Turn this into a podcast please Mary, David

British people who love talking about history are super entertaining. It’s funny. It IS! It is also so important and valuable to learn, but it is really funny too. Great stuff.

I was there!! These are 2 of my favourite living people, & being completely obsessed with comedy and ancient & medieval history, this was the highlight of my life tbh. Love them both so much but I do wish Mary could’ve let David speak a bit more, she’s a giant in the world of Roman history but she was a little patronising to him at times

Wow, what a treat!!! I have missed Mary Beard and wondering what she has been up to. What a brill duo, Mary and David.

Incredibly interesting and amusing. I love both Mary and David individually but wouldn't it be good to have them collaborating on a tv or radio show about 'light hearted' history, a sort of more adult horrible histories.

this was a wondaful treat. It's been hard to think of the Romen Empire without thinking of Mary Beard and her amazing documentaries. David Mitchell has been a very big part of my UKposts life these past few years. I'm on page 53 of Unruly and it is everything I'd hope for. Thank you How to Academy Mindset for posting this, 😻

Thank you for bringing us 2 of my favorite, brilliant people!

Delightfull , a sheer enjoy..no matter history, this are two of the most articulate historians, besides their bast knowledge, they keep it down to earth are humble and give all of us a wonderful time. Kids would love history with them .

We need David Mitchell and Professor Ronald Hutton discussion

David Mitchell has deservedly earned a great reputation as a talented entertainer, comedian and wit, with great historical and political knowledge; an undoubted accomplished person. Mary Beard is even more impressive, imo Both are great. Bluddi loved the anecdote about Paddington author, queen and acting, and I've never heard of Tibeius' antics in a swimming pool, until now Hannah McGuiness intrigues me - daughter of a famous mother??

I adore David Mitchell in WILTY and didn't even know he wrote things! I'm so happy I stumbled onto this! My copy of Unruly will be here tomorrow! Can't wait!

David is brilliant. The comedian/historian takes the cake. The longer I listened, the more I wish it was just David talking.

I loved Claudius as play by Derek Jacobi. Loved that series.

As soon as they pulled back to that wide shot at 13:05, I learned that Alex Horne ruled the Roman Empire from 117-161 CE.

Two thinkers that are very much up there on my favorites list. Only wish the program director hadn't employed disposable microphones they bought at a drugstore in the check out aisle.

I enjoyed the moderators giggles as much as the conversation!

What an amazing duo!!!!

Business Secrets of the Pharaohs is still a possibility in a real life non Peep Show form

these two are having such fun

So enjoyable. Thankyou😊

Excellent!

Saw David and the title "Rulers". I thought "Mmm, yummy, an anorak talk about millimeters, inches, rulers, and other measurement tools" 😁

This was simply brilliant.

47:30 Fascinating observation by David Mitchell, what does "English" mean? Well, the heritage of the Kings and Queens of England is what seems to bind people together as "English." Very interesting!

Both of these books are terrific.

Please could you use a 'jump cut' transition between shots rather than fade to black? The fade to black transition tends to signal an ending or to introduce a new subject etc, and it's a little confusing when used during a continuing conversation. Just a suggestion, from a viewer perspective. Hope that's constructive. Very enjoyable discussion.👍

Aww. It's as if David Mitchell is leading the life that Mark Corrigan dreamt of living in an alternate universe.

Why are they sitting so uncomfortably close?

I've read David's book "Unruly" and it's well fun and informational.

Fantastic👏👏👏👏👏

Thanks. Great.

the elagabalus mention has immediately gotten horrible histories stuck in my head lol

This is comedy with substance! Unruly but to the point.

Love the point about the Claudius story because we also have the fact that he was allegedly assainated himself and then painted as incredibly inept and timid (look how he started) so thank the gods he's gone now as well.

A people must have the leisure to study history in order for political history to matter.

Well, I adore Mary 😊

Imelda Marcos is still alive, for one thing, and she never denied it. She said she was given them because the Philippines has a lot of light industry, so the midsize shoe manufacturers gave her shoes.

Unfortunately the sound system was inadequate and I could not make out the bulk of the conversation.

Well done well done old boy well played

Those Roman heads are extraordinarily human with very distinct personalities. I would guarantee that if you put them into a computer you could get very modern faces, not dissimilar to today's men of power.

Poor old David

Empathy is a superpower!

Love you Mary I think both are great 😊

This. All of this, all day, every day. Lock them in a room and refuse them food unless they have interesting conversations.

I’m surprised that Mary said that Imelda Marcos was dead and her shoes were found after her death and never counted when not only were they were counted and still exist in the Philippines but Imelda is as I’m writing still alive and living as the mother of the current president of the Philippines in Manila

Interesting body language - crossed legs with toe pointing to person sitting somewhat uncomfortably within each other’s personal space

I am sure the camera man is happy….but both Mary and David look very uncomfortable. Both are lovely and very very bright. I think separate chairs would have made a difference

I'm watching everything that these two do. Even before any new Warhammer news. Yeah, even that.

Now I want to hear Mary Beard & a Chinese Dynasty expert !

Great conversation. Mary Beard is very entertaining. They obviously enjoy each others company.

that sofa was a bit too small

Without having watched the video (yet), and thus only having seen the thumbnail image, my first thought was, "Jaysus, Victoria sure has aged!"

I think I think about Rome so much because they built my city so walking down the street is to be reminded

have you guys heard of 1080p though

Oh, well! That’s all Ancient History now…

Whilst Mary Beard is undoubtedly incredibly learned, she is definitely not a team player. Or else she is unable to contain her professorial superiority over someone who she knows is not recognised as a bona fide historian. She just didn’t seem to want to let David have his say.

A straight road of conquest 😂 starting off very strong

I admire David's fortitude in withstanding such close proximity to overbearance and patronization.

I liked this a lot, but it is true what they say: historians repeat themselves.

Mary Beard there, completely ignoring Queen Elizabeth I, bloody mary, and Queen Victoria and trying to make all powerful women of history sound like saints, while shitting on the men.

Mary Beard used to be just a pain. Now she's insufferable. My apologies to David Mitchell, who deploys de-escalation over and over. It doesn't work with an egotistical monster like Beard

Imelda Marcos is still alive. The shoes were discovered when her husband was overthrown in a popular uprising.

Maybe the iron age ended with the Education Act of 1870 when they had to learn the Kings of England?

@39:58 - A lot of america's licence plates are produced by prison labor (the major exception to prohibition on slavery). That could be a feature of an exhibit exploring contemporary views of slave-produced goods. But, is the british museum really presenting socially conscious questions these days, given that the first one from anyone on the internet is "how much of this stuff is stolen, and displayed against the wishes of the original culture"?

I thought Mr. Mitchell did well in the face of Olympic standard patronisation. He was treated by Professor Beard as if he was in the sixth form learning for the first time about the emperors of Rome. I am so disappointed that Professor Beard apparently has such a self satisfied and all knowing view of the world and her own importance in defining what is important In the story of mankind. I really don't want to be rude, but I doubt very much that anyone would even have heard of her, or most of us, two millennia hence. Therefore whilst she is entitled and eminently qualified to talk about individuals who determined world affairs so long ago, I hardly think she is realistic in her assertions that her own views on such matters are now the definitive ones.

Dear David your won the lottery.

But Britains LOST previous knowledge & technology during the time with advanced roman culture and when Rome went Brits had forgotten even how to build & use the pottery wheel - there was a serious dark age happening! Rome had influenced british everyday life, trade & means of production, but not advanced the actual populace to be able to continue the administration, culture & industry - at least that's what I learnt!?

Here to learn about the Business Secrects of the Pharoahs. Very disappointing.

I'm not sure Beard is as funny as she thinks she is. Also I'm glad Mitchell was having none of her insistence that Western art didn't decline in the dark ages. "You think it did, but really, your perception is wrong" - oh bugger off.

Nationalism started with Napoleon. It’s a very modern notion.

Well, Upstart Crow certainly has a lot to contribute to Elizabethan history. 😅

3:28

4:22

27:18 Such subtility as David Mitchel gently applies his superpower: eloquently using somebody's logic against themselves in a kind of mental aikido. He brings up the red hot poker, she takes the bait. I don't think even he realised where he was headed at that point. Just brought up something irksome out of slight irritation. Then see how it plays out as he sees the pattern and starts with: "what I love about your book..." and then proceeds to point out how she didn't follow through on her own point, that he loved so much he couldn't help but notice it.. And she apparantly buys it.. even admitting that's what she should have done.. which is another masterful move. If you admit flaws when attacked, it is rather hard for the other to gain purchase. Their most potent ammunition is pointing out something you are apparently not aware of. But I feel... if David was more of a pitbull, this was the time the underbelly was exposed. I feel he just chose differently. And after that, the interaction is way more civil, collaborative. David bared his teeth in this most covert warning shot in the history of conflict and allowed her to save face and just apply herself to being civil. Finding and forcing the win-win after being pummeled for twenty minutes. Quite remarkable and beautiful battle of two mental kung fu masters.. point to Mitchel here.

Talking about such distant past, history, is something everyone can do and a few of them will be just less correct than the majority :D Talking about so unprovable things... we shall take all these as pure speculation for fun.

Mary talks about the kingship being a sort of spine for England to rally around at ~49:00. There's a deep wisdom to this, from a sociological perspective. After all, that's what we're really talking about: managing loads of people and tons of resources. First God died (still feeling the ramifications of that), and then the USSR died. We've truly gone "wobbly." Better to have focus. But finding that new focus is like defusing a bomb on an 80s TV show, or playing Operation. I hope we all get through the coming battle between this axis of as---. At any rate, mercy buckets. :-)

Here is a kick in the head ….Today’s living standards surpass many of the Kings and Queens of yore.

I am always amused by academics who think they know how the people of the past thought, we don’t know that much about what many people think today, and we we do it usually has changed. If you want a good degree don’t write about what your research indicates, regurgitate what your academics think.

Yeah, but Scottish history is way more brutal before the Union Of Crowns under James 1st. Before then you had a bunch of headbangers slitting each others necks and killing bairns in the crib. They don't talk too much about the slaughter in Scottish history very much.

I’m here for Mary. DM is a delightful comedian but Mary is the expert.

Elegabulus was amazing. He was in charge of the entire known world and all he wanted to do was sell his arse.

Just to say...I barely think about the Roman empire. I really don't think most men do, it's just projection by women (again).

Such bizarre "editing", with the mini fade-ins and fade-outs and the constant change of scale without changing the angle.

I could listen to Stephen Fry speak for hours without realising hours had passed. I wish Stephen Fry were living next door and were in constant need of a cup of flour for which I would trade a one hour lesson.

its best when paired with one of the funniest people on the planet to stick to your strengths

I am surprised how much I disagree with Mary Beard on some things. The idea that it's all just subjective about middle ages art being not as good as ancient art is nonsense. David is absolutely correct the depictions of humans in Roman times is far more anatomically accurate than what came later.

M'kay

we are still in the iron age.

He’s right about art, and it’s easy to see why. To dedicate one’s life to creating art, there needs to be a lot of societal excess production. You need the free resources to sponsor an artist. The Roman republic, then empire had that. Dark ages Britain did not. They had some monks scrawling naïve images of their rulers.

I lost a lot of respect for Beard after watching this. The first part of this was an extended passive-aggressive tantrum by her for being used by a non-historian to lend respectability to his history book. She kept on trying to belittle or embarrass him. His body language was respectful whilst she waved her hands in his face.

Could two people look any more awkward, sat so closely on a small sofa? Any why not just call it ‘The Mary Beard Show’? Had I been there I’d have queued for David’s book!!!!

Mary Beard is absolutely wonderful ❤

The presenter delays introducing them formally and then only by first names!

Now, perhaps only once in 10 or 20 years, average, some world leader sinks below the level of awfulness of one of the terrible British monarchs: Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, Idi Amin (add your own favorite tyrant here -- is Netanyahu in the running?). How awful were those terrible British monarchs, by modern standards?

Mary Beard speaks truth to Power, by her own words. No comment on Israel. No lessons to be learned there

Mary Beard seems, if you'll pardon me, unbearable. and only 15 minutes in. I'm only going to continue watching because of Mitchell

This is so British and boing.

To hear Brits talk of others as ....well damn😂😂😂

Classic power move. spread yourself out. Take up a contrary opinion to halt the other persons flow. (also." The English would hardly notice that the Romans had left " All those cities transformed, ?------ insert the monty python speech ). What I have never heard answered is why ,when major cities had toilets and aqueducts to bring clean water , cement that provided foundations for sturdy stone buildings and all those skills passed on, were we were still travelling along muddy ruts rather than roads, living in sub standard wooden buildings and throwing raw sewage into the street 1400 years later. That's a long time to figure out what we already knew ?

I never think of rome at all