hi Dan, funnily enough I've been on a binge watch of history hit! Anyway, my question is, considering the length of time the Plantagenet's were in power. How much did the Tudors have to change in both law and societially to consider themselves secure and/or each standing, so to speak?
If they had stayed more Catholic, do you think Saint Anthony would have helped them find them?
In actual seriousness: What would you attribute to why the Tudor's engagement with the Protestant Reformation got so intense among the upper echelons of power during that era? Pop history exposure often makes it almost seem like the noble leadership were often even more zealous than the commoners.
Do you think Henry VIII could have been reined in by anyone? Six wives in succession still sounds scandalous to our modern ears, to say nothing of how people in Henry VIII's day perceived it. Perhaps he might have been appeased had he known how great his most famous descendant, Queen Elizabeth I, would become? Or, to further play around with anachronistic knowledge, would he have backed off if he received irrefutable proof that he was in fact completely responsible for his lack of a male heir and not any of his wives?
Also, what did you think of The Tudors TV series, assuming you've watched it? Did it help the study of the real-life Tudors in general? Or not?
Hi Dan I’m currently studying my Bachelor’s in Ancient History and just wanted to say you’re an excellent historian and I appreciate your work very much.
Big Fan Dan but if anyone thought keeping track of the characters in game of thrones was tough I would image it will pale in comparison to the Tudor era lol
Hi there, Dan. Hopefully you read this. I was wondering when you feel like the balance of power in the UK fully and trully shifted from the monarch to parliament?
I think when I was a young lad at secondary school in the UK, we were taught that the Magna Carta completely curtailed the powers or authority of the monarch.
It feels, though, that while the signing of the Magna Carta was a watershed moment in British history, all it meant was that even the King or Queen was subject to the rule of law.
What key events in British history would you highlight as important if one was to truly understand the gradual shift of power from the monarch to parliament, as well as the struggles between the King or Queen and parliament as part of that transition? The Restoration, Good vs Bad parliament (Rise of the Commons etc), Exclusion Crisis etc? When would you say the British monarch became (and I'm sure many will contend we don't have a true constitutional monarchy) a largely ceremonial figurehead?
Exciting_Curve_4676 | 19 hours ago
Guess what, Dan. You've done a ton of these shows now but the Tudor stuff always lands different because the sources are so rich. Letters, portraits, court records, even surviving clothes. You can almost smell the paranoia coming off the page.
What I'm curious about is whether you and Suzannah ever disagree hard on a figure. Like does she lean one way on Anne Boleyn and you push back, or do you mostly land in the same place after looking at the evidence
Also please tell me there's a whole episode on Thomas Cromwell. Dude gets reduced to a schemer in most retellings but his actual rise and fall is way more interesting than that
Juniper-thereabout | 18 hours ago
Hi, Dan. What are your take on the Richard III society and their claims regarding the princes in the tower? Heard a entertaining interview with Philippa L. on History extra a while ago.
SeaAddition6928 | 19 hours ago
Hi Dan, I'm curious if you've read onto the topic in detail, but I've heard the Tudors were actually quite brutal to the common classes of Britain in their land reformation policies, particularly in the pursuit of the wool trade - with peasants being evicted and former farmland turned to sheep pastures. How much did this impact the population's food security, if at all?
Working-Yam-1453 | 16 hours ago
As someone who went to school in the UK, we spend so much time learning about Henry VIII, but whats the juiciest gossip from that time that isn't focused on him?
AgrippAA | 18 hours ago
Hey Dan,
If you could do an in-depth biography on any figure whose effect on human history (good or bad) has been not well appreciated or covered, who would you pick and why?
ElijahKay | 17 hours ago
Hi Dan,
Big time fan!
Would you say Queen Elizabeth was selfish in not marrying/producing a heir? There was trickery afoot for sure, and she chose not to marry in order to keep the court in balance, but at some point it feels almost like an attempt to stay in power rather than working to secure the stability of the throne.
Offtopic - but would you choose to hang out with Richard the Lionheart?
Personal-Cucumber-49 | 16 hours ago
Hi Dan. Firstly Love your work. Recently watched the Great Wall of China documentary on Channel 5 and really enjoyed it.
When Anne Boleyn was executed her head stayed with the body when buried. With Cromwell as an example, his head went on a spike.
Did head placement and care say more about controlling the public narrative and story than about the punishment itself?
Thank you.
nifty-necromancer | 15 hours ago
Of the Tudor executions you re-examined for the series, which one changed your mind the most once you went back to the primary evidence, and what had the popular version of the story gotten wrong?
gatinturd | 18 hours ago
Hey Dan! If you had to choose an era of history to live in, other than your own, which one would it be and why?
illtakethreeplease | 16 hours ago
Hi Dan, really love your podcast! I was just reading in JL Gaddis' On Grand Strategy about the implications for the course of world history (e.g. what the USA would have turned out like) had the Spanish succeeded with the Armada. (Gaddis also mentions the novel Pavane that explores what modern times would be like). In the research for your series did you come across any less obvious "what if" moments that you think could easily have changed the course of history in a big way that people don't really appreciate?
Ok-Tomato-9502 | 15 hours ago
What’s the most Tudor esq trait across the various disciplines and individuals you’re exploring?
J_G_E | 13 hours ago
I hope you'll indulge in a behind-the-scenes query that might also make you laugh at how bad I am with names. It took me about 2 minutes of thinking "he doesnt look like he does on the TV" for it to gradually percolate into my brain that you're not Dan Jones. How dare you both have the same name and do similar-ish subjects! :D
The reason he came to mind first was a TV series he did, and some of the more dubious guests he had onboard. Who were proudly displaying a pile of objects from collectors. The little problem? They were almost entirely forgeries. (I am being deliberately a little vague here, I admit. I could name and be specific, but its not actually about them.)
And this brings me to your work, and the actual question.
For TV series, how do you go about performing due diligence into guests, source material, objects which are going to be featured, etc? I expect that there's invariably a crowd of characters who are willing to do anything for a sniff of 15 minutes of fame, who range from the entirely respectable to utterly untrustworthy, and I'd love to know what precautions production companies - or yourself - have to take to deal with the potential for problematic content from some of them?
(this is in no small part influenced by my own field of work, which regularly has to deal with archaeological fakes and forgeries, and made me an awful cynic - so I wonder how others deal with the issue.)
Aside from that I'd just like to say that when I'm not mixing up people's names, (sorry!) I've greatly enjoyed the "History Hit" episodes on youtube I've watched.
About a year and a half ago there was a series on prehistoric Scots sites, that has stuck in my mind as its local stuff for me. Have you heard about the Caithness Broch Project? despite the name, not a Scottish prog rock band, but an initiative to build a broch with similar methods and goals to Guédelon Castle in France. I am not affiliated with it in any way, just a supporter of the initiative, but I'm sure they would appreciate any media interest in the future, if its not something you've already heard about.
Fisherman_Gandalf | 12 hours ago
Hi Dan! I'm a big fan of your work, especially the food-related videos for some reason (I don't have a big interest in the topic otherwise, except for liking to cook). Therefore, my question to you is this:
What is the most surprisingly good, or surprisingly bad historical meal you have had?
Also, if I may be so bold as to ask a second question:
Would you ever consider appearing on the EXP - (experts react) channel on youtube to share your opinions on "historical" video games and movies? I feel you could offer more general expertise, adding to the very pointed knowledge of Toby Capwell and Robert Ferguson.
Anyway, I look forward to learn more about the Tudors - as a Swedish person, it feels like I don't know much about them even though the records of them is so rich!
Sata1991 | 12 hours ago
With the Tudors originating in Wales when did they Anglicise? Was Henry VII still able to speak Welsh or did they Anglicise under Edmund Tudor or his father Owain Tudur?
Different-Summer9992 | 10 hours ago
which misunderstood figure do you think actually deserves their bad reputation?
grahamlester | 10 hours ago
What was Elizabeth I's personal role in the process through which England became part of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade? As sovereign, was she not more to blame than any other single figure in British history?
gobsmacked1 | 7 hours ago
Hi Dan. I enjoy your YouTube vids. In one, you were asked if Alexander the Great was a good man. You answered with a definite NO. Why is that? I tend to agree that wars of conquest are inherently selfish and immoral and I wonder if that is the basis of your response.
biffa_bacon | 6 hours ago
When's the next calendar coming out?? (your then tweet about your aunt's reaction was lol).
Seriously though, as an Irish guy I really enjoyed How the Celts saved Britain.. never paid much attention to history in school and this helped fill in a *lot*, and made it very enjoyable. Empire of the seas was great. Hope your dad is well.. your CG-aided battles series with him incl. the Falklands was cool
Telecom_VoIP_Fan | 15 hours ago
What is your view of the challenges to William Shakespeare from Stratford-on-Avon being the author of the plays attributed to him.
AD1337 | 14 hours ago
Any tips on starting a history podcast? I want to start one focusing on biographies.
impeterbarakan | 11 hours ago
No questions, just want to thank you for History Hit. The various shows have become a major comfort listen for me.
Soppydogg | 8 hours ago
How much were Gong Farmers paid ?
AbiGuBates | 7 hours ago
Hi Dan, funnily enough I've been on a binge watch of history hit! Anyway, my question is, considering the length of time the Plantagenet's were in power. How much did the Tudors have to change in both law and societially to consider themselves secure and/or each standing, so to speak?
Mysteryman64 | 5 hours ago
If they had stayed more Catholic, do you think Saint Anthony would have helped them find them?
In actual seriousness: What would you attribute to why the Tudor's engagement with the Protestant Reformation got so intense among the upper echelons of power during that era? Pop history exposure often makes it almost seem like the noble leadership were often even more zealous than the commoners.
kg467 | 5 hours ago
How did the Tudors lose their heads?
BlackBricklyBear | 4 hours ago
Do you think Henry VIII could have been reined in by anyone? Six wives in succession still sounds scandalous to our modern ears, to say nothing of how people in Henry VIII's day perceived it. Perhaps he might have been appeased had he known how great his most famous descendant, Queen Elizabeth I, would become? Or, to further play around with anachronistic knowledge, would he have backed off if he received irrefutable proof that he was in fact completely responsible for his lack of a male heir and not any of his wives?
Also, what did you think of The Tudors TV series, assuming you've watched it? Did it help the study of the real-life Tudors in general? Or not?
jacksqeak | an hour ago
Hi Dan I’m currently studying my Bachelor’s in Ancient History and just wanted to say you’re an excellent historian and I appreciate your work very much.
wylee_one | 16 hours ago
Big Fan Dan but if anyone thought keeping track of the characters in game of thrones was tough I would image it will pale in comparison to the Tudor era lol
plaguedbyfoibles | 6 hours ago
Hi there, Dan. Hopefully you read this. I was wondering when you feel like the balance of power in the UK fully and trully shifted from the monarch to parliament?
I think when I was a young lad at secondary school in the UK, we were taught that the Magna Carta completely curtailed the powers or authority of the monarch.
It feels, though, that while the signing of the Magna Carta was a watershed moment in British history, all it meant was that even the King or Queen was subject to the rule of law.
What key events in British history would you highlight as important if one was to truly understand the gradual shift of power from the monarch to parliament, as well as the struggles between the King or Queen and parliament as part of that transition? The Restoration, Good vs Bad parliament (Rise of the Commons etc), Exclusion Crisis etc? When would you say the British monarch became (and I'm sure many will contend we don't have a true constitutional monarchy) a largely ceremonial figurehead?