Nicopolis

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

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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.


The Travels of Johann Schiltberger 1: The Battle of Nicopolis

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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.