Our Fake History is one of the most enjoyable history podcasts out there. The presenter, Sebastian Major, is great fun, a really enjoyable person to spend time with. The concept is also brilliant and an excellent way to approach history. Each episode is a question that addresses one of the great mysteries of the past, for example, Should We Trust Nostradamus?, Was There a Real King Arthur?, or Who Killed Rasputin? and of course, Who Built The Pyramids?
But this is decidedly not The History Channel in podcast form. Sebastian applies real vigorous analysis in answering these questions. He tells us very clearly what we do and do not know, and he has a sharp nose for smelling out fishy tales that might be fun but are very unlikely to be true but as the show’s catchphrase goes: “This show explores those tall-tales and tries to figure out what’s fact, what’s fiction, and what is such a good story it simply must be told.”
Sebastian is a teacher and this is noticeable to the listener in a very positive way as he is able to explain complex topics to make them understandable to someone who has not done the research themselves.
But above all Sebastian is funny––very funny and his description of Heinrich Schliemann, the cack-handed amateur archaeologist and destroyer of Troy who keeps making appearances on the show, is hilarious.
November 2021 Issue
