About Literature and History

With millions of downloads, hundreds of hours of soundtracked content, and an overall emphasis on the cultural history behind famous works of literature, Literature and History is one of the most popular independent podcasts on its subject. Starting with Sumerian cuneiform in 3,100 BCE, Literature and History moves forward in chronological order through Assyriology, Egyptology, the Old Testament, Ancient Greece and Rome, the birth of Christianity, Late Antiquity, and dawn of the Middle Ages. The show’s current season is on early Islamic history. Learn about previous seasons of the show here. Learn about upcoming seasons of the show here.

A typical episode (they average about two hours) features a general introduction to a work of literature, then a full summary of that work that expects no prior knowledge, and finally, an analysis of the cultural, biographical, and historical forces that gave rise to the work in question. Original symphonic and ambient background music is woven throughout each show, and all episodes offer free full, illustrated, footnoted transcriptions as well as quizzes for purposes of review. The show has no advertisements, and its host takes pride in a professional approach that avoids chitchat and ephemera and gets straight to the educational content. You can listen to the episodes in any order, although most listeners begin at the beginning and proceed from there, as the podcast itself is chronologically organized.

Doug Metzger finished his Ph.D. in literature in 2011. His chief scholarly interest, following his dissertation work, continues to be 19th-century realism and postbellum American philosophy. In addition to podcasting, he enjoys playing and recording music, writing fiction, running and cycling, and spending time with his family, friends, and Chocolate Lab. Here he is talking at Harvard about literature podcasting. You can email him at literatureandhistoryguy@gmail.com. He posts comedy songs and other videos to the Podcast’s YouTube page. Doug also posts podcast updates, behind-the-scenes videos, and special features for authors’ birthdays and special publication anniversaries on Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, Bluesky and X. Literature and History has been featured at Literary Hub, on BBC 3, at Harvard’s Sound Education, and in the Paris Review. Learn more about the show in these articles in Pacific Standard magazine, The American Scholar, and Indie Digital Media. Tap or click images below to expand them.