Murderhobos: Masculinity Throughout History

Today on Murderhobos, the Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen. By the time of his violent death at twenty-five, he had shot down eighty aircraft out of the sky, often killing the pilot and crew as a result. Fighter pilots were by national propaganda turned into figures of chivalry, of the return of knightly battle to the faceless industrial infantry war. Was the war he waged a heroic throwback to medieval chivalry, or was the war in the air just as miserable, dangerous, and atrocious as war on the ground? Submit questions to murderhobospodcast@gmail.com or on our Patreon discord by June 23rd, 2026. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon. Donate to the show at bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos.

Today on Murderhobos: Douglas Haig, the chief of the British Expeditionary Force in the First World War. Haig was a dashing figure in his youth, an up-and-comer in the military elite who has come to symbolically represent the incompetence and apathy of high command. But was Douglas Haig a butcher, or did the war he fought simply take on an appalling life of its own? Submit questions to murderhobospodcast@gmail.com or on our Patreon discord by March 3rd, 2026. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon. Donate to the show at bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos.

Today on Murderhobos, Edward Teach, alias Blackbeard. Possibly the most famous pirate in history. Know primarily for his beard and his reputation for brutality and violence, he is in every way the pop culture exemplar of the golden age of piracy But his real life and violent death are a fascinating case study for the reality of piracy, shipboard life, and class conflict in the early decades of the 18th century. Submit questions to murderhobospodcast@gmail.com or on our Patreon discord by November 4th 2025. We'll be hosting a year-end Q&A for all of our pirate episodes too - please submit questions for that by December 16th. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon. Donate to the show at bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos.

Today on Murderhobos, Captain Henry Morgan: a Jamacian planter, freebooter, and king of the so-called bretheren of the coast, whose brutal raids on Spanish colonies led to his knighthood and his position as Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. He was by fortune or chance tied to Jamaica at a critical time in its history, and was in many ways the architect of western colonialism in the Carribean. Plus they named a rum after him. Submit questions to murderhobospodcast@gmail.com or on our Patreon discord by October 7th 2025. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon. Donate to the show at bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos.

Today on Murderhobos, Colonel Thomas Monstery: master fencer, military adventurer, filbuster, sailor and pulp novellist. What does his fiction have to do with his filibustering, and how does that explore the era of imperialism in which he lived, fought, and especially, wrote? Submit questions to murderhobospodcast@gmail.com by September 9th 2025. Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon.

Surprise! We know it's been a while but we're back with a special conversation to prepare you for Season 2, which'll be out before you know it. This week, a conversation between Adam and fencing instructor and historian Arik Mendelevitz. Arik recently published "Bolognese Longsword for the Modern Practitioner," a book offering an introduction to the beautiful and oft-forgotten tradition of Bolognese longsword fencing of the 16th century. Adam and Arik talk about the historical context of the system, and go long on one of history's most infamous families: The Borgias. Arik's website is https://foolofswords.com/ His timeline of the Borgia family is available at https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVLr1V3xc=/ He also has a newsletter you can subscribe to if you're interested in more information about Bolognese longsword, Italian history, or excellent rapier fencing: https://fool-of-swords.beehiiv.com/subscribe If you'd like to join the Four Openings Rapier Tournament Adam and Arik are talking about this October, you can find information at https://centerlineswordschool.com/events/.

Today on Murderhobos, another interim episode! This week, a crossover episode with the excellent history podcast Well Behaved Women, hosted by Lauren Schill and Hannah Moses. The gang heads back to the Old West to take a closer look at Calamity Jane, sharpshooter, storyteller, and friend of Wild Bill Hickok. We're also excited to announce that Season 2 is officially in the swing of production, with two episodes recorded so far. See you soon! This episode originally aired on 8/4/23. You can find Well Behaved Women at https://www.wellbehavedwomenpodcast.com/, or wherever you get your podcasts! Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos

Today on Murderhobos, our first guest episode! *Gasps, oohs and ahs* We're joined by fantasy author, friend of the show, and noted trans historian Alina Boyden to discuss transness in history. We talk about Lia De Beaumont, the Chevalière d'Éon, one of the most famous trans women in history, and a kickass swordswoman. We also talk about the way academic historians often fail to recognize trans experiences (and trans women in particular), and why that matters. You can find Alina and her books at https://twitter.com/AlinaBoyden Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos