Dan Carlin: As Hardcore As Ever!

The End Is Always Near; Apocalyptic Moments From The Bronze Age Collapse To Nuclear Near Misses by Dan Carlin

Now...it’s good to return in front of my figurative typewriter once again. But what will I review or discuss today? I am in the mood for something historical. I began the year in mid January with a review of The Storm Before The Storm: The Beginning Of The End Of The Roman Republic by Mike Duncan - a well known history podcaster (think an internet radio show for the uninitiated) - so why don’t I start the end of the year with one of his fellow elder statesmen of podcasting? The one and only Dan Carlin.

Dan Carlin is a well-known American journalist and broadcaster who has been part of the historical podcasting world since 2006 thanks to Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History. He isn’t a qualified historian (something he isn’t afraid to make clear throughout his several hour long episodes - The shortest on the current episode feed is just over three hours with the longest being just over six hours) but he brings the enthusiasm of the well read and eager amateur to his series. His episodes often have the feel of a very intense pub debate between two friends or a history lecture where the lecturer has decided to throw the rules out the window. And I mean this in the best way possible! Extended tangents, repeated references to his ‘Martian’ approach to history, the Star Trek holodeck and classic wargaming and a focus on the apocalyptic, violent and outrageous parts of history are part of the appeal of this famous series. An episode on the takeover of Munster by doomsayer millennial preachers as a domino effect of Martin Luther. A three part discussion of the Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage...(Carthage must be destroyed.) A three part history of the kings of Achaemenid Persia. And that’s just the original podcast!

But what about the audiobook in question? As you can tell by the title, Dan’s book has an appropriately apocalyptic focus. Do you think that modern civilisation will ever fall? Be discovered and investigated by the archeologists of the future like we do Ancient Egyptian mummies? And figure out who we are? To imagine that happening to us as it did to the Ancient Greeks or the Babylonians may be bizarre but it is also entirely possible. Dan’s book has no argument as he says - although he does make common use of arguments from qualified historians to discuss his chosen topics or to discuss the opposing view. Do tougher times make tougher people? Will human capabilities ever peak or regress? Why, since the beginning of human history has it seemed like the Sword of Damocles has been dangling over us collectively? Dan’s book is a interesting golden thread across the past and future to discuss the question of human survival.

Dan may discuss gruesome possibilities or hypotheticals alongside his history but it is clear he finds the subject fascinating and he succeeds in spreading that to his listener. Even if history was never your strong suit he much like his contemporary Mike Duncan makes it sound utterly engrossing. His way of writing and narrating makes you feel yourself lost in the book. He really does feel like the classic style broadcasters. What would you do? Where do you fall on the questions he poses to his readers and listeners? And since the book is not set on making an argument as is common in history books Dan can include the odd tangent or pop-culture reference - hello Charlton Heston - without it completely breaking his flow. The book may be different to one of his Hardcore History episodes be it Wrath Of The Khans, Supernova In The East or Prophets Of Doom but it is close enough in tone that any of you who have listened to the podcast before will be on safe ground. He also covers familiar topics as part of the audiobook but with enough new material and interesting very traditional Carlin analogies that I could hardly bare to put it down even after having listened to every episode released from 2007 on again and again!

One critique of Carlin - not just the book but in general - is that he can oversimplify the topic at hand and I wouldn’t deny that. In fact I’ve agreed with them on certain topics or in certain instances. But Dan does always make it clear he isn’t a qualified historian and he is trying to interest the general public in history. This probably also helps explain his slightly gruesome focus to a degree. But at least in the podcasts and in The End Is Always Near he gives a list of sources or recommended further reading in the description or accompanying PDF/appendix to investigate yourself and make your own decisions should you be so inclined. That’s better than I’ve seen from more than a few other people with the same stated intention.

In conclusion I recommend this audiobook to my readers. Especially if your tastes fall along the slightly weird, apocalyptic and appropriately esoteric. If you listen to the audiobook or read the physical book and like the sound of what you hear? Then hunt down Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History (either the free episodes on the podcast feed or the complete archive on his site) and the work of Mike Duncan. They have different oeuvre and focuses but both men are brilliant at what they do. There’s a reason I hunted down a physical copy of this! Thank you Internet. You’d be amazed how fascinating history can be when you find the right storyteller! You never know what just might interest you!

Vale Amici Mei

Nephrite

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2 people found this helpful

Expectations surpassed

As a fan of Dans work on Hardcore History I was curious to see how he would come across without the ability for going off on a tangent. (Which I enjoy)
The book gets a big thumbs up for me. The narration is wonderful as expected. The content is thought provoking. Really asking you, the reader the questions, rather than forcing an opinion on you. Always interesting throughout and one book I will return to again and again. If you are a hardcore history fan then this is a must buy and to anyone who hasn’t heard Dan before then this is a great entry to his work.

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Dan Carlin, but not as we know him

I agree with another reviewer that this is like a greatest hits of Dan's Hardcore History podcast. As someone who has listened too all of the HH series, I found it a bit jarring to hear Dan in the context of reading a book. Not necessarily a negative, just different to what I was used to. At the heart of this book it's still just as engaging and enjoyable a listen as the amazing podcast. As well as learning plenty of new stuff about history I also enjoyed Dan's thought experements - the "what ifs" and "can you imagine..." - throughout.

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Like an extended podcast, in the best possible way

If you're familiar with Dan's podcasts, you know exactly what to expect. Well thought out, engaging and well delivered - I devoured this in 2 days and loved every second of it.

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Dan at his best

Would highly recommend to both hardcore history listeners and those that haven't heard it - great stuff

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Superb

Grabs your interest in the first few minutes and holds it to the end.
Dan Carlin has to be the greatest story teller I have heatd

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Loved it!

Dan Carlin's book is as good as any of his best podcasts, loved it!

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Rambles but very interesting

I’ve listened to all of Dan’s history podcasts so I’m already a fan. There is a lot of overlap between this and them but in a good way. Lots of the stories make you think about things in a new and different way.

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Dan Carlin is the best

The whole book is incredible, the narrative is engaging and compelling. Dan Carlin is great at describing, in detail, infamous events in human history and war, providing you with context with how horrific some of them actually were. This is a must for everyone who would like to hear a visceral and honest take on our past.

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Listen to this and you will participate to save the World

So I’ll come clean straight away, I’m a great fan of Dan Carlin having probably listened to all of his Hardcore History Podcasts. If you have downloaded this audio book then chances are that you too have met Dan in his Podcasts.
As mentioned by other listeners aspects of this book can be found in Hardcore History but all this information has been brought together in a coherent and intelligent way. Mr Carlin’s delivery is as always entertaining - I believe that his podcasts are unscripted (absolutely amazing!) and this book obviously is, but it is in my opinion an entertaining and absorbing listen. If you like Dan Carlin from his podcasts then you will love this.

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