Thomas Dallam 3: England’s First Ambassador

Elizabethan England's engagements with the Islamic world continue in this episode, this time taking us back to Constantinople with England's first ambassador there, William Harborne. There's piracy, palace intrigue, and Harborne's steadfast distaste for French and Venetian diplomats. Enjoy!

(MP3)

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

Sources for Dallam series:

• Early Voyages and Travels in the Levant, edited by J. Theodore Bent. Hakluyt Society, 1893.
• Andrews, Kenneth. Trade, Plunder, and Settlement. Cambridge University Press, 1984.
• Brotton, Jerry. The Sultan and the Queen. Viking, 2016. 
• Dallam, Thomas. The Sultan's Organ: London to Constantinople in 1599 and Adventures on the Way, translated by John Mole. Fortune, 2012.
• Finkel, Caroline. Osman's Dream: The History of the Ottoman Empire. Basic Books, 2007.
• Jardine, Lisa. “Gloriana Rules the Waves: or, the Advantage of Being Excommunicated (and a Woman).” Transactions of the Royal Historical Society No. 14 (2004): 209–22.
• Jenkinson, Anthony, et al. Early Voyages and Travels to Russia and Persia. Hakluyt Society, 1886.
• Maclean, Gerald. The Rise of Oriental Travel: English Visitors to the Ottoman Empire, 1580-1720. Palgrave Macmillan, 2006.
• Mayes, Stanley. An Organ for the Sultan. Putnam, 1956.
• Pedani, Maria Pia. "Safiye's household and Venetian diplomacy." Turcica, no. 32 (2000): pp. 9–32.
• Sanderson, John. The Travels of John Sanderson in the Levant 1584-1602, edited by Sir William Foster. Hakluyt Society, 1931.
• Somerset, Anne. Elizabeth I. Anchor, 2010.
• Vlami, Despina. Trading with the Ottomans: The Levant Company in the Middle East. I.B.Tauris, 2015.
• Willan, Thomas Stuart. Studies in Elizabethan Foreign Trade. Manchester University Press, 1959.
• Wood, Alfred C. A History of the Levant Company. Frank Cass & Co. Ltd, 2006.

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The Battle of the Three Kings: The Doomed King Sebastian

The doomed King Sebastian lands in Morocco, and I take a moment from the Dallam timeline for a mini-episode. Thanks for listening! 

(MP3)

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

Sources for Dallam series:

• Early Voyages and Travels in the Levant, edited by J. Theodore Bent. Hakluyt Society, 1893.
• Andrews, Kenneth. Trade, Plunder, and Settlement. Cambridge University Press, 1984.
• Brotton, Jerry. The Sultan and the Queen. Viking, 2016. 
• Dallam, Thomas. The Sultan's Organ: London to Constantinople in 1599 and Adventures on the Way, translated by John Mole. Fortune, 2012.
• Finkel, Caroline. Osman's Dream: The History of the Ottoman Empire. Basic Books, 2007.
• Jardine, Lisa. “Gloriana Rules the Waves: or, the Advantage of Being Excommunicated (and a Woman).” Transactions of the Royal Historical Society No. 14 (2004): 209–22.
• Jenkinson, Anthony, et al. Early Voyages and Travels to Russia and Persia. Hakluyt Society, 1886.
• Maclean, Gerald. The Rise of Oriental Travel: English Visitors to the Ottoman Empire, 1580-1720. Palgrave Macmillan, 2006.
• Mayes, Stanley. An Organ for the Sultan. Putnam, 1956.
• Pedani, Maria Pia. "Safiye's household and Venetian diplomacy." Turcica, no. 32 (2000): pp. 9–32.
• Sanderson, John. The Travels of John Sanderson in the Levant 1584-1602, edited by Sir William Foster. Hakluyt Society, 1931.
• Somerset, Anne. Elizabeth I. Anchor, 2010.
• Vlami, Despina. Trading with the Ottomans: The Levant Company in the Middle East. I.B.Tauris, 2015.
• Willan, Thomas Stuart. Studies in Elizabethan Foreign Trade. Manchester University Press, 1959.
• Wood, Alfred C. A History of the Levant Company. Frank Cass & Co. Ltd, 2006.

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Thomas Dallam 2: The Anglo-Moroccan Relationship

The prelude to Dallam's Ottoman adventure continues with Elizabethan England's trade and where it took them. Today, that means Morocco, and England's often forgotten 16th-century friendship with its sultans. We'll get into antagonism with Spain, Portuguese misadventure in North Africa, and the trade for sugar, saltpetre, and shot. There's a lot of interesting stuff there. Thanks for listening! 

(MP3)

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

Sources for Dallam series:

• Early Voyages and Travels in the Levant, edited by J. Theodore Bent. Hakluyt Society, 1893.
• Andrews, Kenneth. Trade, Plunder, and Settlement. Cambridge University Press, 1984.
• Brotton, Jerry. The Sultan and the Queen. Viking, 2016. 
• Dallam, Thomas. The Sultan's Organ: London to Constantinople in 1599 and Adventures on the Way, translated by John Mole. Fortune, 2012.
• Finkel, Caroline. Osman's Dream: The History of the Ottoman Empire. Basic Books, 2007.
• Jardine, Lisa. “Gloriana Rules the Waves: or, the Advantage of Being Excommunicated (and a Woman).” Transactions of the Royal Historical Society No. 14 (2004): 209–22.
• Jenkinson, Anthony, et al. Early Voyages and Travels to Russia and Persia. Hakluyt Society, 1886.
• Maclean, Gerald. The Rise of Oriental Travel: English Visitors to the Ottoman Empire, 1580-1720. Palgrave Macmillan, 2006.
• Mayes, Stanley. An Organ for the Sultan. Putnam, 1956.
• Pedani, Maria Pia. "Safiye's household and Venetian diplomacy." Turcica, no. 32 (2000): pp. 9–32.
• Sanderson, John. The Travels of John Sanderson in the Levant 1584-1602, edited by Sir William Foster. Hakluyt Society, 1931.
• Somerset, Anne. Elizabeth I. Anchor, 2010.
• Vlami, Despina. Trading with the Ottomans: The Levant Company in the Middle East. I.B.Tauris, 2015.
• Willan, Thomas Stuart. Studies in Elizabethan Foreign Trade. Manchester University Press, 1959.
• Wood, Alfred C. A History of the Levant Company. Frank Cass & Co. Ltd, 2006.

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Thomas Dallam 1: Jenkinson and the Safavid Shah

We begin the journey of Thomas Dallam, Elizabethan organ-maker and ill-prepared ambassador to the Ottoman Sultan. This first episode, we're not actually going to get to Dallam though. We're setting the stage, introducing some of the background, and following a man named Jenkinson to Safavid Persia. Jenkinson is an interesting figure in his own right, and it's also a way to dip into the world of trade and diplomacy that Dallam was going to find himself in. Thanks for listening!

(MP3) 

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

Sources for Dallam series:

• Early Voyages and Travels in the Levant, edited by J. Theodore Bent. Hakluyt Society, 1893.
• Andrews, Kenneth. Trade, Plunder, and Settlement. Cambridge University Press, 1984.
• Brotton, Jerry. The Sultan and the Queen. Viking, 2016. 
• Dallam, Thomas. The Sultan's Organ: London to Constantinople in 1599 and Adventures on the Way, translated by John Mole. Fortune, 2012.
• Finkel, Caroline. Osman's Dream: The History of the Ottoman Empire. Basic Books, 2007.
• Jardine, Lisa. “Gloriana Rules the Waves: or, the Advantage of Being Excommunicated (and a Woman).” Transactions of the Royal Historical Society No. 14 (2004): 209–22.
• Jenkinson, Anthony, et al. Early Voyages and Travels to Russia and Persia. Hakluyt Society, 1886.
• Maclean, Gerald. The Rise of Oriental Travel: English Visitors to the Ottoman Empire, 1580-1720. Palgrave Macmillan, 2006.
• Mayes, Stanley. An Organ for the Sultan. Putnam, 1956.
• Pedani, Maria Pia. "Safiye's household and Venetian diplomacy." Turcica, no. 32 (2000): pp. 9–32.
• Sanderson, John. The Travels of John Sanderson in the Levant 1584-1602, edited by Sir William Foster. Hakluyt Society, 1931.
• Somerset, Anne. Elizabeth I. Anchor, 2010.
• Vlami, Despina. Trading with the Ottomans: The Levant Company in the Middle East. I.B.Tauris, 2015.
• Willan, Thomas Stuart. Studies in Elizabethan Foreign Trade. Manchester University Press, 1959.
• Wood, Alfred C. A History of the Levant Company. Frank Cass & Co. Ltd, 2006.

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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 3: Timur the Conqueror

Episode 3 is here, and it follows Johann Schiltberger on his merry way, after the Battle of Angora and into the life of Timur, the limitlessly violent Turko-Mongol conqueror. There will be pyramids of heads, flaming camels, and elephants, poisoned-scimitar wielding elephants. Timur's story is actually fascinating in itself, and we'll also look at his imperial home, Samarkand, by way of a somewhat food obsessed Castilian knight. 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 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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