History Rage

The Byzantine Empire didn’t have to fall—history simply chose differently.

The fall of Constantinople in 1453 is often presented as the inevitable end of a decaying empire—but what if that narrative is completely wrong? In this episode of History Rage, historian and author Laura Bolick dismantles one of history’s most persistent myths: that the Byzantine Empire was doomed long before the Ottoman cannons fired.

Drawing on her book Saving Byzantium: The Struggle to Salvage an Empire, Laura reveals a world full of missed opportunities, fragile alliances, political infighting, and last-minute efforts that nearly changed history. Rather than a slow collapse caused by decadence, the Byzantine story is one of diplomacy, survival, and desperate attempts to rally Western support that very nearly worked.

At the heart of this story are two remarkable figures—Cardinal Johannes Bessarion and Isidore of Kiev—who risked everything to secure military aid from Western Europe. Their mission to unite the Orthodox and Catholic Churches was intended to bring the crusading forces that might have saved Constantinople. Incredibly, Ottoman commanders themselves nearly abandoned the siege before a final breakthrough changed the course of history forever.

This episode explores the deeper causes behind the fall of Byzantium, including Western complacency, internal European conflicts, and the dangerous assumption that great cities could never truly fall. It’s a powerful reminder that history isn’t predetermined—it's shaped by decisions, timing, and human choices.

In This Episode, We Discuss:
Why the fall of Constantinople was not historically inevitable
How Western Europe failed to support Byzantium when it mattered most
The political and religious tensions between Orthodox and Catholic Churches
The role of crusades in late medieval diplomacy
How the Ottomans engineered one of history’s most remarkable sieges
What Byzantium’s fall teaches us about modern geopolitical complacency

About the Guest
Laura Bolick is an art historian and researcher specialising in late medieval Byzantium and Renaissance intellectual culture. Her work focuses on the cultural survival of Byzantium and the figures who fought to preserve its legacy.

Book: Saving Byzantium: The Struggle to Salvage an Empire
Buy from the History Rage Bookshop:
https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781398122192
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Follow Laura Bolick
Check your preferred bookseller for Saving Byzantium: The Struggle to Salvage an Empire
Look out for talks, articles, and appearances connected to Byzantine and Renaissance history

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Why This Episode Matters
History often looks inevitable in hindsight—but as this episode reveals, the fall of Byzantium was anything but certain. From near-abandoned sieges to failed crusades and shifting alliances, the fate of Constantinople hung on fragile moments and human decisions. Understanding those moments doesn’t just reshape medieval history—it challenges how we think about the future.
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Think the First World War was just the Western Front and incompetent Eastern armies? Think again!

In this explosive episode of History Rage, First World War historian, Trustee of the Great War Group, and Ring of Fire co-author Nicolai Eberholst tears down the persistent myths surrounding the Russian and Austro-Hungarian armies. Nicolai breaks down why dismissing these powers as "bad armies" or useless corpses is wrong, proving how vital they were to the conflict.

What You’ll Discover:
The Russian Army: Beyond the "steamroller" and Tannenberg myths—how Russia inflicted devastating casualties and bound German forces until 1918.
The Austro-Hungarian Empire: Why fighting a 1.3-front war with an 8-million-man army was essential for Central Power survival.
Post-War Myths: How interwar bias, post-imperial storytelling, and Western-centric history buried the real story of the Eastern Front.

Don't miss Nicolai speaking live at the Great War Group Conference from 9th – 11th October at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds! Grab your conference tickets here: https://greatwargroup.com/product-category/conference/

Recommended Episodes
Episode 210: The Great War is a Global War (with Nicolai Eberholst & Alex Churchill)
Episode 154: The Indian Army Contribution (with Adam Prime)

Books & Referral Details
Buy Ring of Fire: A New Global History of the Outbreak of the First World War at the History Rage Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781035903412

Guest Information
Guest: Nicolai Eberholst
Social Media: @pikegrey1418
Great War Group: https://greatwargroup.com

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Was the legendary B-17 really brilliant—or dangerously overrated wartime myth?
The B-17 Flying Fortress is one of the most iconic aircraft of the Second World War—but what if its reputation doesn’t match reality?

In this explosive episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill welcomes aviation historian and YouTube creator Will Carver to challenge one of the biggest myths of Allied air power. Known for his sharp analysis and uncompromising views, Will argues that the B-17’s legendary status owes more to storytelling, culture, and Hollywood than battlefield performance.

From its origins in 1930s military theory to the brutal realities of daylight bombing over Germany, this episode digs into why the aircraft that symbolised American courage may not have delivered the technical superiority it promised.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode
Why the B-17 Flying Fortress became such a powerful cultural icon
The real limitations of its bomb load, range, and survivability
How daylight precision bombing proved far harder than planners expected
The truth about the Norden bombsight and its controversial testing history
Why raids like Schweinfurt exposed devastating weaknesses
How aircraft design decisions limited bomb capacity and effectiveness
Why the courage of crews matters even more when the technology struggles

Despite its fearsome reputation, the B-17 often carried smaller bomb loads than British heavy bombers and struggled to defend itself against increasingly capable German fighters. Its reliance on formation flying reduced speed, altitude flexibility, and survivability—sometimes with catastrophic results.

Why This Episode Matters
This episode isn’t about mocking history—it’s about understanding it properly.
Will makes a powerful point: praising equipment as flawless risks overshadowing the extraordinary bravery of the crews who flew it. Many airmen climbed aboard knowing the risks were immense, flying into intense flak and fighter opposition regardless. Their courage deserves recognition grounded in truth, not mythology.

If you love Second World War aviation, strategic bombing history, or myth-busting history podcasts, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

Guest Details — Will Carver
YouTube Channel:
▶️ https://www.youtube.com/@HardThrasher
Follow Will on Social Media:
Instagram: @lordhardthrasher
X (Twitter): @lordhardthrashe
Bluesky: @lordhardthrasher.bsky.social
Threads: @lordhardthrasher

Will produces engaging aviation history content that blends humour, research, and critical analysis to challenge long-held assumptions about military aircraft and wartime strategy.

Listen to More from History Rage
If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like:
Episode 23 — Matt Bone challenges Spitfire worship
Episode 163 — Jane Gulliford Lowe asks: What about the Halifax?
History Rage is the podcast where historians and experts challenge the myths we think we know—and replace them with evidence-based history.

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The battle that built Arthur’s legend may never have mattered

Was the Battle of Badon really the decisive moment that saved Britain from the Anglo-Saxons — or has history given it far more importance than it deserves?

In this episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by leading early medieval historian Professor Nick Higham to challenge one of the most persistent myths in British history. The popular narrative tells us that Badon was a crushing British victory that halted Anglo-Saxon expansion for generations — often linked to the legendary figure of King Arthur. But when you dig into the sources, archaeology, and timeline, that story begins to unravel.

Drawing on early texts, including the writings of Gildas, Professor Higham explains how the earliest reference to Badon describes a siege rather than a dramatic battlefield clash. More importantly, the event seems to have been used mainly as a chronological marker rather than as evidence of a decisive national victory. Later writers transformed this brief reference into a heroic turning point, laying the foundations for the Arthurian tradition that still shapes popular history today.

This episode explores how archaeology challenges the idea of a long pause in Anglo-Saxon expansion after Badon. Instead of retreat, the material record shows continued settlement growth and cultural spread across southern Britain. Rather than one defining battle, the fall of Roman Britain and rise of Anglo-Saxon England appears to have been a long, complex transition shaped by migration, shifting power, and cultural change.

If you enjoy myth-busting history and want to understand how legends are created — and why they endure — this episode delivers a powerful rethink of one of Britain’s most famous early medieval events.

About the Guest — Professor Nick Higham
Professor Nick Higham is Emeritus Professor of Early Medieval History at the University of Manchester and one of the UK’s leading experts on the transition from Roman Britain to Anglo-Saxon England. His research focuses on the origins of England, early medieval warfare, and the development of historical traditions.

Buy the Book Featured in This Episode:
How England Began: From Roman Britain to the Anglo-Saxons
Support the podcast and the author by purchasing here:
https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780300254921
Find out more about Professor Nick Higham’s work through his academic publications and public history contributions.

Explore More History Rage Episodes
If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like:
Episode 201 — The Anglo-Saxons Were No Better Than the Vikings
Episode 148 — Vikings Are Not Just Mass Slaughterers
These episodes expand on the realities behind popular myths about early medieval Britain.

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Got a historical myth you’d like to see challenged? Get in touch:
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Forget what you think you know about medieval holy wars. Move over, Richard the Lionheart—the most action-packed, technologically wild campaign happened in the land of the pyramids, and it’s time to stop ignoring it!

In this live episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill sits down with public historian, fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and author Thomas Smith to rescue the Fifth Crusade from historical obscurity. If you think the Crusades were just knights waiting around in a dusty Syrian desert, prepare to have your mind blown by a campaign dominated by amphibious warfare, terrifying medieval technology, and a truly jaw-dropping twist ending.

What You’ll Discover in This Episode:

The Strategic Shift: Why Western Europe realized that the true key to holding Jerusalem was actually conquering Egypt—the wealthy breadbasket of the Near East.
D-Day in 1218: Discover the incredible engineering behind flat-bottomed landing craft, complete with bow ramps for cavalry charges, used 800 years before Normandy.
Medieval Napalm & Hand Grenades: Get a breakdown of Greek fire, the terrifying incendiary weapons used on the Nile, and the highly unpleasant acidic liquids required to put them out.
The Floating Siege Engine: Meet Oliver of Cologne, the genius German schoolmaster who built a rotating wooden fortress on stilt-ships to conquer the Nile's impenetrable Chain Tower.
Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of Victory: How a combination of apocalyptic prophecy, a flooding River Nile, and a massive, poorly-timed wine-drinking session brought the entire campaign crashing down.

Links & Resources Mentioned:

Buy the Book: Grab your copy of Thomas Smith's ground-breaking new book, The Fifth Crusade: A History of the Epic Campaign to Conquer Egypt, from the History Rage Bookshop.
Recommended Episodes:
Episode 174: Steve Tibble rages about crime during the Crusades.
Episode 300: Aleks Pluskowski rages that Crusades are not all in the Middle East.

Connect with the Guest:

Instagram: Follow Tom for more incredible medieval insights @medieval_tom

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Are you ready to look past the myths? Stay angry!
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