In this episode, we explore the outbreak of civil war in England as forces loyal to Matilda took up arms against King Stephen. The civil war led to a breakdown of central authority. The power vacuum was filled by local barons who constructed castles throughout the countryside. This ushered in a new era of siege warfare. We explore these events as recorded in the Peterborough Chronicle, and we examine how siege warfare influenced the English language.
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Just wanted to post a quick note that I’ve been listening to these in order since the beginning of March and enjoying them greatly. I’ve caught up! Thank you for being such a wealth of information.
Thanks! I’m glad you’re enjoying the podcast.
Great job with these podcasts Kevin! Truly terrific. I’m looking forward to buying the next batch of transcripts as well – any idea when you’ll be putting them up?
Keep up the great work!
I try to work on the transcripts when I have time. Unfortunately, I haven’t had much time lately. I hope to have most of them up by the end of the summer.
Wondering what else you can do with that bag of baby carrots besides dunking in a bowl of Ranch dressing?
Amazing!
Great episode, as usual. One nice little connection between castle warfare and Authurian legend – the root of siege as sitting is reflected in the Siege Perilous, which is a seat at the Round Table.