Goodbye For Now

October 6, 2025·14 min·1 clip

Dr. Zack Twamley announces he's saying goodbye to his history podcast indefinitely as his wife is 39 weeks pregnant.

Zach opens the episode without a script, acknowledging that its purpose is simply to say goodbye for the foreseeable future. His wife Anna is 39 weeks pregnant, and he and Anna have fully prepared — bags packed, car loaded, a house full of baby clothes — for the imminent birth of their son. He reflects on the personal significance of the moment, noting that some listeners have been with him since May 2012. He explains that starting a full-time job as a researcher at the Rediscovery Centre has made him understand, for the first time, why independent podcasters struggle to maintain consistent output. The combination of a new job and an imminent baby means he has no prepared content in reserve — no scripts, no extra episodes, no tricks to bridge a gap as he had done in the past by pre-recording or recycling older content. He reminisces about earlier phases of the show, including the Versailles anniversary project, the 30 Years War series, and a period during his PhD when he managed to stay productive through advance planning. He expresses anxiety that listeners will move on to other history podcasts during his absence, but accepts this without resentment. He describes the podcast as a personal outlet and source of satisfaction beyond its commercial aspects. He briefly and personally comments on contemporary politics, describing what is happening in the United States as frightening, referencing what he characterizes as similarities to historical totalitarian dynamics. He then describes his planned return: a series completing the story of Louis XIV in the late 17th century, including the Nine Years' War, the Battle of the Boyne, the Williamite Wars, and the emergence of the Orange Order — topics he connects to current discussions about Irish unification. He mentions the possibility of revisiting the War of the Spanish Succession. He closes by directly addressing long-time listeners, promising not to disappear permanently, and expressing both excitement and apprehension about the version of himself who will return.

As heard by us

A plainspoken pause that makes a scheduling note feel like a real farewell.

This episode is less about history than about a pause that feels real. Anna is 39 weeks pregnant, the bags are packed, and the baby could arrive any day, so the host says a steady release schedule is no longer realistic. He is clear that this is not pod fade.

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Why you'd press play

You want a straightforward answer about why the feed is going quiet for the foreseeable future.

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