Prompt Cast
The Role of Finance and Credit in the Major Developments of the 1500s
TLDR Dr. Patrick Wyman's book, "The Crunch: Finance, Gunpowder, and the Making of the Modern World," delves into the significant role that finance and credit played in the major developments of the 1500s, exploring themes of contingency and individual agency in shaping history.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Dr. Patrick Wyman is writing a book called "The Crunch: Finance, Gunpowder, and the Making of the Modern World" which explores the role of finance and credit in the major developments of the 1500s.
04:01
Dr. Patrick Wyman is writing a book called "The Crunch: Finance, Gunpowder, and the Making of the Modern World" which explores how capital and credit played a significant role in the major developments of the 1500s.
07:49
Dr. Patrick Wyman started the "Fall of Rome" podcast in August 2016 because he didn't want to lose history and knew how to do audio, and he has since developed a finely honed process for writing scripts for each episode of "Tides of History" that involves a lot of research and picking the right sources.
11:33
Dr. Patrick Wyman discusses the process of outlining and structuring episodes of "Tides of History" in order to weave together various elements and create a coherent story, and explains how his writing has improved over time.
15:12
Dr. Patrick Wyman discusses the difference between podcast episodes and writing a book, explaining that the structure, language, and level of detail are all different in a book, and that it took him a few chapters to adjust his writing style.
19:13
Dr. Patrick Wyman discusses the differences between writing a book and creating podcast episodes, including the challenges of translating written text into spoken word and the ability to provide footnotes and references in a book that can't be done in a podcast.
22:44
Dr. Patrick Wyman discusses the life and career of Gertz von Beier Lichengen, a one-handed mercenary born in 1480 in southern Germany, who fought in small wars and feuds, had his hand blown off by a cannonball, and continued his career with an iron prosthetic.
26:37
Girth represents the changing face of warfare in the period, being both a throwback to the armored knight and on the cutting edge of new technologies like firearms and cannons, and he is a small-scale military entrepreneur who raises soldiers and carries out feuds for hire.
30:37
The book covers the period from 1490 to 1530, with a focus on the disruptions of the 1520s and the events leading up to it, exploring the themes of finance and credit and the importance of contingency and individual agency in shaping history.
34:27
The host and Dr. Patrick Wyman discuss the future of the podcast and the possibility of another book or podcast series, depending on financial demands and personal interests.
Categories:
History
Society & Culture
