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Author: Demetria Spinrad

Introducing the podcast!

May 18, 2022 Demetria Spinrad Leave a comment

Check back soon for more information about the robots we love (or love to hate) in fiction and in real life.

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Posted in: I Only Love Robots, Podcasts

Stede Bonnet, the Gentleman Pirate

April 4, 2022 Demetria Spinrad Leave a comment

It’s time to take to the sea in style. Why did a gentleman abandon a life of luxury to become a pirate? And how did one of the most incompetent ship captains in history end up sailing with Blackbeard himself? 

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Posted in: Criminal Records Podcast

Lou Blonger

March 9, 2022 Demetria Spinrad Leave a comment

In a follow-up to our episode about one very slick criminal, we’re taking listeners through a tour of Denver’s seedy…

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Posted in: Criminal Records Podcast, Uncategorized

Richard Lawrence, attempted assassin

February 9, 2022 Demetria Spinrad Leave a comment

Richard Lawrence was full of lead. On one fateful day in 1835, he decided to fill President Andrew Jackson with lead too.

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Posted in: Criminal Records Podcast

The Broken Windows Theory

January 13, 2022 Demetria Spinrad Leave a comment

In 1969, a group of graduate students had a great time smashing up a car. Their very strange psychology experiment is responsible for some of the most racist policing practices in America today.

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Posted in: Criminal Records Podcast

The Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist

December 29, 2021 Demetria Spinrad Leave a comment

A group of thieves set their sights on the greatest wealth stockpile of them all: the Global Strategic Maple Syrup Reserve. All they needed was a network of truckers, black market syrup smugglers, and shady dealers willing to get their fingers sticky for a sweet payoff.

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Posted in: Criminal Records Podcast

Adam Worth

December 16, 2021 Demetria Spinrad Leave a comment

Was a poor Jewish kid from Massachusetts the real inspiration for Professor Moriarty? Meet Adam Worth, the gentleman thief so…

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Posted in: Criminal Records Podcast, Podcasts

The Yakuza Rocket Launcher Case

November 30, 2021 Demetria Spinrad Leave a comment

Want to take your gang war to the next level? Try buying a rocket launcher! In this wild episode, we learn about the history of one of the world’s best-known criminal organizations, the split that launched a bloody turf war, and the linguistic complications of saying “yes” to arms dealers.

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Posted in: Criminal Records Podcast, Uncategorized

Nelson Mandela

November 18, 2021 Demetria Spinrad Leave a comment

How did one of the most famous political prisoners of all time end up in prison? What system did he have a part in taking down? This week, we discuss the strange legal maneuvers South Africa’s racist government used to stay in power, and the court case that changed the way the world reacted to the apartheid system.

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Posted in: Criminal Records Podcast

The Queens of the Forty Elephants

November 3, 2021 Demetria Spinrad Leave a comment

One gang of women terrorized London’s merchants for more than a century. From smashing cars through shop doors to stuffing fur coats down their pants, learn the secrets of the lady gang of master criminals.

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Posted in: Criminal Records Podcast, Podcasts

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About Me

My name is Isaac Meyer, and I’m a  former PhD student at the University of Washington, specializing in modern Japan (with sub-specializations in modern China, modern Europe, and international relations). Today, I work as a teacher at an independent school in the Seattle area.

I also have a tendency to go off on random historical tangents. One day, I decided to combine these two traits in podcast form, and thus was born the History of Japan Podcast!

In 2018, I decided start the Criminal Records Podcast with my wife, Demetria Spinrad. This podcast gives me the chance to talk about world history–and the weird, wonderful world of historical crime and punishment.

Support the Show

Support the Facing Backward network on Patreon to get access to our bonus features:

Become a Patron!

The History of Japan Patreon is still live, and subscribers will be able to get the weekly newsletter there as well.

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Recent Posts

  • Introducing the podcast!
  • The Luddites
  • Episode 437 – The Fist of the Buddhas, Part 2
  • Episode 436 – Fist of the Buddhas, Part 1
  • Jaywalking
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