Dan’s research and book list:
Good News Bible: Today’s English Version
(as of March 3, 2026 05:10 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)KJV Bible–1611 Edition (Hardcover)
(as of March 2, 2026 20:47 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)The Histories (Everyman’s Library)
(as of March 2, 2026 20:47 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)Forgotten Empire: The World of Ancient Persia
(as of March 3, 2026 06:23 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)A History of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000 – 323 BC, 2nd Edition
(as of March 3, 2026 06:23 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)Cyrus the Great: An Ancient Iranian King
(as of March 3, 2026 02:56 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)The Persian Empire
(as of March 3, 2026 13:08 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)The Persian Empire From Cyrus II to Artaxerxes I
(as of March 2, 2026 20:47 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)The 100: A Ranking Of The Most Influential Persons In History
(as of March 2, 2026 20:47 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)From Cyrus to Alexander: A History of the Persian Empire
(as of March 2, 2026 20:47 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)The Story of Mankind
(as of March 2, 2026 20:48 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)Hoplites
(as of March 3, 2026 13:08 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)From Sumer to Rome: The Military Capabilities of Ancient Armies (Contributions in Military Studies)
(as of March 3, 2026 00:51 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)Our Oriental Heritage Part 1
(as of March 3, 2026 00:51 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)Diodorus Siculus I: The Historical Library in Forty Books
(as of March 2, 2026 20:48 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)The Cyrus Cylinder: The King of Persia’s Proclamation from Ancient Babylon
(as of March 3, 2026 03:24 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)The Ancient Assyrians (Elite, 39)
(as of March 2, 2026 23:29 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)The Empire of the Steppes: A History of Central Asia
(as of March 3, 2026 13:42 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)Babylon (Ancient Peoples and Places)
(as of March 3, 2026 03:24 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)Armies of the Ancient Near East, 3,000 Bc to 539 Bc
(as of March 2, 2026 20:47 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)The Histories (Penguin Classics)
(as of March 3, 2026 13:08 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)Ancient Iraq: Third Edition (Penguin History)
(as of March 3, 2026 13:08 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)Discovering Cyrus: The Persian Conqueror Astride the Ancient World (1)
(as of March 2, 2026 20:47 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)A History of the Ancient World
(as of March 3, 2026 09:47 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)The Persian Expedition (Penguin Classics)
(as of March 3, 2026 13:08 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)The Western Way of War: Infantry Battle in Classical Greece
(as of March 3, 2026 00:44 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)The Greco-Persian Wars
(as of March 2, 2026 20:47 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)The Defence of Greece (Aris & Phillips Classical Texts)
(as of March 2, 2026 20:47 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)Barbarians of Asia: The People of the Steppes from 1600 B C (Dorset Press Reprints)
(as of March 2, 2026 20:48 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)The Geography of Strabo: An English Translation, with Introduction and Notes
(as of March 3, 2026 09:14 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)The Ancient Historians
(as of March 2, 2026 17:45 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)Persians (Greek Tragedy in New Translations)
(as of March 2, 2026 16:57 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)Classical Bearings: Interpreting Ancient History and Culture
(as of March 3, 2026 12:23 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)History of the Persian Empire
(as of March 2, 2026 17:45 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)The Campaigns of Alexander (Penguin Classics)
(as of March 2, 2026 21:19 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)Education of Cyrus (Everyman’s Library)
(as of March 3, 2026 03:24 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)7 reviews for Hardcore History 56 – Kings of Kings
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Dave Feldmann –
Fantastic. First experience with HH, recommended by good friend and long time listener Robbie Farlow.
The breadth of resources, the informed voice, the willingness to bring voices from across time and space to fully explore what may very well have been happening in these times is a singular accomplishment .
Thanks for doing this podcast. Can’t wait to listen to King of Kings II
Michael W Cho –
Loved it…
Nate –
Some of DC’s finest work. I have never been a big history buff, but THIS, this was a fantastic recount of a very compelling part of global history! Thanks to this series, I have now started taking an active interest in the history of the world. A very great program, from a very great team.
Viresh –
I understand that the sources for this period are limited, but my favourite episodes are the ones where Dan (and Ben) cover ancient history. I really loved this episode. Currently on the second and loving that as well.
Todd –
Fascinating story. Makes me want to go re-read Herodotus.
Only comment is regarding life expectancy. It was quite common for people to live well into their 80’s. Life expectancy is calculated between birth rate and death rate. Infant mortality was high which skewers this result. A more accurate measurement would be from 5 year old rate vs. death rate. Remember, the minimum age for the Spartan Council of Elders was 60.
Keep up the good work Dan!