The Biographers

The American Civil War has officially begun! In part three of our series on Mark Twain, we see the not-yet-writer briefly join the Missouri State Guard before fleeing west with his brother. After a few failed business attempts and an accidental case of arson, Sam Clemens lands a job as a journalist, and officially takes up the pen-name of Mark Twain. His popularity as a journalist increased over time, eventually leading him to San ...

In part two of our series on Samuel Clemens (a.k.a. Mark Twain), we follow young Sam as he enters the working world, becoming a typesetter’s apprentice in his hometown of Hannibal. His small town couldn’t hold him for long, however, and he soon hit the road, traveling around the East Coast of the United States. Eventually, Sam began to pursue a career as a steamboat pilot, spending countless hours navigating up and down the mighty ...

In series 12 of The Biographers, we're talking about one of the truest titans of American literature to ever put pen to paper: Mark Twain. Given the name Samuel Langhorne Clemens at birth in the pre-Civil War era of America, our next subject would grow up in a time of slavery, witness its abolition, and grow to become an outspoken opponent of racism. His childhood was often times idyllic, but was not without its moments of extr...

In the final episode of our series, we cover the last years of General Alexandre Dumas. With the smoldering wreck of The Orient sinking in Aboukir Bay, Dumas and his men abandoned their military charge and were reduced to a single objective: survive. With the help of Napoleon's band of academic geniuses, the French armies were stabilized, and the world's first institute of Egyptology was established. After putting down a re...

In part four of Alexandre Dumas, we cover General Dumas's time under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte. Dumas would be sent to engage the "unwindable" parts of France, laying siege to the city of Mantua, and recovering a secret letter just in time to save his troops, but would have his named wiped from the newspapers by a jealous Napoleon. Demoted for “insubordination,” Alexandre went on to lead a subdivision in pursu...

In part three of our series on Alexandre Dumas, we see the French Revolution enter phase two with the arrival of the Reign of Terror, led by the infamous Maximilien Robespierre. During this turbulent period, Alexandre earned a reputation as a commander with a remarkable ability to transform undisciplined troops into effective fighting forces — a skill that eventually elevated him to the rank of General. However, his rise was not wi...

In part two of our series on the legendary French soldier Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, we witness the rise of a humble soldier as he climbs the ranks of the newly established national military during the early days of the French Revolution. After famine ravaged the population, France was in turmoil and hungry for change, leading the people to overthrow their king and establish the first democratic nation in modern Europe. Soon, Austria ...

We're back, and it's officially time to start up Series 11! For this series, we're getting back to our roots by discussing a person most people have never heard of. While many do know the name "Alexandre Dumas" — author of classic stories like The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers — most probably don't know that his father was actually the real-life inspiration for those classic adventure stories. That's right: we're n...

In the conclusion episode of our series on the Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa, we take a look at the darker days of his life and the deeds that earned him the oft-overlooked reputation of a villain. Despite many of the initial goals of the Mexican Revolution being achieved, Pancho continued to fight, even as most of his army dwindled away. In the final years of his life, he committed some of his most heinous acts, making vengef...

In part four of our series on Pancho Villa, we witness Pancho rise to become the single most powerful person in the country of Mexico, after the notorious Victoriano Huerta is finally overthrown. The revolutionaries were victorious in their task, but the various leaders of the revolution couldn't seem to find a compromise on how to move the nation forward, which then led to a civil war breaking out between them. The third phase of ...

In part three of our series on Pancho Villa, we explore an often-forgotten tragedy in world history known as La Decena Trágica (The Ten Tragic Days), during which the first phase of the Mexican Revolution comes to a swift and violent end. From the chaos, a new dictator emerges — Victoriano Huerta — who is so despised by the people that a song is composed to immortalize his loathsome character. The people of Mexico do not accept thi...

In part two of our series on Pancho Villa, the Mexican Revolution officially begins! Though an unlikely candidate, Pancho quickly becomes a high-ranking officer in the revolutionary army and displays his uncanny abilities in guerrilla warfare. But even after the revolution gains steam and wins some key victories, all is not well in Mexico, and the political climate continues to complicate things. Soon, Pancho finds himself in the p...

For our next series, we're headed to Mexico to cover our first revolutionary in a man named Pancho Villa. Born the son of a humble farmer, Pancho's life would take a sudden and harsh turn at the age of 16, transforming him from farmer to bandit. For nearly ten years, Pancho lived the violent life of a bandit and outlaw, but cries for revolution would become louder and louder under the tyrannical rule of dictator Porfirio Díaz. Even...

Announcement! If you hadn't heard in our last episode, we are back to a bi-weekly release schedule. Have no fear, we aren't going anywhere -- we just need some additional time to research, read, and write up our episodes. That being said,  it's time for another laid-back episode of Office Hours! This week we talk about boring stuff that's actually exciting, our undying love of bread and pastries, and Daniel being totally clueless o...

In our final episode on the genius inventor Nikola Tesla, we bid the old wizard a fond farewell. The latter portion of his life had its fair share of inventions and recognition, but it was also riddled with struggle, hardship, and rejection. Despite holding patents for a multitude of his electrical inventions, people just couldn't seem to stop themselves from stealing his work, and giving him zero credit or royalties. His senior ye...

In part four of our series on Croatian inventor Nikola Tesla, we explore some of the highest highs and lowest lows of the genius’s life. Success was coming his way, including a center-stage appearance at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, and his inventions were being implemented across the United States (and many other parts of the world). However, he was not immune to tragedy. He was forced to work in the laboratory of Thomas Edis...

In part three of our series on the master of AC electricity, Nikola Tesla, we finally get to see the invention of the Tesla Coil! When introducing his new invention to shoot electricity wirelessly through the air, Nikola shocks the crowd (not actually) by illuminating a lightbulb held in one hand, while a bolt of electricity connects to his other hand. However, competition is fierce, and swaths of other so-called inventors steal hi...