Fall of Civilizations Podcast

3,167

A history podcast looking at the collapse of a different civilization each episode. What did they have in common? Why did they fall? And what did it feel like to watch it happen?

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Recent Reviews
  • superfluous sentences
    Informative and sober
    Nice to have a well researched show without gimmicks that distort the accuracy. The opposite of ancient aliens and ancient apocalypse nonsense.
  • 0bull
    Heard Paul on QAA
    great history podcast with high production value informative and entertaining
  • Ike874
    Best. History. Podcast.
    I listened to this podcast for years. It never disappoints, excellent narration, excellent storytelling.
  • listentomebro98
    thanks
    I never take my time to review podcasts, but I greatly appreciate the length and time you take to produce such works. they are amazing.
  • Soy Meño
    Enthralling & Engrossing
    A happy accident running into this account. Reminds me of why I love history so much!
  • Friends with Pods
    Great Pods
    Thanks, Paul. Your pods are very informative and so entertaining. I listen to them many times.
  • bama!!!!
    Good
    It’s pretty good and informative. He makes weird passive aggressive comments about arrogance for different european cultures. I find it odd to single out european cultures like vikings or germanic tribes over other non europeans cultures when every episode is some kingdom murdering and taking the land of another nation. The history of civilization is brutal and the bias isn’t necessary.
  • HarrietBrown666
    ADS?!
    This has been my favourite podcast since it began. I have listened and re-listened. This is the most well-researched, fascinating podcast and the narration is impeccable. But WHY the ADS?! They are disruptive, jarring, and so LOUD. This was my go-to bedtime podcast. But the ads have RUINED the peace of the podcast!! Please reconsider them!! :(
  • laurang215
    Engaging and representative of real history!
    This is the first history podcast I’ve listened to that really seems committed to telling full, meted, and researched stories of the places and people it details. Not only that, it’s well-produced and fascinating! I’ll be recommending to anyone who is interested in accurate history that isn’t only reported from one perspective. Bravo and thank you for teaching me something new in every episode!
  • S Socki
    Byzantium Ep - Speak Up
    Great show, well-written, solid history! The host’s voice and inflections are spot-on. Some of the other actors get annoying, such as the whispering American on the Byzantium Ep. Needs to project, and not trail off.
  • abedwrn
    Ads now?
    I love the podcast. But now it has loud obnoxious ads. I don’t fault Paul because I know he has to make a living. But I can’t pay for another subscription.
  • CK774256
    Excellent
    Interesting and informative
  • slit lip
    I must listen
    Perfectly structured, I love all the homework that went into this. This is great.
  • smusparty
    Great show
    Thank you again Joe Rogan. Currently on Part 2 of mogul episode and enjoying very much . However, the United Sates never “Invaded” Vietnam. They were there in support of South Vietnamese. Details , details I know .
  • Crumudgeon
    Great Find
    I’ve been looking for something to get me through these turbulent times. Sick of all the “takes” on politics and the herds of crime shows. Tired of the overdone sound effects and shallow drive by dabbling. This is exactly the opposite. Rich, informative for the layman, and with just the right infusions of music and voices. Thank you! So much good listening ahead.
  • psandbox
    Most enjoyable
    Excellent!
  • Tedd Rogalla
    Content
    Very well produced and I love the voice actors, really educational and actually very accurate. Well done! 🙂
  • Meewhom
    A Thought-Provoking Podcast with Unfortunate Biases
    The Fall of Civilizations podcast is an engaging and well-researched series that delves into the rise and collapse of past societies. The production quality is excellent, and the narration is captivating, making history come alive in a way that few other podcasts manage. However, despite its strengths, the podcast suffers from noticeable biases in how it presents historical events, particularly in its treatment of slavery and conflict. The narrator seems hesitant to apply the term “slavery” evenly across different groups. When discussing indigenous peoples taking captives, he opts for softer language like “captured” rather than acknowledging the reality that many of these individuals were indeed enslaved. This stands in contrast to how slavery is described in other contexts, creating an uneven and misleading portrayal of history. If historical accuracy is truly the goal, then all instances of forced servitude—regardless of race or culture—should be acknowledged with the same level of scrutiny. Selective language skews the narrative and diminishes the complexities of history. While Fall of Civilizations remains a fascinating listen, it would benefit from a more balanced and consistent approach to historical realities.
  • YaBoyAshy
    Best History Podcast
    I’m here from Joe Rogan’s recommendation. I must say that this has been the best format of history I’ve ever listened to. I’m genuinely obsessed. Love the soundtrack, poems, stories, and the attention to detail. I’m certainly a fan now.
  • Jdjdjdnejekkdndjdkmwnekd
    Great pod!
    Saint Rogy sent me
  • vuealpine
    History ASMR
    Three commercial-free hours of dreamy history. Steady British narration, an emphasis on primary sources and poems, sagas, and secret histories, and beautifully crafted storytelling make this a transporting journey of a listen. Informative too! Thank you, Paul.
  • Sandpebble7
    The Best
    Without a doubt this podcast and its twin with videos and photos on Patreon is hands down THE BEST. Close your eyes, listen, and be transported in a Time Machine. Sincere thanks to Paul’s parents for having Paul. And sincere thanks to Paul for being Paul. 🙏🏽👍🏽
  • Madridtrivia19
    Best history podcast
    Definitely the best history podcast I’ve heard
  • Aves New York
    Perfect
    Spot on, story telling at its best.
  • GROXRL
    Fun
    I listened to your podcasts on Spotify and YouTube and there still fun some of them I’ve listened more than 1 time
  • Balletdancer94
    Phenomenal
    Wonderful podcast. Flawless and incredibly informative.
  • Ian Lee Saga
    5 stars except voice actors
    Could you please now use the voice actors? Their accent are so weird that I cannot understand. Their acting and the dramatization seems all too much.
  • kimmiecart
    Ms. T
    My favorite history podcast. Masterful storyteller. Please continue on in history.
  • awrightp
    Great show!
    My favorite podcast. The episodes are engaging, in-depth, and informative. Thank you and please continue!
  • Aria523
    Truly the best podcast i’ve ever listened to
    The research, presentation and production are all stellar. His storytelling format is engaging and provides a background to contextualize everything. Most of the time when I think “oh I want to look that term/person/event up some more”, he goes on to explain exactly what I wanted to learn!
  • Whydoesthisreviewwidgetsuck
    Excellent podcast!
    An extremely well-produced, researched and narrated history podcast. Lots of primary sources and cultural reference points like poetry and music that take true advantage of the medium and humanize the subjects in a way very few podcasts are able.
  • reisiroo
    A masterful distraction that actually makes u smarter
    I really wish I could just subscribe and pay through Apple Podcasts as patron is hard to deal with. Just when I thought my desperate, climbing-the-walls-COVID-pandemia life would bury me alive, I discovered this most intriguing, long form, ad-free, well-researched podcast. This podcast not only puts this God-forsaken moment into perspective, it takes me out of my loud head for 3 hours at a time with wonderful writing, quality production and enveloping histories. Also, of note, this podcast does a great job of telling sad and horrific true stories of cruel human activity without traumatizing the listener with excessively detailed descriptions of gore and carnage. (I listen to about 20 hours per week of podcasts so I have to say, the mix of interesting content without traumatic descriptions of violence is, in and of itself, worthy of accolades.) I became a patron instantly after listening to the episode on the fall of The Aztecs. It’s the first time I have supported any podcast through Patreon. Five stars and bravo. Excellent work. Thank you.
  • AKSanDiego
    Excellence
    I cannot underscore enough just how good this podcast is. I have gotten choked up at the end of each episode. I’ve listened to every episode and many more than once. The two-part Mongolian empire episodes are particularly superb. I’m so grateful for this work.
  • Marina the former German
    Terrific history and “story telling”
    This series is excellent not only for the info (always interesting bits as well as general context), but Paul’s “tone” and delivery are perfect for listeners of this fascinating subject. Hope he doesn’t run out of fallen civilizations too soon…
  • Deniro used to be good
    Excellent
    Just finished the excellent Mongol podcast. Mesmerizing and informative. Strongly recommended. I enjoyed the pace at 1x, but listening at 1.25 is also good.
  • Eric the Virginian
    Amazing!
    Mr. Cooper tells wonderful and informative stories. Despite the premise of documenting the fall of societies, Paul recalls compelling stories and personalizes them in a relaxing and soothing way. Well done, sir!
  • The_Tardigrade
    Ambient Historical Storylines
    Paul’s voice is a tad dry, but the stories are always great.
  • Broc-o-Lee
    Immersive History
    Wowowow! What a fantastic podcast! For anyone who loves Hardcore History or Rest is History, this is another wonderful addition. The episodes are like tales that one gets lost inside. I love the addition of voice actors reading the historical sources - and sometimes even in the languages. Really beautiful and educational.
  • Gwynn
    Feed your mind!
    I don’t recall how I came by this podcast. Might have had something to do with a mention on 99% Invisible or Cautionary Tales… Well wherever I heard of it I can only be grateful, because this podcast is INCREDIBLE. Every episode feels like a university lecture from a brilliant professor, who also brought along musicians and voice actors! Stunning! While part of me wishes new episodes arrived more regularly the greater part of me hopes that the quality and depth of the storytelling never decreases, even if that means we only get a couple of episodes a year. THANK YOU.
  • KurtNoykos
    Toppest of Notches
    Cooper! HA! What a name for a man than can completely barrel an empire! Paul’s rich depth of ancient society is inspiring! I want to hang with this nerd (in the best way possible). I can see the distant past thanks to these FoC’s.
  • TweedyBird80
    Absolutely stunning
    Every episode is like a exquisite movie that you cannot help but get lost in and enjoy every minute to it’s perfect crescendo. The book absolutely does this podcast justice.
  • Daveindiego
    Very solid podcast
    This show is legit. This guy puts in a lot of work for these podcasts. Much appreciated.
  • Boobieshcndmc
    My go-to driving media
    I have listened and re-listened to these multiple times while driving and there is always something new that I missed the first time. The videos are also incredible!
  • wickerman20
    Well written, Good accent
    Solid accent from my man. Pharaohs and pyramids are dope. Glad they went back to their various gods after that crazy monotheist forced them dangerously to neglect them.
  • Matthew Sylvester
    .
    Extremely well researched. Excellent pacing. Obvious high production value. Excellent quality overall.
  • No.1 Mars Volta Fan
    👍👍
    Love this podcast! Very informative.
  • Bilas Peles
    Nailed it
    It’s really hard to have one person talking for so long and still sound interesting— and interested in his subject matter. And for that subject matter to be carefully researched. And for the podcast to be technically well presented. This guy's successful on all counts. Great product.
  • pandasrdumb
    Maybe the best produced podcast ever
    That’s it. There is one history podcast I like even more, but this still might be the best.
  • pr8136399090
    5 out of 5
    Absolutely the best podcast around. So informative, well researched, and interestingly presented
  • Yorkish
    Incredible!!!
    This has got to be one of the best ancient history podcasts I have listened to, and I listen to a lot of them. I cannot emphasize enough how much research goes into this, and how well it is presented. Thoroughly worth listening to again and again.
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