History of the World podcast · Chris Hasler

The History of the World podcast debrief - 31st August 2025

August 31, 2025·34 min·2 clips

Chris says he would not let AI write the podcast, because listeners might feel cheated and lose the show's charm.

A long pause between debriefs needs explaining, and Hasler does not dress it up. He opens with the five-month gap since the previous debrief, then treats this episode as a catch-up after a busy run of publishing. Six episodes are on the table: the post-classic Mayans, the Aztecs, the republished North American episodes, the Mississippian culture, and Great Zimbabwe. The debrief works best when it feels less like an appendix and more like the host taking stock at the desk. He is looking back at the research and recording, but also at the ordinary life around it. The personal reason is simple. He got married during the summer, and the shape of the household has changed when recording can happen. A small property, two people, and the need not to get in each other's way are enough to slow the release pattern. Hasler keeps it grounded. He talks about reorganizing his time, finding a workable routine, and expecting the end of summer to bring steadier space for the show again. Listener messages take up the middle stretch. Plenty of people have written in, enough that some replies have to wait for later debriefs. Rory Cunningham from London is the first listener named, and that nudges the episode from housekeeping into the familiar back-and-forth with the audience. The next step is clear too. Hasler says the next episode will be about the Kingdom of Benin in West Africa, with another debrief hoped for soon after. The ending stays in the show's usual lane: thanks, the reminder to be good, and the practical pointers to the website, Patreon, email, and social media.

As heard by us

A candid reset on five quiet months, recent releases, and the practical work of keeping a history podcast going.

After five quiet months, this debrief turns the pause itself into the story, looking back over six recent releases and explaining why the podcast has been appearing less often.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Press play for the real-life reset behind a five-month gap between debriefs.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from History of the World podcast