CLASSIC: How Big Bill Speakman Fought Off North Korea With Beer Bottles

Summary

Ridiculous History – CLASSIC: How Big Bill Speakman Fought Off North Korea With Beer Bottles

Podcast: Ridiculous History (iHeartPodcasts)
Hosts: Ben Bowlin & Noel Brown
Date: May 2, 2026

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Episode Overview

This classic episode dives into the incredible and bizarre story of William "Big Bill" Speakman, a British soldier during the Korean War who famously repelled waves of Chinese attackers using, in part, empty beer bottles. Ben and Noel walk us through the context, the man, and the legend, sprinkling humor and historical insight throughout. The central theme is valor—and how history remembers (or misremembers) heroism, especially when it's a bit ridiculous.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Introduction and Setting the Stage

• The hosts discuss the continued fascination with North Korea (DPRK) and launch into the Korean War as the episode's backdrop.
• Ben shares a humorous anecdote about his language mishaps in Korea, highlighting cultural missteps and setting a light-hearted tone.
  • Quote: “I was walking in, people were saying hello, and I was waving at them and going, where am I?” (05:48)

Who Was Bill Speakman?

• Bill Speakman, nicknamed “Big Bill,” born in 1927, always wanted to be a soldier.
• Missed WWII by a year, joined the Black Watch Royal Highland Regiment before transferring to the King's Own Scottish Borderers, his unit in Korea.
  • Quote: “Big Bill Speakman was born on September 27, 1927... one of those kids who always wanted to grow up and be a soldier.” (07:41)

The Korean War Context

• The Korean War (1950-1953): a “limited” or “proxy” war between communism and capitalism, with China supporting North Korea and the US supporting South Korea.
  • Seoul changed hands four times; the war ended with a ceasefire, not a peace treaty.
• The importance of the 38th parallel as a tense border is discussed. (09:47–11:27)

The Battle at Maryang San

• In November 1951, Speakman’s battalion defended a position against 6,000 attacking Chinese troops.
• Conditions descended into hand-to-hand combat after artillery barrages (“trench warfare”—like WWI).
  • Quote (Speakman recollection): “It was hand-to-hand. There was no time to pull back the bolt of the rifle. It was November, the ground was hard, so grenades bounced and did damage.” (18:01)

"Unconventional Badassery"—Beer Bottles as Weapons

• Speakman led a team of six, improvising with grenades and, when those ran out, anything on hand—most notably, empty beer bottles.
• The beer bottles served as a crude but effective distraction.
  • Quote: “When they ran out of grenades, he started just grabbing whatever he could get his hands on… a whole kind of pile of empty beer bottles. And he was able to create a diversion just by hurling beer bottles at the oncoming opposition.” (19:38)
• The press later dubbed him the “beer bottle VC” (Victoria Cross recipient), a nickname he disliked for implying drunkenness.
  • Quote: “He did not care in any shape, form or fashion to be referred to as the beer bottle VC because he thought it made the army look bad.” (22:49)

The Victoria Cross and Speakman’s Legacy

• Speakman awarded the Victoria Cross, the UK’s highest military honor, for his actions.
  • Only 15 VCs awarded since WWII.
  • Speakman was the first to receive it from Queen Elizabeth II.
• The beer was used to cool gun barrels, not just for drinking.
  • Quote: “They used it to cool down gun barrels, apparently… if you are listening… let us know if that's true because it sounds like a convenient excuse.” (23:08)
• Upon returning home, Speakman was celebrated as a hero, but he struggled with fame and civilian life, quickly re-enlisting.
• He served in other conflicts (Indonesia, Aden, Malaya) until 1967.

Later Life and Reflections

• Speakman eventually fell on hard times, sold his original Victoria Cross to fix his roof, was later given a replacement.
• He donated the VC to South Korea during a 2015 visit, stating “it started there and… it was sensible to leave it there.”
• Notable struggles: a theft charge in 1968 (likely avoided jail thanks to his military reputation).
• Speakman disliked the "beer bottle" focus, claiming he did what anyone would have done.
  • Quote (Speakman interview, BBC): “I only did what the other guys did. We fought, and that's what we were trained to do.” (25:40)
• Passed away in 2018 at 90 years old at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, a veterans’ home.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Ben: “I was walking in, people were saying hello, and I was waving at them and going, ‘where am I?’ And that’s why they switched to English.” (05:48)
• On the Korean War: “This was a proxy war… wherein the superpowers of the world picked a third country so that they weren’t waging actual war on each other's soil.” (09:47)
• On the Victoria Cross: “It is awarded for unparalleled bravery in the heat of battle and was first awarded in 1857 by Queen Victoria…” (21:34)
• Speakman’s humility: “I only did what the other guys did. We fought, and that's what we were trained to do.” (25:40)

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Important Timestamps

• 04:22 – 06:06: Ben’s Korean language mishap story—humorous icebreaker.
• 07:41 – 12:00: Introduction of Bill Speakman, his background, and early military career.
• 13:29 – 16:12: Staging of the decisive moment at Maryang San.
• 18:01 – 19:38: Speakman’s own account of hand-to-hand fighting and the use of improvised weapons.
• 19:38 – 21:26: The legend of the beer bottle defense—fact and myth.
• 22:30 – 24:42: The significance of the Victoria Cross and Speakman’s distaste for the "beer bottle VC" nickname.
• 25:40 – 26:24: Speakman’s discomfort with hero status, his own words on the matter.

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Tone & Language

• The hosts keep the tone wry, irreverent, and humorous, but never disrespectful to the subject of war or Speakman’s achievements.
• Language is casual, friendly, and often self-deprecating (“Neither of us speak Korean… That’s gonna be a problem…”).

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Final Reflections

• The story is a perfect example of the “ridiculous” in history—a blend of heroism and absurdity.
• The hosts sum up with a reminder of the ongoing tension on the Korean Peninsula and encourage listeners to share similar stories from their families.

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Listener Takeaway

This episode recounts the resourcefulness, bravery, and humility of Bill Speakman—a man whose greatest act in battle was as much about quick thinking as raw heroics and whose story demonstrates the strange intersections between myth, media, and real history. His disposition as a regular guy (not the “beer-swilling wild man” some headlines might suggest) underscores that true heroism often resides in doing what needs to be done—no matter how ridiculous it might look in hindsight.

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Transcript

[A]

Fellow ridiculous historians, we are returning to you just all Twitter painted to tell you a weird story about a long time obsession. You guys remember the Democratic People's Republic of Korea?

[B]

DPRK or North Korea?

[C]

How could I forget those upstarts, those scamps, right?

[B]

Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

The Kim Dynasty is a continuing force in the world today and there have been a lot of terrifying, very strange situations. There's a lot of ridiculous history to the DPRK or North Korea. But this week's classic episode concerns a guy named Bill Speakman, spelled like it sounds, who got into a situation in North Korea and had to throw beer at people or beer bottles.

[B]

Empty bottles, like you do. Is that what you do?

[C]

Yeah, man. Someone displeases me.

[A]

You throw an empty beer bottle?

[C]

Absolutely. Sometimes I smash it and then brandish the broken end at them.

[B]

You don't even drink beer. Where are you getting all these bottles?

[C]

What are you talking about?

[B]

I like beer.

[C]

I'll have a beer. I'll down a beer with the boys at the pub of a night out.

[A]

And so this guy, Bill Speakman, as you know what, I don't even want to spoil it. Let's just roll the tape.

[C]

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[B]

Ridiculous History is a production of iHeartRadio. Ridiculous History is a production of iHeartRadio. Annyong Haseo, everybody. Welcome to Ridiculous History. I'm Ben Mushy Mushi.

[C]

My name is Noel. And yes, this is indeed Ridiculous History. And I know that was the incorrect greeting. You set up the theme correctly with your greeting and you said it beautifully, Ben Anyong Ho SEO.

[B]

I said it terribly.

[C]

Oh, did I say it better?

[B]

No, no, no.

[C]

Gosh.

[B]

It turns out that neither of us speak Korean.

[C]

That's gonna be a problem for today's episode.

[B]

It shouldn't be. It shouldn't be. Did I tell you that story of the last time I was in Korea? I went. So I was walking around, right? And I'm in Seoul. And everybody is very, everybody's very friendly. Walk into a shop, well dressed, I hear as well. Right, right. And yes, very much so. And people, shop owners or shop employees, when you walk in, they greet you, they say, hello, Anyong Haseo. And they say it usually in a loud, strident tone. And I thought I was saying whatever the proper response was. And so I walk in, these people would say hello, and then I would say I would do my bit in Korean, which I do not speak. And then they would switch to English and ask me, you know, if I needed help, if I needed to look for anything. And I thought, okay, sure. My Korean's admittedly garbage. It wasn't until I was driving back or I was riding back to the airport when the cab driver asked me had I learned anything Korean. And he's like, oh, yeah, yeah, I know this and I know this. And when people say hello, I say this. And he stops and he goes, oh,

[C]

man, you haven't been like, doing that have you?

[B]

He said, do you know what that means? I said, what? And he said, it means, where am I? So I was walking in, people were saying hello, and I was waving at them and going, where am I? And that's why they switched to English.

[C]

They're like, this man has had in a fugue state of some sort. He is confused and stumbling around and doesn't know what's going on.

[B]

But what an adventure. And despite our mutual lack of fluency in the Korean language, we're still going to have a great time with today's story. Oh, we should also mention super producer Casey Pegram is here.

[C]

Always.

[B]

I don't know why I did that. Like a late show intro. We've got a great show for you today, folks. Casey Pegum's here.

[C]

Exactly. I love it. He's always here. He's a staple. When he's not here, I die a little inside.

[B]

A little each time when he cries.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

So, no, we're mentioning Korea. Not for nothing. We are mentioning Korea because it is part of our story. Today's story is about a war hero, right?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Can I say badass on air?

[C]

I think you can, Ben.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

I think you can. I think he just did.

[B]

We've been going back and forth off air before about whether we can say the three we agreed on. If I remember, what were they? So there was ass.

[C]

Oh, man. We're gonna just lay them all out, huh?

[B]

Damn in hell. Should we save those?

[C]

Well, I mean, I don't know. Those I think are approved. But when you say them all in a row like that, it seems a little blue, Ben. It seems a little blue.

[B]

I'm sorry. Yeah, we went blue.

[C]

We went blue. You never go blue. Once you go blue. We should just do the episode. So, yeah, it's about kind of an unconventional war hero, a badass. And his particular flavor of badassery involved single handedly, largely single handedly, fending off a wave of Chinese forces that were coming at him with all they had, with all their might.

[B]

Yes. The story of William Speakman, known as Bill to his friends, Big Bill to his close friends, Big Bill Speakman. Big Bill Speakman was born on September 27, 1927 in Cheshire. He was one of those kids who always wanted to grow up and be a soldier. Right? And growing up, a lot of us, regardless of where we live in the world, a lot of us have known children like that. When he was a teenager, he was watching the British forces and the Allies take on Axis powers. This inspired him. He joined the army in 1945, which means that he just barely missed the conflicts of World War II.

[C]

Yeah. He was also part of an admittedly like Game of Thrones esque sounding order called the Black Watch Royal Highland Regiment. And then, as was his wish, he ended up joining the King's Own Scottish Borderers. And that is the outfit that he served with in Korea.

[B]

And the King's Own Scottish Borderers does sound like a band name. Really does, you know. So Bill, Big Bill, goes to the Korean Peninsula to take part in the Korean War. What's the Korean War? Great question. The Korean War is this back and forth struggle that has not yet, yet officially ended, which is crazy to me.

[C]

It was a ceasefire and they have, you know, they have consistently not fired, but there was no formal peace treaty. And it was a war that had so many ideological, you know, underpinnings because it was essentially this conflict between communism and capitalism. And the United States got involved because it was. They looked at it as very much a war against the forces of communism, this ideological war. And then the. And China has always been a staunch supporter of North Korea, Korea. And even though that makes for some funny bedfellows with us in China and our relationship with them, and that's one of the reasons we can't just go in to North Korea and mess things up, because that would totally torpedo our relationship with China. We can't have that.

[B]

Yeah. This was a proxy war, also called a limited war, wherein the superpowers of the world picked a third country so that they weren't waging actual war on each other's soil, and they fought their war there. Terrible, terrible thing for the people who live in that third country. Right. So this war began June 25, 1950, and it went back and forth for a time. The South Korean forces were on the precipice of losing this struggle. In October of 1950, hundreds of thousands of Chinese soldiers entered the border and the capital of Korea, Seoul, would change hands, what, four times during the struggle.

[C]

Yeah. And what has the 38th parallel been?

[B]

That's a great question. The 38th parallel existed originally as the boundary between the Soviet and American occupation zones in Japan. But in 1948, it also became the boundary between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, dpi, AKA North Korea, and the rok, or South Korea, at the time. As you know, they both claimed to be the legitimate governments of the entire peninsula. And this changed a little bit when they signed their armistice agreement in 1953. But we'll get into that later. The important part is as we've established that the 38th parallel is where things reached stalemate.

[C]

That's right.

[B]

Enter Big Bill Speakman. He's 24 years old. He's full of vim vigor, bright eyed, bushy tailed and thirsty to serve his country. So as we said, he volunteers in Korea. And when he is volunteering to engage in this conflict, it's still very much anyone's game. It's going back and forth. Seoul is being captured, recaptured, and he transfers to. What was the name of that group you mentioned earlier?

[C]

The King's own Scottish Borderers.

[B]

So he transfers to them expressly to join the fight in Korea. He wants to see actual field service.

[C]

And boy, does he ever. Because in 1951, Speakman's battalion was up defending a position on Maryang San in Korea. And that is when 6,000 Chinese soldiers laid siege. And we're trying to remove them from that position and take over.

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[B]

So let's set the stage. It's the early hours of November 4th. The defending battalion is coming under increasingly aggressive and dangerous mortar fire and artillery. And that is followed by a wave of Chinese troops advancing from their positions. They attack the Commonwealth trenches and by a little bit before 6 in the morning, 5, 45 or so, the sides have entered Malay hand to hand combat.

[C]

Yeah, I'm confused about this. So why were they doing hand to hand combat? Why weren't they shooting at each other?

[B]

Because they got close enough to. So the mortar fire and the artillery, it's smacking the tar out of the Commonwealth troops.

[C]

Got it.

[B]

And while they're on the defensive, the soldiers are getting close enough to. This is trench warfare.

[C]

It's essentially like that going over the top kind of situation.

[B]

Right. So they couldn't shoot from, you know, from like a rifle position, an individual walking position. You can't shoot into the trench easily.

[C]

That makes sense. So when we say hand to hand, we are talking largely about. I mean just that there's fists involved, there's hand grenades involved, knives, knives, there's chucking. Anything that you can get your hands on involved. And that becomes a big part of the story.

[B]

So Private Big Bill Speakman is prepping hand grenades when he hears a message over the radio saying that two groups have been overrun, two platoons, and that the ridge may fall into enemy hands. So he gets the band back together, gathers up whomever is closest to him, hands out grenades and says, let's go.

[C]

And there's this quote in an article from the Independent that has Speakman describing the scene like this. He says, it was hand to hand. There was no time to pull back the bolt of the rifle. It was November, the ground was hard, so grenades bounced and did damage. This makes me think of like a video game called Borderlands, where you could get different mods for your grenades. And one of them made them, like bouncing grenades so they would, like, literally bounce off of things and then explode continuously. I know this is not the kind of sci fi situation that's going on here, but why would a bounce and grenade do more damage? I'm trying to picture that because it only blows up once.

[B]

So I guess if we're speculating, we would say that the bounce puts it in a different position. You know, sort of like hitting. Hitting a cool trick shot on a pool table.

[C]

Maybe it gets. It makes it go farther, too. You could literally bounce it off because the ground is cold and frozen. You could bounce it off and then it would go farther. Yes, and if you're just chucking tons of them, then it would just create absolute havoc.

[B]

So he's got his group of six men who have joined him in collecting piles of grenades and throwing them right at the enemy forces. It's important to say that Speakman does this on his own initiative. He's not ordered to do so. He gets hit in the leg. Cause war is an ugly, nasty, dangerous thing, but he keeps fighting. And he holds back the Chinese forces long enough for those platoons that were overrun to evacuate their wounded. And he keeps going. We'll never know how long he would keep going. He didn't stop until he was directly ordered to get his leg looked at.

[C]

Yeah, but in the meantime, when they ran out of grenades, he started just grabbing whatever he could get his hands on. And in these days, the troops were allowed to have some beer. So they had a whole kind of pile of empty beer bottles. And he was able to kind of create a diversion just by hurling beer bottles at the oncoming opposition. And pro probably didn't actually kill anybody or hurt anybody too badly, but it certainly would have been annoying and it certainly would have caused a distraction. Right?

[B]

I mean, it's the thought that counts, right?

[C]

Absolutely. Reminds me of that story we did about the Americans throwing potatoes at a U boat.

[B]

Yep, yep. That really happened. It was, it was perhaps exaggerated in later retellings, but it did happen. There's. There's a great article in War History Online by Jeff Edwards about this story about Big Bill Speakman, and it confirms that he did indeed throw these beer bottles. This, this story gets a little bit exaggerated sometimes because you'll hear people say that he just started throwing everything he could. Hand grenades, beer bottles, empty ration tins, pencils, small woodland creatures, kitchen silverware, cricket bats, and his own. Well, we'll edit this for the air. His own blank, meaty fist. That comes from the great website badassoftheweek.com, which I highly, highly, highly recommend. He did throw more than grenades and more than beer bottles, too. They threw ration tins, they threw stones. And this did work. The press loved this, by the way. They started calling Bill Speakman the beer bottle vc. And I don't know if, I don't know if you saw this part, Noel. He hated that nickname.

[C]

What does VC mean? That's a big part of the story, too. That's the Victorian Cross.

[B]

Ah, yes, the Victorian Cross. Could you tell us a little bit about that?

[C]

Yeah. The Victorian Cross is the highest military honor in the United Kingdom. It is awarded for unparalleled bravery in the heat of battle and was first awarded in 1857 by Queen Victoria. She presented them to 62 soldiers in front of about 100,000 people at Hyde Park. And it has gone on to remain the highest military honor that one can receive. And Bill Speakman got it right away because the story caught the public's imagination. He really was incredibly brave. And to hear him talk about it, he's like, yeah, you know, it was just doing what I was trained to do.

[B]

So, yeah, it's rarefied air. Indeed. The Medal's been awarded 1,358 times, but only 15 medals have been awarded since World War II.

[C]

And if I'm not mistaken, this would have been the first VC to be awarded by the current queen, Queen Elizabeth ii.

[B]

Yeah, that's correct. So he loved his country, loved being a VC recipient. He did not care in any shape, form or fashion to be referred to as the beer bottle VC because he thought it made the army look bad. He thought the implication people would get from this was that he and his colleagues were drinking on the job and they weren't. Weird fact. You know what they used the beer for?

[C]

No.

[B]

They used it to cool down gun barrels, apparently.

[C]

I didn't know that.

[B]

I did not know that either. And I still. I mean, if you are listening and you or one of your relatives was in the Korean War or associated with it, let us know if that's true because it sounds like a convenient excuse. You know what I mean? Oh, sorry, Sarge. We're not. This beer isn't for drinking. These guns just get so gosh darn hot.

[C]

Well, it's true though, Ben. They do get pretty hot. And, you know, these kind of situations require thinking on your feet, using what you have around, as evidenced by this whole situation, which made him one of the, like, a national hero, basically. And he returned back to his hometown of Altrincham in Cheshire, and he was beloved. There was a parade for him before he got home. People had, like, cleaned his house for him, and he was treated very differently, and he didn't particularly care for it. He did not adjust very well to life as a civilian. And he re enlisted pretty quickly.

[B]

Yeah. Yep. He went on to serve in the army until 1967. He served in the Indonesia confrontation, the Aden emergency, the malayan emergency. In 2015, he made a return trip to South Korea along with other veterans of the war. And when he was there, he donated his Victoria Cross to South Korea. He believed it started there and he thought it was sensible to leave it there.

[C]

I believe he had a replica made that he gave to North Korea.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, right.

[C]

Yep.

[B]

Because, you know, you want to be fair. What's interesting here is that the Victoria Cross he donates to South Korea is not a replica, but it is a replacement. You see, like so many veterans of wars, Speakman was lauded at the beginning, but later fell on financial hardship. Right. And he sold his original Victoria Cross using the money to put a new roof on his house, and only later was given a genuine replacement.

[C]

Not to mention that in 1968, he was actually given an absolute discharge from the service because he was arrested in Edinburgh for stealing 104 pounds from a woman's purse. And it was likely only his lauded military career that kept him out of jail. Right.

[B]

And he was never really comfortable with this heroic image. He wasn't comfortable being a walking icon. We've got a quote from an interview he did with the BBC around the time he went to South Korea. He said, it started to dawn on me as the days went by, stopping in the street, no matter what, where you went in Altrincham, people were trying to do things for you. I didn't realize why it's got the vc, really, because I only did what the other guys did. We fought, and that's what we were trained to do. So he wasn't into the, you know, the ego boost, the hero worship stuff, and he didn't want people to think that he was some raging, violent drunk.

[C]

No.

[B]

Carousing and careening throughout the Korean War. He was a guy with a job, and he did it as seriously as he could, even when that involved throwing rocks and stones and ration tins, which technically, depending on whether the tins were empty or full, could make this a food fight.

[C]

That's very true. He only just recently passed away in June of 2018 at the age of 90. He had immigrated to South Africa several times and come back, but then ultimately returned to the uk To Chelsea, which is where he passed away at the Royal Hospital in Chelsea.

[B]

Yes. It's a retirement home and nursing home for around 300 veterans of the British Army. And with the passing of Bill Speakman, we see the end of his story, his part, his small part of the Korean War, which, as we record this episode today, still technically continues. The two countries sharing that peninsula in East Asia have not made peace. But it is an eternal hope for the people and the governments of both sides. That was like, the safest, most diplomatic way to say it.

[C]

I think that's very smart to keep it. You know, diplomacy is key here, Ben. Diplomacy is key. And you've been to South Korea twice.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. I am probably going back later this year, actually.

[C]

Really?

[B]

Yeah, It's a thing now.

[C]

Big fan. All right.

[B]

I mean, you just find yourself in situations.

[C]

Well, I guess so. I'll make sure to bring me another hat. That's become our tradition now.

[B]

Yeah. I'm glad you appreciate this.

[C]

I do, very much so.

[B]

So you gotta go sometime. If you get the chance, I'll say it. I know this is the most square thing to say about visiting a place, but the food is amazing.

[C]

Yeah, it looks like it. Every time you guys go, I can't. Can't look away from the Instagram stories. So much delicious Korean barbecue.

[B]

There's a new Korean barbecue place in Decatur as well, down the street from where we record this podcast.

[C]

Is it legit?

[B]

Yeah, it's legit.

[C]

Cool.

[B]

It gets the stamp. What's it called? D92. No idea where the name comes from.

[C]

I'll have to check it out. I love a good Korean barbecue. And Ben, by the way, unrelated food related. Happy National Burrito Day.

[B]

Thank you. You're welcome. I didn't want to have to remind you, so I'm glad that you're saying it.

[C]

And thank God we've got leftover Chipotle in the office today, so I can honor this holiday with gusto.

[B]

Yes, yes. And we also work down the street

[C]

from a restaurant called Gusto and a restaurant called Chipotle.

[B]

And a restaurant called Chipotle. Casey Pegram, are you. Are you a fan of burritos? Love a good burrito. Yeah.

[C]

What would be your ideal burrito? I'm pretty weird about burritos. I do not pack my burrito with much of anything other than cheese kind of guy.

[B]

Yeah, exactly. I get, like, steak, rice, cheese, and that's it. I'm good. No beans. No. No beans.

[C]

Bean free.

[B]

Casey. No beans.

[C]

Begram on the case.

[B]

So this concludes our. This concludes our episode, but not our show. Thank you so much for tuning in. We would like to hear your stories of unorthodox strange or fascinating events in times of conflict. You know, whether from civilians, whether from soldiers, whether your firsthand experience, a story from one of your relatives, hit us with it. You can find us on Facebook. You can find us on Instagram. We're also on. In a stunning plot twist, Twitter. It's not really a stunning plot twist.

[C]

Nah, it's kind of required, right?

[B]

Yeah, yeah. It's standard operating procedure.

[C]

I don't really mess with Twitter. There's a whole language and vocabulary so surrounding Twitter that I am just blissfully ignorant to. I am an Instagram kid. And you can follow me if you'd like at Embryonic Insider.

[B]

You can find me and my various misadventures getting kicked in and kicked out of countries around the world on Instagram. Ben Bollen. You can see me on Twitter. Ben bolanhsw. Most importantly, you can see our favorite part of the show, your fellow listeners, live and direct on our Facebook page. Ridiculous historians.

[C]

Thanks, as always, to our super producer, Casey Pegram. Thanks to Alex Williams, who composed our theme. Thanks to our research associate, Gabe Luzier.

[B]

Thanks to Bill Speakman. Thanks to Christopher Haciotes. Thanks to whomever invented the burrito. And thanks to you, Noel.

[C]

Hey, Ben. Thanks to you, too. And thanks to our next episode, which you can join us for, where we talk about a weird Chinese cult surrounding a certain Jesus of Nazareth fellow. Yeah, Colts.

[B]

Oh, wait, are you thanking our episode?

[C]

I am, in advance.

[B]

Okay, well, let's make it good.

[C]

See you next time, folks. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. This is an iHeart podcast.

[B]

Guaranteed Human.