I did graduate studies in medieval literature 20 years ago but had gradually left off paying attention to the medieval world. Discovering this podcast a couple years ago played a large role in reigniting my interest in the medieval world and reminding me why I originally loved this period so much. The range of topics and guests is broad and usually interesting. The hour(ish) format is a good length to provide substantial discussions while still being digestible for interested non-specialists. The host’s sheer enthusiasm for and delight in the medieval world is infectious. I love it best when the shows offer windows into the various aspects of day to day life as lived at the time. The book roundups and discussions are great and have left a cheerfully received dent in my wallet. When the conversation shifts into analysis or modern applications I enjoy it less as the PC inclinations and more politically / socially progressive and Leftist perspectives of the host get injected. But such perspectives shouldn’t catch any knowledgable listener by surprise as they track with what you tend to find in most academics and specialists in the humanities these days. To my mind the host and (most) guests sometimes fall short when it comes to “getting” the pre-modern Christian understanding / worldview of medieval (Christian) people. These are all small quibbles though and hardly outweigh the mountainous compendium of the show’s virtues.

So interesting to go over the evidence that supports the narrative. I have to look up more of Simon’s work. (You have such a nice rapport with the guest scholars!) Thanks again for bringing up lesser known topics in Medieval History. (More battles and politics would be ok too. Get Cliff Rogers back on! 😁)

Loved tbe 250th episode. I had forgotten some of the interesting facts you mentioned. I am going to review some past episodes to refresh my memory.

Big fan of this podcast—longtime listener & first time reviewer. The host interviews other medievalist experts / authors of some of the latest and hottest books in medieval studies, and she charts an always lucid course through sometimes difficult subjects with incisive questions and good humor. Just about the perfect podcast for public scholarship. Onward!

I really like this podcast. It’s both interesting and pleasant to listen to, a rare combination in my experience.

A variety of topics and interviews, well researched and presented with clarity and enthusiasm. A pleasure to listen to.

I am a Medieval History fan who thoroughly enjoys and highly recommends these FYI snippets of history, archeology, art, society, culture, politics and warfare. Equally fascinating are the interviews with other professional medievalists…. except for the upspeakers, the kinda-sorta-“like”ers and the hem-and-hawers who would benefit from public speaking lessons.

The topics in this podcast are interesting but I agree with the review stating that the presenter sounds like she’s reading to toddlers. Too many questions are asked through giggles and it detracts from the quality of the presentation. In the episode that I listened to this morning the guests clearly saw nothing hilarious in the topic and sounded a bit annoyed. I’ll try again in a few months with the hope that the presenter takes some of these comments in a positive way and adjusts her style.

Really great podcast, with a speaker with valuable perspectives on medieval history. I’m learning a lot on every episode, and developing a real interest in this era of history. However, recently there have been several ads added to front end of the podcast and at first it was a mild annoyance and now it just totally takes you out of the moment. On the most recent one, a very obnoxious ad for a gun show played in the beginning, then an equally obnoxious car ad. I understand wanting make a living out of this, and more power to the host! I just wish she would read the ads, or make the ads more targeted to the subject matter, perhaps ads for something to do with books or internet courses on the subject. I suppose I’ll keep listening, but the ads are really frustrating sometimes. Other than that, great podcast!

Can’t hear guest speaker.

Although the host is left-of-center, she’s asks great questions and is an excellent interviewer. The podcast is great and covers a wide range of Medievalist topics. I also appreciate the fact that the podcast features academic interviewees but is definitely not boring. I’d recommend this podcast to anyone interested in the medieval period, ranging from a casual interest to a serious scholar.

The content is good, well thought out, but any time the host is speaking, she sounds like she’s reading Mother Goose to a toddler. It’s impossible to get past that smiley, sugary voice thing. Please, less host, more guests!

I really wanted to like this, I love some of the people interviewed, Marc Morris being my all time favorite. But I could barely get past the interviewer and her PC hangups with certain historical terms. Not sure I can stomach another episode though I love Helen Carr, Helen Castor, Lauren Johnson, Dan Jones. Lots of great guests just not sure it’s worth trying.

This is a great podcast, a very informative and interesting one. Daniele is an exceptional host and an excellent teacher/scholar. Like many, I was stuck in the popular idea of the middle ages which I learned that it is mostly incorrect. I have listened to each episode at least three times and every time I learn something new. This podcast is very entertaining and provides a great source of information for creators. Thank you Daniele and Medievalists.net

Lib trash 🗑

Presenter mumbles and it’s all much too soft

Fascinating guests and an interviewer who does a great job of helping them shine. I’ve especially enjoyed the recently animal studies topics (pigs and eels!) and would love to hear more in that vein.

Great production and good medieval times had by all

I love listening to this podcast. The audio quality and editing is fantastic. I've just finished the episode about medieval eels :) Please keep up the excellent work!

Finally the podcast I’ve been craving, lol! I’m listening back from the beginning, and having only found this gem about a week or two ago, I’m just coming across the episode about King Henry VII. I just finished the book “The Highly Sensitive Person,” and my brain is screaming at the top of its lungs that Henry seems to have all the markers of an HSP who had potential attachment issues as an infant/child king combined with having had a highly stressful childhood (being king and having to be taught to rule and make high-stakes decisions from an early age!). That combo, attachment issues and high-stress childhood, tends to make an HSP waaay more likely to experience depression and anxiety later in life, which I speculate could explain Henry’s mental health struggles at a time of great conflict, which is poison to HSPs. This could totally be me reading too much into it, but him being described as a lover and not a fighter at the same time that he vehemently avoids conflicts whenever at all possible....kinda makes sense! Anywaaaay, I love the podcast, helps the time pass at my night job! I’m also reading Danièle’s book “Life in Medieval Europe: Fact and Fiction,” and I highly recommend it for other amateurs like me!

I recently discovered this podcast through the Medievalists.net Twitter account. I am so glad that I did! The host, Danièle Cybulskie, presents the rich history of the Middle Ages in an exciting and insightful manner. I throughly enjoy every episode and look forward to many more!

I just adore this podcast. I learn so much, but it’s never dry. I always come away with a new direction for research, a thread to follow, a book to read, or a topic to learn more about. The host is incredibly enjoyable to listen to, not just because she’s so well versed in the subject. She has a natural humor and an easy, conversationalist style that is also direct and succinct. Exactly what I want in a podcast.

The host does an incredible job!!

I love this podcast. Very informative with great interviews and little unnecessary banter.

I thoroughly enjoyed this episode but would like to mention you forgot one movie that I think is exceptionally medieval. That would be “Robin and Marian” starring Sean Connery, Audrey Hepburn and Robert Shaw. The duel at the end of the movie between Robin and the Sheriff is so worth waiting for. It was how imagined a medieval duel to be.

Great guests, great history, great alternative perspectives, and great host (the latter being particularly pleasant, you and Noble Blood are tops).

Great podcast full of awesome info!

Great pod! Great interviews! But please fix the echo. Are you using garage band? You need to turn off the master echo. PLEASE address this issue. 4/5 stars because audio does matter!

I found this podcast through a tweet from Dr. Eleanor Janega. It is enjoyable, and offers perspectives that I had not thought about since college. The guests on the episodes that I have listened to so far have been specialists, so the subject matter in any particular episode is often narrow and deep, and well reearched. Thanks!

This podcast has such great potential. It’s full of fantastic information, that usually sends down a online search rabbit hole. And the host is good. However, the sound quality is poor enough to be distracting.

The subject I find fascinating, but the sound quality is awful, and I found I cannot continue to listen.

I’ve loved history for a long time and I absolutely loved watching documentaries and listening the podcasts that expand my knowledge. I love this podcast specifically because our host asks wonderful questions and there are many historians as guests who are women! I’ve learned so much about medieval marriages, people with disabilities and so much more! I can’t wait to see what comes next!

the medievalists always have interesting, well researched content

How many times was the word “coconuts” used in broadcast???? I lost count. If I drank, which I don’t, this would be a drinking game. Every time “coconuts” are mention take a sip of wine. 🍺