One of the more meaty history pods I’ve heard in a while. Great to hear Wyman give an overview of scholarly debates, without going too far down those rabbit holes. I am now on team Goth, with two thumbs down for the Vandals.

I started with Season One, Episode 6 because I am reading a book that is set in 7th Century Britain and thought this podcast might provide good background information. It does, and it also has me hooked on learning more about the history of the Fall of Rome! Three cheers, and 5 stars.

It’s like a college level course in Roman history minus the tuition fees. Very thankful to podcasters like this one who offer this level of quality research and education to us all for free. Highly recommend this show. A+

Enriches my understanding of history and how it is done. In my freshman year of high school studied the Merovingians. This podcast adds depth to my meager understanding of the period.

History buffs looking for an excruciatingly detailed telling of the Roman Empire may be satisfied with this show. Lots of research was done for sure. Unfortunately, the quality of the actual show is lacking when compared to presentations made by contemporaries. Noizer has a fantastic podcast about Napoleon. The narration is professionally recorded with a talented performer. Music and sound effects are used to bolster the information and the occasional expert interview is woven in for additional context and balance. This podcast pales in comparison. It sounds like a graduate student reading from their notes preparing for a doctorate thesis presentation. Stiff readings that are poorly recorded. You can hear the script. The vocal quality is sibilant and thin. I can here the reflections of the room it was recorded in. Obviously not a professional recording studio. Podcasts have really matured in the last 10 years. Unfortunately this one sounds like it was made 11 years ago.

This insightful and nuanced look at the end of the empire resonates with headlines of today.

Great!

I really wanted to like this podcast since I am fascinated by this time period and The Romans. The use of fictional characters to layout the history is so unnecessary and mundane, it completely distracts from significant events. I found myself trying to follow the characters and conceptualize his discriptions rather than focus on all of the moving parts during this time period. In addition, the author often stumbles and stammers his way thru the narration, and throws academic jabs at what I surmise are his doubting peers. It just dragged on and on to the point of exhaustion. By the 4th episode I had to jump off. This history can be very exciting, and by not focusing on the emperors and politicians points of view, I found myself lost in the daily activities of people - what they wore, how they lived. This was interesting, but not for this series. That is more a study in culture versus the overall socioeconomic/political conditions that shredded this dynasty. I would give this one a hard pass.

The use of archaeology rather than just historical record. It’s fascinating. I hope there’s more of it.

This was exactly what I wanted: an accessible perfectly detailed account of the fall of Rome. I learned a ton. Thank you!

I love how you make the story come to life by using “real life” examples.

"The Fall of Rome" podcast presents an abundance of historical insights and a treasure trove of information about a fascinating era. However, the experience is marred by a significant flaw that looms over the entire production like a dark cloud – the narration by Patrick Wyman. The podcast's informative content promises an exciting journey into the depths of history, offering listeners a chance to delve into the intricacies of the fall of the Roman Empire. Regrettably, the potential enjoyment is consistently hindered by Wyman's monotonous and uninspiring narration style. His voice lacks the vitality and energy that one would expect from a captivating storyteller, leaving listeners struggling to maintain their interest. Wyman's delivery is reminiscent of a robot reciting a history textbook, with each sentence blending into the next in a monotonous drone. His flat tone and lifeless cadence make it feel like he's reading off a script without any genuine engagement or enthusiasm. The constant pausing for facts, while an attempt to convey a scholarly approach, comes across as more of an interruption to the flow of the narrative, causing a disjointed and jarring listening experience. It's genuinely disheartening that a podcast with such a wealth of information and potential is hindered by a narrator who fails to breathe life into the material. The lack of emotional expression and dynamic delivery robs the stories of their vibrancy and excitement. While the desire to absorb historical knowledge is strong, enduring the drab narration becomes an insurmountable challenge. In conclusion, "The Fall of Rome" podcast deserves credit for its dedication to historical accuracy and research, but its true potential remains shackled by the lifeless delivery of Patrick Wyman. With a more engaging and expressive narrator, this podcast could become an exceptional educational resource and an enjoyable experience for history enthusiasts. Until then, listeners must contend with a presentation that does a disservice to the captivating stories it seeks to tell.

Great podcast. I learned a lot and enjoy every episode.

I love listening and have learned a lot.

Scintillating narration, asides, and tone. Patrick is witty, direct, and earnest in his ‘remote’ teaching of a passion of his. What a fun narrative device to assume the perspective of the “common man” of the day in order to explore history’s playbook. I came here from a recommendation on the BEMA podcast, and I’m excited to listen to “Tides of History” now that I’ve glided through this podcast (to which I’ll need to re-listen because I probably absorbed 3% of it).

Well-written. Balanced. Love it.

Very well done - comprehensive without being over-burdening. Clear, concise and very well supported. I would highly recommend to all interested parties.

Very knowledgeable and easy to follow. Goes into great depth! We’ll worse a listen for ancient history fans.

If you like history, you will love this podcast. Level of detail is spot on.

This is a fantastic, in-depth focus on the Fall of Rome. I have spent a couple years trying out dozens of history podcasts and find Patrick Wyman to be at least in the top five possibly in the top three across the entirety of the history podcast group. For anybody who values accuracy and content and delivery you must give Patrick Wyman’s a consider‘s listen.

Hi, starting with the Gladiator bonus episode, it seems like the episode titles are a mismatch to the content. The titles are one in advance of the content. The content is fantastic, only not a match to what I’m expecting to hear. : )

This is a really thoughtful and well researched program. Well the parallels for modern history are troubling, the presenter does an amazing job providing depth and pace.

I had plans! A solid list of tasks I needed to do! Unfortunately, all fell to pieces. My plans (for not learning anything really lasting this morning, but savoring this quiet and soft Sunday morning, pondering on my lack luster, luxuriously lazy, mindless plans) …we’re suddenly scattered unexpectedly, recklessly in pieces, incapable of repair or reorganization. Was stumbling upon your podcast, The Fall of the Roman Empire, worth it? Without a doubt. ❤️Thank You.

I have listened to 16 episodes so far and believe Patrick has done an outstanding job on this podcast. The in-depth analysis goes far beyond any textbook and I am thoroughly enthralled by the complexities Patrick has presented. Anyone with an interest in history would benefit greatly from this podcast.

I’m around 7 episodes in - I enjoy the descriptions and educated hypotheses put forth. Great mix of thorough scholarship and down-to-earth presentation.

Good work explaining complex systems waxing & waning over several centuries; which happened a more than a millennia ago. Well done.

Sometimes narrated history can be very dry. This is not. Very nice work.

Well researched with extremely interesting material. Love it!

The historical references demand the scrutiny that Wyman is excellent at explaining. This is complicated. He skips the theology part ... good!! Because that would complicate the logistical, geographical, and civic information that is clear and understandable because he limited his scope and weeded out the superfluous .

I really appreciate the knowledge and analysis put into this. Gratitude !

Lots to learn from, but the host can be arrogant at times. It gets annoying, however I’m glad he offers multiple aspects before diving into his personal beliefs.

Host spends a lot of time stating and restating his general themes before offering snippets of factual material, then goes back to hedging his theoretical positions. Maybe he gets braver later but I couldn’t out-wait him.

Too much explaining about why he is explaining something. Would love to hear his point of view on the history of the fall of Rome, do not really need to understand the history of his point of view.

Fabulous history of Ancient Rome. I Highly recommend this for history buffs. 👍🏼

History may have been my least favorite subject in school, so I’m still not sure what prompted me to listen to this podcast in the first place. Twenty nine episodes later and it’s clear that I’m completely hooked. I’m convinced that if Patrick Wyman had been my high-school history teacher it would have easily been the best part of my studies. This podcast is engaging, interesting and incredibly well done. Cheers to my new favorite topic, the Fall of Rome!

I loved this series. Patrick Wyman is up there with Mike Duncan and Dan Carlin. Dr. Wyman is a specialist in this area and that on top of the excellent story telling skill makes this an especially interesting Podcast.

Through factual fiction based story telling, the rich history of the Roman Empire is brought to life. My understanding of the geopolitical and economic self dominance of the region was brought to a an entirely new level.

Excellent podcast on the Roman Empire. Lively and covers a lot of territory. Learned a lot while listening during some long trail runs. Really recommend this series.

Very well narrated, written at the level of Mike Duncan’s amazing Revolutions Podcast. Almost finished episodes and will listen to again!

The storyline moves along, but plenty of details to keep you in the game. A big plus is there're not a lot of musical interludes and advertisements!

I am impressed that Mr. Wyman was able to structure such a critical but also confusing piece of our history in such an engaging way and that he postulates his own theses on a number of topics. The podcast also felt relevant to me in what we can learn from our history in the present moment. Nicely done!

Interesting history, appreciate filling in the gaps of my education. The only thing I don’t care for is the ominous sounding music

The author clearly knows his stuff, and I really enjoy the nuanced depictions. However, he’s reading from something that’s meant to be read on paper, not listened to. It’s very hard to follow long sentences with multiple dependent clauses. There’s a reason no one speaks like that in real life — even in a college lecture. I’d definitely pay a few bucks on Amazon for the transcript of this, though.

Patrick Wyman gives a fascinating run down on the Roman Empire in its decline.

Wyman has an unbelievable level of knowledge and detail. For such a complex topic, he broke it down major regions and topics which was a very helpful structure for understanding the material.

Clear, well organized, fascinating. Very well done! My 13 year old son, a Greek and Roman history fan, enjoys this one also. Also appreciate that the intro is concise and he gets right to the subject matter.

Great take on a the myriad complexities and minutia of the FOTRE.

I am a big fan of History Podcasts. Patrick goes deep into the why's and hows of historic events and leaves the listener with a better understanding of the Roman period.

This is really the best auditory history of this period that I’ve ever heard. It’s amazing having studied this in high school and college and on my own my whole life, to get a great new look at the subject from a PhD specializing in it. Patrick is really knowledgeable and tells the story really well, giving us great looks into the human elements of the story. This isn’t going to be a chronological retelling of the histories (though one episode will do that for you), it’s a full macro view of the whole period as well as a micro, covering sweeping narratives and archaeological minutiae. A really quality history podcast

I have always enjoyed the study of antiquity, particularly the history of Rome. I just finished a 400 episode podcast on the Civil War which was wonderful and somehow I stumbled across the fall of Rome. I thoroughly enjoy all of your episodes which are fascinating, well researched, and well presented. I look forward to your next project