Mike Duncan (podcaster)
| Mike Duncan | |
|---|---|
 Mike Duncan in his study | |
| Born | Redmond, Washington |
| Alma mater |
Western Washington University (B.A.) Texas State University |
| Known for | The History of Rome, Revolutions |
| Spouse | Brandi |
Mike Duncan is an American podcaster best known for his award-winning Roman history podcast, The History of Rome (THoR) as well as Revolutions podcast. The History of Rome podcast aired between 2007 and 2012 and covered Roman history from its legendary founding to the fall of the Western Roman Empire, gaining renown for its well-researched historical insight, engaging style, and thoroughness. The History of Rome won best educational podcast at the 2010 podcast awards.
Personal life
Mike Duncan was born in Redmond, Washington and attended Western Washington University, attaining a degree in Political Science with a minor in Philosophy. He is an avid fan of the Seattle Mariners baseball team.[1]
During the course of The History of Rome, Duncan married his wife Brandi and made a special THoR episode on Roman wedding customs in celebration.[2] Mike and Brandi currently live in Madison, Wisconsin with their son Elliott William and two pets.[3][4] Brandi is a dedicated runner and has competed in the Austin Marathon.[5] Aside from podcasting, Duncan is currently a stay-at-home dad, and has worked previously as a fishmonger.[3] Duncan also occasionally creates political comic strips in collaboration with illustrator Jason Novak.[6]
Interest in history
Duncan’s interest in Roman history grew from a “general interest in ancient civilizations”. As a child, he would often flip through his parents encyclopedia set to the entries on Ancient Egypt or Ancient Greece, the Mayans, the Inca, etc. The largest and most encompassing of those civilizations to Duncan was always the Romans. Mike became especially interested in Roman history while reading his grandfather's paperback version of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.[2]
Describing himself as “a complete history geek”, Duncan also has a huge interest in American history. He believes the greatest difference between America and Rome is that compared to Rome, America has only spent a short time on the world stage.[2]
Regarding modern history, Duncan has predicted that Silicon Valley may in the future be deemed as groundbreaking as the Renaissance was. He has stated “We have lived in the last twenty years through some of the most impressive advances in human civilization.”[7]
Revolutions
A podcast called "Revolutions" was launched on September 15, 2013. The podcast will encompass 8-12 of the biggest revolutions throughout history in 12-15 episode chunks, including the English, American, French, Haitian, 1848, Mexican, Russian, Chinese, and Cuban revolutions.[8] [9] The first section of Revolutions covered the English Civil War from the reign of Charles I to the Restoration. The second section covered the American Revolution, while the third, a history of The French Revolution, covered the period between financial crisis of the 1770s to the coup of 18 Brumaire which brought General Napoleon Bonaparte to power as First Consul of France in 1799. The Haitian Revolution is the next topic scheduled, to be followed by the Spanish American wars of independence.[10]
Future endeavors
On several occasions, Duncan has mentioned turning his History of Rome podcast into book format, though he has expressed concern such a change could take significant rescripting, since he had geared his podcast to a spoken medium.[2] On October 9, 2015, it was announced that Mike Duncan had signed a deal with a publisher to pen a book entitled "The Storm Before The Storm" where Duncan will examine Roman history between 135 B.C. to 80 B.C. Special attention will be given to the question: "If America is Rome, where are we on the historical timeline?".[11]
References
- ↑ "About The History of Rome".
- 1 2 3 4 "EyeonItaly Interview".
- 1 2 "Elliott William Duncan".
- ↑ "Update: One Year Later".
- ↑ "RunRunLive Interview".
- ↑ "A Brief, Opinionated History of Taxes in America (Comic Strip)".
- ↑ "PodcastSquared Interview".
- ↑ "Mike Duncan AskReddit".
- ↑ "Revolutions podcasts".
- ↑ Duncan, Mike (29 November 2015). "4.0 Another Revolutions Podcast Update". Revolutions Podcast. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
- ↑ Yin, Maryann. "Podcast Host Mike Duncan Inks Book Deal". Retrieved 12 October 2015.