Prester John 4: Waiting for David

King David (though not the one in this episode) in the Westminster Psalter

After their success at Damietta, the participants in the Fifth Crusade decide what to do next, and they wait for a certain someone...

If you like what you hear and want to chip in to support the podcast, my Patreon is here.

Sources:

• Prester John: The Legend and its Sources, compiled and translated by Keagan Brewer. Taylor & Francis, 2019.

• Crusade and Christendom: Annotated Documents in Translation from Innocent III to the Fall of Acre, 1187-1291. Edited by Jessalynn Bird, et al. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013.

• The Fifth Crusade in Context: The Crusading Movement in the Early Thirteenth Century. Edited by E.J. Mylod, et al. Routledge, 2016.

• Brownworth, Lars. In Distant Lands: A Short History of the Crusades. Crux Publishing Ltd, 2017.

• Cassidy-Welch, Megan. War and Memory at the Time of the Fifth Crusade. Penn State University Press, 2019.

• Madden, Thomas F. The New Concise History of the Crusades. Rowman & Littlefield, 2005.

• Powell, James M. Anatomy of a Crusade, 1213-1221. University of Pennsylvania Press, 1986.

• Powell, James M. Innocent III: Vicar of Christ Or Lord of the World? Catholic University of America Press, 1994.

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The Travels of Johann Schiltberger 4: The Journey Home and Other Things

This is the 4th and final episode in my little series on Johann Schiltberger. Our wandering friend has come a long way and been through a great deal, but here he is, on the edge of making it back to Bavaria. In this episode, we'll look at how things fall out after the death of Timur, we'll see where that leaves Schiltberger, and we'll trace his path towards home. There will also be time for some of the many interesting things that come up in his book but don't necessarily fit into his personal story: espionage in Alexandria, Johann's guide to the Asian Steppe, what he thinks of Armenian religion, etc. Thanks for listening!

(MP3)

If you like what you hear, my Patreon is here, my Ko-fi is here, and Paypal is here.

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The Travels of Johann Schiltberger 2: The Battle of Angora/Ankara

Today, we'll follow Johann Schiltberger's journey under Bayezid's control. There will be an escape attempt, epic battles, an epic snake battle, and some Ottoman history. I hope you like it. Thanks for listening everybody! Enjoy.

(MP3)

If you like what you hear, my Patreon is here, my Ko-fi is here, and Paypal is here.

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The Travels of Johann Schiltberger 1: The Battle of Nicopolis

We begin the travels of Johann Schiltberger, a 14th/15th century, Bavarian Marco Polo who left his home for the crusade against the Ottomans and didn't make it back for a long, long time. In the intervening 30 years, he travelled widely as a prisoner, first with the Ottoman Sultan, Bayezid, and then with Timur (aka Tamerlane) and those who succeeded him, reporting on the world and its monsters, miracles, and numerous battles.
 
Schiltberger lived a full life at a fascinating time in history. I'll be telling his story and discussing his times over the course of 4 episodes. With episode one, we'll take Schiltberger up to the Battle of Nicopolis and the first massive shift in his fortunes. Hope you enjoy it! 

(MP3)

If you like what you hear, my Patreon is here, my Ko-fi is here, and Paypal is here.

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