Best Rudyard Lynch Podcasts (2025)

1
Explaining the Holy Roman Empire 2:23:39

Play Pause

16h ago2:23:39

2:23:39

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett do a deep dive into the thousand-year Holy Roman Empire, exploring how this decentralized German confederation shaped European civilization, from Charlemagne's coronation through medieval peak to Napoleonic dissolution, revealing patterns that illuminat…

1
Explaining the Crusades 2:16:40

2d ago2:16:40

2:16:40

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett analyze the Crusades through civilizational patterns, exploring the clash between ascending Western Europe and declining Islamic civilization during medieval power transitions. -- 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: ⁠⁠https://ww…

1
Explaining the Volkerwanderung 2:01:08

4d ago2:01:08

2:01:08

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett explore the Völkerwanderung—the massive Germanic, Slavic, and Arabic migrations (200 BC-600 AD) that transformed Europe from Mediterranean-centered classical civilization into the foundations of medieval Christendom. -- 📰 Be notified early when Turpenti…

1
Explaining the Death of God 2:01:21

1M ago2:01:21

2:01:21

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett explore how Western civilization shifted from a deeply religious, meaning-filled worldview to modern materialism and nihilism over the past 500 years, and discusses why this "death of God" is a global phenomenon affecting everything from birth rates to …

1
Explaining the Napoleonic Wars 1:45:48

1M ago1:45:48

1:45:48

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett examine the Napoleonic Wars through the lens of "Great Man" versus socioeconomic theories of history. Napoleon's unprecedented military genius and institutional reforms demonstrate how individual agency can shape entire civilizations, challenging Marxis…

1
The Rise and Fall of the Bluepill 1:07:04

1M ago1:07:04

1:07:04

A historic shift occurred in the early 20th century when the West completely suspended any concept of reality or meaning. We adopted a new religion whose core belief was that it WASN'T a religion—agnostic liberalism that declared thousands of years of human struggle for glory and meaning "unnecessary." This tyranny greater than Rome or the Catholic…

1
Explaining the French Empires 2:17:12

2M ago2:17:12

2:17:12

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett analyze France's three distinct empires across four centuries, examining why France—despite superior geography and population—repeatedly failed to achieve lasting global dominance like Britain, cycling through spectacular rises and political collapses t…

1
Explaining the Creation of France 2:24:42

2M ago2:24:42

2:24:42

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett talk about France's metamorphosis from post-Roman fragmentation to unified nation-state, analyzing how Frankish conquests, feudal innovations, and religious conflicts shaped French cultural identity. They reveal the paradoxical consequences of centraliz…

1
Explaining Jewish Civilization 55:23

2M ago55:23

55:23

After reading 3,000+ pages for this series, I've concluded the Jews represent history's most improbable civilization. Pennsylvania alone has almost as many people as all Jews worldwide (15 million), yet this tiny desert tribe has repeatedly altered world history's trajectory over 4,000 years. They've produced ONE-THIRD of all Nobel Prize winners wh…

1
India, Pakistan, and Religious Tensions 45:33

2M ago45:33

45:33

This week on Live Players, Erik Torenberg and Samo Burja discuss geopolitical and societal complexities of the India-Pakistan conflict, examining the historical context, demographic challenges, military capabilities, and potential outcomes of the ongoing tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. — 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops…

1
Explaining the Pax Romana 1:59:05

2M ago1:59:05

1:59:05

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett discuss the Pax Romana—a 200-year period of Mediterranean peace from Emperor Augustus to Marcus Aurelius. They explore Rome's governance evolution, imperial degeneracy, cultural transitions, technological stagnation, and Christianity's rise. The convers…

1
Explaining Every Jewish Migration | Expulsion 48:49

2M ago48:49

48:49

After reading THOUSANDS of pages on Jewish civilization, I've hit that "skeleton key" threshold where the soul of a civilization becomes clear. Like India, Judaism is an "asterisk civilization"—for every principle, there's a paradoxical counterpoint. The sheer historical complexity demands its own dedicated video. Modern discourse about Jews suffer…

1
Explaining Native Mexican Civilization 1:02:43

2M ago1:02:43

1:02:43

The once-mighty Maya civilization—with populations LARGER than today's Yucatan—faced apocalyptic collapse in the 10th century. As unprecedented drought persisted, desperate nobles demanded increasingly extreme blood sacrifices while peasants abandoned a system clearly abandoned by the gods. The priests, whose calendar had predicted this cycle of ri…

1
The Almost-Industrial Revolutions of Rome and China 48:41

2M ago48:41

48:41

Erik Torenberg and Samo Burja discuss the potential industrial revolutions in history, particularly in the Roman Empire and Song Dynasty China, their technological advancements, economic factors, and the reasons these revolutions didn't reach full fruition. — 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exc…

1
Explaining Latino History 1:55:07

2M ago1:55:07

1:55:07

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett discuss Latino history through a geopolitical and cultural lens. They analyze Latin America's development across five distinct regions, exploring how Spanish colonial structures, cultural dynamics, and economic dependencies have shaped the continent's p…

1
Explaining Mexican History 2:05:51

3M ago2:05:51

2:05:51

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett explore Mexican history from pre-colonial Mesoamerican civilizations through Spanish conquest to modern times. They examines cultural evolution, governance challenges, and social transformations while highlighting how geographic, racial, and colonial le…

1
Explaining Native American History 2:01:51

3M ago2:01:51

2:01:51

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett examine Native American genetic origins and cultural complexity, challenging popular narratives of "noble savages." They discuss surprising genetic links to Pacific Islanders and ancient Europeans, the sophisticated warfare and political structures of t…

1
Was Churchill a Villain? 1:03:31

3M ago1:03:31

1:03:31

World events keep derailing my civilization series! As a professional historian, I felt compelled to address the recent Rogan/Cooper podcast pushing the revisionist claim that Churchill was the villain of WWII who caused millions of deaths by refusing Hitler's peace offer. Let's examine what the historical evidence actually shows about this controv…

1
Explaining Frontier Era America 1:46:52

3M ago1:46:52

1:46:52

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett dive deep into the American frontier era (1790-1890) and examine how diverse cultural groups shaped westward expansion. Through personal anecdotes and historical analysis, they explore how regional identities and ecological changes forged the American c…

1
Explaining the British Empire 1:54:31

3M ago1:54:31

1:54:31

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett examine the British Empire as history's largest colonial enterprise, analyzing its evolution from America-focused beginnings to India-centered expansion. hey consider the empire's contradictions—brutal exploitation alongside institutional development—wh…

1
Explaining Victorian Britain 1:33:11

3M ago1:33:11

1:33:11

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett discuss Victorian Britain as a pivotal historical era characterized by unprecedented innovation, social change, and global influence. They analyze how a small nation drove massive technological and intellectual developments while balancing competing soc…

1
Explaining the Age of Exploration 1:40:28

4M ago1:40:28

1:40:28

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett examine the Age of Exploration, analyzing how European powers united previously isolated civilizations through maritime expansion. The hosts balance intellectual curiosity about explorers' remarkable achievements with critical reflections on conquest's …

1
WTF is the Left Even Doing? 59:34

4M ago59:34

59:34

We're living through a historic inflection point where the left lost the presidency but still dominates virtually every Western institution. Despite their electoral defeat, they control the bureaucracy, UN, Big Tech, media, academia, and even the Catholic Church—while the right has built no alternative power structures. The burning question is what…

1
Explaining African Colonialism 1:36:54

4M ago1:36:54

1:36:54

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett present a critique of the lasting social, cultural, and economic changes that emerged from the 1960s, with particular focus on how these changes continue to shape modern African society. -- 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: ht…

1
Explaining Steppe Anti-Civilization 39:26

4M ago39:26

39:26

Beyond the Big Four Eurasian civilizations (Europe, India, Middle East, China) that dominated 90% of humanity, there existed a fifth major player—not a civilization, but its opposite. The Steppe produced history's greatest conquerors despite having 1/100th the population and no cities or formal religions. These nomadic warriors influenced world his…

1
Explaining the 1960s 1:35:42

5M ago1:35:42

1:35:42

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett present a conservative critique of the lasting social, cultural, and economic changes that emerged from the 1960s, with particular focus on how these changes continue to shape modern American society. -- 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new p…

1
Explaining the 1950s 1:28:06

5M ago1:28:06

1:28:06

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett analyze the 1950s challenges common narratives, exploring how post-WWII trauma, technological advancement, and social transformation shaped modern Western society. Through detailed historical analysis, they deconstruct popular misconceptions about the e…

1
Is Europe Part of America? 59:18

5M ago59:18

59:18

In this episode of Live Players, Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg discuss the global influence of U.S. politics on Western countries, the persistence of Western civilization as a political unit, the synchronization of political interests via the internet, and the potential for significant right-wing and free speech shifts in Europe given increased Ame…

1
Explaining the Origins of Science 1:17:17

5M ago1:17:17

1:17:17

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett examine science's historical development, challenging conventional narratives by tracing its roots in Christian philosophy and ancient traditions. The hosts analyze how empirical methodology transformed into modern "scientism," arguing that contemporary…

1
Predicting Humanity’s Interplanetary Future 1:00:27

5M ago1:00:27

1:00:27

Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg discuss the future of space colonization, touching on the implications of Mars and lunar settlements, the technological advancements driving space exploration, and how multi-planetary life might reshape human cultures, geopolitical dynamics, and economic structures. — 📰Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publ…

1
We live in a Totalitarian Society 51:53

5M ago51:53

51:53

As a Zoomer, I process World Wars as ancient history despite their recent shadow. The 20th century stands in opposition to ALL previous human experience, rejecting thousands of years of shared wisdom. Our unprecedented wealth and technological power convinced us to believe things previous generations would find INSANE—that men and women are identic…

1
Explaining the Iron Age 1:30:35

5M ago1:30:35

1:30:35

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett discuss how the adoption of iron weapons and tools democratized warfare, disrupted Bronze Age aristocracies, and facilitated new social structures and philosophical movements. They analyze parallel developments in Greece, Persia, India, and China, exami…

1
The Politics of Dehumanization 51:15

5M ago51:15

51:15

Reality operates through paradox—simultaneously everything and nothing, connected yet divided. The most revealing truth? People project their own nature onto their enemies. The left accuses the right of exactly what it does itself: institutional control, hatred, and power obsession. Modern civilization's greatest hypocrisy? Proudly championing "hum…

1
Curtis Yarvin and the Evolution of American Political Thought 57:14

6M ago57:14

57:14

In this episode of Live Players, Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg discuss Curtis Yarvin's influence on government efficiency ideas, the pitfalls of gridlock and bureaucratic decay, and how transformative figures and strategic decision-making affect national and corporate success. — 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://w…

1
Why Elites Failed Us w/ Auren Hoffman [World of DaaS] 1:19:53

6M ago1:19:53

1:19:53

Samo Burja discusses his "Great Founder Theory," in the Word of DaaS Podcast with Auren Hoffman, arguing that exceptional individuals throughout history have shaped civilization by creating influential institutions, while also exploring modern challenges around societal trust, fertility rates, and the changing dynamics between young and old generat…

1
Explaining the Bronze Age Collapse 1:37:26

6M ago1:37:26

1:37:26

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett explore how an interconnected world of chariot-riding elites, complex trade networks, and temple bureaucracies imploded within a single generation. From mysterious Sea Peoples to the rise of iron weapons, they unpack how this collapse birthed a new hero…

1
Explaining Ancient Israel 1:44:29

6M ago1:44:29

1:44:29

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett explore how ancient Israel, despite its small size, revolutionized human thought through monotheism. They discuss how Jewish identity emerged from the intersection of various civilizations, developed through cycles of conquest and resistance, and ultima…

1
The Technology That Can Reshape Nations 1:06:15

6M ago1:06:15

1:06:15

This week on Live Players, Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg discuss the significance of desalination technology, its advancements, costs, and potential to transform scarcity in regions with water shortages, highlighting how countries like Israel, Singapore, and the Gulf monarchies have employed these technologies and speculating on the geopolitical an…

1
Explaining Medieval Asia 1:13:34

7M ago1:13:34

1:13:34

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett examine the medieval decline of Asia, analyzing how regions that were once the world's centers of culture, economics, and technology—particularly China, India, and the Islamic world—gradually lost their dominance between 1000-1500 AD. -- 📰 Be notified e…

1
Shatter the Glass of Modernity 52:14

7M ago52:14

52:14

Why are people SHOCKED by the obvious consequences of their actions? We print money and act surprised at inflation. We pursue godless lives and wonder why we feel empty. I've spent years asking the most accomplished people I know—CEOs, politicians, artists—how to live happily as a young man, and received NO satisfying answers. This episode identifi…

1
Explaining South-East Asian Kingdoms 1:32:39

7M ago1:32:39

1:32:39

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett talk about Southeast Asia: where ancient slave empires meet modern tech hubs. From Angkor's temples to Singapore's skylines, discover how this crossroads between India and China shaped global trade while maintaining its uniquely fluid cultural identity.…

1
Elon Musk, Social Media Influence, & the Future of Political Discourse 1:02:08

7M ago1:02:08

1:02:08

Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg discuss the impact of social media platforms like Twitter, now X, especially under Elon Musk's ownership. They explore the changing political landscape, the dynamics of media personalities, and the evolving role of social media in shaping public discourse and political behavior. — 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's …

1
Explaining the Silk Road 1:25:49

7M ago1:25:49

1:25:49

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett explores how the Silk Road shaped global civilization through expansive trade networks, cultural exchange, and power dynamics between Europe, the Middle East, India, and China. -- 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.…

1
Syria After Assad 1:03:19

7M ago1:03:19

1:03:19

Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg the current situation in Syria, including the impact of President Assad's exile, the role of various factions and foreign powers, and the challenges of establishing a stable government amid ongoing conflict. — 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess 🙏 Help …

1
Ancient Europe 1:29:03

7M ago1:29:03

1:29:03

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett explore the fascinating world of Ancient Europe, from the mysterious megalith builders to the warring Celtic tribes. Listen as they uncover how waves of migration, technological advances, and cultural shifts shaped the continent. Learn how archaeology, …

1
Medieval Britain 1:27:38

7M ago1:27:38

1:27:38

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett do a fascinating deep dive into Medieval Britain. They explore how a tiny population in northwest Europe shaped the modern world. From the fall of Roman Britain to the Norman Conquest, they unpack how the English created their cultural identity, legal c…

1
Dissecting Modern Society with Rudyard Lynch 1:02:08

8M ago1:02:08

1:02:08

Samo Burja and Rudyard Lynch explore global power shifts and the psychological impacts of modernity, drawing parallels between current societal changes and historical patterns from medieval times through the 1600s to analyze contemporary challenges in technology, surveillance, and social control. For full show notes, visit: https://highlightai.com/…

1
Explaining the French Revolution 1:15:04

8M ago1:15:04

1:15:04

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett talk about the French Revolution and the fascinating parallels between 18th-century French social dynamics and today's political landscape. From bureaucratic upheaval to radical terror, journey through the chaos that transformed France and birthed moder…

1
Explaining the English Civil War 1:15:34

8M ago1:15:34

1:15:34

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett explore pivotal historical moments about the English Civil War. They masterfully weave together religious conflict, economic transformation, and cultural dynamics to explain how this crucial conflict shaped modern capitalism, the Industrial Revolution, …

1
A Live Conversation with Samo Burja 1:04:07

8M ago1:04:07

1:04:07

In this episode of Whatifalthist, host Rudyard is joined by Samo Burja, founder of Bismarck Analysis and Palladium Magazine. They engage in a wide-ranging discussion covering political dynamics, the impact of technology on society, and the historical parallels that can be drawn from current events. For full shownotes, visit highlight: https://highl…