The history of The History of Rome...Why the Western Empire Fell when it did...Some thoughts on the future...Thank you, goodnight.
« 178- Not With A Bang But A Whimper | Main | Podcast Squared Interview »
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
The comments to this entry are closed.
Thanks for the history.
Posted by: Boris Smelov | May 25, 2012 at 01:36 AM
Thanks for all your hard work over the last few years Mike, you've created something really amazing. Best of luck for your new baby!
Posted by: Stuart | May 25, 2012 at 05:55 AM
Thank you so much! It's been an incredible show. I'm now quietly hoping you're next project is a history of the British empire, but I'm sure whatever you've decided on will be just as interesting. Good luck with the baby!
Posted by: Chris | May 25, 2012 at 07:29 AM
Well done!
Sigh....
I have listened to several other history podcasts, nobody else comes close to the quality of THoR. The delivery is so smooth, so intimate, I wish I could have a private teacher come sit by the fire for all other subjects. Others sound so much like rote reading of a script while here it was always a conversation. This could well be Duncan's Magnum Opus, but I hope it doesn't stop you from trying again! If/when a new series starts (not ancient, not American) I'll definitely tune in again!
Posted by: Alex | May 25, 2012 at 01:00 PM
Thanks Mike for all the time and effort you've put into THoR! I spent the majority of the time THoR was running as an undergraduate student in Science, and THoR was by far my favorite talk of the week!
I also agree a CD would be an excellent idea, and would be another enthusiastic customer if it is feasible.
Best of luck with your baby, and I can't wait to hear what you have planned next.
Posted by: Robert WB | May 25, 2012 at 03:46 PM
Thanks for doing them Mike, have really enjoyed the past few years looking for to that weeks podcast. Even forgotten about your extended holiday, till you raised it again.
All the Best for the future and thanks again.
Posted by: Romelio Caffieri | May 25, 2012 at 05:09 PM
Amazing series.
You got me into podcasts, you got me into roman history.
You are a compelling listen, your research and detail is fantastic and I can't recommend this enough!
Thank you so much for all you have done. Really, thank you.
Posted by: Patrick Flynn | May 28, 2012 at 03:09 PM
Dear Mike,
Thanks so much for your fantastic efforts in delivering the History of Rome. I was never any good at history in my school days, but I always had an interest in it. Your amazing podcast, together with your easy going style of narration, made this so accessible to me over the past two years, and I can't imagine how much I have learnt from it.
Thank you again, and best of luck with History of Rome Junior and the new project. I can't wait!!
Flo
Posted by: Flo | May 28, 2012 at 11:30 PM
So sad that it's come to an end. Thank you so much Mike and best wishes to you and your family.
Cheers
Jannine
Posted by: Jannine Graham | May 29, 2012 at 02:27 AM
A huge thanks for such a rivetting listen! Your hard work and dedication is much appreciated and I even got a bit emotional at the end. Don't worry, nobody saw so I retained my 'romanitas'.
I am curious about you hints for the future. I guess I'll just have to sit quietly and wait.
Posted by: Terry Maltman | May 29, 2012 at 06:11 AM
One of the best podcasts ever.
Going to miss my weekly fix of The History of Rome, looking forward to your next project!
Posted by: Pyre | May 29, 2012 at 04:15 PM
This was insane. Insanely great. So many thanks!
Posted by: waa | May 31, 2012 at 11:18 AM
Thanks so much for all your hard work - fantastic series.
Posted by: Alex Gough | June 02, 2012 at 04:27 AM
and of course congratulations on the new arrival.
Posted by: Alex Gough | June 02, 2012 at 04:28 AM
I've enjoyed every moment if this wonderful podcast. It'll probably be on my iPod until I die, and I'm sure I'll listen to it again and again. It's an enormous achievement. I'm sorry to say goodbye to you for the time being, and I wish you and your new family happiness.
Posted by: Andy Bones | June 02, 2012 at 09:10 AM
Thanks very much for a superlative effort Mike, I have really enjoyed this series and learned a lot. An interesting point, a friend of mine gave up watching "A Game of Thrones" - the political intrigues just put her off, but I found it quite fascinating - I put this down to your excellent podcast.
Best wishes for this new chapter in your life. We would all be more fortunate if you ever decide to, at your convenience of course, come back some time in the future.
Posted by: Peter Flatman | June 02, 2012 at 01:57 PM
Hey Mike,
Been listening to your podcast since just a few episodes in. Been amazing to see what it has become. Your hard work and dedication has been much appreciated by myself and my family on many a roadtrip. Congratulations on the new family addition, and again thank you.
KB
Posted by: Kelly | June 02, 2012 at 04:49 PM
Dear Mike
Feel compelled to add to what amounts to almost a litany of thanks and praise.
I only discovered your podcast two months ago, so have been privileged to engage in THoR marathons which - since I have no capacity for delayed gratification - has been a Jupiter- sized blessing.
An historic achievement by a 21st C Gibbon. I have recommended you to several people and I know that my two sons have become hooked. Since their education was little better in substance, if not process, to that offered by the Empire, my greatest gratitude to you is that you are teaching them that history did not, somewhat to their shock, start with their births.
Thank you, and salute
David
Posted by: David James | June 02, 2012 at 06:38 PM
I finished this today (I kept putting it off because I didn't want it to be over!), and I just want to thank you for all your hours of effort. You're a great storyteller, and I look forward to your next podcast with great eagerness. I'm sad that it's over, but I suppose all great things must come to an end.
I blame Livia.
Posted by: kay | June 03, 2012 at 12:46 PM
Mike, thank you, thank you, thank you, it has been a truely wonderful journey. I have enjoyed every episode and as your other correspondents say, "so what weekly fix do I look forward to now!". Many best wishes to you and your family.
Posted by: Rob | June 04, 2012 at 01:11 AM
Thank you for an exciting journey. I am so sad to see this end. My commute will now be much duller, but quite a bit faster. For the last few months I have ODed on Ancient Roman history. I have willingly volunteered to run errands so that I can listen to the podcast.
Simply beautiful. Best of luck with the new baby.
Posted by: Dinesh Gaitonde | June 04, 2012 at 10:03 PM
Sorry that it's ended but can alway's listen again:) Thank u so much for hour's upon hour's of great listening! Good luck with the family and hope to be listening to your work again soon!! ;)
Posted by: Alan fearnley | June 05, 2012 at 11:28 AM
Thank you Mike for going with me to work every night for the past few years. Your episodes are almost exactly the same length as my commute. I have listened to the whole thing several times and find something new every time. My teenage son has gotten interested in history because of you. Thank you.
Posted by: Matthias Eichten | June 06, 2012 at 05:34 PM
Just listened to the last episode on my way to work this morning. Had a wee tear in my eye and missing the sound of your voice already.
Come back soon.
P.S: baby pictures are fab. Congratulations.
Posted by: Jason | June 07, 2012 at 12:51 PM
Just another Me Too thanks! Great work. Something to be proud of.
Posted by: Hughw | June 07, 2012 at 09:28 PM
This was a great podcast. I was truly saddened to see it end, but great wrap up episode. I can't wait to listen to your next podcast.
Posted by: Dominic | June 08, 2012 at 04:15 AM
Have just listened to the last podcast, i had been saving it. Thankyou so much for your work on it over the years, every episode was a joy.The pictures of mini(!!) THoR are great, May babies rock (my birthday is the 21st!). Good luck for the future and can't wait to hear what is coming next
Posted by: Beverley Sheridan | June 09, 2012 at 09:53 AM
Thank you so much Mike- I envy your well deserved sense of accomplishment.
I'm trying to picture all of us lost THOR pod-casters floating in the abyss... not sure what to do with ourselves.
haha- I'm sure we'll all just go back to ep 1.
Posted by: JoeyD | June 13, 2012 at 06:33 AM
Well done!! Thank you.
Posted by: Zak Sherwin | June 14, 2012 at 01:41 PM
Wow, what a time it has been! Thank you very, very much.
Posted by: Alex Schroeder | June 15, 2012 at 12:41 AM
Rome held such a long reign. I dont even know what other empire was so long. They did meet some problems.
Posted by: kim | June 15, 2012 at 08:36 AM
Thank you, Mike. I learn alot, it became part of my working routine to sit on my pc to do my stuff and listen to your wonderful podcast, then surf the internet to relate images to what i just had listen. i enjoy it every minute. congrats from mexico.
Posted by: tomasla | June 16, 2012 at 03:21 AM
Thank you Mike. Epic.
Posted by: Ralph Hopwood | June 18, 2012 at 01:59 PM
I'll say thank you for this now - even though I won't get to it for ages.....!
Posted by: Mavis | June 18, 2012 at 11:27 PM
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I have no other words. thank you mike.
Posted by: Fran | June 21, 2012 at 05:53 PM
Sad, I had a baby myself in Feb and just now am getting caught up on the podcast. Sad to see it ending. Good luck!
Posted by: Wayne Basta | July 08, 2012 at 06:20 PM
Many, many thanks for the hours of entertainment you have given me as I drive my monotonous journey down the M3 (UK) to work. I am not sure what I am going to listen to now! You realise you have produced a contemporary classic and that all future students of ancient history will be directed your way? Read Gibbon and listen to TOHR will be the basic starter in every Classics class. Can't wait till my kids are old enough to appreciate it and I can listen through again with them.
I hope the little caesar and Mrs HIstory of Rome are both well, and yourself of course.
Posted by: Scillara | July 16, 2012 at 11:36 PM
Mike, what an experience your podcast has been, for you as its creator and for me, for all of us, who followed you. Thank you for your passion and your discipline, for your sense of humor and for humanizing what has traditionally been a topic more skewed towards facelessness (with very few exceptions), caricature (Nero "fiddling," Caligula's horse, etc.) and outright superficiality. Your work has made me want to delve even deeper into history, a subject I once ranked last on my list of favorite classes.
Thank you again. Best wishes in every future endeavor.
Posted by: Gil C. Schmidt | July 27, 2012 at 01:17 PM
Thank You Mike for keeping me company all these hour long drives to work, I've now listened to the entire "History of Rome" several times through and still can't get enough.
Thank you thank you thank you
Posted by: Zach Kanta | August 02, 2012 at 12:21 PM
Greetings from sweden! I've listened to your podcast 4 times from beginning-end, and I still listen everyday. Your work is incredible, and you've cured my insomnia. I really hope you do another podcast, I suggest Ghengis Khan. I really can't thank you enough for all these hours of listening. I can also tell you that according to swedish historians the Goths came from swedens biggest island Gotland "gothland". The island was the most significant place of trade for the vikings. Thanks for everything / Ramo
Posted by: Ramodise Monnakgotla | August 07, 2012 at 12:20 AM
Mike,
I started listening to your podcasts I think 2 years ago. At one point I stopped listening for a while and now I found out your podcast is actually finished! I'm looking forward to listening to the remainder and I want to thank you (in advance) for a very beautiful, interesting and splendid podcast!
Gratulatio et vale!
Posted by: Jip | August 13, 2012 at 09:23 AM
I would totally pay for a digital or real book featuring pictures to visualize what your talking about in each episode. If it came with the entire show either on a usb drive or a unique key to download the entire show online, I would pay more even. Maybe this should go to kickstarter?
Posted by: Joshua Kales | August 20, 2012 at 02:30 PM
I feel strangely sad. I haven't read all 443 comments to this blog entry yet (and I don't intend to) but I expect many others have expressed the same thing. I'm not crying or anything. It is more like I am leaving someplace I loved to be and I know I will never see it again. I know there is a good reason I won't return, but that doesn't make me less sad.
Posted by: billb | August 21, 2012 at 04:59 PM
Thanks for the terrific series. There are so many great podcasts out there, but this has been a real pleasure - all 79 hours of it. Best wishes on your new endeavors.
Posted by: James Conder | August 26, 2012 at 09:08 AM
Many many thanks and much admiration!
Posted by: Lancemoody | August 30, 2012 at 09:16 AM
Having found this right near the beginning, I want to thank Mike for becoming part of my life for the past few years. I'm sure many of us long time listeners feel the same as I do, that things won't be the same without that opening guitar piece and the beautiful journey through time that always followed it.
I've listened in bed, in the car and even walked to work in good weather - setting off early so I can catch up, when I've fallen behind due to work - and it has always been a pleasure. Business problems barred me from being unable to make the HOR trips, but that's one regret out of many, many hours of pleasure.
I also want to thank the HOR listeners for making me aware that I'm far from alone in my hunger for this topic and those too have become a kind of extended family in a way.
I hope you feel as proud of yourself as we feel of your achievement, which will remain a valuable reference point for future curious types. As the HOR becomes part of history itself, we feel proud to have been there while it was actually being made and are surely glad to have made the journey with you. Thanks a lot Mike.
Posted by: Steve Gad | September 07, 2012 at 03:17 AM
Mike, I enjoyed every episode starting from 1 all the way to 179. The excellent content and your wonderful wit and sense of humor made for an A-1 podcast. Many wishes for success in the future with all you do and enjoy every minute with your new baby. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
Posted by: Liz Scargle | September 09, 2012 at 12:05 PM
I'm a 27 year old Londoner and I learnt more through this podcast than I did studying Classical Studies at University. It's an awe inspiring thing that you've achieved here and you are, in many ways, a hero of mine for the depth and clarity of intelligence and expression that you have.
Congratulations on everything you've done with this - the other commentators were right, there isn't a single bad episode and I can quite honestly say I enjoyed every minute. What a guy!
Posted by: Theo Johnson | September 17, 2012 at 02:32 PM
What am I going to do without your podcast Mike? Thank you for sharing all your knowledge and research with us weekly. We'll definitely miss you (also I've always been just a little behind, but I've been a subscriber since almost the very beginning). I guess I'll have to start listening from the beginning again!
Posted by: Anne | September 17, 2012 at 03:54 PM
Hi Mike, I know I'm a little behind the times but I Just finished listening to episode 179. It really was fantastic and I cant thank you enough for your enormous efforts. My jogging regime, long drives in country NSW (in oz), boring train rides in Sydney etc.. have all been filled with the history of rome, I was a little worried that they'll never the be same after ep179, however, I don't have to worry about that for a while because I'm going back to the start! I tell everyone who'll listen about the podcast and I'm constantly quoting little trivia bits from your history of rome.
Posted by: Leon | September 18, 2012 at 11:24 PM
I listened to it from about episode 50 to 100, then went back to the beginning and listened from 1 through the end, even the episodes I'd already listened to. It kept me walking while listening and I lost about 20 pounds! So good that it took me a long time to find a new history podcast that I could enjoy - you spoiled me, Mike!
Posted by: John Doyle | September 20, 2012 at 03:16 PM
Well done on a great project. Thank you.
Posted by: Richard Normington | January 30, 2013 at 04:01 PM
Great series Mike. I just finished the last episode last week. I know you are busy now but if you ever start up with the Byzantine Empire, I will pick that up in a heart beat.
You mentioned Lars Brownworth's "12 Byzantine Rulers" as an inspiration in one of your earlier episodes. I think your detailed approach will be a great balance to his podcast.
Posted by: Peter | January 31, 2013 at 06:33 AM
I think it's the first time i cried when a show was finished, including radio and TV shows.
Guillaume, from Gratianopolis in south east Gaul.
Posted by: Guillaume | February 04, 2013 at 08:18 AM
I just finished the last episode during my commute into work this morning. What an amazing podcast. Thank you for your herculean effort. Great job!
Posted by: Doug | February 05, 2013 at 08:24 AM
Thank you
I am only in eppisode 146
However this is an amzing experince
Life changing
I Love history, however your podcats changed the way I view the Roman empire and even modern poiltics
Thanks you
Posted by: Barry | March 10, 2013 at 01:10 AM
Fantastic work Mike. I finished the last episode this morning and I must say, I'm going to miss hearing your ascerbic jokes every morning. Thanks for all the effort, you deserve a glass of Chianti or three for that.
Posted by: Geosta | March 12, 2013 at 08:03 PM
These podcasts are so quiet (compared to other pod casts) I am unable to understand them when riding the bus, waiting at a bus stop, or sitting in a coffee shop. Is there any chance you can rerelease them with more volume?
Posted by: C Knerr | March 26, 2013 at 09:21 AM
damn, i just finished the series... it was truly the best history podcast I have ever heard and definitely the best history anything... it is simply amazing... thank you for your hard work and i hope to hear more from you in the future
Posted by: ben | March 27, 2013 at 11:52 AM
I've been listening to you for two months. Finally got the the end. My favorite statement out of the whole thing was "they had like swords and stuff".
I hope your son gets to listen to what his Dad made someday.
I'm going to miss you man! Sniff, sniff.
Posted by: Andy | March 28, 2013 at 02:18 PM
I love you so much
Thanks for everything
I feel empty without hearing your voice on my walk to school :(
Good luck and I can't wait for what you have next!
Posted by: Rohit Batra | March 29, 2013 at 09:56 AM
It's the end ? Really the end? My god what now? Start again I guess? Thank you so much for this this brilliant achievement. I've enjoyed this podcast so very much.
Posted by: Eoin | March 29, 2013 at 01:52 PM
Surface joints, where dirt tends to gather, require regular sealing.
Posted by: countertops.com | April 11, 2013 at 10:00 AM
You have done a great job with this project and I cannot wait for your next one. I am re-listening from the beginning.
I have shared this podcast with several of my friends and they all now share my appriciation for your hard work.
Thanks again and please keep us informed if a CD becomes availiable or you pick a new project.
Posted by: Michael Peters | June 04, 2013 at 03:55 AM
The best podcast every. Thank you. I will review you podcast every several years.
Posted by: Mike | June 10, 2013 at 12:06 PM