History of the World podcast · Chris Hasler

The History of the World podcast debrief - 3rd November 2025

·35 min·2 clips

I use four different AIs at the moment: Copilot, ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Perplexity.

1. The History of the World podcast debrief on 3rd November 2025 focuses on Volume 4 listener reactions and future plans. 2. Chris Hasler is the writer and presenter, and he uses Spotify statistics and listener messages to judge what people actually hear. 3. The episode asks which Volume 4 subjects drew the strongest response and whether the show should expand into AI discussion and a book. 4. Chris says Volume 4 contains about 95 or 96 episodes, with a few later additions bringing it close to 100. 5. He says Spotify shows where people listen, how long they stay, and when many switch off after the information sections. 6. He argues that many listeners start with the first episode of a historical period and then decide whether to continue. 7. He uses Great Zimbabwe as an example of someone searching for one subject rather than an entire series. 8. He notes that episode one of Volume 4 has over 22,000 downloads and remains the most streamed episode. 9. He says episode six, the first Byzantine Empire episode, is the next major chart performer. 10. He points out that episode seven, the second Byzantine episode, does not appear in his top ten list. 11. He says episode 22 on the Vikings has almost 19,000 downloads and attracted strong attention. 12. He describes the Vikings as a medieval culture with unique exploits and sagas that connect to Kievan Rus', the Anglo-Saxons, and Normandy. 13. He says episode 13 on the Visigoths also performed better than expected. 14. He links Anglo-Saxon interest to the largely English-speaking audience and their ancestral lines. 15. He says listeners also respond to the Picts, the Normans, and stories tied to the Battle of Hastings. 16. He says Volume 4 also covered the Americas, Asia, Africa, and the Pacific, which he especially enjoyed. 17. He says Volume 5 will move into the early modern world, from the 15th to the 18th century, starting in 2026. 18. He says he uses AI openly, including Copilot, ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Perplexity, to triangulate answers and check accuracy. 19. The tone is reflective, practical, and lightly humorous, with long monologue sections and several listener-readout segments. 20. People who like download statistics, AI workflows, and listener mail will enjoy it; people wanting a tightly focused history story may skip it.

As heard by us

A candid Volume 4 debrief on listener interest, global history, and the podcast's practical use of AI.

Volume 4 ends in debrief mode, using the podcast's own catalogue as part of the story. Chris Hasler looks back at which of its roughly hundred episodes drew interest, then points Volume 5 toward a wider frame.

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Want a candid look at how listener interest shapes a history podcast's next volume?

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