Badass of the Week

New York Times best-selling author A.J. Jacobs (author of the new book The Year of Living Constitutionally) joins Ben and Dr. Pat to talk about some of the unexpected people who have led to changes in the U.S. Constitution over the years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode Ben and Dr. Pat chat about "Handsome" Mingyan a mythological character from the Jangar Epic, a group of stories that comprise what some might call the Mongolian King Arthur. He was a minor character in our previous episode about the Scarlet Khongor - today he takes center stage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's episode Ben Thompson and Producer Andrew Jacobs talk about the true story behind the new movie The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. And you won't be surprised to know that Operation Postmaster and those behind it were even more badass than portrayed in the movie! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode Ben Thompson is joined by journalist and host of Outside Podcast Peter Frick-Wright to tell the story of Ten Tswewang who ran a grueling 200 mile race from Everest to Kathmandu to tell the world that Everest had finally been summited. Along the way they'll chat about Sherpas and Everest and how gnarly it really gets up there. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Badass listeners: This week we're sharing Ben's recent appearance on the Ridiculous History Podcast where they chat about Le Maupin. We'll resume our regular scheduled programming next week! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello regular listeners and new listeners - here's a replay of Le Maupin for those joining us from Ridiculous History. If you are in to badass swordfights, debauchery, classical music, big fancy hats, and a couple unlikely heroes face-stabbing their way to success against seemingly-impossible odds, then this is the episode for you. Julie D'Aubigny and Joseph Boulogne -- better known as La Maupin and the Chevalier de Saint-Georges to the adoring hordes of onlookers cheering them on in battle and on the musical stage -- were two of the most badass swordfighters in the history of Early Modern France. Pat and Ben discuss both of these colorful heroes and detail their adventures kicking-ass and taking names across 18th century Europe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Cinco De Mayo coming up this weekend, Ben and producer Andrew Jacobs talk about Ignacio Zaragoza who led Mexican forces to victory over French Invaders way back in 1862, leading to the holiday so many of us love to celebrate with chips, guac and a cerveza! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Known for his masterful sculptures and fiery temper, Benvenuto Cellini’s escapades ranged from dueling in the streets to making audacious escapes from papal prisons. Join Ben and Daniele as they unfurl Cellini's wild stories and scandalous life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

King Kamehameha was the original Hawaiian superhero—legend says he was born with a comet lighting up the sky, hinting at his future badassery. He turned his warrior’s spirit into action, unifying Hawaii with clever tactics and serious muscle, like literally pushing his enemies off cliffs. He didn’t just fight with spears; he was all about upgrading to the latest tech—hello, Western firearms! His epic victory at the Battle of Nuʻuanu was the stuff of legends, making him the undisputed boss of the Hawaiian Islands. Kamehameha wasn’t just a king; he was a legend who built a kingdom to last. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here comes part II (that's 2 in roman numerals for you animals out there!) of the Anita Garibaldi story! Tune in. Tell your friends. Tell your enemies. Leave us a review. Stay Badass. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Ben and Pat dive into the story of Anita Garibaldi the Badass Brazilian revolutionary who, alongside with her husband Giuseppe Garibaldi AKA "The George Washington of Italy", fought through the jungles and mountains and more for equality and independence of the Brazilian people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back with another fun bonus episode, Ben and Pat dive into the original cancel culture. Except this was way more extreme, and maybe even a bit worthwhile, as complete d**kwads would be completely erased from history, ensuring that they couldn't even be remember, hatefully. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are few characters quite as angry and dangerous in greek mythology as Medea. Over the course, Medea's life she dismembered her own brother, murdered her sons, and burned her husband's lover alive. Basically, don't F with her... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Way down under at the bottom of the globe is a deadly land named AUSTRALIA, where the entire the place is designed to kill you. It's a legit thunderdome, full snakes, spiders, crocs, jellyfish, trees, ants and people descended from criminals. And that's what makes it so badass! Tune in this week as Ben is joined by guest host (and Badass of the Week producer) Andrew Jacobs talk about how to survive a trip to Sydney. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bishnu Shrestha wasn't looking for a fight on the evening of 2 September 2010, but a fight found him. Unfortunately for his opponents, Shrestha was a Gurkha, a soldier hailing from an elite Nepalese unit of the British Army. Their motto: "It is better to die, than be a coward." Join Pat and Ben as they dive into the history of the Gurkhas and Shrestha's serious badassitude on todays episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ben has been marooned in Brazil without a working computer this week so we're delivering a bonus episode! Our regularly scheduled programming will return next week! But first - a couple stories about finding love and jobs way back when... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Ben and Pat discuss the fantastical life of Heinrich Schliemann. His life was full of far travels, great riches, bold lies, and even bolder thievery. What was real about the man and what was his own imagination? Perhaps one of the founding father's of archeology, he discovered the ancient city of Troy, and then sort of blew it up. A badass at the time, in retrospect, a bit of a mixed bag! Take a listen... And if you're digging our episodes, tell your friends, tell your enemies, tell you uncle that you see once a year on Thanksgiving. And please rate and review, it helps us keep these episodes coming! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every now and then, the sequel is better than the original. In today's episode, Ben and Pat discuss just one of those rare occasions. In fact, Ramesses II was so badass, they made Ramesses III through X. Tune in to find out why! And if you're enjoying the podcast, be sure to tell your friends, tell your enemies, tell the weird dude at work who looks like he's up to something shady. And be sure to rate and leave comment for us! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today Ben and Pat tell the story of the 396th Infantry Regiment - an all African American unit that spent 191 days in combat in WWI, more than any other unit, they fought so ferociously, the Germans called them the "Hollenkampfer" aka Hellfighters. Tune in to find to hear more... And if you're enjoying the show, tell your friends, tell your enemies, tell your mom and leave us a rating and a comment! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Ben and Pat dive into the story behind the scientist - Marie Curie - the first woman to win the Nobel prize. From the battlefield to the laboratory, she put herself in harm's way (dodging bullets and not really dodging gamma rays) to make the world a better place. Her work led to chemotherapy and also nuclear weapons. Listen now! And if you're enjoying the show, rate us, leave a comment, and grab your neighbor's phone to make them subscribe! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's ep, Ben and Pat discuss Toussaint L'Ouverture, the Haitian Hero. Born a slave, L'Ouverture eventually turned into rebel and later a leader, in the Haitian Revolution before eventually becoming the Govenor-General of the whole island. He beat the French, the Spanish and even British, while liberating his people. Not too shabby. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's episode Ben and Pat pull from the world of Norse legend a vengeful, pitiless necromancer sorceress. We're talking bear massacres, viking zombies (hell yeah!) and general epic bloody battles. Even her name is awesome: Skuld! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

King Naresuan was a badass warlord who, while he was the reigning King of Thailand, won freedom for his people and fought off a foreign invasion by battling a tyrannical enemy king in a swordfight fought on the back of two rampaging elephants. That's right, an elephant duel with swords. And if you liked this and or previous episodes, tell your friends, tell your enemies, give us a rating and definitely give us a comment! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The A-10 Warthog is a big, slow, heavily armed flying machine equipped with enough explosives to blast the Moon into about eight billion tiny inedible cheese wheels. And Ben and Pat are going to chat all about it today. But also, one it's more famous pilot's Kim Campbell who flew the warthog over Iraq in the early 2000's. If you liked this episode, please rate us, leave a comment, and share this show with your friends! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy new year! In 2024 we're going to be rolling out some new fun things. Today we wanted to give you a preview of one of them: Bonus episodes. We'll be rolling these out occasionally to deliver fun stories that don't quite fit into the regular Badass of the Week mold. Take a listen. And if you're reading this: scroll on down and like, rate and share this show with your friends! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Klondike Joe Boyle was a Yukon Lumberjack Commando Secret Agent who managed a Stanley Cup hockey team, outfitted a World War I machine gun company, received astronomically high military honors from England, Canada, France, Romania, and Russia, stole the Romanian crown jewels from a vault in Moscow, hijacked a train, probably romanced European royalty, and once fought a shark in hand-to-hand combat armed with nothing more than a hunting knife. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most colorful and hilariously-narcissistic figures in all of history, Alcibiades was a hard-partying, self-obsessed Athenian nobleman who caused mischief anywhere he went, shifted alliances as it suited him, and routinely found himself fleeing from people who wanted to murder him. But he also happened to be a genius military commander who won huge battles in the Peloponnesian War... while leading armies on both sides of the conflict. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Ben and Pat dive into the story of Abdel Kader Haidara and his librarians who, in 2011, formed a secret plot to smuggle hundreds of thousands of ancient and priceless books and texts out of Timbuktu and away from the book-burning jerkwads known as Al Qaeda. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tsar Peter Romanov was a strong leader who overcame difficult odds to seize the throne of Russia, then forge his dominion into a dominant Empire that became a powerful force in European politics for years to come, but he was also possibly the hardest-partying world leader in all of human history. Ben and Pat discuss Peter the Great's lifelong fight... for the right... to party! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Colonel Jack Churchill was a British military Commando who went into World War II armed with a claymore sword, an English longbow, and a set of bagpipes, and led all his cover special ops operations by pointing his sword at the enemy and screaming the word "COMMMMANNDOOOOO!!!!" as loudly as possible. He was a model, an actor, a war hero, and a world-traveling adventurer who fought the Nazis with weaponry that had been obsolete for over a century, was continually awarded with medals of bravery for overcoming impossible odds, escaped two different concentration camps, and spent the twilight years of his life as a surfing and skydiving instructor. Strap in for this one folks, because this one is a non-stop adrenaline ride. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Father of All Turks, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was a revolutionary, a hardcore military commander, a bulwark against Fascism, a reformer, a humanitarian, and a man who worked to rebuild bridges with the peoples he had warred against. The United Nations declared him a humanitarian hero, the Australians built a statue for him even though he'd fought against them in war, and it's actually illegal in Turkiye to say anything bad about him in public. Not just anybody gets that sort of treatment. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you're not familiar with the mythology of ancient Mongolia, strap in for this one. Pat recounts one of the great stories from the epic Jangar Cycle of heroic myths, a series of bone-crushing sagas detailing the exploits and adventures of the Kalmyk peoples. In this story, Scarlet Lion Khongor single-handedly attempts to avenge the honor of his Lord against the massive unyielding armies of Khan Iron Head Mangna! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you are in to badass swordfights, debauchery, classical music, big fancy hats, and a couple unlikely heroes face-stabbing their way to success against seemingly-impossible odds, then this is the episode for you. Julie D'Aubigny and Joseph Boulogne -- better known as La Maupin and the Chevalier de Saint-Georges to the adoring hordes of onlookers cheering them on in battle and on the musical stage -- were two of the most badass swordfighters in the history of Early Modern France. Pat and Ben discuss both of these colorful heroes and detail their adventures kicking-ass and taking names across 18th century Europe. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ben and Pat are joined on a special Halloween episode by Tani Caesar (Unhinged History) to talk about a couple of infamous (and spoooooky) Eastern European nobles -- Elizabeth Bathory, the terrifying Blood Countess of Hungary, and th equally-notorious Vlad III of Wallachia, better known outside of his native Romania as Vlad the Impaler (or, if you prefer, Vlad Dracula). This one is going to be gruesome and unhinged, but luckily we'll have Tani here to help us get through it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ben and Pat discuss two warrior queens from the fringes of the Roman Empire who stood against impossible odds and defied the Caesars with their military might: Amaniraneas, the Kandake of Sudan, who led war elephants into battle against the armies of Emperor Augustus; and Zenobia, a Syrian Queen who conquered Roman Egypt and squared off against the legions of Aurelian. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two of Imperial Rome's most infamous women come together for this episode, as Pat and Ben discuss Locusta the Poisoner -- perhaps the most prolific and deadliest assassin of the Ancient World -- and the woman who gave her the majority of her most notorious missions: Julia Agrippina. Caligula's sister. Nero's mom. If you like political intrigues, murder mystery, amateur botany, cutthroat diplomacy, and the idea of two women who never met a problem that couldn't be solved with a syringe of cyanide and a bag of Death Cap Mushrooms, then you really can't afford to miss this one. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

St. Olha of Kyiv was a Viking Warrior Princess who unleashed a dump truck of bloody vengeance on all who opposed her, cleansed the countryside of her enemies in a sea of unquenchable flames, conquered hordes of vicious barbarians, pissed off a Byzantine Emperor so hard he kicked her out of Constantinople, successfully outwitted two foreign kings who tried to marry her, saved her people during in the Siege of Kyiv with nothing more than her own fearlessness, instituted the first taxation system in Eastern Europe, built the first stone structure , buried 20 foreign dignitaries alive, and still somehow managed to be Sainted by the Orthodox Church for her work almost single-handedly turning present-day Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus into Christian countries. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we talk about America's most badass president! Professor Greg Jackson of History That Doesn't Suck joins the show to talk about the rough-riding cowboy, amateur boxer, former NYPD commissioner, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and Medal of Honor Recipient who once declared war on Spain without any authority to do so and once gave an 80-minute campaign speech with a .38 caliber bullet in his chest. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

America's most famous commander from the Second World War, "Old Blood and Guts" was a bombastic leader who fought hard, swore harder, and thought that defending his flanks was for cowards and losers. We follow the complicated, intense, and action-packed life of George S. Patton from an Olympic athlete to his adventures fighting Pancho Villa, to his career as one of America's founding fathers of armored warfare, and across the raging battlefields of North Africa, Italy, France, and Germany during the height of World War II. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Born in an Ottoman prison and raised on the high seas, 19th century Greek revolutionary admiral Laskarina Boubolina build a shipping empire that spanned the Mediterranean, defended it against pirates, rival companies, and corrupt politicians, and then led a fleet of warships into battle to liberate her country from Ottoman rule. In this episode, Ben and Pat talk about the Greek heroine, her role in the Revolution, and her own personal naval war against the Turks. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In part 2, Pat and Ben continue the story of Miyamoto Musashi, who has now drawn the rage of the Yoshioka Clan of sword instructors. They swear vengeance upon the strange wandering ronin, set a trap for him, and hope to ensnare Feudal Japan's greatest swordsman in a massive ambush. Musashi may be a peerless fighter, without equal, but with the enemy outnumbering him so heavily, it will be a struggle for even the greatest warriors to survive. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is a term in Japan: kensei. Sword Saints. The peerless warriors bestowed with this honorific title were such hardcore blade-swinging warriors that they were actually believed to have possessed otherworldly abilities with their weapon of choice. Fierce fighters, perfectly-tuned machines who had ascended to a plane where they had become one with the sword. Their movements were precise, their reactions instinctive, their form as flawless and graceful as it was deadly. At the forefront of this pantheon of warrior-gods stands one legendary man: Miyamoto Musashi. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Ben and Pat are joined by special guest Daniele Bolelli (History on Fire, the Drunken Taoist) to discuss his favorite badass of all time -- Japanese Zen Buddhist monk Ikkyu Sojun, an extremely unlikely character more well-known for his wild parties and drunken carousing than his ability to slaughter his foes on the battlefield. Daniele discusses the strange, mystical, and genuinely-hilarious life of one of Japan's most eccentric weirdoes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"The White Death," Simo Hayha was just an ordinary Finnish farmer that somehow ended up recording more confirmed kills than any other sniper in military history. In this episode Ben and Pat discuss how this ordinary dude from Finland became the deadliest soldier ever recorded. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The most revered of all the sword-swinging Viking rulers, the legendary Olaf Crowbone, baptized the Vikings the only way he knew how — with extreme violence. Pat and Ben talk about the national hero of Norway, a guy who consistently dealt with all possible foes by planting them on the point of his sword. This episode has action, adventure, death, destruction, Viking longships, epic battles, and just the slightest hint of religious philosophy thrown in for good measure. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Kingdom isn't cool. A Dyansty is cool. Or so said Roman Emperor Vespasian's Justin Timberlake look-alike friend over drinks at the club. And so that's what Vespasian built: a dynasty. In this episode, Ben and Pat talk about a man who saved the Roman Empire, built the Roman Coliseum and so much more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Up until her death in 1914 at the age of 82, Old West badass "Stagecoach" Mary Fields had a standing bet at her local saloon: Five bucks and a glass of whiskey said she could knock out any cowboy in Cascade, Montana with a single punch. After the third or fourth fool tried to take her up on it, nobody ever had the guts to do it again. In this week's episode author Ben Thompson and professor of history Dr. Patricia Larash talk about Stagecoach Mary and Annie Oakley, two of the fastest guns in the old west. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Roman Legions of Emperor Nero attacked her home, disrespected her people, and attacked her family, Celtic warrior queen Boudicca swore revenge -- and she left nothing but scorched earth in her wake as she rampaged across Briton, destroying all who stood in her way. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've all seen Enter the Dragon and Fists of Fury, but how well do we know the man behind those films? In this episode author Ben Thompson and Professor of History Dr. Patricia Larash discuss Bruce Lee, a man who was more than just a real-life martial arts badass, he was also a groundbreaking pioneer, who paved the way for the next generation of actors and changed action cinema forever. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before his name became synonymous with treason, Benedict Arnold may have been the most heroic and badass general of the American Revolution. In this episode author Ben Thompson and Professor of History Dr. Pat Larash discuss General Arnold's incredible military career, and the decisions that ultimately led him to become the most infamous soldier in American history. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices