Banastre Tarleton: The Butcherous British Bastard of the American Revolution
They called him The Butcher. A young, cocky British officer with a flair for showmanship and a taste for brutality, Banastre Tarleton tore through the American South on horseback, leading a feared legion of dragoons who left fire and blood in their wake. He was ruthless, relentless, and exactly the kind of guy you build a revolution against. In this special 4th of July episode - Ben and Andrew dive into the chaotic rise of Tarleton: from aristocratic brat to the most hated man in the colonies—and the American heroes who finally brought his rampage to a halt.
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Nuno Álvares Pereira: Portugal’s Holy Hammer
He was the undefeated general who saved Portugal from foreign conquest, crushed armies five times his size, and changed the course of European warfare—then gave it all up to become a barefoot monk. This week Ben and Pat tell the story of Nuno Álvares Pereira: battlefield genius, national hero, and the only medieval warlord to end up canonized as a Catholic saint.
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Crowned & Dangerous: The Legend of Eleanor of Aquitaine
She was the most eligible bachelorette in Europe, the Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right, and the queen of not one but two different countries. In today's episode, Ben and special guest author Shaina Steinberg tell the story of Eleanor of Aquitaine who outmaneuvered kings, went on Crusade, survived imprisonment, and spent decades pulling the strings of empires and rebellions alike. She was a medieval power broker, royal schemer, and all-around badass centuries ahead of her time — and she did it all while dodging murder plots, papal judgments, and the world’s most dysfunctional family.
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Conquistador? Conquista-Dead: Magellan, Lapu Lapu, and the Worst Beach Day Ever
Ferdinand Magellan was a glory-hungry Portuguese explorer sailing under the Spanish flag, out to prove he could circle the globe, convert entire civilizations, and maybe pick up a few spice islands along the way. But after months of storms, mutinies, and bad decisions, Magellan washed up in the Philippines thinking he could win a war with fifty guys, a translator, and the power of God. What he got instead was Lapu Lapu—a chieftain with no interest in foreign gods, foreign kings, or foreign bullshit. In today's episode, Ben and Andrew tell the story of an egomaniac’s world tour gone sideways, and the man who sent him home in a box. Well, he would’ve, if Magellan’s crew had ever gone back to get the body.
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Spitfire: Fast, Furious, and In Your Nazi Face
It was fast. It was beautiful. And when the fate of the world was hanging by a thread, it helped save civilization. The Supermarine Spitfire wasn’t just a plane — it was a symbol of defiance, precision engineering, and sheer guts. In the skies over Britain, outnumbered RAF pilots climbed into these sleek warbirds and took on the full might of Hitler’s Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain. Join Ben and special guest David Fairhead for the story of the plane that made the phrase “the few” legendary — and the men who flew it into history.
Throughout the course of human civilization certain individuals have stood out as being completely f***ing awesome. From ninjas and gunfighters to pirates and Vikings, to explorers, scientists and great leaders, these people - true badasses - completely obliterated anything that stood in their path, routinely overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles, and ultimately altered the course of history through their actions. Be it glory, conquest, or survival, these hardcore men and women all had one specific goal in life - and they didn’t let anything stand between themselves and their mission. They refused to back down even when the odds seemed hopelessly stacked against them, they came back from the brink of failure to achieve ultimate success, and they beat the fucking hell out of anyone stupid enough to have stood in their way. Badass of the Week is a weekly (duh) podcast, that dives into new stories of badasses every week.
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