Podcast
Armchair Historians
Hosted by Anne Marie Cannon · EN
What's your favorite history? Each interview on this podcast begins with this one question. Our guests are people who like history and get really excited about a particular time, place or person from our distant or not so distant past. The jumping off point is the place where our they became curious then entered the rabbit hole into discovery through scholarly research, pop culture, documentaries, other podcasts...We look at history through the filter of other peoples eyes.https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=965986
14episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Ruffs, Reformation, and Real Life: Why I Write the Tudors
Jan 1300:18:18Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailEpisode summary:This is a personal, behind-the-scenes episode on why Tudor England became the setting for The Bedlam Series: the whiplash of religious change, the evolving Tudor monarchs, and how “madness” was understood, feared, and controlled—especially around Bethlehem Hospital (“Bedlam”). Along the way, Anne Marie threads careful parallels to current U.S. events and the emotional toll of living through political instability.Content note: This episode references political violence, immigration enforcement, protest, and a personal medical experience.In this episodeWhy Tudor England feels like a pressure cooker (faith, law, identity, survival)Religion as “weather”: shifting doctrine, shifting dangerTudor power and insecurity: Henry VIII → Edward VI → Mary I → Elizabeth IBedlam as symbol and setting: who gets labeled, who gets confined, who gets believedModern parallels: competing “official narratives,” public meaning, labels that flatten human lives“We must cultivate our garden” (Voltaire) as a grounding practice in hard timesRough timecode outline (edit once you have final audio)00:00 Show open + what the podcast is00:35 Personal note: this week, mental health, “cultivating our garden”03:10 Bedlam Series orientation + how to get the prequel04:30 Tudor religion as a changing tide08:00 Tudor royals + insecurity-driven power11:30 “Madness” as label + Bedlam’s role15:20 Borders, sovereignty, Greenland parallels18:00 Closing reflection + how to get the prequel + May release reminderGet the prequel (free) + follow the seriesGet The Sum of Broken Rooms free when you join the email list (official download page): link at top of page https://www.amcannon.com/Explore The Bedlam Series hub. Armchair Historians on A.M. Cannon’s site. Main site / signup landing page. Mentioned in the episode (current-events context)Reporting and video updates around Renée Good’s fatal shooting by an ICE officer in Minneapolis, protests, and disputes over official framing vs. public footage. Greenland rejecting U.S. takeover talk; NATO / sovereignty concerns. Reuters coverage on Nicolás Maduro saying he was “kidnapped” amid U.S. charges (referenced as a “foreign president kidnapped”). Tudor + Bedlam background (learn-more links)English Reformation (1527–1590) overview (The National Archives). Reformation Parliament overview (UK Parliament). Support the showFollow us on Social Media:Instagram: @armchairhistoriansFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/armchairhistoriansSupport Armchair Historians:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/armchairhistoriansKo-fi: https://ko-fi.com/belgiumrabbitproductionsCheck out Anne Marie's historical fiction and download free short story: A.M. Cannon website: www.amcannon.com Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
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New Season, New History
Jan 600:12:35Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailARMCHAIR HISTORIANS — Season 5, Episode 1“Under One Roof: A New Season, A New Chapter”Hello, fellow Armchair Historians. Welcome back.In this Season 5 premiere, I’m officially bringing everything I create—podcasting, historical fiction, research rabbit holes, vintage fashion history, and documentary work—under one roof. You can now find the whole universe (and all the links) at my home base:https://www.amcannon.com/We’re also living through a moment that can feel disorienting and heavy—when truth feels slippery, the rules feel optional, and basic decency can seem in short supply. That’s exactly why history matters. Not as escapism, but as a compass: a way to remember what happened, how people resisted, how communities survived, and what it costs when power goes unchecked.This season, I’m leaning into the kinds of history I’m always drawn to:• stories that amplify diverse voices• lives lived at the edges of power• the overlooked, the underestimated, the nearly-forgotten• and the tangible traces of the past you can hold in your handNEW THIS SEASON: FIRST GUESTSOur first two guests of Season 5:• Janis Robinson Daly (historical fiction + women’s stories) https://janisrdaly.com/• Barbara Stark-Nemon (award-winning author of women’s & Jewish historical fiction) https://www.barbarastarknemon.com/A.M. CANNON + THE BEDLAM SERIESMy debut novel (Book 1 of The Bedlam Series), The Case of Lord Simon, arrives in May 2026.Moving forward, I’ll be sharing updates, behind-the-scenes research, and historical context connected to the world of Bedlam—because the history behind the fiction is half the obsession.Explore The Bedlam Series (and related goodies):https://www.amcannon.com/itemsWant a doorway into the series first? (The Sum of Broken Rooms):https://www.amcannon.com/items/this-is-a-title-01LAST TRAIN LEAVING BELGIUM (DOCUMENTARY)I’ll also share occasional updates on my documentary project, Last Train Leaving Belgium. It’s currently on the back burner while The Bedlam Series gains momentum—but the story is still close to my heart.Listen here:Part 1: https://armchairhistorians.buzzsprout.com/1020073/episodes/16070462-last-train-leaving-belgium-part-1Part 2: https://armchairhistorians.buzzsprout.com/1020073/episodes/16105753-last-train-leaving-belgium-part-2-jeff-lipkesHISTORY I KEEP COMING BACK TO (DIVERSE VOICES + “WHY HISTORY”)Victoria Woodhull — thSupport the showFollow us on Social Media:Instagram: @armchairhistoriansFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/armchairhistoriansSupport Armchair Historians:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/armchairhistoriansKo-fi: https://ko-fi.com/belgiumrabbitproductionsCheck out Anne Marie's historical fiction and download free short story: A.M. Cannon website: www.amcannon.com Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
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Jason Sandy: How A Riverbed Became The Largest Open-Air Museum In London
Oct 1900:55:40Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailThis week’s Rewind episode brings back one of our most memorable conversations—perfect for anyone who’s ever felt that jolt of wonder holding a fragment of the past. Anne Marie sits down with noted mudlark Jason Sandy—member of the Society of Thames Mudlarks, trustee of the Thames Museum Trust, and co-author of Thames Mudlarking: Searching for London’s Lost Treasures—to explore the River Thames as the longest open-air archaeological site in London.Jason shares how a National Geographic segment sent him down to the foreshore, the thrill of finding a Roman bone hairpin now on display at the Museum of London, the camaraderie (and ethics) of the mudlarking community, and what it was like to metal-detect in the Tower of London’s moat. We also talk permits, recording finds, Totally Thames exhibitions, and why ordinary objects—buttons, pipe stems, combs—tell extraordinary stories.HighlightsWhat makes London’s tidal Thames uniquely rich for findsFrom Native American arrowheads to Roman London: Jason’s path to mudlarkingThe Roman hairpin “holy grail” and donating to the Museum of LondonHow the Society of Thames Mudlarks works (and why there’s a waitlist)Recording artifacts with the Portable Antiquities SchemeCommunity spotlights: fellow mudlarks, favorite finds, and a life-changing Victoria Cross discoveryBehind the scenes: searching the Tower of London moat and what those regimental buttons revealedThe vision for a hands-on Thames Museum where visitors can learn on the foreshoreAbout Our GuestJason Sandy is an American-born architect/developer who moved to London in 2007 and discovered mudlarking in 2012. He’s a Society of Thames Mudlarks member, a Thames Museum Trust trustee, and co-author of Thames Mudlarking: Searching for London’s Lost Treasures. He lectures widely, appears on television, and shares finds on Instagram @jasonmudlark.Links & ResourcesJason on Instagram: https://instagram.com/jasonmudlarkThames Mudlarking: Searching for London’s Lost Treasures (book)Thames Museum Trust: https://thamesmuseum.orgPortable Antiquities Scheme (UK): https://finds.org.ukMuseum of London: https://www.museumoflondon.org.ukIf you enjoyed this Rewind, please follow, leave a 5-star review, and share the episode with a fellow history-lover. Want to support the show? Join us on Patreon/Ko-fi and keep the stories flowing.Support the showFollow us on Social Media:Instagram: @armchairhistoriansFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/armchairhistoriansSupport Armchair Historians:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/armchairhistoriansKo-fi: https://ko-fi.com/belgiumrabbitproductionsCheck out Anne Marie's historical fiction and download free short story: A.M. Cannon website: www.amcannon.com Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
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Eric Walter, Dark Side of the Mountain, The Disappearance of Keith Reinhard
Oct 1300:56:28Tap to summarizeSend a textEvery town has its ghosts. For the quiet Colorado mining town of Silver Plume, those ghosts are real people who vanished without a trace.In this two-part Halloween special of Armchair Historians, host Anne Marie Cannon talks with award-winning filmmaker Eric Walter, whose documentaries explore the unsettling corners of human experience. Walter’s film Dark Side of the Mountain investigates the mysterious disappearance of journalist Keith Reinhard, whose story eerily mirrors that of another missing man, Tom Young—both from the same street, a year apart.Together, Anne Marie and Eric delve into obsession, synchronicity, and the strange overlap between fact and folklore.Eric Walter’s previous work includes My Amityville Horror (IFC Films), one of the top festival genre films of 2012. His editing and producing credits span Netflix, Amazon Prime, FX, AMC, and Disney+.This episode remains one of Armchair Historians’ most-listened stories—perfect for those who like their history with a chill down the spine. 🎧Today we talk to Eric Walter about the mysterious disappearance of Keith Reinhard in Silver Plume, Colorado.Eric Walter is an award-winning director, editor, and documentary filmmaker in Los Angeles, known for producing investigative nonfiction films that explore bizarre cold cases, unexplained phenomena, and the dark side of human psychology.His directorial debut, My Amityville Horror, was named one of the top 10 festival genre films of 2012. The film was distributed theatrically by IFC Films and is currently available on streaming services. As a lead editor for feature films, docuseries, and commercial advertising campaigns, Eric’s work has spanned across a variety of platforms including Netflix, Amazon Prime, FX, AMC, Disney+ and many others.He also frequently serves as an expert on the Amityville Horror case, having recently been profiled by networks such as ABC, A&E, and Travel Channel.Eric’s second documentary feature, Dark Side of the Mountain, is slated for release in 2021.Support the show Follow us on Social Media:Instagram: @armchairhistoriansFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/armchairhistorians Support Armchair Historians:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/armchairhistoriansKo-fi: https://ko-fi.com/belgiumrabbitproductions Check out Anne Marie's historical fiction and download free short story: A.M. Cannon website: www.amcannon.com Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
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